On April 8, 53,775 people filled Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. The ticket cost $47.96. When Hank left, we were all lost," Baker said. Occasionally his own teammates, such as Eddie Mathews and Joe Adcock, seemed to steal the show. Aaron would finish the season in Atlanta, go back to Milwaukee for two seasons as the Brewers DH and end his career with 755 home runs. Babe Ruth never had to contend with anything like that when he was establishing his record.. And in the letter Griggs wrote to the Braves front office, he closes his letter about 18-year-old Aaron with, "This boy could be the answer. Follow Chris on Twitter @historyauthor. I couldnt believe what was being said to him, but Hank was never scared. From the Richard A. Cecil Collection, Manuscript, Archives and Rare Book Library, Emory University (MARBL). Sharedgame memories of 2,131 is what we need, Sid Bream relives his moment from '92 NLCS, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. With teammate Darrell Evans on first base after reaching on an error, Aaron jumped on Downings second offering and sent it 385 feet over the left field wall. A few years ago Emory University presented an exhibit of many of those letters entitled He Had a Hammer: The Legacy of Hank Aaron in Baseball and American Culture, and the examples presented were odious. (AP photo). But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! On April 8, 1974, the Atlanta Brave hit home run number 715. Updated: May 17, 2023 | Original: April 8, 2014. In Milwaukee the next season, they drew nearly 2 million delirious fans and finished 92-62, second to the runaway Dodgers, then still in Brooklyn. Aaron didnt miss him. The reserved Aarons calm countenance masked the pressure of the moment and the storm that had swirled around him for the better part of two years. Long before the chase of Babe Ruth became . History December 29Today in baseball history | December 29, 2002 | Demolition . Nevertheless, talking about it ten years ago, Aaron cast it as kids being kids. He was 86. I thought I'd never see the day," he writes. As Joe Posnanski wrote for this site back in 2014, Henry Aarons singular achievement is that he was great EVERY SINGLE YEAR from 1955 to 1973. Hes the most instrumental influence in my life, outside of my father,"Baker said. And 25 days after Baker's departure, Garr was traded to the White Sox, hitting .300 in two more seasons before retiring after 1980. He didnt even flinch. If you're reading this site you like baseball and if you have an even passing acquaintance with baseball history you know that on April 8, 1974, Hank Aaron hit his 715th career home run, passing Babe Ruth, who had led in that category since he laid down his bat for good early in the 1935 season. He helped the Milwaukee Braves to a World Series title over the New York Yankees in 1957 and was a key component when the Braves made the Series again in 58, this time losing to the Yankees. According to the Braves, Aaron received about 900,000 pieces of mail during his record pursuit, 100,000 of them expressing hate. The nearly million letters sent to Aaron as he chased the home run record also show an ugly side of American culture in the early 1970s. His peers, of course, knew all about that, but the flamboyant Willie Mays was doing all those things too, and doing them with flair losing his cap, making basket catches, diving for balls that were routine outs and doing them on the grand stage that is New York, and later San Francisco. Hank symbolized the very best of our game, and his all-around excellence provided Americans and fans across the world with an example to which to aspire., Former President Obama called Aaron an inspiration. Six times in his career he had hit more than 41 in a season and as recently as 1971 had hit 47. Aaron played two out of three games, tying Babe Ruth's record in his very first at bat off Reds pitcher Jack Billingham, but did not hit another home run in the series. They wore mops on their heads to mock the black players. I got to start concentrating on it.. Hank Aaron tips his hat to fans and teammates greeting him at home plate after hitting a fourth inning homer against the Los Angeles Dodgers. But by the end of his Sally League season, Aaron says in his autobiography "little by little -- one by one -- the fans accepted us. Aaron and others received their vaccinations in an effort to highlight the importance of getting vaccinated for Black Americans who might be hesitant to do so. Aarons record-breaking homer came in the Braves 1974 home opener. What a marvelous moment for Atlanta and the state of Georgia. Teammates extend their congratulations as they greet Hank Aaron at home plate after hitting his 715th career home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers, at Atlanta Stadium. Yet some fans couldn't see past their hate. It was a whole different world for him to come to the