On This Day in History, February 5: ‘Hammering Hank’s’ Birthday
Henry Louis (Hank) Aaron was born on Feb. 5, 1934, in Mobile, Ala.
In 1951, when he was 17 years old, he played baseball with the Indianapolis (Indiana) Clowns of the Negro American League professional baseball team. Dewey Griggs was scouting for the Braves (then of Milwaukee, after 1966 of Atlanta), when he took note of the skinny shortstop named Aaron. On June 14, 1952, the Braves signed Aaron up for $10,000.
In 1954, after three seasons in the minor leagues, he began his major-league career. Aaron, a right fielder, became the highest paid player in the history of professional baseball in 1972, when he signed a new three-year contract awarding him a reported total of $600,000.