Henry Louis Aaron

Henry Louise Aaron was born on the 5th of February, 1934 to Herbert and Estella Aaron. Henry grew up in a poor family where he practiced baseball by hitting bottle caps with sticks. He would also make his own bats out of materials he found on the street. He played baseball for his high school’s team. During that time, he also played well in football and received several scholarship offers. However, he turned them down to continue his carrier as a baseball player.

In 1949, Aaron had his first tryout with a MLB franchise however he didn’t make it. After this, he returned to school to finish his education. His minor league career began when baseball scout Ed Scott signed Aaron a contract on behalf of the Indianapolis Clowns. After winning the Negro League World Series, Henry received two offers from MLB teams.

Achievement

Henry helped Indianapolis Clowns to win the 1952 Negro League World Series. Henry won the Most Valuable Player in 1953. He led everything in the team apart from accommodations because of the Jim Crow laws. In 1955, he made his first all-star team. During the summer of 1974, he hit his record breaking 715th home run.

Impact

Henry became the first black to break a white’s baseball record and prior to this, he received several death threats. He built a new baseball facility in his hometown to encourage more baseball players.