On April 8, 1974, during the Dodgers at Braves game, Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's home run record, a moment of relief for Aaron rather than joy, as he later described in TBS's 'Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream' (1995). His legacy was celebrated by the Baseball Hall of Fame bringing his plaque to the Braves' clubhouse, where Braves 1st base coach Tom Goodwin donned his Hank Aaron jersey for a photo. Aaron's remarkable consistency was noted by Jon Heyman, highlighting his 19 straight years with an OPS plus of 140 or more and 15 years with 30 plus home runs, never hitting more than 47 in a season. Dusty Baker recalled Aaron's focus on hitting home runs during the 1974 spring training, achieving 10HR on 11 hits. Figures like Ambassador Andrew Young, Baker, and others reflected on Aaron's enduring impact, emphasizing why '715 still matters 50 years later'. Aaron was remembered as a class act by those who encountered him, underscoring his significant role in baseball history and beyond.
Henry Aaron was a class act, elevating the HR record he earned (and still holds IMO). Terrific when I encountered him as a kid, great when I interviewed him multiple times years later. What a thrill that was 50 years ago! https://t.co/nD2ZAkinKK https://t.co/1BcD3NCdNp
I appreciate @AmbAndrewYoung, Dusty Baker, Ralph Garr, @DWilkins21, Marquis Grissom, @MoneyyyMikeee, Derek Schiller, Allan Tanenbaum & others for discussing what Henry Aaron means to them, to Atlanta, & why 715 still matters 50 years later. https://t.co/HHF39sUzOk https://t.co/jpwxy6B880
Some of Hank Aaron’s teammates from the 1974 team speaking on the legacy of Hank!! Dusty Baker says “that year during Spring training all Hank was trying to do was hit homers, had 10HR on 11 hits” #715 https://t.co/vdmtQVpGOU
Hank Aaron: One of the greatest ever, and easily the most consistent of the alltime greats. 19 straight years with an OPS plus of 140 or more. 15 years with 30 plus HR, never more than 47. Happy Anniversary in Heaven Hammerin’ Hank.
The @baseballhall brought Hank Aaron’s plaque to the clubhouse for #Braves players to see and take pictures with!! Braves 1st base coach Tom Goodwin saw the plaque ran out the locker room comes back in with his Hank Aaron Jersey on to take the pic! Pretty 🔥 🔥 https://t.co/BWeKtQku44
A young Hank Aaron skipped school one day to see Jackie Robinson address a group of Black citizens in Mobile, Alabama. An emotional Bob Costas reflects on Aaron's legacy and how he would go on to transcend baseball forever. https://t.co/R1NruI5bRq
April 8, 1974 | Dodgers at Braves (#715Day) “I don’t think it was joy or excitement I was feeling. More just relief, like I could finally come up for air.” - Hank Aaron 📺 TBS’s “Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream” (1995) https://t.co/fNeTtrqYYc