On July 18, 1921, Babe Ruth hit his 139th career home run, surpassing Roger Conner as the all-time home run king in baseball history. Over the next 14 seasons, every screaming missile that Ruth sent over the fence became a new major league record, culminating in a final, 714th blow, on May 25th, 1935. It was widely acknowledged that Babe Ruth was merely an anomaly, a freak of nature whose mammoth home run record would never be approached, much less broken. While the "dead-ball" era was in the past, experts were left to consider what a ... well, "Ruthian" effort, it would take to match what Babe Ruth had accomplished. Consider what it required to hit 714 home runs. A player would have to average 50 home runs per season for over 14 seasons. When Ruth retired in 1935, only two other sluggers, Hack Wilson and Jimmie Foxx, had done it even once, so this appeared virtually impossible. At 30 home runs per season, a more attainable goal for the elite sluggers of the era, barring injury or statistical drop off from age, a player would still have to last almost 24 seasons. Indeed, 714 home runs seemed impossible to match, with a unique combination of consistency, longevity, and the ability to avoid injury seemingly the only path to the crown. Over the next 40 years, legendary stars came along that appeared as if they could make a run at the title.
After Ruth's departure, the home run torch was passed to Philadelphia first baseman Jimmie Foxx. Foxx first crossed the 30 home run mark at age 21, and consistently brought his yearly home run totals into the 40s and 50s. By age 32, Foxx had smashed his 500th career home run and was averaging over 41 home runs per season. At this rate, "The Beast" would overtake "The Babe" in just five years. However, Foxx's skills rapidly deteriorated, attributed to a sinus condition and an alleged drinking problem, and he would hit just 34 more home runs. The next serious challenger was Boston leftfielder Ted Williams. "Teddy Ballgame" was an immediate sensation, smashing 127 home runs by age 24, with his season home run totals climbing into the high 30's and putting him on pace to break Ruth's record by age 36. But in 1942, Ted Williams enlisted in the Navy and was later recalled to active duty for the Korean War, shelving his baseball career for almost five seasons and leaving him well short of Ruth with 521 lifetime round-trippers. Next up, and the closest threat to date, was Willie Mays. Like Williams before him, Mays was a rising star before being drafted into the United States Army and missing about 266 games due to military service. Even so, Mays had 542 lifetime homers at age 35 and was on still on pace to break the record in under five years. But the fleet-footed Mays could not outrun father time and his home run swing quickly abandoned him, leaving him short with 660 lifetime round-trippers. Milwaukee third basemen Eddie Mathews had 370 lifetime homers by age 30 and was on pace to break Babe's record by his 39th birthday, but Mathews' season home run totals dropped off significantly and was out of baseball by age 36.
Enter Henry Louis Aaron. While breaking into the bigs at age 20, Aaron was not considered a threat to the record. Five seasons into his career, he was averaging just 28 homers per season, including a 44 home run, league-leading effort in 1957 that dropped off to 30 the next year. However, "The Hammer" became a model of slugging consistency, never reaching the magical 50 home run mark, but almost always managing to stay in the high 30s to low 40s while getting close to 600 at-bats per season. By age 33, Aaron's 14th season, he had clouted 481 home runs. Unless Aaron could somehow continue his torrid pace well into his 40's, a feat that Foxx, Mays, and Mathews were unable to do, the record appeared safe. However, at age 35, Hank Aaron hit his "second prime", increasing his home run pace that included a career best 47 homers at age 37, and a 40 homer season in just 392 at-bats, at age 39. And on April 8, 1974, the 40 year old Hank Aaron, amidst death threats and hate mail from people who did not want to see Ruth's nearly sacrosanct home run record broken, sent an Al Downing fastball over the left field wall at Atlanta-Fulton County stadium, and a new king was crowned. Aaron returned to Milwaukee, where his storybook career began, to finish his playing days with the Brewers, retiring at age 42 with 755 lifetime home runs.
Offered is an amazing piece of sports memorabilia that would stand as the cornerstone of any great jersey collection, a 1972 game-used and autographed Home Knit jersey, worn by former all-time home run king Henry Aaron. On the inside back collar is the "Medalist Sand-Knit Atlanta Braves" exclusivity label, with an additional Sand-Knit size 44 label below, and team stitched, white felt swatch reading "72-Set 1." These tags have been re-sewn. All lettering and numbering is done in blue on white on red tackle twill. The jersey is autographed by Aaron on the front, with added "BEST WISHES 4/10/72" in blue marker (Aaron had 639 lifetime home runs when the jersey was signed), and shows good game use, with no apparent alterations of any kind, except for the re-sewn tags. LOA from Grey Flannel, JSA, Mile High Card Co.