by Amaury Pi Gonzalez

photo of Milo Hamilton courtesy of google images

LOS ANGELES–It was Milo Hamilton who was at the microphone calling the play by play for WSB Radio in Atlanta when baseball home run king Hank Aaron swatted his 715th home run to surpass former king of ding the late New York Yankee Babe Ruth. Hamilton made the call on April 8, 1974. Hamilton passed away at the age of 88 and the cause of illness was not disclosed.

Aaron’s 715th home run was anxiously anticipated during the off season as he was held to 713 homers at the end of the 1973 season. It was on opening day 1974 in Cincinnati that Aaron faced the Reds starter Jack Billingham when Hammering Hank belted the home run that would tie Ruth’s all time mark at 714. For the rest of that three game series Aaron wouldn’t go yard.

The Braves wanted to sit Aaron until he got back to Fulton County Stadium to face the LA Dodgers but MLB Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn ordered Aaron to play in every game of the Red series. The Braves wanted to save Aaron for the home games in Atlanta.

It was Hamilton who was on WSB calling the most famous call in baseball when Aaron broke baseball’s all time home run record and it was the mantle of Hamilton’s legendary career. Hamilton called Major League Baseball for 60 years and he always said that Aaron told him when he travels all over the world people refer to Hamilton’s call of Aaron’s home run on radio that night.

The way Hamilton would tell it “were kind of joined at the hip with home run number 715” of Aaron and the home run call. Aaron said of the call, “Your voice goes with me all over the world, everywhere I go when people start talking about that home run, your voice comes back, and I want to say how much I appreciate that.”

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish radio voice for the A’s, the Spanish radio voice for the Angels, and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNZl6HN5c-0 (link for Milo Hamilton call on Aaron’s 715th home run courtesy of You Tube)