Aaron’s 1974 campaign included record-setting grand slam
Hank Aaron made history on April 8, 1974, when he broke Babe Ruth’s career home run record.
But Aaron wasn’t through rewriting the record books. And less than three weeks after eclipsing Ruth, Aaron once again captured headlines around the nation with a historic home run.
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Aaron’s grand slam off the Cubs’ Ray Burris on April 26, 1974, was the 719th homer of his career and turned a 3-3 tie into a 7-3 Braves lead in a game Atlanta won 9-3. It was Aaron’s 15th career grand slam, which broke a three-way tie with Gil Hodges and Willie McCovey for the top spot on the all-time National League list.
“He’s the greatest thing I have ever seen in my life,” Atlanta’s Ralph Garr, who scored on Aaron’s seventh-inning home run, told the Atlanta Constitution following the game. “Sometimes, I wonder if he’s getting older or younger.”
The 40-year-old Aaron hit an 0-2 pitch from Burris, a hard-throwing rookie making just his fifth big league appearance, an estimated 415 feet to left field at Atlanta Stadium.
“I just wanted to get the run home,” said Aaron, who was batting with one out. “All I was trying to do was hit a sacrifice fly.”
The home run was Aaron’s sixth of the season and his second game-winner in two days. On April 25, Aaron’s two-run, seventh-inning homer off Jerry Reuss of the Pirates turned a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 Braves win.
While Aaron’s grand slam left him atop the NL list, he still trailed all-time leader Lou Gehrig by eight. Jimmie Foxx (17), Ted Williams (17) and Babe Ruth (16) also topped Aaron’s total.
“I don’t think anybody’s ever gonna get that one,” Aaron said of Gehrig’s record of 23 grand slams. “That’s for sure.”
But Aaron did not count on the homer barrage that would follow in the subsequent decades. He finished his career with 16 grand slams – but McCovey, who was still active in 1974, would soon pass Aaron and finish with an NL record 18.
Eventually, Álex Rodríguez would pass Gehrig for the all-time mark with 25.
Aaron would finish the 1974 season with 20 home runs before being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers on Nov. 2, 1974. He would retire following the 1976 season with 755 home runs.
Craig Muder is the director of communications for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
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