Why is Hank Aaron considered great?

Question

Most homers... Okay. Pete Rose had most hits. Nolan Ryan has the most Strikeouts. Are they the three best players of all time?

What about the averages, AVG, OBP, SLG? Or fielding?

Hank is certainly great. I have met him and he is very nice. But I am also of the Billy Beane school... I live for the statistics not the totals - but that is just me.

Answer 1

Henry Aaron was not a cheater (by using steroids - or any other drug abuse) during his baseball career.

Answer 2

Homeruns are the part of baseball that brings excitement. American society loves fast results and the HR is the fastest way to score a run in baseball.

I am not sure why Hank Aaron is considered great except he put up with racial issue that are not seen in baseball today as he appraoched Babe Ruth, the most popular figure in the history of the game.

Hank Aaron also holds the record for most RBI's, extra base hits, total bases, and consecutive seasons with 150 or more hits (17).

Aaron had a career ave. of .305 which is good enough for the HOF but not great compared to other greats of the game by any means. This does become a great stat when you compare it to other sluggers which normally hit for lower averages.

EDIT for Steve E: What proof is there Barry has ever used steroids?

2 Federal Grand Juries failed to indict Barry, which means there was not even a slight chance that he used steroids when listening to only the prosecutor present his case (defense does not get to present anything during a grand jury investigation). The feds are now concentrating on trying for an IRS conviction...which is the equal of we have nothing so we will make something up since the tax code is way too complicated and even experts will get different outcomes every time.

Baseball has been investigation "steriouds" which means Barry for over a year now and they have nothing on the guy.

During these investigation Barry keeps hitting HR's at an incredible pace for his age. After last nights games he was in a tie for 2nd place for the NL HR lead, one behind the leader.

This sounds more like ABILITY then anything else.

FOR SABEL:
Sorry to say but last time I checked there was only ONE member of the 500/500 club by a long shot and that is Barry Bonds. Hank Aaron is also tied for the most AS games with Willie Mays.

Answer 3

I'm a stat person too. Hank Aaron will always be a better player than Barry Bonds, but not better than Pete Rose. I have a lot of respect for the players of the past, like Aaron, Mantle, Ted Williams and Ty Cobb. These men achieved greatest without the use of steriods, cork bats and pine tar. So to answer your question YES HANK AARON is great, he leads in Total Bases, Home Runs, and Runs Batted.

My list of Greatest Players:

1. Babe Ruth
2. Ted Williams
3. Ty Cobb
4. Mickey Mantle
5. Pete Rose
6. Hank Aaron
7. Honus Wagner
8. Stan Musial
9. Willie Mays
10. Lou Gehrig

Honorable mention: Joe Dimaggio, Joe Morgan, Frank Robinson, and Tris Speaker.

Bonds has the stats, but they are clouded steriods.

Answer 4

OK after reading all of these I have to agree that Hank was a better ball player due to what he had to endure and the skill it takes to hit home runs and put up with winning in a white mans game (at the time) I admire him for that. For all the people that are getting onto Barry for doping, I say back off. Why should we hold anything against a guy that is doing something that just about anybody else in the sport is doing? If Bonds was the only one doping and every one else in the sport was clean then yea I would be angry at him for gaining an outside edge, but this is not the case at all. Barry took the same roids that everybody else in the sport took and its pretty sad that the only people getting attacked are the people who set records. Do you think on a level playing field where nobody in the sport is doping these guys still wouldn't shine? I think they would.

Answer 5

Hank Aaron was a great player. He was more than just a home run hitter as well. Not many players ever matched his consistency. His home run total of 755 is very impressive, especially since he never hit more than 50 in one season. I'm just guessing here, but he probably had 10-14 seasons where he hit 40+ homers and had a very good batting average for a power hitter as well.

Answer 6

Why is Henry "Hank" Aaron considered great?

First : Because to date (May 4th, 2007) he has hit more Home Runs than any other MLB player (755).

While doing so "The Hammer" passed perhaps baseball's most legendary player and perhaps its most hallowed record: Babe Ruth's Career Home Runs (714).

Sadly, some felt "The Babe's" record should not be passed by someone who's skin color did not match George H. Ruth's.

During the chase Aaron received many hate filled letters and even death threats yet still he persevered.

Aaron also passed Ruth in RBI and to this day holds the record with 2297

I never saw Aaron play, but HIS stats and the history from those who were there and still alive today don't lie.

#44 was and is GREAT!

Answer 7

Pete Rose only had hits not homers. Nolan Ryan has the most strikeouts. I would want to have the most strikeouts also. but was Nolan Ryan a hitter too. Hank arron was. and there where no steriods to take then.

Answer 8

Well,in Aarons case,I think it goes beyond Home Runs.He was also a great hitter for average,I believe his career BA is over .300, at the time he retired he had played in more games than anyone else,and I think he was more than a fair defensive player in his prime from what Ive heard,and I think he had good speed too..And he spent his whole career outside of a big media market,unlike Ruth,Mays, Gehrig, Mantle, or DiMaggio.In fact,I think he may have been the greatest player who never played in New York.And he did it with a quiet class and dignity that few players today have.Everybody is all worked up about Barry Bonds breaking his record under a cloud of suspicion,but I dont think Bonds breaking Aarons record is going to take away what Aaron did any more than Aaron breaking Ruths record took anything from the Babes greatness.I think Aarons breaking the record was a tribute to his longevity.No,I dont think Rose is among the 3 greatest,nor Ryan,though id put them in my top 25.

Answer 9

He has the all-time home run record!! What else do you need to do to be considered 'great'??? I'd say that alone is enough.

Plus, home runs are the most exciting part of the game. Statistics like most hits or strikeouts are great to see who is producing runs and winning games, but home runs captivate the spirit of baseball. A hitter's most important stats from a fan's point of view is batting average and home runs. All the rest are sort of trivial.

Answer 10

Not the three best. Babe is still up there as both a hitter and a pitcher.

As to Mr. Aaron, he came up as one of the last players from the ***** Leagues, where discrimination was blatent and vicious. Yet, never a taint of controversy about him..No steroids, no corked bats, no faltering marriage, no open animosity with the players, coaches or media.

Ever hit a home run ball? Not the easiest thing.

Answer 11

Mr Aaron confronted the similar treatment that Jackie Robinson faced. Although, this harrassment and taunting occurred when he was closing in on Babe Ruth's record. One could say, Henry Aaron is a trendsetter, since he overcome obstacles and did his best not to let the vicious attacks get to him. Also, he is somewhat of a humantarian. When John Rocker made those comments in Sports Illstrated, Henry Aaron and a few others spoke with John Rocker. Never do you see Henry Aaron glaut like Pete Rose did. He is a gentlemen.