1954-65
Milwaukee Braves
1966-74
Atlanta Braves
1975-76
Milwaukee Brewers
1957
National League MVP
1974
Broke All-Time Home Run Record
1982
Hall of Fame Induction
Henry Louis Aaron died in 2021 at the age of 86.
Henry (Hank) Aaron was born on February 5, 1934, in Mobile, Alabama, as the third of eight children to Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Aaron. His father worked as a rivet-bucker for a shipbuilding company. Hank attended Central High School in Mobile and graduated from the city’s Josephine Allen Institute in 1951.
Neither school had a baseball team, but Hank excelled as a star football halfback and end. His involvement with baseball began during his junior year of high school when he played with the semi-professional Mobile Black Bears. In 1950, he played in a game against the barnstorming Indianapolis Clowns and was offered a chance to join them the following spring for $200 a month.
With the Clowns in 1951, Hank played shortstop and batted .467 with a disputed cross-handed batting style. He caught the interest of scouts from the Milwaukee Braves and New York Giants. He signed with the Braves when they offered $200 more as a bonus and a contract of $350 a month. The Clowns' owner received $10,000 from the Braves for Hank’s contract. In exchange, the owner gave Hank a cardboard suitcase as a going-away present.
MINOR LEAGUE
As an 18-year-old shortstop, Hank found immediate success with the Braves' Eau Claire, Wisconsin farm club in the Class C Northern League. At the end of the season, he was named Rookie of the Year.
Moving up the next season to the Jacksonville, Florida Braves of the Class A South Atlantic League, he became a second baseman. After leading the Braves to a pennant, he was named the league’s Most Valuable Player.
The Braves had several promising infield prospects at the time, so Hank was converted to the outfield during the offseason. He was set to open the 1954 season with the Toledo, Ohio team in the Class AA American Association when the Braves’ newly acquired outfielder Bobby Thomson fractured his ankle in an exhibition game. Hank thus got an early start on his illustrious Major League career.
MAJOR LEAGUE
Hank’s 21 seasons in the Big Leagues have been remarkable for their consistency. Before moving to the American League with the Milwaukee Brewers to begin the 1975 season, Hank had been one of the top hitters in the National League year in and year out. As a result, he held more Major League batting records than any other player.
You can find early history in the following video received via MLB film division
Except for 13 in his rookie season, the 6-foot, 189-pound superstar has hit 20 or more homers every year and fallen below 25 just twice. He has driven in more than 100 runs in 11 different seasons and has scored 100 or more 15 times.
His overall batting average is .310. On May 17, 1970, he became the first player to compile both 3,000 career hits and more than 500 homers.
He is one of five players ever to hit more than 30 homers and steal more than 30 bases in a single season, accomplishing this feat in the 1963 season.
He has been named to the National League All-Star Team 16 times and voted a starter 14 times. He was honored as the National League’s MVP in 1957 and named Player of the Year by the Sporting News in 1956 and 1963. 
Hank Aaron holds 18 Major League records, is tied for another, and also holds or is tied for 9 National League records.
• Hit Historic 715th Home Run to break Babe Ruth’s record
• Holds Major League record for most Home Runs – 755
• He won two batting titles and three Gold Gloves
After announcing his retirement as an active player in 1976, he began a new career as
Vice-President with the Atlanta Braves in charge of Player Development.
In 1977, Hank Aaron played his final exhibition innings with the Dutch National Team in Haarlem, The Netherlands. Go to Hank's Dutch story…>