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On 40th anniversary of No. 715, Aaron remains true home run king

Even his opponents congratulated him when Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run.

Even his opponents congratulated him when Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run.

Graciousness always was an Aaron hallmark, as much as the home runs. The home run record was indeed so important in society that it caused most everything else about Aaron to be underestimated, including his all-around skills as a hitter. As Wheeler noted in the book, Aaron amassed so many more total bases than anybody who ever played this game that he literally is miles ahead of the pack. You could give Stan Musial, who is second on the total-bases list, 12 miles worth of total bases and he still would not catch Aaron.

Barry Bonds broke Aaron's record in 2007 with far fewer people paying attention.

Barry Bonds broke Aaron's record in 2007 with far fewer people paying attention.

You wanted to add an "amen."