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Los Angeles Dodgers faced the Atlanta Braves at Atlanta Stadium for a Monday night game on April 8th, 1974.
The crowd was packed on this night for one reason, or rather, one person, Hank Aaron.
Hank had tied Babe Ruth's all-time home run record on opening day in Cincinnati,
and this was his first game of the season in Atlanta, and he was still sitting on 714.
Los Angeles was managed by Walt Ulston in his 21st season with the club.
The Dodgers were still an excellent team but kept falling short,
having finished in second place in the NL West in each of the previous four seasons,
thanks in most part to the Big Red Machine in Cincinnati.
Atlanta was managed by Eddie Matthews in his third season as manager.
Eddie was part of the one-two home run punch of the 1957 World Champion Braves,
along with 23-year-old Hank Aaron.
Most of you are probably familiar with the Atlanta radio broadcast of this game,
featuring Milo Hamilton as the announcer,
but this audio recording is from the KABC Los Angeles Radio broadcast,
featuring announcers Vince Scully and Jerry Doggett.
And Jimmy Lahren against Ron Reed.
While everybody concentrates on Aaron naturally,
the Dodgers trying to keep our winning streak alive, and David Rolfe takes the side.
There is considerable pressure on everybody involved, particularly the umpires.
In what could be Aaron's finest moment, we also have the threat of rain.
The strike one fits. He's outside one-on-one.
The second base umpire is Dave Davidson.
It is his fifth year in the National League.
Thankfully at first it is his third year in the league.
Eddie Sudeol, I assume, is the crew chief. He is the veteran of the quartet.
There's another strike below.
Eddie is the second base umpire in his 17th year in the National League,
and a third lead wire in his 14th year.
So I would think that the second base umpire, Eddie Sudeol, has a big responsibility tonight.
I mean, just imagine if Aaron hits it, and then we start to get rain in the third and the fourth inning.
You wouldn't want to carry that load on your shoulders.
Ron Reed's 2-2 pitch to Davey Lokes is filed away.
Davey went to a fine start, as are the Dodgers.
Lokes at 333 is 5-4-5 and still invasive.
The Dodgers had pretty much their own way with Atlanta.
They won sixth out of eight here, and all nine played in Dodger Stadium last year.
Reed set his foul back and Salos Lucila at two balls and two strikes.
It is a strange night in baseball.
Normally, the celebrations are conducted after the fact,
and yet before the ballgame tonight, all of the balloons went skyward,
all the praise, all the speeches, all the punting.
And of course, it just seems right, I guess, in the sense that the Dodgers could be involved in the record breaker.
They've been involved in so many.
There's 4-3 to Davey Lokes.
Jerry and I have considered ourselves extremely fortunate to have been involved in so many exciting moments,
but particular milestones in record breakers.
The 3-2 pitch is 5-3-4, and Davey was drawn to first base.
So one away, and Bill Buckner the batter.
Going way back to the drama of a Bobby Thompson home run, which was memorable, but not a record breaker.
Going through the first Dodger World Championship, which was memorable and, in a sense, a record breaker,
since it's the only one for the borough of Brooklyn.
Bill Buckner takes ball one outside.
Then the move across to California.
And then the tremendous individual accomplishments by men in Dodgy Interform.
And you go back and think that Maury Wills breaking the Great Thai Cubs record,
and nobody ever thought that would be broken.
And even Hoyt Wilhelm had to finish up his career with the Dodgers,
and every time Hoyt came in the game, he broke the record of Cy Young,
and no one ever thought that record would be broken.
The 1-0 pitch to Buckner is about to hover the mound.
Back is second. Johnson has it.
For both the first and second.
Then leave it up to the Dodgers to be involved in two perfect games,
and for extra window dressing, one of them for the World of C, in the World Series,
when Don Weisson pitches man to C.
Followed that up with the perfect game of Sandy Kovac.
Then along came Don Drysdale with his string of consecutive scoreless innings.
And now the Dodgers are on hand, and we'll find out about the base.
The pitch to Jimmy Wynn is low, ball one, 1-0.
Aaron is hitting fourth in the lineup.
Ron Reed comes back to the plate, 1-0, and the breaking ball is low, ball two, 2-0.
Gallo Centerfield has been painted in the stars and stripes,
and the outline of the United States.
They had various youngsters' positions showing where Aaron hits,
100, 200, and all the way to where he is now.
The pitch to Jimmy Wynn at spike, and the count to 1-1.
The press box is literally bursting at the seams.
Reportage has come from as far away as South America.
Here's a 2-1 pitch. There's a high pop fly on the right side,
and it'll be Mike Lumb waiting and waiting and makes the catch.
