April 8 will always have a special place in the hearts of baseball fans everywhere.
The Atlanta Braves’ Hank Aaron had hit 40 home runs in the 1973 season to put him at 713 career home runs. When the 1974 campaign began, all eyes were on the slugger to see how long it would would take for him to hit two home runs to break Babe Ruth’s all-time record.
On this date in 1974, Aaron hit home run No. 715 off Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Al Downing to become the home run king:
Aaron’s career record of 755 home runs would stand until San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds eclipsed the mark in 2007.
According to the New York Daily News’ Anthony McCarron, the Braves will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the record-breaking home run with a pregame ceremony before Tuesday’s game against the New York Mets. The Braves are also wearing a commemorative “715” patch on their jerseys this season.
[MLB]
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