715 at 50: The Night Henry Aaron Changed Baseball and the World Forever
By Randy Louis Cox
Hank Aaron wasn't just a home run hitter. He hit for average, stole bases, won a World Series title, an MVP in 1957, and did everything a complete ballplayer should. He was the consummate pro. Consistent. Excellent. Every single game for 23 years. His career was as remarkable as any in baseball history, as he compiled an unprecedented record of achievements that we still marvel at decades later. Two batting titles. Three gold gloves. 25 All-Star Games. 3,771 hits. 2,174 runs. 240 stolen bases. 2,297 runs batted in. 12,364 at-bats. A lifetime .305 batting average. Remarkable.
But on the evening of April 8, 1974, Hank Aaron's date with history had everything to do with his amazing power. On that cool and rainy Monday night, "Hammerin' Hank" would surpass one of the most cherished numbers in the history of the game—Babe Ruth's all-time home run mark of 714, a record fans and baseball purists believed would never be broken. On that night, Aaron's perseverance, longevity, and consistency would unite in one single swing that was celebrated around the world.
This summer, author Randy Louis Cox captures the spirit of that momentous night with the new book "715 at 50: The Night Henry Aaron Changed Baseball and the World Forever" (Summer Game Books, March 2024), an inside, first-hand look at one of the greatest moments in the history of sports. Featuring dozens of fabulous never published first-hand black-and-white photographs taken by Cox himself on the field of play and from the home team's photographers' box, this book allows readers to witness the historic events with incredible access for the first time in 50 years. Moment by moment.
The focus of the entire world was on Henry Aaron, yet somehow the all-time great never wavered in his amazing pursuit of the ghost of the Babe. He finished 1973 with incredible numbers for a player his age—a batting average of .301, 40 homers, and a .643 slugging percentage—and then, under incredible pressure, started the 1974 season just as hot. It was business as usual. He was unflappable. Never letting the pressure or the hatred or the celebrations of his successes change him in any way. And yes, while most fans supported and encouraged Henry, a small percentage were vicious and full of hate, some even threatening his life. Both the pressure and his strength to persevere were mind-boggling.
A record-breaking crowd of 53,775 fans there that night to see #44 and #715 before their very eyes. And when Aaron hammered a fastball that soared 400 feet through the cold, wet air over the left-center field fence, that crowd erupted. Ovation after ovation. The cheering wouldn't stop. Overwhelmed by the moment, they celebrated The Hammer's fortitude, his courage, his dignity, his strength. That 50 years have now passed does not diminish the magnitude of this great accomplishment by this great man.
715 at 50 also covers:
* Henry Aaron's career highlights and his remarkable consistency
* How he was the first black player to reach the 3,000-hit milestone in 1970 and the 9th member of the 3,000-hit club along with Stan Musial, Honus Wagner, Ty Cobb, among others
* His relationship with Willie Mays
* How at age 39 in 1973 he had his best home run rate of his career with the eyes of the world on him
* Details about the death threats and racial prejudice Aaron faced during his pursuit of the record
* How the USPS estimates delivery of 930,000 fan letters to Henry during his career—more mail than any non-politician in history
* How Aaron began the 1974 baseball season just one home run shy of the record, at 713
* How he tied the record with #714 on his first swing of the 1974 season
* The feud between Hank Aaron and Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn
* How he received a bronze bust with an amazing likeness during the pregame ceremony
* Notable attendees included Mayor Maynard Holbrook Jackson, Jr., Governor Jimmy Carter, George Plimpton, Pearl Bailey, Redd Foxx, Sammy Davis Jr, among others
* As a part of the celebration, 44 batgirls on the field were all wearing the number 44
* The at-bat that changed everything
* The magic of Aaron's trot around the bases
* How baseball great Monte Irvin, representing the Commissioner's office, presented Hank Aaron with a $3,000 diamond-encrusted wristwatch with #715 embossed in gold
* Braves' owner Bill Bartholomay presented Hank Aaron with a ring inscribed with the numeral 715 on it, and called him the greatest player ever to play the game of baseball
* How, in the end, it was more important to Aaron that the Braves secured the win—7-4 over the Dodgers
* Cox's exclusive interviews with Braves teammates Ron Reed and Buzz Capra, as well as an interview with former Braves PR man Bob Hope
* Aaron's choice of his top 10 most memorable home runs
* His numbers against the dominant pitchers of the era: Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson and Don Drysdale
* The Hammer's statistical legacy and non-statistical honors
* How he was a champion of civil rights throughout his life and wanted to follow the path of Jackie Robinson
* How in 2002, President George W. Bush awarded him with America's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom
* Hank Aaron's passing on January 22, 2021.
Four hundred members of the media, including 100 photographers, obtained press passes for April 8, 1974, and author Randy Cox was one of them. Covering Aaron's achievement as a reporter and being part of one of the greatest moments in sports history was a great privilege and his prose effortlessly transports readers back to that electrifying scene 50 years ago. At the end of the night, a new king had been crowned. Henry Aaron. An incredibly modest man and a genuine hero.
April 8, 1974. One night. One unforgettable night.
715 at 50
About the Author
Randy Louis Cox has been an editor, reporter, and award-winning photographer working in the field of journalism for 50 years. He is author of three other books and is an expert in collectibles, from baseball memorabilia to 1950s Disney games. Randy has worked in Georgia and Alabama as a reporter, news and sports editor, and radio news broadcaster. He has been a freelance photographer for Life magazine and covered the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Randy and his wife, Lanie Lessard-Cox, share homes in Athens and Lilburn, Georgia.
About the Book
Title: "715 at 50: The Night Henry Aaron Changed Baseball and the World Forever"
Author: Randy Louis Cox
Release Date: March 4, 2024
Details: Hardcover / 162 pages / $24.99
ISBN-13: 978-1955398305
ISBN-13: 978-1955398282 (pbk $17.99)
— Joe Boesch
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