On this day in 1974, Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves hits his 715th career home run, breaking Babe Ruth’s legendary record of 714 homers. Here is my childhood baseball card of Baseball Hall of Fame player and my favorite player of all time.
Some fast facts about Hank Aaron:
Born February 5, 1934 in Mobile, Alabama to Herbert and Estella Aaron.
Nicknamed “Hammerin’ Hank.”, Hank Aaron played in 25 All-Star games.He was the winner of three Gold Glove awards.The Atlanta Braves and the Milwaukee Brewers have both retired his jersey number, 44.
Baseball Timeline:
1951 – Begins playing for the Negro American League’s Indianapolis Clowns.
1954-1965 – Plays for the Milwaukee Braves.
April 13, 1954 – Makes his Major League Baseball debut with the Milwaukee Braves.
April 23, 1954 – Hits his first Major League home run when the Braves play the St. Louis Cardinals.
1957 – The Milwaukee Braves win the World Series. Aaron is named National League MVP.
1966 – The Milwaukee Braves become the Atlanta Braves.
1966-1974 – Plays for the Atlanta Braves.
April 8, 1974 – Breaks Babe Ruth’s record with his 715th home run during a home game.
1974 -1976 – Plays for the Milwaukee Brewers.
July 20, 1976 – Hits his final home run (755).
October 3, 1976 – Plays his final game.
1976-1989 – Becomes director of player development for the Atlanta Braves.
August 1, 1982 – Is inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Steve Morgan
stevermorgan.com 
We’ll never know what it’s like to live with the challenge of not being the majority culture. Where you can be invisible even though you’re gifted. Where you are easily disrespected even though you treat others with grace. Where persistence–and the ability to smack a baseball–can eventually make a difference. Would love to know his bigger story. Thanks for sharing this, Steverino. A leader who was quiet and carried a wooden bat,
Hey Dayle. I added a bit more to the end of the blog post that you may enjoy. (Thanks to your encouragement). He was more comfortable in Milwaukee than in going back to the segregated South in Atlanta. He got up to 3000 hate letters a day leading up to breaking Babe Ruth’s record, and still receives hate mail even after the 40 year anniversary of his record breaking 715. We still have a ways to go, don’t we?