SN Archive (1974): Hank Aaron's 715th HR to pass Babe Ruth as told by teammates, opponents and Aaron himself

SN Archive (1974): Hank Aaron's 715th HR to pass Babe Ruth as told by teammates, opponents and Aaron himself originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . On April 8, 1974, Hank Aaron hit his 715th career home run to break Babe Ruth's all-time record.

This article, ' A Touch of Class - HR Slugger Hank Aaron ' by Paul Attner, originally appeared in the April 20, 1974 issue of The Sporting News. ATLANTA - When all has been said and done, when Hank Aaron has hit his last home run, they will remember the Braves' star not merely as a powerful batter and an able all-round baseball player, but as a man. They'll recall him as a warm, humble, prideful, conservative, private human being, not simply the player who broke the record that could not be broken, Babe Ruth's career home-run mark.

After the Braves' slugger tied Ruth's record of 714 by belting a home run off the Reds' Jack Billingham on his first swing in the season's first game, Aaron cared not to dwell on his accomplishment because his club had lost the game. “That took the edge off,” he said. “If we could have won, I would have felt like celebrating.

If we had won, I would have popped open the champagne and we would have had a little celebration in the clubhouse. ” SN 140: Ranking 140 greatest all-time sports moments | No. 9: Aaron passes Ruth That tells you something about Aaron.