Baseball legend Hank Aaron dead at 86

Legendary baseball slugger Henry “Hank” Aaron has died. He was 86.

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Aaron died Friday, according to his daughter, WSB-TV reported.

The Atlanta Braves, where Aaron was senior vice president, said he died peacefully in his sleep. No cause was given.

Aaron became Major League Baseball’s all-time home run leader in 1974 and eventually ended his career with 755 home runs.

He grew up poor in Mobile, Alabama, honing his baseball skills hitting bottle caps with sticks.

“If it hadn’t been for my brother, my uncle, sharing their love and making me realize that — although I had a dream at that time — but if I keep looking and pursue it, that I could match it,” Aaron told WSB-TV in an interview for his 80th birthday.

He first tried out in 1949 for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He did not make the cut and finished school. In 1951, he got his start playing for the Indianapolis Clowns in the Negro Leagues.

In 1952, Aaron was signed to the Boston Braves, who moved the next year to Milwaukee. Aaron made the big league roster in 1954 and the next year won his first of 21 All-Star selections.

He showed consistent offensive power through his 23 major league seasons, gaining the nickname “Hammering Hank.” He won the batting title in 1956 and an MVP award in 1957, when the Braves won the World Series. He finished third in MVP voting six times throughout his career.

He was the first player to record 500 home runs and 3,000 hits, setting the bar for those offensive categories. He hit 40 or more home runs in eight different seasons. He posted 14 seasons with a .300 average — the last of them at age 39 — and claimed two National League batting titles. He finished with a career average of .305. He retired in 1976 and was selected to the Hall of Fame