With Hank Aaron sitting on 713 career homers to start the 1974 season, the Atlanta Braves plan to sit their prized outfielder for their first three games at Cincinnati to give Aaron a chance at home to tie and then break Babe Ruth’s hallowed record of 714.
Commissioner and noted buzz kill Bowie Kuhn, though, nixes the plan 50 years ago today as he orders the Braves to play the 40-year-old Aaron in at least two of the three season-opening games at Cincinnati.
Aaron promptly starts the 1974 season on April 4 by tying Ruth’s record as he launches a three-run homer off the Reds' Jack Billingham in the first inning at Riverfront Stadium.
Aaron, though, reaches base on an error, walks and flies out in three other plate appearances that day against Billingham and reliever Roger Nelson before sitting out the series’ second game.
He then goes 0-for-3 against Reds starter Clay Kirby with two strikeouts – both looking – and a groundout in the series’ final game at Cincinnati.
The Braves return April 8 to Atlanta, where Aaron breaks Ruth’s record with a fourth-inning homer off Los Angele Dodgers starter Al Downing.
Kuhn is conspicuously absent from that record-breaker moment in Atlanta, opting instead to send one of his top assistants – Hall of Famer Monte Irvin – to represent the commissioner’s office.
During the 11-minute, in-game celebration after the historic homer, Irvin presents Aaron with a watch – yes, a watch – from the commissioner.
Then, as soon as Irvin begins to mention Kuhn’s name, the sellout crowd of 53,775 in Atlanta sets off a cacophony of boos for a commissioner who is not there to hear them.
“I was smiling, because of the boos he was receiving,” Aaron later says. “I hit 714 in Cincinnati. Somebody should have said, ‘He played, he did the best he could, why not let him hit 715 in Atlanta?’ I think I should have been given that privilege.”
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