Photo: Texas Rangers via tradingcarddb.com, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Okay, apologies up front. This is what happens when a baseball geek has too much time on his hands. (It is the off-season, after all.) Regular readers know how much Baseball Roundtable loves a coincidence. Well, here’s a handful of coincidences surrounding Hank Aaron and the number four.
Side note: As a youngster living in Milwaukee, I was just six-years old when the Braves moved to Milwaukee from Boston. Very quickly Hank Aaron (we often referred to him as Henry and later “Bad Henry” … in a good way) and Eddie Mathews became my heroes. In the Milwaukee Braves’ early seasons, the debate around our household focused on who was the bigger star – Aaron or Mathews? Both, of course, made the Hall of Fame (Aaron did pull ahead in the debate) and I followed both their careers closely (even after the Braves left for Atlanta).
Hank Aaron first came up to the Braves in 1954, he was assigned number five (the number he had worn in Spring Training). On September 5 of that season, Aaron fractured his ankle – ending the 20-year-old’s season with .280-13-69 stat line (in 122 games). Aaron finished fourth in the Rookie of the Year balloting, behind ROY winner Cardinals’ outfielder Wally Moon (.304-12-76, with 106 runs and 18 steals); Cubs’ SS Ernie Banks; and Braves’ pitcher Gene Conley. The next season, Aaron selected number 44 (which he wore for the remainder of his career) – and the foundation for this post was laid.
So, let’s look at the link between Aaron and the number 4.
Passing the Babe
This is perhaps the most publicized numerical coincidence of Aaron’s career. Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s long-standing record of 714 career home runs on the eighth day of the fourth month of the 1974 season. The record-breaking blow came in the fourth inning of the Braves’ fourth game of the campaign. Aaron, of course, was wearing number 44 – and he hit the landmark homer off Al Downing, who was wearing number 44 for the Dodgers.
Tying the Babe
This one is perhaps less publicized. Aaron hit his record-tying 714th long ball on Opening Day 1974 – which happened to be April fourth, the fourth day of the fourth month of the year. It came off of the Reds’ Jack Billingham in Aaron’s first at bat of the season. It was Aaron’s first regular-season game after turning 40-years-old.
Now, for a few, less-dramatic coincidences. Let’s not 4-get:
- Aaron hit 44 home runs in a season more times than any other total. How many times? You guessed it – four different seasons – winning three of his four home run titles with that number of long balls. (He won another title with 39.) Aaron also hit 40 or more home runs in four additional seasons (40, 40, 45, 47), but did not top the league in any of those years.
- Aaron led the NL in home runs four times; RBI four times; doubles four times; and slugging percentage four times.
- Aaron, with Eddie Mathews, holds the record for the most regular -season home runs by teammates at 863 – no fours, but they are exactly four home runs ahead of the number-two combination (Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig).
- Despite his storied career, Aaron won only one Most Valuable Plyer Award. It came in his fourth MLB season – 1957 when he went .322-44-132 for the Braves and led the NL in runs, homers, RBI, and total bases.
- In Joe Posnanski’s acclaimed book “The Baseball 100,” he rates Hank Aaron as the (Yes, you guessed it.) fourth-greatest ballplayer of all time (behind Willie Mays, Babe Ruth and Barry Bonds).
A 4ce On And Off The Field
In 2010, Henry Aaron’s Chasing the Dream Foundation established its 4-for-4 scholarship program annually providing at least $4,000 per year for four years to 12 students. Twelve, by the way, is the number of times number 44 went f0ur-for-four in his career.
- On June 8, 1961, Aaron was part of the first four MLB teammates ever to homer back-to-back-to-back-to back in an inning (a record that has been tied but not broken). The quartet included Eddie Mathews, Aaron, Joe Adcock and Frank Thomas.
- Aaron collected 293 Intentional (four-ball) walks, fourth all-time.
- Aaron won one Player of the Week Award, for the week ending April 14, 1974 – or 4-14-74.
An All Star Quirk of Fate
Henry Aaron appeared in a record-tying 24 All Star Games – and fate intervened a couple of times to make that 24 possible. (Aaron played 23 seasons and was an All Star in 21 – all but his first and last campaigns. However, in the four seasons from 1959 through 1962, MLB experimented with two All Star Games. Aaron was selected to all eight squads, giving him 25 All Star selections in 23 seasons. However, he was replaced for the first All Star Game in 1962 (injury), which resulted in his total of 24 All Star Games played.
- Aaron was born in 1934, made his MLB debut in 1954 and broke Babe Ruth’s all-time HR record in 1974.
- The most doubles Aaron ever hit in a season was 40, the most triples 14; the most total bases and even 400 (He led the NL in total bases eight times and in four of those seasons, there was at least one four in his total; (400, 344, 340, 334.) Okay, I’m getting in a little deep, so I’ll stop here. (But you can see where my mind wanders in the off-season.) Oh heck, maybe one more line. His 2,174 games appearing in right field are fourth all-time, as are his 4,161 putouts as a right fielder.
Coming soon, a Baseball Roundtable Hall of Fame lineup – and the pitchers who “owned” them.
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