Baseball Legend Hank Aaron Has Died at the Age of 86

Hank Aaron is a true baseball legend. Muhammad Ali once said that Aaron is “the only man I idolize more than myself.” Now, the legend is gone. According to his daughter, Aaron passed away on Friday January 22, 2021, at the age of 86.

Henry Louis Aaron (better known as Hank Aaron) was the son of Herbert and Estella Aaron. He was born on February 5, 1934, in Mobile, Alabama. He had 7 siblings.

Aaron grew up poor, but that didn’t stop him from following his dreams. His family had so little money that they couldn’t afford proper baseball equipment, so he got creative. Aaron used to practice hitting bottle caps with sticks. Somehow we think that would be even harder than hitting a baseball with a baseball bat.

In 2017, in an interview for The Undefeated, Aaron said, “When I was a young kid growing up in Mobile, Alabama, I chased a dream and found it and played baseball for 23 years. I see these young kids coming along now and they are chasing their dreams. It just so happens that their dream costs a little bit more than mine did. I’m hoping they catch it and that they’re able to do the things they want to do in life.”

When he was 15 years old, Aaron tried out for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He didn’t make the team, but he didn’t give up either. When he was 17-years-old he tried out for a team called the Indianapolis Clown’s which was part of the negro league. After only 7 months, he moved over to the Boston Braves. When the Braves moved to Milwaukee, Aaron stuck with the team. In fact, he played for the Braves for the majority of his career.

Many people consider Aaron to be the best baseball player of all time. Watch the video below to learn more about his career.

Aaron still holds the record for total bases, extra base hits and total RBIs. He truly was one of the best baseball players of all time. He will be missed but not forgotten.