Baseball Games of the Past: Aaron hits 715th home run

Games of the Past

April 8, 1974

Henry Aaron passes Babe Ruth with his 715th home run


On April 8, 1974, Henry Aaron stepped to to the plate in the bottom of the fourth inning and hit his 715th home run of his career over the left-center field fence and the Atlanta Braves went on to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-4.

Aaron's blast off the Dodger starter Al Downing bolted the Atlanta left fielder by the great Babe Ruth and ended the chase for baseball's leading home run leader. Ruth's record of 714 stood for 39 years. Ruth hit his final career home run at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh on May 25, 1935.

Aaron's history-making home run was before a national television audience and in front of 53,775 fans at Atlanta Stadium. Hammerin' Hank was 40 years old when he broke Ruth's record and he would retire at 42 with 755 home runs.


FYI: The top five all time home run leaders --

1. Barry Bonds         762

2. Henry Aaron        755

3. Babe Ruth            714

4. Willie Mays         660

5. Alex Rodriguez   654**

**Rodriguez, 39, is 1 for 2 and walk in 2015 with the New York Yankees. The Toronto Blue Jays (1-0) and the New York Yankees (0-1) play the second game of a three-game series tonight in New York.