David Ortiz, Boston athletes pay tribute late MLB legend Hank Aaron

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Few professional athletes combined talent and grace like Hank Aaron.

The baseball legend died Friday at age 86, leaving behind a legacy as one of the best hitters of all time and a champion of civil rights in America.

Aaron's 755 home runs over 25 major league seasons -- 23 with the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves -- stood as an MLB record for 33 years, as "Hammerin' Hank" slugged 30 or more homers in 15 different seasons.

Among those reacting to Aaron's passing was Red Sox great David Ortiz, who won the Hank Aaron award as the American League's best hitter twice in his career.

The Red Sox remembered Aaron by tweeting a video of the Hall of Famer being honored at the 1999 All-Star Game at Fenway Park, while former Boston outfielder Mookie Betts paid his respects to Aaron on his Instagram story.

Betts' Los Angeles Dodgers teammate, David Price, celebrated Aaron's legacy by sharing tweets about his accomplishments in the Negro Leagues, where he began his professional baseball career in 1951.

Reaction to Aaron's death spread beyond the baseball world, as Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown and ex-New England Patriots tight end Benjamin Watson lauded Aaron for following in Jackie Robinson's footsteps to help integrate Major League Baseball.

Aaron rose up from a poor section of Mobile, Ala., to become an icon in his sport and left a huge impact on future generations.

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