Still the King: Hank Aaron died an American hero, and the champion of the home run
Atlanta Braves slugger Hank Aaron hit his 715th career home run on April 8, 1974, in Atlanta Stadium, breaking the all-time record set by Babe Ruth. Aaron, who endured racist threats with stoic dignity during his pursuit of Ruth but went on to break the career home run record in the pre-steroids era, died Friday, Jan. 22. He was 86. (Joe Holloway Jr./Associated Press file)
Don Wade
Don Wade has been a Memphis journalist since 1998 and he has won awards for both his sports and news/feature writing. He is originally from Kansas City and is married with three sons.
From humble beginnings to home run king, Hank Aaron, who died on Jan. 22, left a legacy. He even found time for a brief stopover in Memphis and hit a home run in a football stadium.
Topics
Hank Aaron Martin Luther King Jr. steroids in baseball Barry Bonds Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Major League Baseball Milwaukee Braves Atlanta BravesRelated stories
For Baseball Hall of Fame candidates, no such thing as cheating a little bit
With another Baseball Hall of Fame class on the verge of being named, the question again arises over whether those using performance enhancing drugs deserve the sport's unlimate recognition
No crying in baseball, but Memphis Little League’s ‘momentum’ halted by COVID-19
Even without a pandemic, Memphis Little League was taking on a huge challenge in keeping baseball alive in the African-American community.
Redbirds announce date of season opener (hopefully)
Teams will play six-game series under new minor-league baseball scheduling system.
Want to comment on our stories or respond to others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only paid subscribers can add their thoughts or upvote/downvote comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.