April 26, 1974: Henry Aaron hits his 15th grand slam to set National League record

The beginning of the 1974 season had been memorable for Hank Aaron. On April 4 he tied Babe Ruth’s career home-run record. Despite his two-run blast in the first inning, the Braves lost to the Reds 7-6 on Opening Day in Cincinnati. Three days later, Aaron’s fourth-inning homer made him the all-time home-run leader with 715.

Aaron hit his fifth home run of the season on April 25. The two-run round tripper came in the seventh inning and helped snap a three-game losing streak. Atlanta’s 3-2 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates gave the Braves a 9-10 record.

The Chicago Cubs arrived in Atlanta with a 6-7 record after losing two games to the Cincinnati Reds. They were hoping to snap a three-game losing streak after the Reds beat them 1-0 on April 24 when reliever Bill Bonham walked George Foster with the bases loaded in the ninth.

Carl Morton, who had turned 30 on January 18, started for Atlanta. The right-hander, who led the Braves’ starters with 15 wins in 1973, entered the game with a 1-2 record and a 5.05 ERA.

Chicago jumped on Morton in the first inning. Rick Monday doubled with one out and reached third base on Bill Madlock’s groundout to first. Billy Williams walked and when José Cardenal hit a pop-fly single to center field, Monday and Williams scored and Cardenal reached second on center fielder Dusty Baker’s throw home to try to get Williams out.

Jerry Morales’s two-out single to center field brought Cardenal across the plate. Morton got George Mitterwald to ground out to short for the third out but the Cubs were ahead 3-0.

After the rocky start, Morton settled down and gave up just three more hits and two walks through the next six innings.

Rick Reuschel started for Chicago. The 25-year-old right-hander, in his third season with the Cubs, was off to a rough start after posting a 3.00 ERA in 1973. He had given up 14 earned runs in his three starts and had a 6.10 ERA.

Reuschel gave up a single to Craig Robinson but left him stranded after Darrell Evans grounded out and Aaron flied out to right field.

The Braves got on the scoreboard in the second. Baker led off with a single and stole second. With one out, Frank Tepedino grounded out and Baker moved to third. Johnny Oates’s bunt single scored Baker. Morton also singled, but Ralph Garr’s groundout ended the frame.

Reuschel allowed only two more hits, one of them a single by Aaron, through the sixth. Later, Reuschel said he felt a small pain in his heel in the sixth inning but that it was gone when he took the mound in the seventh.1

Oates singled with one out in the seventh. Norm Miller pinch-hit for Morton and doubled to put two runners in scoring position. Cubs manager Whitey Lockman replaced Reuschel, who said later, “I tried to hump up, but I had nothing left.” His replacement, Jim Kremmel,2 a 25-year-old left-hander, had allowed just one hit in his previous four appearances in 1974. Braves manager Eddie Mathews sent Leo Foster to run for Miller.

Garr doubled to left field, scoring both runners and tying the game. Robinson singled. Then Kremmel walked Evans to load the bases for Aaron.

Lockman went back to his bullpen for Ray Burris. The 23-year-old right-hander entered the game with two wins, one save, and a 0.79 ERA. He had faced Aaron four times in 1973 with Aaron getting three singles.

Burris threw two fastballs to Aaron. The first one he took; the second he swung at and missed.3 Burris threw a third fastball. Aaron swung and sent the ball over the left-field wall for a grand slam. “I was guessing fastball all the way. All three were in the same spot,” said Aaron.4

“I wasn’t thinking about any home run. All I wanted was the sacrifice fly and the run so we could win the ballgame. I don’t even think I hit it as good as I did the one yesterday,” the great slugger said.5 He added, “It felt good. Home runs always feel good.”6

Burris said, “I wanted to keep the ball away from him and get ahead of him. I faced him some last year but that is the first home run he has hit off me.”7 Burris continued, “I tried to waste a pitch but I wanted to make it close enough to go either way.”8 Aaron told reporters, “I think if you ask him, he’ll tell you he made a mistake.”9

Aaron’s sixth home run of the season gave Atlanta the lead, 7-3.

