It Was Mickey Mantle that once said; ‘Hank Aaron is the best ball player of my era’. That’s saying a lot considering the players he played with, like Joe DiMaggio and Roger Maris, but like Mantle said, he never got his due. His nickname was “Hammerin’ Hank”, and for 23 years played for the Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers and was regarded as one of the greatest hitters of all time.

In 1974 on opening day in Cincinnati, Hank Aaron tied the home run record set by Babe Ruth at 714, that same year on April 15; he hit his record 715th home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers. As “Hammerin’ Hank” crossed home plate a band started to play and fireworks where set off. Hank Aaron was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982 and in 1999 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his record breaking home run, Major League Baseball announced the Hank Aaron Award given to the best overall hitter in each league.

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