The Inspiring Career of Hank Aaron

 Hank Aaron is a legendary figure in the world of baseball and for good reason. His remarkable career spanned an incredible 23 years, during which he achieved a seemingly impossible feat - breaking Babe Ruth's long-standing home run record of 714, with an astonishing 755 home runs. He also achieved a lifetime batting average of .305, and amassed a total of 2,297 RBIs. Aaron's success was not limited to the field, however. He was a leader in the fight for civil rights, and was a vocal advocate of racial justice. His inspiring story is a testament to the power of determination and hard work, and serves as a reminder of the importance of standing up for what is right. Aaron's courage in the face of adversity has been an inspiration to players and fans alike, and his legacy will live on for generations to come. He has been recognized with numerous awards and honors, including his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982, and his selection as Sports Illustrates "Sportsman of the Year" in 1999. Aaron's impact on the world of baseball is undeniable, and his legacy will continue to inspire people for years to come.

Henry Louis Aaron was born on the 5th of February 1934 in an impoverished African American area of Mobile, Alabama known as "Down the Bay". He was one of eight children of Estella and Herbert Aaron, who earned a living at a tavern and was a helper to a boilermaker at the dry dock. When he was 8, the whole family relocated to the middle-class Toulminville neighborhood. From a young age, Hank was passionate about baseball and football, and he devoted more time to sports than to his studies. During his freshman and sophomore years, he attended Central High School, which was segregated, and performed well in both baseball and football. On the baseball field, he mainly played shortstop and third base.

Aaron left school at the end of 1951 to play for the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American League. It was anything but an extended stay, yet the gifted teen made some meaningful difference by hitting .366 and driving his club to triumph in the association's 1952 Worldwide championship. He would also become the last player to play in both the Major Leagues and the Negro Leagues.

Subsequent to signing with the Milwaukee Overcomes for $10,000, Aaron was assigned to one of the association's farm clubs, the Class C Eau Claire Bears. He didn't disappoint, he earned Northern Association the latest phenom respects in 1952. Elevated to the Class A Jacksonville Overcomes in 1953, Aaron kept on destroying pitching with 208 hits, 22 homers, and a .362 normal.

While in the majors, and for more than three decades, Hank Aaron held the Major League record with his 755 career home runs. Barry Bonds ended that record on August 7, 2007, when he hit his 756th homer. In 2002, President George W. Bush awarded Aaron the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his philanthropy and humanitarian endeavors. In 2005, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund awarded him the Thurgood Marshall Lifetime Achievement Award; the organization also established the Hank Aaron Humanitarian in Sports Award. In 2019, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Today's Game Era Committee. He also received the “Beacon of Change” award from the Major League Baseball Players Association.

Hank Aaron died on January 22, 2021.

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Tom