| Hank Aaron | |
|---|---|
 Aaron with the Atlanta Braves in 1974 | |
| Right fielder | |
| Born: February 5, 1934 Mobile, Alabama | |
| Died: January 22, 2021 (aged 86) Atlanta, Georgia | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 13, 1954, for the Milwaukee Braves | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 3, 1976, for the Milwaukee Brewers | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .305 |
| Hits | 3,771 |
| Home runs | 755 |
| Runs batted in | 2,297 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
MLB records
| |
| Member of the National | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 1982 |
| Vote | 97.8% (first ballot) |
Henry Louis Aaron nicknamed "Hammer" or "Hammerin' Hank", was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1954 through 1976 died he was 86. Widely regarded as one of the greatest baseball players in history, he spent 21 seasons with the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves in the National League (NL) and two seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers in the American League (AL).
His 755 career home runs broke the long-standing MLB record set by Babe Ruth and stood as the most for 33 years; Aaron still holds many other MLB batting records. He hit 24 or more home runs every year from 1955 through 1973 and is one of only two players to hit 30 or more home runs in a season at least fifteen times.[1] In 1999, The Sporting News ranked Aaron fifth on its list of the "100 Greatest Baseball Players".[2] In 1982, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
Aaron was born and raised in and around Mobile, Alabama. Aaron had seven siblings, including Tommie Aaron, who played major-league baseball with him. He appeared briefly in the Negro American League and in minor league baseball before starting his major league career.[3] By his final MLB season, Aaron was the last Negro league baseball player on a major league roster. During his time in MLB, and especially during his run for the home run record, Aaron and his family endured extensive racist threats.[4] His experiences fueled his activism during the civil rights movement.[5]
Aaron played the vast majority of his MLB games in right field, though he appeared at several other infield and outfield positions. In his last two seasons, he was primarily a designated hitter.[6] Aaron was an NL All-Star for 20 seasons and an AL All-Star for one season, and he holds the record for the most All-Star selections (25),[a] while sharing the record for most All-Star Games played (24) with Willie Mays and Stan Musial. He was a three-time Gold Glove winner, and in 1957, he won the NL Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award when the Milwaukee Braves won the World Series. Aaron holds the MLB records for the most career runs batted in (RBIs) (2,297), extra base hits (1,477), and total bases (6,856). Aaron is also in the top five for career hits (3,771) and runs (2,174). He is one of only four players to have at least 17 seasons with 150 or more hits.[7] Aaron is in second place in home runs (755) and at-bats (12,364), and in third place in games played (3,298). At the time of his retirement, Aaron held most of the game's key career power-hitting records.
After his retirement, Aaron held front office roles with the Atlanta Braves, including the senior vice president. In 1988, Aaron was inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame.[8] In 1999, MLB introduced the Hank Aaron Award to recognize the top offensive players in each league. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002. He was named a 2010 Georgia Trustee by the Georgia Historical Society in recognition of accomplishments that reflect the ideals of Georgia's founders. Aaron resided near Atlanta until his death.[9]
(February 5, 1934 – January 22, 2021),
On January 5, 2021, Aaron publicly received a COVID-19 vaccination with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine[90] at the Morehouse School of Medicine at Atlanta, Georgia.[91] He and several other African American public figures, including activist Joe Beasley, Andrew Young, and Louis Sullivan did so to demonstrate the safety of the vaccine and encourage other black Americans to do the same.[91][92]
Aaron died in his sleep in his Atlanta residence on January 22 at the age of 86. The manner of death was listed as fr.[93][94][95] Anti-vaccine activists Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Del Bigtree have suggested without evidence that Aaron's death was caused by receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. However, medical officials did not believe the COVID-19 vaccine had any adverse effect on his health.[96] An emailed statement to AFP Fact Check from Fulton County medical examiner Karen Sullivan said that "There was no information suggestive of an allergic or anaphylactic reaction to any substance which might be attributable to recent vaccine distribution."[90]
His funeral was held on January 27, followed by his burial at South-View Cemetery.[97]
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