“I just tried to play the game the way it was supposed to be played,” Aaron said, summing it up better than anyone.īonds praised Aaron “for being a trailblazer through adversity and setting an example for all of us African American ballplayers who came after you.”Īaron’s journey to Babe Ruth’s mark was hardly pleasant. It was time for someone else to hold the crown.īesides, no one could take away his legacy. His common refrain: More than three decades as the king was long enough. Aaron never begrudged someone – not even a tarnished star – eclipsing his mark. 715 off the Dodgers pitcher Al Downing.Īaron’s career total was surpassed by Barry Bonds in 2007 – though many continued to call the Hammer the true home run king because of allegations that Bonds used performance-enhancing drugs.īonds finished his career with 762. “I have so many fond memories of Hank and will miss him very much.”īefore a sellout crowd at Atlanta Stadium and a national television audience, Aaron broke Ruth’s home run record with No. “He was a very humble and quiet man and just simply a good guy,” said 89-year-old Willie Mays, who finished with 660 homers. Hank never let the hatred he faced consume him.”Īaron’s death follows that of seven other baseball Hall of Famers in 2020 and two more – longtime Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda and former Dodgers pitcher Don Sutton – already this year. “He grew up poor and faced racism as he worked to become one of the greatest baseball players of all time. “The former Home Run King wasn’t handed his throne,” Bush said in a statement Friday. Bush, a one-time owner of the Texas Rangers, presented Aaron in 2002 with the Presidential Medal of Freedom – the nation’s highest civilian honor. “A breaker of records and racial barriers, his remarkable legacy will continue to inspire countless athletes and admirers for generations to come,” said Carter, who often attended Braves games with his wife, Rosalynn. “But he was unbreakable.”įormer President Jimmy Carter, described Aaron as “a personal hero.” “With courage and dignity, he eclipsed the most hallowed record in sports while absorbing vengeance that would have broken most people,” President Joe Biden said. It was a title he would hold for more than 33 years, a period in which Aaron slowly but surely claimed his rightful place as one of America’s most iconic sporting figures, a true national treasure worthy of mention in the same breath with Ruth or Ali or Jordan. The Hammer set a wide array of career hitting records during a 23-year career spent mostly with the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves, including RBIs, extra-base hits and total bases.īut the Hall of Famer will be remembered for one swing above all others, the one that made him baseball’s home run king on April 8, 1974. The Atlanta Braves, Aaron’s longtime team, said he died in his sleep. Baseball legend Hank Aaron dies at 86 – Orange County Register Close Menu

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