TBT: When Hank Aaron Hit His First Home Run

history.com

On this day 66 years ago, in 1954, Hank Aaron hit his first MLB home run.  Of course, everyone knows he would go on to surpass Babe Ruth and become the all-time home run king with 755 career home runs.  Like many others, I still regard him as the “real” home run king even though Barry Bonds would collect 762 career home runs.  But it all started for Hammerin’ Hank on April 23, 1954.

It was his seventh game in his major league career.  Aaron had actually began his professional baseball career two years earlier in the Negro Leagues, but got his opportunity with the Milwaukee Braves in 1954.  He was just a 20 year old kid when he broke through the major leagues with the Braves, and many people already knew he would be a special player.  Braves teammate Andy Pafko stated, “The first time I saw him in Spring Training, he had ‘major league’ written all over him.  He was one of those guys who comes around maybe once every 100 years.”  Talk about big time words for a 20 year old.

But in his very first MLB game on April 13, Hank Aaron went 0-5.  Throughout his first six career games, he just collected five hits through 23 at-bats, and remained homerless.  That homerless steak would change, however, in his very next game.

In a game he wound up going 3-7 at the plate, Aaron singled in the first inning to drive in Danny O’Connell and record his very first RBI.  And if you don’t know, to this day Hank Aaron remains the all-time RBI leader with 2,297 RBI, in front of Babe Ruth (2,213) and Alex Rodriguez (2,086).  It was his at-bat in the sixth inning though, that was even more memorable.  Facing St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Vic Raschi, Hammerin’ Hank sent a pitch over the wall for his first career home run.  In fact, Raschi was the same pitcher Aaron got his first MLB hit off of, nine days prior.  But on the historic day that saw Aaron’s first RBI and home run, the Braves would go on to win 7-5 and a legend was born.

Hank Aaron Career Stats

Batting Average: .305

Hits: 3,771

Runs: 2,174

Home Runs: 755

RBI: 2,297

Stolen Bases: 240

On-Base %: .374

Slugging %: .555

OPS: .928

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/aaronha01.shtml

https://baseballhall.org/discover/inside-pitch/aaron-hits-first-homer-off-raschi

Garett