Hank Aaron is remembered for breaking the home run record set by the Yankee great Babe Ruth. His full name is Henry Louis Aaron and was born one year before Babe Ruth set the home run record that no one thought would ever be eclipsed. Ruth hit seven hundred and fourteen homers over his career and is thought to be one of the greatest if not the greatest player in the baseball history.
Many believe that Hank Aaron never received his share of fame because he was black. Some believe that he never received his share of attention because he played for teams that did not receive national attention like the New York Yankees. Aaron played most of his career for the Boston, Milwaukee, and Atlanta Braves teams with hardly the media draw as the Yankees had.
Aaron quietly and consistently hit baseballs out of the ball park year after year even if his team was not in the spotlight. By the time he closed in on Ruth's record the baseball world started to take notice and Aaron became a media draw all by himself. He ended the nineteen seventy three baseball season with seven hundred and thirteen homers, two home runs short of breaking the record set by Ruth.
Hank had the whole summer to think about breaking the home run record a record many believed would never be approached let alone surpassed. The Atlanta Brave player received many well wishes from home town fans and from baseball fans from around the country and even the world. But not everyone was happy to see the record broken especially those who had racist mentalities. Aaron received a lot of hate mail and some people made threats in the letters they sent.
Hank Aaron had a lot on his mind as he waited through the off season for his chance to break the home run record. But he showed his courage and determination and in the third game of the seventy four baseball season the Atlanta Brave sent a ball over the left field fence becoming the all time home run leader in major league baseball. There were no death threats only jubilation from the home crowd fans who had the chance to watch Hank make history.
Hank Aaron will always be remembered for breaking the all time home run record but he will also be remembered for his courage and determination.