Hank Aaron made his Major League Baseball debut with the Milwaukee Braves in 1954. During the next 21 seasons, he appeared in a record-tying 24 All-Star games, won three Gold Gloves for his play in right field, and was the 1957 National League MVP. In addition to his record 755 home runs, he also owns the major league records for total bases (6,856), extra-base hits (1,477), and runs batted in (2,297). More important, though, are other barriers he helped break during his baseball career. Aaron's playing days coincided with an important period in baseball-one marked by the emergence of racial equality in America's pastime. After his retirement, Aaron worked to get more black representation in upper-level baseball management. Today he is one of baseball's leading ambassadors.
About the Author:
J. Poolos is the author of nine books of nonfiction for young readers and has written user guides for video games about baseball and other sports
The Birth of a Legend 1
A Foot in the Door 11
The Minor Leagues 18
Class A 25
Breakthrough to the Big Leagues 34
Rising Star 42
The Greatness of Hank Aaron 53
Home in Atlanta 65
Home-Run Champion 76
A Life After Baseball 93
Statistics 103
Chronology 105
Timeline 106
Glossary 109
Bibliography 112
Further Reading 114
Index 117
Overview
Hank Aaron made his Major League Baseball debut with the Milwaukee Braves in 1954. During the next 21 seasons, he appeared in a record-tying 24 All-Star games, won three Gold Gloves for his play in right field, and was the 1957 National League MVP. In addition to his record 755 home runs, he also owns the major league records for total bases (6,856), extra-base hits (1,477), and runs batted in (2,297). More important, though, are other barriers he helped break during his baseball career. Aaron's playing days ...