The 2024 season is a historic season as it's the 50 year anniversary of Henry "Hank" Aaron breaking the all-time home run record. April 8th will be 50 years to the day that Aaron broke the all-time home run record held by Babe Ruth.
The historic blow came off lefty Al Downing, who from his walk of Aaron in his first at bat, was heckled and booed intensely by the Fulton-County crowd, who wanted him to challenge Aaron man to man. Downing himself admitted he had trouble with his command throughout the contest and it was inevitable that a ball would fall into the danger zone. His fastball was not man enough to resist history. Those are the simple facts of an at bat for the ages at that point in time.
What made this game special was discovered through the lens of rediscovery? Quite a few things stood out. Several players who won and would win championships were on the field that day for both teams. Atlanta had Darrell Evans at third, Davey Johnson at second and future World Series manager Dusty Baker, a man who would join the opposition in Los Angeles during the glory years two seasons later.
But today Baker was a Brave. He was drafted by the Braves in the 1967 draft in the 26th round, where his signing to Atlanta along with a $15,000 bonus resulted in a lawsuit from his father which caused a rift for three years. Baker did the minor league circuit, including a stint in the Mexican league.
He also spent six years as a Marine Corps Reserve. In the second inning, Baker doubled to left as a result of an error by the left-fielder who allowed the ball to go-between his legs as it rolled to outfield wall. The player in question was Bill Buckner. Does this situation ring a bell? A parallel of sorts to be sure.
One may fast forward to Game Six of the 1986 World Series where Buckner, playing for the Boston Red Sox, saw a slow grounder by the New York Mets Mookie Wilson go between his legs tying the game and leading to the Mets ultimate triumph. Errors turned out to be plentiful this day and was quite an anomaly when, you consider the infield of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
This was the infield of Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, Bill Russell and Ron Cey, which was the championship four that would man the diamond staying intact throughout the late 70's to early 80's culminating with four World Series appearances and a championship 1981. They were also considered to be the best infield in 1974. On this day, Los Angeles committed an unthinkable number of errors, five on this infield on the day.
The Dodgers were an elite unit, a team that would go on to win the NL Pennant in 1974 and was leading 3-1 going into the fourth inning of this famous game. That was until errors and Aaron changed the verdict. When Evans got on base due to a Russell error it set the stage for Aaron who with one swing tied the game and after the inning was over four runs were tallied and fans took a victory lap with the new home run king.
Another irony of this contest was that the difference makers that held the fort to victory on this day were but were bit players. Atlanta was barely holding on to a 5-4 lead until two pinch- hitters, Frank Tepedino, a former New York Yankee, and Johnny Oates, who would go on to play for three playoff teams, including the Dodgers for seven years, drove in the last two runs of the game.
In a game where eleven runs were plated, only two pitchers got through clean. Knuckleballer Charlie Hough, well-known for giving up the third of Reggie Jackson's three home runs in the 1977 World Series, walked one and struck out one giving up nothing in two innings to keep the Dodgers in the game.
Buzz Capra, a former New York Met on their 73' pennant winner, had quite a game, saving the game by going the last three innings scoreless by walking one and striking out six to clinch the game for the underdogs on this early regular season game made important by the moment but held up by pillars of supporting players and stars that played below their heavenly levels.
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