How I broke Babe Ruth's home run record. Baseball star reveals untold story of how he triumphed over racism and the odds. (excerpt from I Had a Hammer: The Hank Aaron Story)

THERE were a few things, if only a very few, that Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth had in common. . . . They both left high school early to embark on their careers, although Ruth went into organized ball and Aaron the Negro League. And as they tried to make their ways in the game, both players were referred to publicly and frequently as "nigger," although Aaron was black and Ruth wouldn't have been allowed to play big-league ball if he had been. Ruth did, however, sport certain facial features that some regarded as Negroid, and when some bold antagonist such as an opposing player would…