Hank aaron biography timeline

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In 1955 he blossomed into one of the game's best players batting .314 with 27 home runs and 106 runs batted in. His career home run total reached 639, moving him to third on the all time career HR list behind Willie Mays and Babe Ruth. He often criticized the game for not having a minority manager and minorities in front office positions. While many times being overlooked by fans and media when compared to other flashy stars in the 1960s, such as Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente, Aaron was often given his due praise from his competitors.

He finished the season with a respectable .280 average. Another batting title was won in 1959 (.355), and he also led the league in slugging (.636) and had his only lifetime three home run game versus the Giants. So Hank was in the lineup for the opener against the Reds on April 4. Aaron helped lead the Clowns to victory in the 1952 Negro League World Series.

06-14-1952 | Aaron is signed by Boston Braves as a slick fielding second baseman and wins the Northern League Rookie of the Year Award.

xx-xx-1953 | Aaron plays for the Jacksonville Tars, (South Atlantic League) wins the league Most Valuable Player.

03-13-1954 | Aaron plays left-field during a Spring Training game after left fielder Bobby Thomson breaks his ankle sliding into second base.

03-14-1954 | Aaron homers in his first at bat since being named starting left fielder.

04-13-1954 | Aaron makes his Major League debut going 0-for-5.

04-15-1954 | Aaron gets his first hit in the majors - (a single).

04-23-1954 | Aaron hits his first major league home.

07-12-1955 | Aaron elected to play in his first All-Star Game.

xx-xx-1956 | Aaron hits .328 to win the National League batting title.

08-15-1957 | Aaron hits carrer home run 100.

09-24-1957 | Aaron clinches the National League home run crown.

10-05-1957 | Aaron is named the National League Most Valuable Player Award.

xx-xx-1958 | Aaron wins his first Gold Glove Award.

07-03-1960 | Aaron hits his 200th career home run.

04-19-1963 | Aaron hits his 300th career home run.

04-20-1966 | Aaron hits his 400th career home run.

08-23-1966 | Aaron homers to set a major league record with Eddie Mathews for most career home runs by teammates (863).

07-14-1968 | Aaron hits his 500th career home run.

07-30-1969 | Aaron hits home run number 537 (passing Mickey Mantle) to move into third place on the career home run list.

05-17-1970 | Aaron (singles) for the 3,000th hit of his career.

04-27-1971 | Aaron hits his 600th career home run.

07-31-1971 | Aaron homers in the 1971 All-Star Game.

05-31-1972 | Aaron hits home run number 648 which ties him with Willie Mays for second place on the career home run list.

06-10-1972 | Aaron hits home run number 649 and moves into sole possession of second place on the all-time home run list.

06-29-1972 | Aaron homers against Mike Caldwell in San Diego to move into sole possession of second place on the all-time RBI list.

07-03-1972 | Aaron homers and its the 2,000th run batted in of his career.

09-02-1972 | Aaron homers twice breaking Stan Musial's major league record for total bases (6,134).

07-21-1973 | Aaron hits his 700th career home run.

04-04-1974 | Aaron homers off Cincinnati Reds pitcher Jack Billingham at Riverfront Stadium to tie Babe Ruth's all-time home run record.

04-08-1974 | Aaron breaks Babe Ruth's record for career home runs when he hits number 715 off the Los Angeles Dodgers' Al Downing at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.

11-02-1974 | Aaron is traded by the Atlanta Braves to the Milwaukee Brewers for Minor League prospect Roger Alexander and Dave May.

05-01-1975 | Aaron becomes baseball's all-time leader in RBIs (2,212).

07-20-1976 | Aaron hits home run number 755 versus Dick Drago of the California Angels, the final home run of his career.

10-03-1976 | Aaron plays in his final Major League ballgame.

08-01-1982 | Aaron is inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame.

xx-xx-1990 | Aaron becomes senior vice president and assistant to the president of the Atlanta Braves.

02-05-1999 | Aaron is honored for his achievements as a player and a person during a celebration for his 65th birthday.

His overseeing of young talent such as former NL MVP Dale Murphy was instrumental in the Braves winning the NL Western Division in 1982. Playing against a superstar he was to be compared with in future years, Mickey Mantle, Hank responded with a .393 average, three home runs and seven RBI as the Braves upset the mighty Yankees in seven games to claim baseball's world championship.

Known locally as "The Hank," the field honors its namesake, as well as other Mobile-born baseball players through its location at the corner of Satchel Paige Drive and Bolling Brothers Boulevard: Paige was the first Negro League player inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, while Milt and Frank Bolling also made it to the sport's top level. Over the course of his career, he won two batting titles, led his league in homers and RBIs four times each, and won three Gold Gloves for fielding excellence.

Hank Aaron Award

In 1999, Major League Baseball introduced the Hank Aaron Award to honor the top hitter in each league.

After winning his first batting title in 1956, Aaron registered an outstanding 1957 season, taking home the National League MVP and nearly nabbing the Triple Crown by hitting 44 home runs, knocking in another 132 and batting .322.

That same year, Aaron demonstrated his ability to come up big when it counted most.

He was honored for his close relationship with Japanese home run king Sadaharu Oh, and for his efforts to promote the two countries' shared love of the game. However, the former home run king soon appeared on the scoreboard to extend his congratulations via a videotaped message. "He said, baseball was a game you played every day, not once a week," said Aaron speaking of Robinson.

Since 1989 he has served the Braves as Senior Vice President and Assistant to the President. He didn't try to inflame the atmosphere, but he didn't keep his mouth shut, either, speaking out against the league's lack of ownership and management opportunities for minorities.

1958 saw the Braves once again win the pennant, but despite another fine World Series performance by Aaron (he batted .333), Milwaukee fell to the Yankees in a seventh and deciding game.

By this time Hank was posting, season after season, the consistent great numbers that were to become his trademark. "On the field, Blacks have been able to be super giants.