South.". January 22, 2021 at 9:05 p.m. EST Hank Aaron hitting his 715th career home run April 8, 1974. His place in the spectrum of history was taken by Henry Aaron.. The Sultan of Swats numerous home runs were such a marvel (in 1920 his 54 home runs beat the home run total of all but one team that year) and he was such a colorful character that fans flocked to the stadiums to see this power players swing. They sent Aaron letters stating that Ruth would always be the greatest home-run hitter who ever lived and beseeching the Atlanta right fielder not to surpass the Babe. Bonds, who had become a prodigious hitter with the San Francisco Giants, was accused of using illegal steroids toward the end of his career, when his muscle mass and home run production jumped dramatically. "A full house of 53,775 was on hand, along with the visiting . Primarily, though, Aaron was a natural-born hitter. He hated dishonest people. Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves hits his 715th career home run breaking Babe Ruth's long standing record at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium on April 8, 1974 in Atlanta, Georgia. We are absolutely devastated by the passing of our beloved Hank, Braves chairman Terry McGuirk said in a statement. His hitting there caught the attention of a Braves scout. You probably also know how stressful and harrowing it was for Aaron in the months and years before he passed Ruth. President Carter meets with Hank Aaron in the Oval Office. It was 40 years ago today that Henry Louis "Hank" Aaron did what most thought was impossible. Plate Appearances Ruth 10,623 vs. Aaron 13,941. The family would hide under the bed for several minutes and then "the KKK would march by, burn a cross and go on about their business and then she (my mother) would say, 'You can come out now.' Yeah, Im disappointed with a .311 lifetime batting average, Aaron replied, somewhat sarcastically. In a statement, the Braves said Aaron died peacefully in his . Dodgers players extended their hands in congratulations. On July 17, MLB commissioner Ford Frick announced at a news conference that record keepers should have two separate categories for a season home run recordone for Ruth's, set during a. Im just wishing him very good luck.. On April 8, 1974, Hank Aaron homered for the 715th time in the majors, breaking Babe Ruth's all-time record as America reckoned with his astounding achievements as a player and a man. The only thing that stinks even a little bit about Aarons career and legacy: people probably focus on the home runs too much. Aaron finished with 755, a mark that stood until. Its gone! Vice President Gerald Ford made a speech. Klicken Sie auf Alle ablehnen, wenn Sie nicht mchten, dass wir und unsere Partner Cookies und personenbezogene Daten fr diese zustzlichen Zwecke verwenden. Fireworks were set off, and an 11-minute celebration of Aarons achievement ensued, with Georgia Gov. "I tell you to this day, I don't know how she managed to do it but she got to home plate quicker than I got to home base," Aaron said. Who is the home run king? She said, 'Get under the bed,' " Aaron said in a rare interview with CNN this month. A crowd of 53,775 people, the largest in the. Thats the only thing I regret., Aaron seldom got good pitches to hit. The Post reported that Ruths widow, Claire, tired after a long day of shopping with her daughter, did not watch the game. They were both arrested while trying to leave the field but were released a few hours later when one of their fathers bailed them out. "When I was growing up in Mobile, Alabama on a little dirt street, I remember my mother about 6 or 7 o'clock in the afternoon. And finally, a couple home runs shy of the record, at his last home game of 1973, Braves fans stood and cheered for five minutes. Aaron's race became more of a challenge when the Braves promoted him to Class A ball the next season. The city was home to Martin Luther King Jr. and a cluster of top-notch African-American Universities, but he felt many Atlanta residents were stuck in a racist past. 1 It was an incredible athletic accomplishment made even more incredible because it. That turned out to be a fortuitous shift. In those 19 seasons, Aaron created 100 runs or more run 18 times. He finished that game, sat out the next, then, again at Kuhns order, played the third and was hitless. He is survived by his second wife, Billye Williams Aaron, and Ceci, their daughter, as well as children from his first marriage to Barbara Lucas, sons Hank Jr. and Lary, and daughters Gaile and Dorinda. Atlanta Braves Hank Aaron watches the flight of the ball as he hits his 700th career home run in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies in Atlanta, Ga. Aaron is the 10th Hall of Fame member to die since April: Al Kaline, Tom Seaver, Lou Brock, Bob Gibson, Joe Morgan, Whitey Ford and Phil Niekro died in 2020. Garr won the batting title with a .353 