On April 8, 1974, In the fourth inning of the Braves home opener against the Dodgers, Hank Aaron parks an Al Downing pitch in the left-center field stands for career home run No. 715, breaking Ruth’s once thought to be unapproachable record.

How good was Hank Aaron? Do the math. If a rookie starting this season hit 30 homers a year for the next 20 years, they would “only” have 600 homers and still be miles behind Aaron.

Last year, 23 Major Leaguers hit 30 or more homers. Aaron Judge, who led the league last year with 52 homers, is now 32. He currently has 315 career homers. So he needs 400 more to get to 715. If he hits 40 homers a year for the 10 years, he could get to 715 at age 42. Since Aaron ended with 755 homers for his career, Judge would still need another 40-homer season to equal Aaron’s 755.

Hank Aaron was not just a power hitter. He won two batting titles (in 1956 & 1959) and has a .305 lifetime BA.

Anyone who was a baseball fan in 1974 can remember the hype around Aaron’s 715th homer. It was as big as the moon landing. And just as important to some of us. It was the classic American story filled with America’s Original Sin, Racism.

In 1982, Hank Aaron was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. But not unanimously !

Since Aaron, one other Black man has surpassed the Babe on the list of career homers. He is not even in the Hall of Fame!