Henry “Hank” Louis Aaron has died Friday at age 86. Arguably the greatest right-handed hitter to ever play the game, Hank Aaron’s MLB accomplishments are almost too numerous to be listed all in one place.
Jackie Robinson broke the colour barrier, paving the way for Hank Aaron to be brought in by the Boston Braves in 1952. As one of five players of colour in the newly desegregated Sally League, Aaron showed poise under pressure and weathered the storm of racism. It was good practice. Once Aaron reached the Majors, things only got worse, especially late in his career, as he approached the most hallowed record in all of sports, Babe Ruth’s 714 career home runs.