Babe Ruth vs. Hank Aaron

      Long considered two of the best baseball players of all time, Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron, forever changed the game with the way they destroyed the baseball and sent them out of the park. One of the most beloved players in baseball history, Ruth single-handedly dragged baseball into the modern era with long-ball power never before seen in America's ballparks. Ruth's staggering home run totals changed the game; in the process, the charismatic 'Bambino' became an American legend. The fierce, resentful backlash that greeted Roger Maris and Hank Aaron as they took aim at Ruth's long-standing records testified to Ruth's enduring popularity.
A more dramatic hitter than Aaron, Ruth was the first man to unabashedly aim for the fences, whether or not he actually slugged a 'called shot' in the 1932 World Series. More of a pull hitter than Aaron, Ruth led his league in strikeouts five times, but also topped the AL in walks eleven times. The Yankees used to move Ruth around the outfield to keep him away from the sun, but the Babe was far from a liability in the outfield. A former pitcher, Ruth had a strong arm and had good range wherever he played. Ruth led by example. His teams reached the World Series a record ten times, which has since been broken, but as a sportswriter Bill Broeg once wrote, “to try to capture Babe Ruth with cold statistics would be like trying to keep up with him on a night out.”
      Aaron's quiet, calm demeanor intimidated few, but his lightning-quick wrists struck fear into the hearts of opposing pitchers. Because of his unassuming nature and the fact that relatively few of his 755 home runs were as impressive as the titanic moonshots often launched by less consistent sluggers, Aaron never achieved the transcendent fame enjoyed by Ruth whose career home run total he eclipsed on April 8, 1974. Even so, his remarkable achievement was no accident; Aaron was truly one of the best hitters in baseball history. Unlike most sluggers, Aaron's power didn't come from a wide-open swing but rather from quick wrists and a good eye. A two-time batting champion, Aaron hit with authority to all fields and never struck out more than 100 times in a season. Fans rarely saw Aaron make a spectacular play, but it might have been because Aaron made every play look too easy. He was smart, with a reasonable arm, and rarely made mistakes.
      Aaron was more of a team player than team leader. He got along with his teammates but kept a low profile for most of his career. A consummate professional, Aaron made his mark on the field, not in the clubhouse.
     Even though these players had two different styles of playing the game of baseball, their impacts forever changed the game and the way it was played. Many today still argue that these two are the best baseball players of all time.
     
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