Henry Aaron

1996 Honoree

On April 8, 1974 at the Atlanta Braves Ball Park, the night seemed charged with human electricity. In the fourth inning, the Los Angeles Dodgers were leading 3 to 1, but the Braves had a man on base and Henry Aaron was batting. Al Downing threw a slider and Aaron blasted it into the stands for home run number 715. The entire stadium erupted with joy because Hank Aaron had broken Babe Ruth's career home run record. For Aaron, this was the high point in a long journey begun in 1952 when, at 18, he left home in Mobile, Alabama to join the Indianapolis Clowns in the Negro League.

Sometime that year, the Milwaukee Braves purchased his contract and sent him South to one of its farm teams to gain experience. Two years later, he returned to Milwaukee. In 1957, the Milwaukee Braves won the World Series and Aaron was chosen the League's Most Valuable Player (MVP).

During his 23 years in the major leagues, this superstar was the all-time leader in home runs (755) and runs-batted-in (2,297). For 20 years, he hit 20 home runs or more and led the league in home run production in 1957, 1963, 1966 and 1967. From 1955 to 1975, he was selected for the National League's All-Star Team and in 1982, he was inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, New York.

During 1973 and 1974 as Aaron attempted to break Ruth's record, many stories and broadcasts were produced and sportswriters called the era,"The Chase." For Aaron this was a time of anxiety and frustration because of the unwanted attention. He received about 930,000 pieces of mail. Most of it was encouraging, but there were letters full of racial taunts and death threats if he dared surpass Ruth's record. As a precaution, he changed his lifestyle and the Braves hired bodyguards to protect him.

While reflecting about his life and baseball Aaron expressed these concerns: "I wonder if I really need baseball anymore...and if it really needs me. But whenever I wonder about it, I usually come to the conclusion that I do, and it does -- at least for the time being. Baseball needs me because it needs somebody to stir the pot, and I need it because it's my life. It's the means I have to make a little difference in the world."

Henry Aaron retired from baseball in 1976 and became an executive for the Atlanta Braves. His efforts as director of player development helped his organization to develop one of the top teams in baseball. He is currently a senior vice president for Turner Broadcasting.