After Aaron’s home run, Baker singled and got his second stolen base of the game. Burris walked Davey Johnson. A wild pitch advanced both runners. Tepedino popped out to first for the second out. Burris walked Oates intentionally.

Mathews sent up rookie Rowland Office to bat for Foster. Office, who was hitting .143 (4-for-28), hit a line-drive single to right, scoring Baker and Johnson and making the score 9-3. The eight runs were the most Atlanta had scored in one inning to that point in 1974.

Lockman called on Horacio Piña to replace Burris. He got the final out when Garr flied out to center field.

Mathews complimented Aaron, saying, “That’s the big thing a home run hitter can do for a club. He can snap a club out of a slump and carry it for three or four games.”10 He added, “Hank has been carrying us.”11

Aaron left the game after the seventh inning.12

Mathews brought in Jack Aker to pitch in the eighth. The 33-year-old right-hander had been signed by Atlanta in the offseason after being released by the Cubs. He entered the game with a 6.00 ERA after pitching six innings in relief and giving up four earned runs.

Aker shut down the Cubs over the next two innings, facing six batters and retiring them all on groundouts.

Morton told Aaron after the game, “If you start every game I do this year, you should hit at least 38.”13 It was the sixth game in which Aaron hit a home run when Morton started, going back to the end of the 1973 season. “Throw in a few more here and there, and he’s got a heck of a year,” Morton told reporters.14

It was the 15th grand slam of Aaron’s career and set the NL record, moving him ahead of Willie McCovey and Gil Hodges.15 The American League record was held by Lou Gehrig, who hit 23. Three other American League players also had more grand slams than Aaron: Jimmie Foxx (17), Ted Williams (17), and Babe Ruth (16).

Aaron, who had been talking about breaking records since the season began, told reporters, “Don’t talk to me about any more records. No one’s gonna break that one anyway,” when asked about eclipsing Gehrig.16

“He’s just the most amazing man I’ve ever seen. (Aaron) was out there running after fly balls like a deer,” Garr told reporters. “Sometimes I wonder if (Aaron) ain’t gettin’ younger every day.”17

Aaron finished the season with 20 home runs. He hit his 16th and final grand slam off Eddie Watt on June 4, 1974, in a 7-3 Atlanta win over the Cubs.

SOURCES

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author used the Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org websites for the box score, player, team, and season pages, pitching and batting logs, and other material.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ATL/ATL197404260.shtml

https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1974/B04260ATL1974.htm

NOTES

1  Richard Dozer, “Aaron’s 719th Beats Cubs,” Chicago Tribune, April 27, 1974: 97.

2  “Aaron’s 719th Beats Cubs.”

3  Wayne Minshew, “Aaron’s Record Slam Lifts Braves Over Cubs,” Atlanta Constitution, April 27, 1974: D1.

4  Bruce Howitt, “719th Career Homer Paces Braves’ Win,” Rock Island (Illinois) Argus, April 27, 1974: 22.

5  Frank Hyland, “Ageless Hammer Hits Another One,” Atlanta Journal, April 27, 1974: 12A.

6  “719th Career Homer Paces Braves’ Win.”

7  “719th Career Homer Paces Braves’ Win.”

8  “Aaron’s 719th Beats Cubs.”

9  “Ageless Hammer Hits Another One.” This was the last time Burris pitched to Aaron.

10  “Ageless Hammer Hits Another One.”

11  “Aaron’s Record Slam Lifts Braves Over Cubs.”

12  Office stayed in the game at center field, Garr moved from right to left and Baker moved from center to right.

13  “Aaron’s Record Slam Lifts Braves Over Cubs.”

14  “Aaron’s Record Slam Lifts Braves Over Cubs.”

15  Aaron hit his 14th grand slam on June 10, 1972, in a 15-3 Braves win over the Phillies. McCovey eventually passed Aaron and finished his career with 18 grand slams.

16  Álex Rodríguez eventually surpassed Gehrig’s record by recording 25 grand slams.

17  “Ageless Hammer Hits Another One.”