Braves History: Watch Henry Aaron tie Babe Ruth with home run #714
Henry Aaron is baseball's home run king. Glad we got that out of the way.
Aaron tied Yankees legend Babe Ruth on this day in 1974, taking Reds pitcher Jack Billingham deep for a three-run blast on Opening Day in Cincinnati.
Let's watch the magic:
Aaron took a 3-1 pitch deep to left, being mobbed by his teammates once he touched home plate and receiving a standing ovation from the away crowd in Cincinnati. Aaron continued to get celebrated later in the game, getting recognized on the field by Vice President Gerald Ford, MLB Commissioner Bowie Kuhn and Braves Chairman William Bartholomay with a trophy presentation.
Hank finally got the mic after the three men spoke, thanking the crowd and the speakers and exclaiming "I'm just glad it's almost over with."
Aaron went on to hit the record-setting 715th home run just four days later, ultimately finishing his career with 755 home runs and being considered by many as baseball's "true" home run king.
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