Hammerin' Hank

Unsung Hero: Greatest Ever?

With Barry Bonds potentially hours away from passing Babe Ruth on the all time HR list, I find it important to highlight the greatest of Hank Aaron. For all the attention being lavished on Bonds for coming in second, I think almost everyone forgets that someone else owns the major league record. That man is Hank Aaron.

Hank Aaron is the most underrated, overlooked, least appreciated superstar in sports history. And I'm not using hyperbole here. In fact, I don't even think it's close. Whenever the greatest baseball player of all time is discussed, Hank Aaron is never at the top of the list. He easily falls behind Ruth, Cobb, Bonds, Wagner, Williams, Mays, Gehrig, DiMaggio, even Mantle. Sure, he'll be included in a list but never as a serious finalist. It's unfathomable to compile such a list without putting Aaron right at the top.

Until someone compiles a pitching resume that rivals Ruth's, it's hard to argue that anyone is a better player than Ruth. As far as hitting, I contend that Aaron was the greatest ever. Maybe it was his sustained excellence for such a long time that makes his performance so forgettable. Yet the history of baseball is defined by statistics and it's hard to find anyone with better credentials than Aaron. And instead of trying to draw conclusions about why Aaron has been so under-appreciated, I'll just bask in the brilliance that was Hank Aaron. Below are stats on the players listed above - judge for yourself.

Aaron - .305 BA, 3771 hits, 2174 runs, 755 HRs, 2297 RBIs, 240 SBs, 3 Gold Gloves
Ruth - .342 BA, 2873 hits, 2175 runs, 714 HRS, 2217 RBIs, 123 SBs
Cobb - .366 BA, 4189 hits, 2246 runs, 117 HRs, 1937 RBIs, 892 SBs
Bonds - .300 BA, 2742 hits, 2078 runs, 708 HRs, 1853 RBIs, 506 SBs, 8 Gold Gloves
Wagner - .327 BA, 3415 hits, 1736 runs, 101 HRs, 1732 RBIs, 722 SBs
Williams - .344 BA, 2654 hits, 1798 runs, 521 HRs, 1839 RBIs, 24 SBs
Mays - .302 BA, 3283 hits, 2062 runs, 660 HRs, 1903 RBIs, 338 SBs, 12 Gold Gloves
Gehrig - .340 BA, 2721 hits, 1888 runs, 493 HRs, 1995 RBIs, 102 SBs
DiMaggio - .325 BA, 2214 hits, 1390 runs, 361 HRs, 1537 RBIs, 30 SBs
Mantle - .298 BA, 2415 hits, 1677 runs, 536 HRs, 1509 RBIs, 153 SBs, 1 Gold Glove

Cases could be made for most of these players as the greatest hitter. In summary, here's the case for Hank Aaron.

• Most HRs
• Most RBIs
• #3 in hits
• Most Total Bases
• Most Extra Base Hits
• #4 in runs
• 21 All-Star appearances
• 2 batting championships - .328 & .355

While Bonds may be getting all the attention, I hope Aaron will get more of the respect and admiration that is due to him. Bonds may complain about how tough this has become. But he created his mess. What Aaron did, in the face of death threats and racist epitaphs and all, with total class, is truly remarkable. Let's not wait for one of the truly greats to pass away before we celebrate his accomplishments.

Tags:
* entertainment * pop culture * sports * major league * baseball * MLB * Barry Bonds * Babe Ruth
* Hank Aaron * home run * Cobb * Bonds * Wagner * Williams * Mays * Gehrig * DiMaggio * Mantle
* discrimination * death threats