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Atlanta Braves legend Henry Hank Aaron dead at 86
By Cody Chaffins and FOX 5 Digital Team
Published
The Braves legend and home run king passed away Friday morning.
ATLANTA - Atlanta Braves legend and Baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron has died Friday at the age of 86, FOX 5 has confirmed.
The home run king, who accomplished a massive amount of achievements both on and off the field, died peacefully in his sleep, the Braves said in a release.
Henry Louis Aaron was born Feb. 5, 1934, in Mobile, Alabama to his parents Herbert and Estella Aaron. He headed a long list of outstanding players who came from that Gulf Coast city Satchel Paige, Willie McCovey, Billy Williams and Ozzie Smith among them.
At what should have been the pinnacle of his long career in baseball, Henry Aaron was getting bags of hate mail many containing death threats and living in a storage room at the stadium, accompanied by bodyguards when he ventured out.
It was 1973, the country remained divided along racial lines and Aaron, a Black American playing for the Atlanta Braves, was closing in on Babe Ruth’s holy career record of 714 home runs. To some, it was sacrilegious that a Black man would threaten the record of the immortal Babe.
Aaron eventually tied, then surpassed Ruth’s record, finishing his remarkable 23-year career with 755 homers. Even at that, he felt shortchanged.
Hank Aaron s lasting impact is measured in more than home runs
play
Howard Bryant shares lasting memories of Hank Aaron (3:00)
Howard Bryant reflects on the moments he shared with Hank Aaron while writing a biography of the Hall of Famer. (3:00)
Author of The Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aaron
Author of Juicing the Game
Henry Aaron, who rose up from the depths of Southern poverty to become one of the towering figures in baseball history as well as a bittersweet symbol of both American racial intolerance and triumph, has died. He was 86.
When he retired in 1976 after a 23-year major league career with the National League Braves (spending 1954 to 1965 in Milwaukee, 1966-74 in Atlanta) before playing his final two seasons with the American League Milwaukee Brewers, Aaron had amassed staggering offensive numbers, holding the career records for most home runs (755), RBIs (2,297), total bases (6,856), games played (3,298), at-bats (12,364) and plate appearances (13,941). He was se
A look at Hank Aaron’s career and accomplishments Follow Us
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Nicknames: Hammerin’ Hank, The Hammer
Born: Feb 5, 1934 in Mobile, Alabama
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Teams: Milwaukee Braves (1954-1965), Atlanta Braves (1966-1974), Milwaukee Brewers (1975-76)
Biggest Accomplishment: Broke Babe Ruth’s home run record in 1974 and finished his career with 755, a mark that stood for more than 33 years until it was eclipsed by Barry Bonds in 2007.
Other Records: MLB career leader in RBIs (2,297), extra-base hits (1,477) and total bases (6,856); played in 25 All-Star Games.
World Series Appearances: 1957 (Braves defeated the New York Yankees, 4-3); 1958 (Braves lost to the Yankees, 4-3)