On the night of April 8, 1974, 53,775 fans packed Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium to watch Hank Aaron step up to the plate in the fourth inning. He was sitting on 714 career home runs - tied with the legendary Babe Ruth, whose record had stood for 39 years. Dodgers pitcher Al Downing wound up, fired a fastball low and inside, and Aaron swung. The ball rocketed over the left-field wall, and the stadium exploded.
Getting to that moment had not been easy. As Aaron closed in on Ruth's record, he received thousands of hate-filled letters from people who didn't want a Black player breaking the record of a white legend. The FBI had to investigate threats against his life. Aaron played the entire 1973 season knowing some fans were rooting against him simply because of his skin color. Through it all, he kept hitting, kept showing up, kept being a teammate.
When ball number 715 cleared the fence, two college students hopped over from the stands and jogged alongside Aaron as he rounded the bases. His mother charged the field to hug him. Aaron finished his career with 755 home runs, a record that stood until 2007. But more than the numbers, he is remembered for facing down hate with quiet strength - and for one perfect swing on an April night in Atlanta.
