Hank Aaron’s impact beyond his 715th home run

Fifty years ago, Atlanta Braves right fielder and designated hitter Hank Aaron broke legendary slugger Babe Ruth’s home run record to cement his legacy in stone. Aaron hit his 715th home run on April 8, 1974, at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, now under demolition.

Aaron then hit 755 home runs between 1954 and 1976. His monumental record was only beaten by Barry Bonds, who had to use performance-enhancing drugs to do so. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the record, the U.S. Postal Service created a stamp, the Braves organization released a video and the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown is set to unveil a bronze statue of Hank Aaron at the first floor of its historic building. museum this summer.

These honors will add to the already large number of dedications Aaron has received, ranging from street names, busts, statues and even an entire stadium in Mobile, Alabama, where Aaron was born.

Aaron, who died in 2021 at age 86, left an unforgettable mark on the sport as one of the most prolific hitters in baseball history. But a ballplayer’s career is only a short part of his life. As Aaron’s career began to wind down, he expanded his influence so that it was not strictly limited to his on-field prowess.

An activist off the field, he used his platform to advocate for equality and social justice. In 1984, eight years after his retirement and two after being inducted into the Hall of Fame, Hank Aaron met the journalist who would know him better than anyone: his future biographer, Terence Moore.

“The Real Hank Aaron: An Intimate Look at the Life and Legacy of the Home Run King” examines every aspect of Aaron’s life. According to Moore, at the time the two met, Aaron was the only African-American executive in Major League Baseball.

“(I found) we were very similar in the sense that we both understood this concept of mind games as racism because one of the things that got lost, and that I point out in the (biography) is that people always think his racial issues took place where he was chasing Babe Ruth’s record, and that’s it,” Moore said. “But what I detailed in my book is that he also faced racism when he became an executive with the Braves.”

It was during this period that Aaron became very outspoken when it came to talking about the lack of black people in and around baseball. According to Moore, in 1982, about 18 percent of major league players were African-American. The current figure is around 6%.

Aaron’s statements weren’t limited to the players. He also wanted to see changes on the management side.

“He was also very outspoken about civil rights and what people refuse to admit then and even today,” Moore said. “White people couldn’t stand Hank Aaron because of that. He was getting hate mail, I know (because) he would show it to me… he was getting phone calls from people angry with him saying, “You need to stay in your place!” »
These people, Moore said, wanted a “squeaky clean” version of Hank Aaron who did his job and would be there to be the famous token black player.

“They don’t want to hear THE Hank Aaron talks about it, we need more black people in the front office, we need more black players, we need more black senators,” Moore said. “Hank was all that.”

In his 1982 Hall of Fame speech, Aaron left the world with one of his most impactful statements: “A man’s abilities are limited only by his lack of opportunity.” »

His quiet strength, well-placed words, and unwavering commitment to excellence have made Aaron a role model for aspiring athletes and activists. Late in his career, Aaron took steps to ensure that his influence would not be limited to just the baseball diamond. After an enlightening conversation with Bud Selig, then president of the Milwaukee Brewers, he created the Chasing the Dream Foundation, which has provided countless scholarships to deserving Boys & Girls Club students.

“I don’t want anything,” Aaron said in a 2020 Forces article. “I just want something that says ten years from now, Henry Aaron will have put his fingerprint on someone to help them get through college and make them better than they were before.” This is where my Chasing the Dream Foundation was born.

Before his death, Aaron was still striving to create unity. He dreamed that future generations would choose to form relationships that would move society forward.

“I just wish these kids would discover today that it’s not just about money,” he said in the Forbes interview. “It’s not just about what you can get out of someone, but (also) learning to get along with others, as well as learning to get along with yourself.”