Hank Aaron, one of the greatest Major League Baseball players of all-time, has passed away at age 86 according to CNN on Friday. A native of Mobile, AL, Aaron played 23 seasons of Major League Baseball, with the Braves organization (Milwaukee and Atlanta), and the Milwaukee Brewers from 1954 to 1976. He could be considered the first superstar with the Atlanta Braves, as he was part of the Braves team that moved from Milwaukee to Atlanta in 1966. Aaron then returned to Milwaukee for his last two Major League Baseball seasons of 1975, and 1976.
Aaron was the all-time leader in runs batted in (2297), extra base hits (1477), and total bases (6856). He was also second in home runs (755), third in hits (3771), fourth in runs scored (2174), and 13th in doubles (624). Aaron also had a career batting average of .305, a career on base percentage of .374, and a career slugging percentage of .555. In 3298 games, Aaron also had 98 triples, 240 stolen bases, 1402 walks, 21 sacrifice bunts, and 121 sacrifice flies.
Despite his remarkable career, Aaron won only one National League Most Valuable Player Award. That came in 1957, with the Milwaukee Braves when he led Major League Baseball with 44 home runs, 132 runs batted in, and 369 total bases, and the National League with 118 runs.
Aaron was the season leader in many offensive statistics on numerous other occasions. In home runs, he led the National League with 44 in 1963, 44 in 1966, and 39 in 1967. In runs scored, he led Major League Baseball with 121 in 1963, and 113 in 1967. In hits, he led Major League Baseball with 200 in 1956, and 223 in 1959. In doubles, he led the National League with 37 in 1955, 34 in 1956, and 40 in 1965. In runs batted in, he led Major League Baseball with 126 in 1960, 130 in 1963, and 127 in 1966.
A two-time batting champion, Aaron led the National League with a .328 batting average in 1956, and Major League Baseball with a .355 batting average in 1959. He also led Major League Baseball in slugging percentage thrice (.636 in 1959, .586 in 1963, and .669 in 1971). Aaron also led the National League with a .573 slugging percentage in 1967.
When it came to total bases, Aaron led Major League Baseball three more times (400 in 1959, 334 in 1960, and 370 in 1963), and the National League four more times (340 in 1956, 358 in 1961, 344 in 1967, and 332 in 1969).
An all-star every season except his first year and his last, Aaron won the 1957 World Series with the Braves. That year Milwaukee beat the New York Yankees in a dramatic seven game series. Aaron has his number 44 retired by the Braves and Brewers, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982 on the first ballot.
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