Regarded as one of baseball's greatest player, Aaron died in his sleep two weeks shy of his 87th birthday. Famous for breaking Babe Ruth's all-time home run record that stood for 33 years he also holds the record for the most runs batted in (RBIs), extra base hits and total bases. He is also tied with Millie Mays and Stan Musial for the most All-Star games played.
He was a devout Catholic who credited his faith for giving him the resolve to stand up to discrimination and racism (saying that he felt "God's hand on my shoulder") and was known for keeping a copy of The Imitation of Christ, a 15th cent. Christian devotional book by Thomas à Kempis, in his locker.
Shortly before breaking Ruth's record he discussed his Christian faith
Saying that he wanted to be remember for more than hitting home runs, Aaron and his wife built a philanthropic legacy starting with paying extracurricular activity and equipment fees for needy grade school students and went on to include college scholarships (his Chasing the Dream Foundation handed out $350,000 in scholarships last year) and a multimillion-dollar grant to the Morehouse School of Medicine. His wife Billye worked for the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) for 14 years as a fundraiser until she retired.
He was a devout Catholic who credited his faith for giving him the resolve to stand up to discrimination and racism (saying that he felt "God's hand on my shoulder") and was known for keeping a copy of The Imitation of Christ, a 15th cent. Christian devotional book by Thomas à Kempis, in his locker.
Shortly before breaking Ruth's record he discussed his Christian faith
I need to depend on someone who is bigger, stronger and wiser than I am. I don’t do it on my own. God is my strength. He gave me a good body and some talent and the freedom to develop it. He helps me when things go wrong. He forgives me when I fall on my face. He lights the way.
Saying that he wanted to be remember for more than hitting home runs, Aaron and his wife built a philanthropic legacy starting with paying extracurricular activity and equipment fees for needy grade school students and went on to include college scholarships (his Chasing the Dream Foundation handed out $350,000 in scholarships last year) and a multimillion-dollar grant to the Morehouse School of Medicine. His wife Billye worked for the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) for 14 years as a fundraiser until she retired.
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