| | [[File:Hank Aaron - Baseball HOF Induction 2013.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|From 1954 to 1976, Hank Aaron held the MLB record for career home runs.]] | | [[File:Hank Aaron - Baseball HOF Induction 2013.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|From 1954 to 1976, Hank Aaron held the MLB record for career home runs.]] |
| − | '''Hank Aaron''' (born February 5, 1934 – January 22, 2021) in [[Mobile, Alabama]] was one of the greatest baseball players ever, and a member of the [[Baseball Hall of Fame]]. In April 1974, Aaron hit his 715th home run, breaking [[Babe Ruth]]'s [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) record for the most home runs in a career. Aaron finished his career with 755 home runs, a record which stands to this day among players unsuspected of using performance-enhancing drugs.<ref>In 2007, [[Barry Bonds]] ostensibly surpassed Aaron's home record, but the legitimacy of Bonds' performance remains disputed by some and Bonds has not been elected into the [[Baseball Hall of Fame]].</ref> Aaron began his professional career in the Negro League, and joined the MLB in 1954. He played 23 seasons, the majority with the [[Atlanta Braves|Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves]]; Aaron finished his career with the [[Milwaukee Brewers]], where he retired in 1976. Aaron played outfield, batted right and threw right,<ref>http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/sports-outdoor-recreation/hank-aaron-b-1934</ref> and won three Gold Gloves. | + | '''Hank Aaron''' (born February 5, 1934 – January 22, 2021) in [[Mobile, Alabama]] was one of the greatest baseball players ever, and a member of the [[Baseball Hall of Fame]]. In April 1974, Aaron hit his 715th home run, breaking [[Babe Ruth]]'s [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) record for the most home runs in a career. Aaron finished his career with 755 home runs, a record which stands to this day among players unsuspected of using performance-enhancing drugs.<ref>In 2007, [[Barry Bonds]] ostensibly surpassed Aaron's home record, but the legitimacy of Bonds' performance remains disputed by some and Bonds has not been elected into the [[Baseball Hall of Fame]].</ref> Aaron began his professional career in the Negro League, and joined the MLB in 1954. |
| | + | He played 23 seasons, the majority with the [[Atlanta Braves|Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves]]; Aaron finished his career with the [[Milwaukee Brewers]], where he retired in 1976. Aaron played outfield, batted right and threw right,<ref>http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/sports-outdoor-recreation/hank-aaron-b-1934</ref> and won three Gold Gloves. |
| | Aaron's records include totals of 1,477 extra-base hits, 2,297 runs batted in, 3,298 games, and 12,364 at-bats. His records of 3,771 hits and 2,174 runs are exceeded only by [[Ty Cobb]].<ref>"Aaron, Hank". ''The New Encyclopedia Britannica''. 15th ed, Vol. 1.</ref> | | Aaron's records include totals of 1,477 extra-base hits, 2,297 runs batted in, 3,298 games, and 12,364 at-bats. His records of 3,771 hits and 2,174 runs are exceeded only by [[Ty Cobb]].<ref>"Aaron, Hank". ''The New Encyclopedia Britannica''. 15th ed, Vol. 1.</ref> |