RIP, Hank Aaron. You Seemed Immortal.

 

April 8, 1974: Hank Aaron hits home run No. 715 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium

Hank Aaron is a Hall of Famer and a baseball legend. Yet, he is somehow still underrated and under-appreciated, his prowess often overshadowed by Babe Ruth and Ted Williams, as well as his contemporaries, Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle. Yet, Aaron's on-field feats seem like the stuff of fiction.

It’s part of baseball lore that Aaron eclipsed Babe Ruth’s seemingly unsurpassable 714 home-run mark in April 1974. By the time he finished his career two years later, Aaron had amassed a whopping 755 homers. That record stood for 33 years, until the Giants’ Barry Bonds surpassed Aaron’s mark in August 2007, and went on to hit 762 homers. But it is widely-understood that Bonds was a PED user and a cheater. Baseball purists don’t recognize Bonds’ inflated achievement and still recognize Hammerin’ Hank as the all-time home run king.

Aaron won the National League’s single-season home run title four times, though his highest total was only 47, in 1971. That's right; Hammerin’ Hank never hit as many as 50 homers in a single season. Yet, he was the model of consistency year in and year out, topping 20 home runs a record 20 times. He is also one of only two players to hit 30 or more home runs in a season at least fifteen times. And Aaron’s power didn’t fade as he got older; he hit 40 home runs at age 39, making him just one of two players to do so. Aaron personified sustained excellence.

The truth is, Aaron was a complete hitter who batted at least .300 14 times in his 23-year career. He was a two-time National League batting champion and had a career batting average of .305. Additionally, Aaron is No. 3 in career hits (3,771), behind Pete Rose and Ty Cobb. And he is one of only four players to have at least 17 seasons with 150 or more hits. Unlike most sluggers, Aaron never struck out 100 times in a season and he finished his career with more walks than strikeouts.

What’s more, Aaron is the only player in baseball history with at least 3,000 hits and 700 home runs. Get this: If Aaron hadn’t hit any home runs at all, he still would have surpassed 3,000 hits and been ahead of such players as Roberto Clemente and Wade Boggs.

Aaron still holds the MLB records for the most career runs batted in (RBI) (2,297), extra base hits (1,477), and total bases (6,856). And he remains No. 2 in at-bats (12,364), behind Rose, and is also in the top five in career runs (2,174).

Hamerin' Hank is one of only five players to have amassed 2,000 career RBI. He had more than Rickey Henderson (1,115) and Kirby Puckett (1,085), combined, and both are Hall of Famers.

Aaron has held the RBI record since 1975 and he will continue to hold it for many more years, perhaps permanently. Albert Pujols leads all active players, with 2,100 RBI. He is 41, entering the final season of his 10-year contract, and is a shadow of his former self. In short, he will not surpass Aaron.

Totaling 100 RBI in a single season is considered a great achievement by any player. Aaron practically averaged 100 RBI per season over his 23-year career, which is just astonishing.

Aaron was the National League’s most valuable player in 1957, when the Milwaukee Braves beat the vaunted New York Yankees and won their only World Series championship. He was voted an All-Star in all but his first and last seasons, holding the record for the most All-Star selections, with 25. And he won three Gold Glove awards for his play in right field.

The scouting report on Aaron, when he was just 18-years-old, described his arm as ’strong’, his fielding as ‘good’ and his running as ‘fast.' That speed helped him on the base paths and in the outfield. Braves manager Bobby Bragan once said of him, “There aren’t five men faster in baseball, and no better base runner. If you need a base, he’ll steal it quietly. If you need a shoestring catch, he’ll make it, and his hat won’t fly off and he won’t fall on his butt. He does it like DiMaggio.”

After breaking his ankle during his rookie season, 1954, Aaron was never again on the disabled list for the rest of his 23-year career. That, alone, is greatness. And it's a testament to his toughness, commitment and dedication.

But, most importantly, Hank Aaron was a gentleman. He was humble and dignified, always carrying himself with poise and grace. He endured segregation and had to play in the Negro Leagues, and then suffered constant death threats over a two-year span while chasing Ruth’s home run record. However, his many lifetime achievements were capped with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002.

Rest in peace, Henry Louis Aaron. You may have been the greatest baseball player of all time.