Atlanta Word as been received that baseball legend, and Hall of Famer Henry (Hank) Aaron has passed way, at 86 years old.
Aaron played in the majors for 23 years from 1954 to 1976. He played for the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves and finished his career with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Aside from being a 25-time All-Star, an MVP and a three-time Gold Glove, Aaron ended his career as Major League Baseball’s all-time home run leader with 755. He had taken the crown from New York Yankees great Babe Ruth and later lost it to San Francisco Giants legend Barry Bonds.
Aaron still holds the all-time record for RBI with 2,297.
Aaron started his career in 1951 in the Negro Leagues with the Indianapolis Clowns. He played for three months before receiving offers from the Giants and the Braves of the major leagues.
According to the book “Batting Around,” Aaron said the Braves offered him $50 more than the Giants which was the “only thing that kept Willie Mays and me from being teammates.” He made his debut with the Braves at 23 in 1954 and won an MVP award by his fourth season.
He hit more than 40 home runs eight times in his career. He would break Ruth’s record on April 8, 1974, with legendary broadcaster Vin Scully calling the game. Scully invoked the racial tension of the time in his call.
Scully said, “What a marvelous moment for baseball; what a marvelous moment for Atlanta and the state of Georgia. What a marvelous moment for the country and the world. A Black man is getting a standing ovation in the Deep South for breaking a record of an all-time baseball idol. And it is a great moment for all of us, and particularly for Henry Aaron. And for the first time in a long time, that poker face in Aaron shows the tremendous strain and relief of what it must have been like to live with for the past several months.
Aaron was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1982, picking up more than 97% of the vote.
After his career was over, Aaron wrote a book called “If I Had a Hammer,” owned an automotive group and owned several chain restaurants.
The details behind Aaron’s death were unclear. He had just received his COVID vaccine earlier this month and called on Black Americans to get their shots when it becomes available.
“I don’t have any qualms about it at all, you know. I feel quite proud of myself for doing something like this. … It’s just a small thing that can help zillions of people in this country,” he told The Associated Press
Aaron was the second Hall of Famer to die this week. Don Sutton, the legendary pitcher, died Tuesday at 75.
