"The thing I like about baseball is that it's one-on-one," he has said. "You stand up there alone, and if you make a mistake, it's your mistake. If you hit a home run, it's your home run."
In 1956, he won the National League's batting championship in 1956. In 1957, he became the NL's MVP. And in 1959, he won the batting crown yet again.
TODAY, HE HOLDS MORE batting records than any other. And fielding? He was solid there, too, winning the Gold Glove each year from 1958-60.
He moved with the team when it went South to Atlanta, then on April 8, 1974, he drove an Al Downing fastball over the fence to break the greatest of all records -- Babe Ruth's home run total. And yes, Ruth was the man born on the next day after him. Two years and 40 home runs later, he retired from the game at the age of 42.
On Aug. 1, 1982, baseball honored him by inducting him into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.
NOWADAYS HE IS IN charge of community relations for TBS and serves as an executive in the Braves' front office. He devotes countless hours of his time to helping others, especially young ballplayers struggling to find their place in the world.
Of course you know who he is -- there is only one Hammerin' Hank Aaron.