Hank Aaron is well loved and known for breaking the home run record previously set by the late great Babe Ruth. Hank advanced with 755 homes (Ruth had 714) and set more than 10 major league records. He was known for his powerful slugs: during his career, he only hit one inside-the-park home run during a game with the Philadelphia Phillies. The first and only home run he hit that didn’t hit it out of the park. For his batting prowess, he earned the nickname ‘Hammerin’ Hank’.
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Hammerin’ Hank was born Henry Louis Aaron in Mobile, Alabama in 1934. He began playing professional baseball exclusively for black teams in both Mobile and Indianapolis, Indiana. At 18, he joined the major leagues. He played for the Braves from 1954 to 1974 with the Milwaukee and Atlanta teams.
Aaron had a lifetime batting average of .305 and hit 2,297 runs. He has a total bases of 6,856, had 3,771 hits and played in 3,298 games. Because of his speed, he stole 240 bases in his career. He was voted the National League Most Valuable Player in 1957 and won three Gold Glove Awards thanks to his talents on the field. He appeared in 24 All-Star Games.
Aaron led the National League in batting average in 1956 and again in 1959. He was also a four-time leader in home runs, runs batted in (RBIs), and slugging average. He earned an important part in baseball history by becoming the first baseball player to reach his 3,000th career hit mark and have 500 home runs. The Hammer joined the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982.
Where to Find a Hank Aaron Autographed Baseball
It’s not hard to find a hand signed Hank Aaron baseball. The Major League Baseball website (www.mlb.com) posts autographed authentic baseballs, along with other sporting goods personally signed by Aaron. Baseballs are official MLB balls that are accompanied by a Steiner Sports Certificate of Authenticity. There are also signed baseballs being sold through EBay and QVC.
There is another way to get a Hank Aaron autographed baseball, but it is much more expensive. Aaron owns the Hank Aaron Automotive Group, which has car dealerships in Georgia. Some of the car brands that he drives include BMW, Jaguar, Toyota, Honda, Hyundai and Land Rover. Every car purchase comes with an autographed baseball.
How much will a Hank Aaron autographed baseball cost?
The MLB website lists Aaron’s hand-signed baseballs for around $330 to $350, though the price may be worth it as each purchase comes with a COA, a reliable guarantee that what you’re buying is actually a baseball kept and signed by Hank Aaron. the same. On EBay, the market value of an authenticated signed Hank Aaron baseball is about $170 to $200, though you’ll need to ask the seller if the item comes with a COA. If he’s paying that much, you better be sure you’re not paying for a fake.
There are also other websites like SportsMemorabilia.com, which you can check to find baseballs hand-signed by Aaron, but be sure to request a COA or item photo online. Steiner Sports isn’t the only company authenticating sports memorabilia; there are others, including Tri-Star Productions, Online Authentics, Mounted Memories, Global Authentication Inc., PSA/DNA Authentication Services, and Upper Deck Authenticated. If you want the real deal, look into the certifications of these companies.
