Home Run King - by Dan Schlossberg (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

In the fifty years that have passed since Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run and supplanted Babe Ruth as baseball's home run king, his legend and legacy have only grown. Humble and modest to a fault, he always insisted that he didn't want people to forget Babe Ruth but only to remember Henry Aaron. Though he never had the benefit of playing in the media spotlight of New York or Los Angeles, he remains the career leader in total bases, runs batted in, and All-Star selections; shares records for home runs by brothers (with Tommie Aaron) and by teammates (with Eddie Mathews); and is remembered with respect and admiration for his outspoken advocacy of civil rights for all minorities.

Written by a lifelong Braves fan who became a sportswriter, this book traces Aaron's odyssey from the segregated south to the baseball world revolutionized by Jackie Robinson, who became an early an important ally against bigotry and prejudice. It reveals how the New York Giants nearly beat the Boston Braves in signing Aaron, when the young slugger caught his first break, and why he changed his hitting style after the Braves moved from Milwaukee to Atlanta. Though he never won a Triple Crown or hit for the cycle, he won virtually every major honor, including an MVP award, a World Series ring, and a berth in the Baseball Hall of Fame. But he should have won more, as the author contends he was often taken for granted by voters (nine of whom left him off their Cooperstown ballots!).

Turn these pages to find out what home run Aaron considered his greatest, what pitcher proved his easiest mark, and what managers he liked or disliked the most. Even the disappointments are included -- his team's move south, its inability to establish a dynasty, and his quests to become a manager, general manager, or even Commissioner of Baseball. This is also a book of personal tragedy: the death of a child, a difficult divorce, and the stunning loss of the 43-year-old brother-in-law who became the first black GM. Not to mention the deluge of hate mail as it became obvious that he was approaching the most cherished record in sports.

Through it all, Henry Louis Aaron kept his composure, preferring to let his bat do the talking. He lacked the notoriety of Willie, Mickey & the Duke but he just might have been the best player in baseball history. He's certainly in the conversation.

Review Quotes

" Few have followed the career of Hank Aaron any more closely than Dan Schlossberg. On the strength of that connection, not to mention the dozens of interviews that he conducted with "The Hammer" over the years, Schlossberg has crafted a caring remembrance of the Hall of Fame slugger, civil rights activist, and true baseball gentleman. Dan Schlossberg's writing is a fond tribute to the home run king, but also a measured and balanced retrospective on one of our game's most important figures."
--Bruce Markusen, manager of digital outreach and learning, National Baseball Hall of Fame

"For sixty-five years, Dan Schlossberg has both followed and written extensively about Hank Aaron. In this book, he relives the almost-impossible chase to 715 and beyond. Dan also shines a light on his life and legacy as a husband, father, athlete, activist, and executive. I hope you'll enjoy discovering or remembering that as much as I did."
--Chip Caray, broadcaster for the St. Louis Cardinals

"I had the honor of being on the field with the greatest conglomerate of players in the history of Major League Baseball. In the National League there was Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell, Willie McCovey, Frank Robinson, Billy Williams, Johnny Bench & Pete Rose just to mention a few. None was bigger than Hank Aaron, who epitomized not only greatness but class and humility. His contribution to the game will be passed on forever!"
--Art Shamsky, member of the 1969 "Miracle Mets" and author of After the Miracle

"There's no one with a deeper respect for all that Henry Aaron accomplished on and off the field to elevate the game's popularity to a new level than Dan Schlossberg. As a diehard fan of Aaron and the Braves since 1957, Dan has an innate understanding of what the quiet gentleman from Mobile, Alabama went through to become one of baseball's greatest stars, which he shares in great detail in Home Run King."
--Jeff Idelson, retired president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Grassroots Baseball co-founder

"Henry Aaron broke Babe Ruth's home-run record with grace under unimaginable pressure. Dan Schlossberg, who knows more about the Braves than anyone, splendidly recalls that time."
--John Thorn, official historian of Major League Baseballl

About the Author

Former Associated Press sportswriter Dan Schlossberg has written or co-authored 40 baseball books, including autobiographies of Ron Blomberg, Al Clark, and Milo Hamilton. A national baseball writer for Forbes.com, he also writes for Memories and Dreams, Sports Collectors Digest, USA TODAY Sports Weekly, and Here's The Pitch, a newsletter for which he edits weekend editions. The 1969 Syracuse University graduate is co-founder of the North American Travel Journalists Association [NATJA] and served as its president for fifteen years. He also hosts two travel radio shows, including the popular podcast Travel Itch Radio. His 1980 hardcover book, The Baseball Catalog, was a 1980 Book of the Month Club alternate and has had more than a dozen updates. Dan lives in suburban Fair Lawn, New Jersey, which he says is close enough to enjoy New York City but far enough away not to be bothered by it.