Atlanta Braves memories: Hank Aaron’s record-breaking homer

Tying the Game; untying from Ruth

Hank Aaron didn’t allow this moment to linger much longer.

Aaron was walked to open the second inning, scoring from first base on a double by Dusty Baker.  1-0 Braves.

The Dodgers took the lead against Ron Reed in the 3rd thanks to the bottom of their order.  Pitcher Al Downing singles in Steve Garvey and put Bill Russell on third. Russell was later thrown out at home, but two other runners scored in the inning.  3-1 Dodgers.

The next two half-innings were relatively uneventful, other than circling the Braves lineup back around toward Aaron.

The bottom of inning four arrived.  Darrell Evans reached thanks to an error on Russell at shortstop.

As Aaron came to the plate, the NBC feed showed his homer splits:  only 206 against southpaws… and Al Downing was a lefty.

I didn’t remember how many pitches Aaron saw in this AB ( it was two; a 1-0 count).  I do remember thinking that it looked like he had gotten a good swing on the ball – a fastball that was ‘up’.

I remember that there was somebody in the stands with a long-handled net in the LF seats… but that he wasn’t that close.  I remember something of a scrum in the bullpen as the pitchers went for the honor of catching the ultimate souvenir.

Tom House was the Braves’ pitcher who made the grab.  There was later word that the pitchers had assigned themselves areas to cover based on choices made by seniority.

Buzz Capra claims to have been in House’s spot, but had asked to switch spots with House just before the fateful swing.  This thanks to getting items – perhaps food and drink? – dumped on him.  Oops.  At least Capra ended up saving the game.

I vividly remember the college-kid idiots who ‘escorted’ Aaron around the second half of his home run trot whilst the rest of the world was paying attention to everything but stadium security issues.

There was a mob scene around home plate.  Everyone wanted to slap Hank on the back, shake his hand, kiss him (his wife and mother were both there), interview him… the whole gambit.

I remember the pandemonium in the stadium.  I remember the happiness of the moment.

I don’t remember anything else, as it was time to go off to bed.

What happened thereafter was probably a bit predictable:  an apparently shaken Al Downing walked the next two hitters and the Braves cashed in both.  He was replaced by Mike Marshall after that.

Aaron had tied the game, and by the time the inning was done, Atlanta was on top 5-3 en route to a 7-4 victory.

The Dodgers were tough that year:  102-60.  Atlanta finished 1974 with 88 wins, which might have won the other division… but not the NL West.

But that night — April 8, 1974 — belonged to the Atlanta Braves and their favorite son:  Hank Aaron.