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N0KFQ > TODAY 08.04.08 09:00l 42 Lines 1967 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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Subj: Today in History - Apr 8
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To : TODAY@ALLUS
April 8, 1974
Aaron sets new home run record
On this day in 1974, Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves hits his
715th career home run, breaking Babe Ruth's legendary record of
714 homers. A crowd of 53,775 people, the largest in the history
of Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, was with Aaron that night to
cheer when he hit a 4th inning pitch off the Los Angeles Dodgers'
Al Downing. However, as Aaron was an African American who had
received death threats and racist hate mail during his pursuit of
one of baseball's most distinguished records, the achievement was
bittersweet.
Henry Louis Aaron Jr., born in Mobile, Alabama, on February 5,
1934, made his Major League debut in 1954 with the Milwaukee
Braves, just eight years after Jackie Robinson broke baseball's
color barrier and became the first African American to play in
the majors. Aaron, known as hard working and quiet, was the last
Negro league player to also compete in the Major Leagues.
In 1957, with characteristically little fanfare, Aaron, who
primarily played right field, was named the National League's
Most Valuable Player as the Milwaukee Braves won the pennant. A
few weeks later, his three home runs in the World Series helped
his team triumph over the heavily favored New York Yankees.
Although "Hammerin' Hank" specialized in home runs, he was also
an extremely dependable batter, and by the end of his career he
held baseball's career record for most runs batted in: 2,297.
Aaron's playing career spanned three teams and 23 years. He was
with the Milwaukee Braves from 1954 to 1965, the Atlanta Braves
from 1966 to 1974 and the Milwaukee Brewers from 1975 to 1976. He
hung up his cleats in 1976 with 755 career home runs and went on
to become one of baseball's first African-American executives,
with the Atlanta Braves, and a leading spokesperson for minority
hiring. Hank Aaron was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in
1982.
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