Everything about him was understated except his results.
Never hit 50 home runs in a season. He just kept hitting 35 or more season after season. Total 755.
Career .305 average.
3000+ hits.
At one point he held the record for the number of records held by one player.
And he did it all without chemical assistance.
I’ve always loved watching his swing. So smooth, so seemingly effortless, so deadly.
And…a humble, kind man with a big heart.
Hank Aaron Was More Than a Teammate for Dusty Baker – He Was A Source of Strength — Inside the Seams
One of my favorite fun facts: Even if every single homer Hank Aaron hit had instead been a fly out, he still would have had 3000 hits. He was a slugger, but he was also a hitter.
Here is a good article showing why he was one of the 5 best
His record for most total bases likely will never be broken
He was overshadowed by Mays; too bad they played at the same time. I’ve heard more than one person say, who would hold the home run record if the Giants had moved to Atlanta (1000 feet above sea level), and the Braves had played at Candlestick, with the wind whipping off the bay. But Mays got older a lot younger than Aaron.
(I still would not include Bonds on this list, just on principle).
@concerned, Aaron’s image also suffered from his being such a low-key, humble guy. He just did it on the field.
Yep. He never had an electric year, like Mays in 65, and after 58, the Braves were never in a pennant chase, so he didn’t get lots of publicity. These days, he would have played for the Braves for a couple of years, then gone to the Yanks, Sox, Dodgers or Angels.
True story… Aaron was offered major league deals by both the Giants and the Braves. The Braves offer was $50 more so he signed with the Braves. For the want of $50, baseball fans missed out on a Mays, Aaron outfield.
That is amazing. What if . . .
just ran across this story on what Aaron went thru while chasing Ruth
Hank Aaron, Carla Koplin Cohn: The woman who read the home run king's hate mail.