average, Baker hit 21 homers and Aaron blasted20 his fewest since his rookie season. An off-duty Atlanta police officer was assigned to be the ballplayers personal bodyguard, and the Atlanta Journal prepared Aarons obituary in case it had to be run at short notice. They cut a piece of my heart out. At 9:07 p.m. today, The Washington Posts William Barry Furlong wrote April 8, 1974, Babe Ruths most famous record passed into eclipse. Fireworks burst in the Georgia sky as Aarons mother gave him the tightest hug of his life. Before that game, we had decided instead of fighting over the ball, we would each spread out and take a portion of the bullpen, Aker told The Post in 2019. [1] Aaron holds the MLB records for the most career runs batted in (RBIs) (2,297), extra base hits (1,477), and total bases (6,856). DISCLAIMER: This site and the products offered are for entertainment purposes only, and there is no gambling offered on this site. But, like with other facilities, the "whites only" signs didn't come down immediately. The press would probably eat him alive. After his playing career ended in 1976, Aaron embarked on a successful second career as a businessman and philanthropist. CNN takes a behind the scenes look at how this sports legend was made. "A humble man who did not seek the limelight, he just wanted to play baseball, which he did exquisitely.". The team returned to Atlanta, and on April 8, 1974, a crowd of 53,775 people showed up for the game a Braves attendance record. In Boston in 52, the Braves, playing a scratchy second fiddle to the Red Sox, had finished 64-89, seventh in an eight-team National League, drawing fewer than 500,000 fans. Aaron originally told reporters he didn't want the team to move from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Atlanta in 1966. This is no joke., In Aarons hometown of Mobile, Alabama, his parents received harassing phone calls. "I don't know where Hank Aaron will break Ruth's record, but I can tell you one thing . Emory University's Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library (MARBL), Opinion: Dont erase Aaron's spot in history, Baseball writers balk at Hall of Fame class of 13. "Dammit all, I had to break the record," he writes in his autobiography. The season ended, and Aaron left the Braves, returning to Milwaukee for two final seasons. Hammerin Hank rarely smiled on his home-run trots, but on this occasion, he couldnt help it. Ball one. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern, indem Sie auf unseren Websites und Apps auf den Link Datenschutz- und Cookie-Einstellungen oder Datenschutz-Dashboard klicken. In 1953, the South Atlantic League named him Most Valuable Player. Separate and apart from all of that, Aarons approach to Ruths record was surrounded by controversy.Aaron had finished the 1973 season with 713 homers, one shy of The Bambino. A cardboard suitcase. On that day he broke Babe Ruth's total home run record -- something few thought could ever be done -- but swinging that bat came with a great personal risk. He hit .301 and drove in 96 runs. Hank acted like it didnt bother him. Years after Barry Bonds topped Hank Aaron, its still up for debate. Bill Buckner, the Dodgers left fielder, made a leaping, climbing stab at it but missed as the ball sailed over the fence, into the Braves bullpen and the glove of relief pitcher Tom House. He also became a successful businessman, operating doughnut shops, chicken restaurants and car dealerships, and spoke out often for Black advancement in baseball and business. It was 46 years ago, on April. Aaron and the entire country watched as Dodgers left fielder Bill Buckner retreated to the wall. After Aaron rounded second, Britt Gaston and Cliff Courtenay, a pair of 17-year-olds in bell-bottom jeans who had jumped out of the stands, ran up behind him and patted him on the chest and shoulder. At 80, he runs the Chasing the Dream Foundation, which gives children mentoring and financial support to follow their dreams. Controversially, of course, but well leave that for another day. "I had to do it for Jackie (Robinson), and my people and myself and for everybody who ever called me a nigger.". The segregation also extended to the team. '", In the scouting report, Southworth notes Aaron's strength is his "all around ability," but "his experience has been confined to sandlot and three months this year with the Indianapolis Clowns. Funny how Babe Ruths 714 home runs was the most impressive, unbreakable record in sports until a Black man broke it, he told Sports Illustrated. Mike Trout could perfectly replicate his first nine seasons starting now and hed still be over 1,800 total bases shy of Aarons career mark. Listed as 5'11", 170 pounds on one report, he was even skinnier when he lived in Mobile, Alabama. The Braves had been playing the team that brought Aaron his hero, the Dodgers.
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