r/70s • u/Empty-Initial6392 • 1d ago

"Hurricane" Hank Aaron - April 8, 1974

Post image

Beating the longstanding record by Babe Ruth with 715 career home runs.

527 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

34 comments sorted by

29

u/MEWilliams 1d ago

Hammering Hank

9

u/junkeee999 1d ago

Correct. Hurricane? Where did that come from?

5

u/PheaglesFan 1d ago

C'mon, you remember! Playing AAA he was known as Tropical Storm Hank.

3

u/bomilk19 1d ago

When he played poorly he was called Tropical Depression Hank.

1

u/sinisterdesign 22h ago

When me was a little kid he was known as El Niño Hank.

1

u/Plus-King5266 1d ago

Hurricane was a boxer

14

u/Yorbayuul81 1d ago

Downvoted for the made up nickname. Anyone who followed him knows he was referred to as Hammerin’ Hank

2

u/sinisterdesign 22h ago

Exactly. 👎

9

u/Wu_Oyster_Cult 1d ago

“Hurricane”?

6

u/CurseOfTheFalcons 1d ago

I saw him hit #603 live, and we didn’t call him Hurricane then either. The crap that man went through during the offseason when he sat on 713 must’ve been insane. Think of the stress — a black man playing in the heart of the South less than a decade after MLK had been murdered… and he never complained about it. Class act.

7

u/jimmychitwood317 1d ago

Hammerin' Hank Aaron is the true and real Home Run King.

5

u/tasskaff9 1d ago

Always Hammerin’ Hank, never Hurricane Hank. Show some respect.

3

u/SquonkMan61 1d ago

I can remember exactly where I was when Aaron broke the record: watching the tv in our basement in Baltimore.

4

u/Empty-Initial6392 1d ago

I had tickets to the game but sat in the bar. Slid them over to my buddies: I had to see about a girl!

  • Robin Williams - Good Will Hunting

3

u/Illustrious_Name_441 1d ago

We got to watch it during dinner on TV trays

1

u/Plus-King5266 1d ago

I was watching TV in our basement in Fort Wayne! Maybe we’re brothers!

2

u/SquonkMan61 15h ago

Fort Wayne! When I was a teenager in Baltimore back in the 70s I used to listen to WOWO AM at night on my radio. “1190 WOWO, Fort Wayne, Group W, Westinghouse Broadcasting.” I even got into listening to Komets hockey games. Robbie Irons was their goalie.

2

u/Plus-King5266 13h ago

AM was great at night, bouncing off the ionosphere to all over the place. WOWO radio and the Komets. That takes me back. When I moved away I did the same thing.

3

u/Few-Candle102 1d ago

Confusing Hank Aaron with Rubin Carter.

1

u/MEWilliams 1d ago

👍🏼

2

u/elontux 1d ago

Never heard of Hurricane. Regardless, a great ballplayer who beat the Bambino’s well held record with his 715+ all time home runs.

2

u/asrars_market 1d ago

Monday night baseball

2

u/Low-Caterpillar4701 1d ago

This guy caught #715 in the bullpen

2

u/Key-Lunch-4763 1d ago

I think Al Downing was the pitcher who gave it up

2

u/No_Point904 1d ago

I have never heard him called "Hurricane" I know he was called Hammerin' Hank. I'm sure he would have answered to both.

1

u/My2026GV70 1d ago

Spellchecker gone rogue.

1

u/AnonMILFAyla 1d ago

hammerin' Hank breaking Ruth's record that day was a hell of a moment. the name fits.

1

u/bikerbob29 1d ago

Hammerin' Hank, not hurricane

1

u/MonmouthPinelands 1d ago

My Dad woke my brother and I up to tell us

-2

u/MrRourkeYourHost 1d ago edited 1d ago

I wonder how players of that time would do in today’s modern game. I assume the pitching has improved and other aspects.

-2

u/siggybird 1d ago

I happen to know for a fact that he was called Hurricane in social situations. I once saw him in a bar, and somebody said; 'Hello, Hurricane, how about a beer?'”