SI

On 40th anniversary of No. 715, Aaron remains true home run king

Graciousness always was an Aaron hallmark, as much as the home runs. The home run record was indeed so important in society that it caused most everything

Tom Verducci

On 40th anniversary of No. 715, Aaron remains true home run king
On 40th anniversary of No. 715, Aaron remains true home run king /
Even his opponents congratulated him when Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run.
Even his opponents congratulated him when Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run :: Neil Leifer/SI

Graciousness always was an Aaron hallmark, as much as the home runs. The home run record was indeed so important in society that it caused most everything else about Aaron to be underestimated, including his all-around skills as a hitter. As Wheeler noted in the book, Aaron amassed so many more total bases than anybody who ever played this game that he literally is miles ahead of the pack. You could give Stan Musial, who is second on the total-bases list, 12 miles worth of total bases and he still would not catch Aaron.

Barry Bonds broke Aaron's record in 2007 with far fewer people paying attention.
Barry Bonds broke Aaron's record in 2007 with far fewer people paying attention :: Brad Mangin/SI

You wanted to add an "amen."

Published
Tom Verducci
TOM VERDUCCI

Tom Verducci is a senior writer for Sports Illustrated who has covered Major League Baseball since 1981. He also serves as an analyst for FOX Sports and the MLB Network; is a New York Times best-selling author; and cohosts The Book of Joe podcast with Joe Maddon. A five-time Emmy Award winner across three categories (studio analyst, reporter, short form writing) and nominated in a fourth (game analyst), he is a three-time National Sportswriter of the Year winner, two-time National Magazine Award finalist, and a Penn State Distinguished Alumnus Award recipient. Verducci is a member of the National Sports Media Hall of Fame, Baseball Writers Association of America (including past New York chapter chairman) and a Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 1993. He also is the only writer to be a game analyst for World Series telecasts. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, with whom he has two children.

Home/MLB