Review Of The Novel 'Hank Aaron And The Home Run That Changed America'

Home runs might be the most exciting, single play one can find in baseball. Hitting one scores a team a run and electrifies the crowd. There have been many great home run hitters throughout the history of baseball. For years, the legendary Babe Ruth was the king of home runs. His record of 714 career round trippers lasted for nearly 40 years. His record, as with all records, was made to be broken. Tom Stanton’s novel, Hank Aaron and the Home Run That Changed America, describes Hank Aaron’s quest to break The Great Bambino’s home run record. The archetype of hero is present in the novel as Hank Aaron serves as a hero to many African Americans and to baseball fans in general. He becomes a hero on his quest to break the all time home run record.

He grew up in Mobile, Alabama in the 1930’s and 40’s. During this time, he suffered from the racism of the Deep South. However, this did not stop him from following his hero, Jackie Robinson, and becoming a professional baseball player. As an African American star, he served as a hero to many young African Americans. Reverend Jesse Jackson, a friend of Aarons explained that, “Aaron had inspired blacks of all generations” (Stanton 78). Aaron wanted to serve as a model to the young black community. He did so by, first and foremost, being a baseball star, but also by speaking out against racism. This inspired many young blacks to chase their dreams, and also inspired whites to become more tolerant. Aaron was able to speak out on behalf of the African American community due to his successes in baseball. He became a national hero through his home run hitting ability. Late in his career, he realized that he could break Babe Ruth’s home run record, and that’s what he did. After he broke the record with his 715th long ball, Aaron became a national hero. He got mail and telegrams from all over the world acknowledging his feat, “but the kindest words came from fellow Americans. Twenty thousand sent telegrams” (Stanton 224). Nearly every baseball fan in the nation had a new hero. Hank Aaron was loved throughout the nation. This home run and his inspiring of many, made Hank Aaron a

Early in his career, no one expected him to even come close to breaking the record. During most of his career, he was overshadowed by other stars like Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays. Stanton writes that, “Aaron had always been a quiet star, a shade of gray against a rainbow of Mays, Mantle, and Duke Snider,” but, “he was a testament to consistency, never hitting over 50 home runs in a campaign but usually topping 30” (16-17). It was this consistency that led him through his quest. He put up good numbers every year for many years, slowly chipping away at the record. This slow chipping away was how Hank Aaron led his quest to become baseball’s greatest home run hitter. His quest quest started to become more popular as people realized he had a shot. The media started following him everywhere as he got closer. This bugged him, but he kept putting up good numbers in spite of it. The quest finally culminated on April 8th, 1974 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, when Hank Aaron hit home run number 715. Hank Aaron was ecstatic about hitting it, but when he addressed the crowd after it, he stated, “‘I’d like to thank God it’s over with’” (Stanton 223). The chase had caused him to stop liking baseball as much as he had before it started. The increased publicity and hate mail caused this. After the home run, however, he started to enjoy baseball the way he had early in his career. Hank Aaron was on a quest throughout