Hank Aaron

Post-Playing Career

Aaron rejoined the Atlanta Braves organization as player development director four days after retiring from baseball. On August 1, 1982 Hank Aaron was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, receiving votes on 97.8 percent of the ballots. At the time, only Ty Cobb received a higher percentage (98.2) of votes cast.

Related Topics:
August 1 - 1982 - Baseball Hall of Fame - Ty Cobb

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Aaron became one of the first blacks in Major League Baseball upper-level management as Atlanta's vice president of player development. Since December 1989, he has served as senior vice president and assistant to the president, but he is more active for Turner Broadcasting as a corporate vice president of community relations and a member of TBS' board of directors. He also is vice president of business development for The Airport Network.

Related Topics:
December - 1989 - Turner Broadcasting - The Airport Network

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On February 5, 1999, at a celebration for his 65th birthday, Aaron was honored for his achievements as a player and a person. Major League Baseball announced the introduction of the Hank Aaron Award, to be presented annually to the best hitters in the American League and National League. The first major award to be introduced in more than thirty years, it is also the first to be named after a former player still living at the time the award was inaugurated.

Related Topics:
February 5 - 1999 - Major League Baseball - Hank Aaron Award - American League - National League

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In 2002 Aaron received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.

Related Topics:
2002 - Presidential Medal of Freedom

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Aaron attended Game 4 of the 2004 World Series at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri and personally awarded the Hank Aaron Award to winners – Barry Bonds in the NL, Manny Ramirez in the AL.

Related Topics:
2004 World Series - Busch Stadium - St. Louis, Missouri - Barry Bonds - Manny Ramirez

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His autobiography I Had a Hammer was published in 1990. Aaron now owns Hank Aaron BMW of south Atlanta where every car is sold with an autographed baseball.

Related Topics:
1990 - BMW - Autograph

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A statue of Aaron now stands outside the front entrance of Turner Field, where the Braves currently play. (Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, which was Aaron's home park for most of his career, was demolished in 1997, and a parking lot now occupies the site.)

Related Topics:
Turner Field - Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium - 1997

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Aaron's jersey number "44" has been retired by both the Atlanta Braves and the Milwaukee Brewers.

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