Aaron capped acclaimed career with No. 715

A model of this story initially ran in February 2022.

When Babe Ruth hit his 714th and remaining house run on May 25, 1935, many within the baseball world thought his extraordinary profession mark would by no means be damaged. For 39 years, the Babe stood alone as baseball’s all-time house run king. Then, on April 8, 1974, Ruth handed the torch to a brand new file holder, Hank Aaron, who capped his outstanding profession by toppling some of the legendary data within the sports activities canon.

Aaron had been working towards this second for 20 years. His first house run got here in his rookie season, on April 23, 1954, with the Milwaukee Braves. Two a long time later, the panorama of the game had dramatically modified. The Braves had moved to Atlanta, the Dodgers and Giants had lengthy since headed west, all 30 MLB groups had been built-in and Aaron’s profession stats had surpassed these of practically each baseball legend. Except one.

On April 8, 1974, Aaron’s Braves confronted off in opposition to the Dodgers at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. The opposing starter was Al Downing, a veteran who, like Aaron, was nearing the tip of his profession and, additionally like Aaron, wore No. 44. It had been a protracted winter for Aaron, who ended the 1973 season on the cusp of the file with 713 profession house runs. He began off the following yr with a bang by tying Ruth’s mark on Opening Day in opposition to the Reds.

Four days later, on a heat Georgia night, historical past was hanging within the stability.

Atlanta jumped out to a 1-0 lead within the second inning on an RBI double from middle fielder (and future MLB supervisor) Dusty Baker, which scored Aaron after a leadoff stroll. Los Angeles instantly responded with three runs within the third, together with an RBI single from Downing (one in every of two RBIs he had all season) and a two-run double off the bat of middle fielder Jim Wynn. The backside of the fourth quickly rolled round, with the Braves trailing, 3-1.

Leading off the body, third baseman Darrell Evans reached on an error, bringing Aaron as much as the plate because the potential tying run with a person on. The house crowd of 53,775 — the most important crowd within the stadium’s historical past — roared with anticipation as Hammerin’ Hank stepped into the field.

Aaron took a ball within the grime to work a 1-0 depend because the ballpark buzz intensified.

“And that just adds to the pressure,” mentioned longtime Dodgers announcer Vin Scully, who was on the away mic that night. “The crowd booing. Downing has to ignore the sound effects and stay a professional, and pitch his game.”

On the following pitch, Downing reared again and left one proper over the center of the plate. Aaron related, drove the pitch over the left-center-field wall, and etched his identify in baseball lore.

Braves announcer Milo Hamilton had the house name: “He’s sitting on 714. Here’s the pitch by Downing. Swinging. There’s a drive into left middle discipline. That ball is gonna be … outta right here! It’s gone! It’s 715! There’s a brand new house run champion of all time, and it’s Henry Aaron!

“The fireworks are going! Henry Aaron is coming around third, his teammates are at home plate, and listen to this crowd!”

As Aaron circled the bases, two followers ran onto the sphere to congratulate him, creating some of the indelible pictures in MLB historical past. Those followers had been Britt Gaston and Cliff Courtenay, who had been solely 17 years previous after they witnessed the historic lengthy ball. They had been escorted out of the park by police quickly after their second with Aaron and spent the evening in jail. However, each later obtained to reunite with Aaron, as soon as in 1994 on the twentieth anniversary of the house run and once more in 2010.

After the hubbub surrounding Aaron’s accomplishment — which included fireworks and an 11-minute ceremony — died down and play resumed, Downing walked the following two batters and was subsequently faraway from the sport. The Braves scored two extra runs within the inning to take a 5-3 lead en path to an eventual 7-4 victory. Aaron had two extra at-bats, each ending in groundouts, earlier than he was eliminated for a pinch-hitter within the eighth.

“The thing that I remember most about that night was my mother,” Aaron mentioned in a 2020 interview with Dan Patrick. “She was so enthused, she was so happy. When I hit the home run and got around the bases to home plate, she grabbed me, and I had never been hugged before in my life like that.”

After his momentous house run, Aaron hit 40 extra dingers earlier than retiring in 1976, with 755 profession homers and his Hall of Fame candidacy sealed many occasions over. Downing outlasted him by one yr, retiring on the finish of the 1977 season. He and Aaron are without end linked within the annals of baseball, although Downing was on the brief finish of historical past that April evening.

“Hank had a nice sense of humor,” Downing mentioned after Aaron’s passing in 2021. “We talked and he told me, ‘I want to tell you, don’t you feel embarrassed by the fact that you gave up the home run. You have been a good pitcher your entire career and you don’t have to walk around with your head down.’ … Then he said he is glad it’s over with.”

Of all of the spectacular house runs that Hammerin’ Hank hit in his storied profession, none had been as celebrated and immortalized as No. 715.