Hank Aaron And The Hall Of Fame Class Of 1982
Henry Aaron was voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982. His election came on his first ballot, in which he collected votes on 406 of 415 ballots cast.
His 97.83% vote ranks 6th on the All-Time list.
Hank Aaron, MLB’s RBI Leader!!!
Simply put, no player in the history of the game has provided more run production than Hank Aaron.
Perched at the top of the leader-board as the All-Time leader in RBI, Hank Aaron has no equal. He comfortably sits in the #1 spot with 2,297 RBI.
The second place player on the list is Babe Ruth with 2,213 RBI. The highest active player on the list is Alex Rodriguez, who is 11th on the ladder with 1,893 RBI.
Hank Aaron & The ‘3000 Hits Club’
It has been well documented that Hank’s main personal goal in baseball was to collect 3,000 hits, just like his boyhood idol – Stan Musial.
Aaron’s 3,000th hit (a single) came in the second game of a doubleheader against the Reds, May 17, 1970.
But Hank went beyond 3,000. He retired from professional baseball with 3,771 career hits. At the time of his retirement, he was second on the all-time hits list behind only Ty Cobb. Today, he is in third place, behind Cobb and Pete Rose. He collected 141 more hits than the player in 4th place on the list, his childhood idol – Stan Musial.
Hank Aaron’s Lone World Series Championship – 1957
The Atlanta Braves rode the wave of their very talented and powerful outfielder during the course of the 1957 baseball season.
Hank took the team into the playoffs for the first time in his young career in ’57, and he shined marvelously!!!
In seven games, Hank went 11-for-28, good for a .393 clip. He connected for one triple and three home runs in those seven games, while also scoring five runs and driving in seven.
The Braves won the title in seven games during the ‘Fall Classic’ over the New York Yankees.
Hank Aaron, The 1957 National League Most Valuable Player!!!
Hank had a monster season by all accounts in 1957.
Not only did he help lead his team to the World Series championship, but he took his game to another level – an MVP level.
The numbers: 198 hits, .322 batting average, 27 doubles, 44 home runs (league leader), 118 runs scored (league leader), and 132 RBI (league leader). And as a 23-year youngster, he showed tremendous control at the plate – in 675 plate appearances, Hank struck out just 58 times, while walking 57 (15 intentionally).
Hank Aaron, Batting Champion.
Most baseball fans don’t confuse the term ‘slugger’ and ‘hitter’. Hank Aaron was a hitter, he just happened to hit the ball hard and long.
In fact, he was so good at the plate, that he won two batting crowns.
In his third year in the league, Hank Aaron won the 1956 batting title. During that season, Hank amassed 200 hits, good for a .328 batting average. Three seasons later, in 1959, he did it again – this time collecting 223 hits en route to a .355 average.
Atta Boy Hank!!!
How many ‘sluggers’ do you know that can claim a batting crown? Not very many, that is for sure!!!
Hank Aaron Was Named An All-Star Twenty-One Times!!!
No player has been selected as an All-Star more than Hank Aaron.
Not Ruth.
Not Mays.
Not Mantle.
Not Gehrig.
Not Ripken.
Hank Aaron stands alone and on top of the leader board with twenty-one All-Star game selections during his twenty-three season major league career.
Hank Aaron Is A 3-Time Gold Glove Winner
Often overshadowed due to his lack of flare and desire to be in the spotlight, Hank Aaron was a very solid outfielder over the course of his career.
And from 1958-1960, he was celebrated as one of the best outfielders in the National League as we won three consecutive Gold Glove awards for defensive excellence.
In those three campaigns, Hank made 886 put-outs, had 37 assists, and committed just 11 errors.
Who knows, if it had not been for a spectacular right-fielder in Pittsburgh, Aaron may have won a few more of these…
Hank Aaron’s Spectacular 1954 Topps Rookie Baseball Card
Very few players have baseball cards that continue to maintain or increase in value after retirement, after Hall of Fame enshrinement, and after their lofty records fall.
Very few players can measure up to Hank Aaron and his baseball cards.
His rookie card, from the 1954 Topps baseball set, is superb. It offers us a glimpse of a young and very talented Aaron as well as a very vintage, and politically incorrect Braves’ team logo.
Here is the card:
I wonder how may bikes found this card attached to their spokes… 🙂
Happy Birthday Henry Louis Aaron!!!!
That’s right, today is ‘Hammerin’ Hank Aaron’s 79th birthday.
And I plan on celebrating Hank’s birthday in grand style!! The day will be full of posts celebrating the major league career of one of the greatest to ever play the game.
It will be a fun-filled day at ’30-YOC’.
Happy Birthday Mr. Aaron!!!
