Former Major Leaguer Al Downing was saddened Friday to learn about the passing of Hank Aaron, but the two rivals will forever be linked together in baseball history. Downing has the distinction of allowing Aaron’s 715th career home run on April 8, 1974, at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium,
The baseball world and beyond tuned in the night of April 8, 1974, and Hank Aaron delivered. That’s when The Hammer broke Babe Ruth’s home run record with No. 715, an achievement that highlighted his career but hardly defined it.
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The NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, Major League Soccer’s Atlanta United and Georgia Tech’s football team all announced they would retire Aaron’s trademark No. 44 for their 2021 seasons. The number was long ago retired by the Braves.
“May generations of Georgians continue to be inspired by his groundbreaking career and tremendous impact on our state and nation,” Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey added, “He inspired many young boys and girls to pursue their dreams and pursue excellence in whatever they do.”
The Braves opened up Truist Park to fans for the first time since the 2019 season, allowing them to pay socially distanced tribute to Aaron on Friday and Saturday at his statue located in a monument garden on the main stadium concourse.
At what should have been the pinnacle of his long career in baseball, Henry Aaron was getting bags of hate mail many containing death threats and living in a storage room at the stadium, accompanied by bodyguards when he ventured out.
It was 1973, the country remained divided along racial lines, and Aaron, a Black player for the Atlanta Braves, was closing in on Babe Ruth’s holy career record of 714 home runs. To some, it was sacrilegious that a Black man would threaten the record of the immortal Babe.
Aaron eventually tied, then surpassed Ruth’s record, finishing his remarkable 23-year career with 755 homers. Even at that, he felt shortchanged.