Baseball’s Great Hank Aaron and His Ties to Wisconsin

by Max Moreno, age 13

When most people think of Hank Aaron, they think of a legendary baseball player for the Milwaukee Braves and Brewers who broke Babe Ruth's home run record. However, his journey to success started in a small town in Wisconsin.

At just 18 years old, Aaron played 87 games for the Braves Minor League team in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It was in this small Midwest city, far from his Alabama home, that Aaron started to feel accepted. By age 20, he was playing for the Milwaukee Braves and finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting in 1954. Over his career, Aaron made the All-Star team 25 times. He eventually broke Babe Ruth's home run record on April 8, 1974, and his 755 home runs stood unbroken for 43 years.

Wisconsin was where he spent some of his most important seasons. He helped lead the Milwaukee Braves to a World Series title in 1957. Aaron followed the Braves as they moved to Atlanta from Milwaukee in 1966. Nine seasons later, he returned to Milwaukee playing for the Milwaukee Brewers. Hank Aaron retired in 1976 after 23 seasons in Major League Baseball. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1982.

Hank Aaron's influence stretched far beyond statistics. He played during a time of racial tension and faced much discrimination throughout his career. Even after enduring threats and hatred, Aaron stayed focused and continued to perform at his best. Breaking Babe Ruth's home run record was not just an achievement, it was one of baseball's greatest moments. Now, Carson Park, the field where he played as a teenager, has a statue of him in his honor. There is also a statue of Aaron at American Family Field in Milwaukee.

[Sources: Baseball Reference; Wisconsin Public Radio, Marquette University]