Player Profile: Hank Aaron

Name:	Henry Louis "Hank" Aaron
Right-fielder; Right-handed batter
Lived:	1934 -
Career span:	1954 - 1976
Hall of Fame?	Yes (1982)
Primary teams:	Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves (1954-1974)
Best Year:	1959 - .355 average, 39 HR, 123 RBI, .639 slugging pct.
Major awards:	Most Valuable Player (NL): 1957; NL Gold Glove Award 1958, 1959, 1960
Rank on Greatest Players list:	3rd

Player notes: "The Hammer", as he is known for his hitting prowess, is of course best known for his heroic quest to break Babe Ruth's career home run record. But Henry Aaron's greatness as a ballplayer goes way beyond even that mighty feat. Not only is he the most prolific home run hitter in history, he also ranks at or near the top in many other hitting categories: 1st in RBI, 1st in total bases, 1st in extra base hits, 2nd in runs scored ... the list goes on. But he wasn't just a hitter- he played excellent defense (winning three consecutive Gold Glove Awards at one point), and ran the bases well. Aaron truly earned his place among the pantheon of baseball immortals.

Perhaps the most amazing thing about Aaron's career was his consistency. Often it is easy to pick out a player's best year, or at least select two or three that stand out above the rest. Not so with Aaron- any of a half dozen or more years could be considered as good as any. He hit 30 or more home runs an amazing 15 times, had over 100 RBI 11 times, and had 18 years in which he slugged over .500 while playing in a minimum of 120 games.

But despite all the on-field exploits, I view Aaron's social contributions as having a much greater context than mere baseball. The trials he faced as a black man chasing Ruth's record have been well documented. Hate mail, death threats and racist invective were all part of his travails as he pursued the record. But the fact that he did it and stood up to the difficulties, while playing for a team based in the South, did a world of good in promoting the dignity of African-Americans in the racially-charged atmosphere of the late '60s and early '70s.