Bat used by Hank Aaron in the 1957 All-Star Game

Object Details

Aaron, Hank

Hillerich & Bradsby Co.

Description

This bat was used by Hank Aaron in the 1957 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, held at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

Henry Louis “Hank” Aaron (b.1934) first began playing professional baseball as a teenage shortstop for the Negro League’s Indianapolis Clowns.

Aaron joined Major League Baseball in 1952, signing a contract with the National League’s Milwaukee Braves. Aaron played right-field for the Braves for almost the entirety of major league tenure, following the club in its move to Atlanta in 1966. In 1975 he returned to Milwaukee as a member of the city’s new team, the Brewers, for his final season.

On April 8, 1974, Aaron hit his record setting 715th home run, besting the mark set by Babe Ruth, who last set the record in 1935. Finishing his career with 755, “The Hammer” was baseball’s home run king until 2007, when he was overtaken by Barry Bonds.

Aaron’s on-field exploits fill baseball’s record books. Finishing his career with a .305 batting average, the 25 time all-star still holds records for most total bases (6,856) and RBI (2,297.) Besides being second in all-time home runs, Aaron is currently third all-time in hits (3,771) and in games played (3,298.)

Aaron dealt with racism throughout his career. As he neared Ruth’s mark, he received thousands of letters daily, much of it hate mail, including threats to his life. In 1976, Aaron was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP for outstanding achievement by an African American. Inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982, Aaron was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George Bush in 2002.

Location

Currently not on view

Credit Line

Thomas Tull

1957

ID Number

2017.0084.06

model number

A93

accession number

2017.0084

catalog number

2017.0084.06

Object Name

baseball bat

bat, baseball

Physical Description

wood (overall material)

Measurements

overall: 34 1/2 in x 2 in; 87.63 cm x 5.08 cm

place made

United States: Kentucky, Louisville

Associated Place

United States: Wisconsin, Milwaukee

event

United States: Missouri, Saint Louis

See more items in

Culture and the Arts: Sport and Leisure

Sports & Leisure

National Museum of American History

subject

Baseball

Professional

Record ID

nmah_1836978

Metadata Usage (text)

CC0

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746b3-f46e-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa