TODAY IN HISTORY: Hank Aaron hits HR No. 715 to break Babe Ruth’s record on April 8, 1974
52 years ago today, Braves legend Henry Louis “Hank” Aaron put his name in the history books with his 715th home run.
“That ball is gonna be … outta here! It’s gone! It’s 715!
There’s a new home run champion of all time, and it’s Henry Aaron! ” With the swing of a bat and that call from Milo Hamilton on WSB Radio, Braves legend Henry Louis “Hank” Aaron put his name in the history books on April 8, 1974. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks ] This week will mark the 52nd anniversary of Aaron’s record-breaking 715th home run to pass Babe Ruth on the all-time leaders list.
Aaron crushed a fastball off Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Al Downing in front of the home crowd of 53,775 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. In the months and weeks leading up to No. 715, Aaron received countless racist letters and death threats.
“I thought that everybody hated me,” Aaron told retired Channel 2 anchor Jocelyn Dorsey in a People 2 People interview. “I got so many letters ... the ones that I opened started off by being so hateful and spiteful.