Henry Louis Aaron was born on February 5th, 1934. He was forced to overcome immeasurable obstacles throughout his life. By the time he left us on Friday morning, he had established himself as a true American hero.

At the age of 86, the baseball legend leaves behind a legacy that will never be forgotten.

“Hammerin’ Hank”, as he was known, was a baseball player at his core. However, for people all across the country, he meant much more. Born and raised in Mobile, Alabama, Aaron experienced discrimination and overt racism throughout his life. Growing up, his family lived in such poverty that he practiced by hitting bottle caps with sticks.

Like so many other young African-Americans, his idol growing up was Jackie Robinson. Aaron became a powerful hitter, and received a tryout with the Brooklyn Dodgers at just 15 years old. He joined the Negro American League in 1951, at 17 years old. As a member of the Indianapolis Clowns, Aaron was so dominant that he received several MLB offers after just three months with the team.

Aaron chose to sign with the Boston Braves, and rose through the minor leagues, dominating at every level. He made his MLB debut on April 13, 1954, and quickly became a bonafide star.

His statistical dominance is well-established at this point. Aaron is still MLB’s all-time leader in RBIs (2,297) and total bases (6,856). He was a career .305 hitter, and recorded 3,771 hits (3rd all-time). His dominance was not limited to just offense, however. Aaron also won 3 Gold Glove awards as an outfielder. Yet, he is probably best known for breaking Babe Ruth’s all-time home run record.

The Chase, and the Hate

Aaron became the all-time MLB home run king on April 8th, 1974, hitting his 715th career longball. But his road to the record was not an easy one.

He received an astonishing amount of hate as he closed in on Ruth’s record, mostly from racists who did not want a black man to become baseball’s home run leader. In the summer of 1973, the Braves were forced to hire a secretary, just to help Aaron go through all the hate mail and death threats that he constantly received.

Aaron finished the 1973 season with 713 home runs, one short of tying the record. He stated that his only concern was living to see the next season, and Lewis Grizzard (editor of the Atlanta Journal) even wrote an obituary for Aaron, in the event that he was killed (Grizzard stated as much in his book, If I Ever Get Back to Georgia, I’m Gonna Nail My Feet to the Ground).

According to Alan Schwartz and John Thorn, Aaron was given a plaque by the U.S. Postal Service in 1973, acknowledging that he received more mail than anyone in the country that year (besides politicians).

The True Home Run King

However, when Aaron finally broke the record, there was nothing but celebration. Famed announcer Vin Scully was calling the April 8 game when Aaron hit his 715th home run, and he said it best:

“What a marvelous moment for baseball, what a marvelous moment for Atlanta and the state of Georgia, what a marvelous moment for the country and the world. A black man is getting a standing ovation in the Deep South for breaking a record of an all-time baseball idol. And it is a great moment for all of us, and particularly for Henry Aaron.”- (Vin Scully, April 8, 1974).

After the 1976 season, Hammerin’ Hank retired, with a total count of 755 career home runs. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982, in his first year on the ballot.

Hank Aaron: A True Icon

Aaron was much more than a baseball player. He was an icon. He overcame poverty and intense racism throughout his life, all the while remaining the same humble and polite man that he always had been.

In 1976, the NAACP honored Aaron with the Spingarn Medal, given annually for “outstanding achievement by an African-American”. The MLB created the Hank Aaron Award in 1999, which is given annually to the best hitters in each league. He also received each of the two highest civilian honors possible. In 2001, he was given the Presidential Citizens Medal by President Bill Clinton. The following year, new President George W. Bush gave Aaron the highest honor possible for a civilian, by awarding him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Hank Aaron will always be remembered, and not only by baseball fans. His contributions to the sport, and to life, are immeasurable. Today, the United States mourns the loss of one of its true heroes.