A baseball card mystery: Aaron’s golden moment

On April 8, 1974, millions of fans watched one of the most historically significant moments in the history of the game.

I was privileged to be one of those fans who witnessed the hallmark accomplishment on a special Monday night broadcast delivered by NBC TV.

In the fourth inning, Hank Aaron came to bat against Dodgers left-hander Al Downing. “The Hammer” needed one home run to break Babe Ruth’s career record of 714 home runs, a mark that some observers had once considered unbreakable.

With the Braves trailing 3-1, two men out and a runner on first, Aaron patiently watched Downing’s first pitch, a change-up in the dirt. Now behind in the count, Downing threw Aaron a slider. The pitch was low, but down the middle.

It might have been a strike if Aaron let it go. Aaron did not. Using his classic top-hand swing, Aaron lifted the pitch deep toward left-center field. The ball had only moderate height, typical of Aaron, who usually hit line drives instead of towering fly balls.

As the ball carried, outfielders Bill Buckner and Jimmy Wynn raced toward the warning track, converging just a few feet from the outfield wall. Placing his arms on top of the wall, Buckner tried to prop himself above the boundary of the fence, but his valiant attempt fall well short.

Both “Billy Buck” and “The Toy Cannon” watched the ball land in the glove of reliever Tom House, who would eventually deliver the ball to Aaron.

Two exuberant fans, who might be best described as “hippies” (according to the parlance of the day), accompanied Aaron on his tour around the bases. Thankfully, they carried neither weapons nor ill intentions. (They would, however, have to spend the night in an Atlanta jail before eventually becoming friends with the new home run king.) By the time Aaron reached home plate, his entourage of followers and well-wishers numbered nearly a dozen.

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Aaron’s swarm of teammates included on-deck batter and current Reds skipper Dusty Baker, Braves second baseman and current Nationals manager Dave Johnson, and Frank Tepedino, who would gain fame in later years for his role as a New York City fireman during the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001.

The umpires temporarily halted the game in Atlanta, allowing for an on-field ceremony that lasted 11 minutes.

During the proceedings, Aaron spoke to the crowd in Atlanta’s Fulton County Stadium. “I’m happy it’s over,” Aaron said of his grueling chase of Ruth’s record, which was marred by hate mail and repeated death threats.

“Now I can consider myself one of the best. Maybe not the best because a lot of great ones have played this game—DiMaggio, Mays, Jackie Robinson—but I think I can fit in there somewhere.”

In the moments after hitting the home run, a photographer snapped the picture that appeared as part of Topps’ 2001 “Golden Moments” series.

So here’s the mystery. Who are the other people in this photograph? I should know who they are, but I really don’t.

There are two players in front of Aaron, applying a bear hug. There is also an African-American player to the far right, and a white player on the far left. Who are these mysterious members of the Atlanta Braves?


Bruce Markusen has authored seven baseball books, including biographies of Roberto Clemente, Orlando Cepeda and Ted Williams, and A Baseball Dynasty: Charlie Finley’s Swingin’ A’s, which was awarded SABR's Seymour Medal.
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mikey
12 years ago

I’d say the guy whose face is obscured by the hand is ‘the Roadrunner’ Ralph Garr

Jim G.
12 years ago

This is a tough one, but here it goes: the white player on the left side of the picture facing Aaron and reaching out his hand is pitcher Roric Harrison, the black player on the right side about to pick up Aaron is infielder Jack Pierce and the black player following Aaron on the right side with the big smile is outfielder Ivan Murrell. That’s all I got…

Bruce Markusen
12 years ago

Great work, guys.

So, from left to right it’s Roric Harrison, Ralph Garr, Jack Pierce and Ivan Murrell.

Over at Facebook, we had guesses for Harrison and Garr, too, but also for Rowland Office and Leo Foster. I don’t think that Office and Foster are visible in the picture.

BlftBucco
12 years ago

Jim,

Are you sure that Jack Pierce was on the active roster?  It looks like he was a September call up in 1974.

I also agree with Harrison & Garr.