Legendary Hammerin' Hank Aaron dies at 86, baseball world mourns
Hank Aaron, the man who broke Babe Ruth's Major League Baseball (MLB) home run record, has passed away at the age of 86. The news was first reported by CBS 46 News in Atlanta.
BREAKING NEWS: Hall of Famer and one-time home run king Atlanta Braves legend Henry Louis “Hank” Aaron passed away this morning at the age of 86. https://t.co/v72XAnGpmY
— CBS46 (@cbs46) January 22, 2021
Born in 1934 in Mobile, Alabama, Aaron began his professional career at the age of 17 with the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American League. He played only 26 games for the Clowns and signed right after for the Boston Braves. The club moved to Milwaukee after the 1952 season.
The baseball world has lost one of the most important figures and greatest human beings in the history of the game. https://t.co/XKNvWr3xf2 pic.twitter.com/0Q7HmWeAfu
— Riccardo Fraccari (@WBSCPresident) January 22, 2021
Aaron made his MLB debut for the Milwaukee Braves in 1954. The Braves relocated to Atlanta in 1966. By the time, Aaron was one of the premier stars of the games. He had enjoyed two 40+ home-run seasons (1957 and 1963) and three 100+ RBI seasons (1957, 1960, 1963).
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When he retired after the 1976 season, he had played a total of 3,298 MLB games and had 1,477 extra-base hits, including 755 home runs. He also collected 3,771 career hits, 2,297 career RBIs and 6,856 career total bases.
Aaron ranks third, behind Ty Cobb (4,189) and Pete Rose (4,256) in MLB for hits, but still is the all-time leader for extra-base hits, RBIs and total bases.
He surpassed Babe Ruth's record on 8 April 1974. He had received death threats throughout the 1973 and 1974 seasons from people who believed it outrageous that Babe Ruth's record could be challenged.
Aaron hit is 755th, and final, MLB home run on 20 July 1976. His record stood until 7 August 2007, when it was broken by Barry Bonds, who later extended the record to 762.
Aaron was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on 1 August 1982.
