⚾
NO STAT IS SAFE. NO ERA IS FORGOTTEN.
VOL. 1, NO. 11 · MAY 11, 2026 · EVERY MONDAY
ISSUE #011 · INTEGRATION
Hank Aaron — 755 HR And The
Death Threats Nobody Talks
About
On April 8, 1974, Hank Aaron hit home run #715 to break Babe Ruth's all-time record before 53,775 fans
📅 THIS DATE IN
BASEBALL in Atlanta.
THE STAT THAT SHOULDN'T EXIST 01
HE HIT THE MOST IMPORTANT HOME RUN IN BASEBALL HISTORY UNDER CONDITIONS NOBODY SHOULD HAVE FACED.
755 Career HR. 2,297 RBI All-Time Record. Death
Threats Every Day For Two Years.
HANK AARON BARRY BONDS BABE RUTH
ALEX RODRIGUEZ WILLIE MAYS AARON'S RBI
Aaron broke Ruth's record on April 8, 1974 with HR #715. In the two years before it, he received hundreds
of death threats and required a security detail at every game. The FBI monitored his mail. He said pursuing
the record was the most difficult thing he ever did — not because of baseball, but because of what
America showed him during the chase.
THE GAME YOU FORGOT 02
VS Los Angeles Dodgers APRIL 8, 1974
4th Al Downing 53,775 W 7–4
HOME RUN # INNING PITCHER ATTENDANCE RESULT
Home Run 715
THE MOMENT BASEBALL CHANGED FOREVER
Aaron hit a fastball from Al Downing over the left-center wall at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. Home run
715. The record. Two fans ran onto the field alongside him. His mother ran out and hugged him at home plate.
After two years of death threats and FBI monitoring, the home run was almost secondary to the relief of
having survived the chase.
ERA VS ERA 03
Who Is The Real Home Run King — Aaron, Ruth, Or Bonds?
HANK AARON · 755 HR BARRY BONDS · 762 HR
ERA ERA
Pre-steroid Steroid era
SEASONS VS SINGLE-SEASON PEAK
23 73 HR
RBI (ALL-TIME #1) HOF STATUS
2,297 Not inducted
Bonds holds the official record. Aaron held it for 33 years on merit alone. The steroid era clouds Bonds' total.
Aaron's 755 was built on 23 seasons of relentless consistency — he never hit 50 in a single season, just
accumulated endlessly. Most historians informally consider Aaron the true king.
Who is the real all-time home run king?
HANK AARON — 755 BARRY BONDS — 762 BABE RUTH — 714 THE RECORD IS THE RECORD
THE COLDEST MOMENT 04
1973-1974 · THE CHASE
He Got Death Threats For Two Years. He Showed Up
Every Night Anyway.
Aaron received death threats specific enough that the FBI tracked them. His daughter had
bodyguards at school. He has said he couldn't enjoy his greatest accomplishment because he
was consumed by fear. He also said it showed him an America he thought had changed more
than it had.
I never knew a home run could make people so mad.
— HANK AARON
THE STAT VAULT 05
CAREER RBI — ALL-TIME RECORD CONSECUTIVE SEASONS WITH 20+ HR
Ruth is second with 2,214. Aaron drove in From 1955 to 1973. Consistency was his
runs for 23 seasons without stopping. defining quality.
CAREER HITS
23 SEASONS IN MAJOR LEAGUES 3,771
Fourth-most in history — often forgotten
21 with the Braves, 2 with the Brewers.
in the home run conversation.
47 CAREER SINGLE-SEASON HR BEST
At age 37 in 1971. Built the record on consistency, not one peak year.
THE FORGOTTEN MAN 06
OVERLOOKED · UNDERRATED · DESERVES MORE
Ralph Garr
ATLANTA BRAVES · 1968–1980
.317 CAREER BA · 1974 NL BATTING TITLE · THE ROADRUNNER
Aaron's Teammate For 6 Years. Led The NL In Hitting. Nobody Knows Him.
Ralph Garr won the 1974 NL batting title — the same year Aaron broke the record — hitting .353. He
averaged .317 for his career and was one of the fastest players in the league. Aaron's shadow consumed his
entire tenure.
THE CONNECTION:
Garr batted behind Aaron in the lineup. His presence meant pitchers couldn't simply pitch around
Aaron. He produced elite contact numbers in that role for years. Nobody was watching.
COMING NEXT MONDAY
Next Monday: Roberto Clemente's 3,000th hit was his last at-bat. He died 92 days later delivering earthquake
aid.
Who's Your Forgotten Man?
Reply with a player from any era who deserves more credit. Best answer gets featured next Monday.
All Eras. All Stats. No Debate.
Every Monday. No exceptions.