The crowd has seen the Dodgers be close up, and now they get a little itchy
because maybe Henry will come up in the first inning.
At the score at the end of the half an inning, Dodgers nothing,
Rays coming up, Ralph Dodd starting off,
and Al Downing cheering a spot light of his own now.
The quiet left-hander nicknamed Gentleman Al,
waiting for a piece of paper to be grabbed around home plate and put away,
and Ralph Dodd smacks his head and stuffs it in his hip pocket,
and we're about ready.
With the wind coming in just, we might have swirling paper in just throughout the evening.
All right, Ralph Dodd to plate.
Al Downing into the windup, left hand ready and delivers,
and there's a bounce right back down.
One-handed throws him out.
What a way, and Mike Lumb the batter.
One of the things that Downing has to do is to pitch his game despite the crowd.
You know how this crowd will react if Downing tries to hit a corner and misses with Aaron,
and every time it's ball one or ball two or ball three,
the crowd will just lose something awful,
and he will certainly have to hold on to his professional dignity and concentration.
The pitch to Mike Lumb is high, ball one,
so there are all kinds of angles of pressure attached to this one tonight.
Can he shoot all the umpire?
Al Downing the pitcher, and of course the man himself.
The pitch to Lumb is low, ball two, two and all.
Downing checking into the windup, and the 2-0 pitch on the way is given to Deep White Field,
looking down the line as it goes foul.
And Mike Lumb, the kid from Hawaii, really shook him up,
but he pulled it foul.
Let me count two and one.
On deck, J.L. Evans.
A stellar crowd in Atlanta.
And Al Downing is going back to work, one away, first inning no score.
Now Downing into the windup, and Al delivers and gets the strike on the inside corner, two and two.
Downing was a nine-game winner last year against the Braves.
He was two and all against Atlanta last year, five and all night time.
Now the 2-2 pitch is hung on a high chopper back to Downing.
He grubs it, throws him out.
Two down, and here is Darrell Evans.
Evans, a strong home run threat in his own right.
Evans has four hits, including a home run and four RBIs, so he's already been up to his old tricks.
And of course out on deck, as they call him in Georgia, the Hammers.
And it's up to Darrell Evans now to extend the inning.
Oh, that's a waste for inning number two to see Henry.
Downing into the windup.
They have a modified shift on Evans.
If Browns won the Wolfe, he's up with it, and we won't see Henry till next inning.
And the tension will not just a little bit longer.
So the Braves are gone on Brown balls, and at the end of an inning, no score.
Now we go to the second inning here in Atlanta just to complicate matters
and to increase some pressure on the senior umpire, Ed Seudahl.
A light rain begins to fall.
We're not sure of the up-to-the-minute weather forecast.
They talked about first tornadoes, then they rose out two hours ago.
Then they talked about possible showers.
And then finally they were saying it looks like we'll be all right.
So it could be that we're just getting the edge of a storm, which has gone by this area.
Joe Ferguson is followed by Willie Crawford and Ron Say, and Ron Reid delivers.
That's four for Sykes.
Well, if you possibly can, don't go wandering off now,
because Henry Aaron is due to lead off the second inning.
Here's the strike one pitch. That's in there for Sykes, oh, and two.
How would you like to be caught on a hot dog line?
I wonder if anybody would dare go to the confession stand between now and Aaron's time.
Here comes a strike two pitch outside for one, one and two.
The raindrops causing the well-prepared crowd to put on raincoats and opening up umbrellas.
Here's the one and two pitch hung on a mission down north Ferguson.
So Ron Reid strikes out his second, and the batter is Willie Crawford.
Willie Crawford comes into the game hitting 400.
What a marvelous thrill it must be for Mr. and Mrs. Herbert and Henry's mom and dad up from Mobile,
sitting in the club box, waiting for their son to break an all-time record,
the pitch world ball one, one and all.
There's a vast difference, however, between the two men involved, Dave Ruth and Henry Aaron.
If you're old enough, you might remember during World War II,
there were stories coming out of the South Pacific that the Japanese infantry,
trying to find out where the American emplacements were, figured out what could we do
to get the Americans angry enough to holler back and then we'd know where they are.
So did they touch? They touched Bay Blues.
Boy, you really have to be something when you have a reputation for greatness.
Here's a down ball that Charlotte and Crawford have gone through away.
Let's pause quickly for station identification.
This is the Los Angeles Dodgers radio network.
Down, second inning, no score.
Henry Aaron is due up first and the bottom of the second.
They beat the tile into the dirt and the gout on one.
It is barely a rain, a light mist would be more like it.
A very strong wind blowing out to right, but the ballpark is completely enclosed
and the wind should not be a factor.
The pitch to say, slider outside, one ball and one site.
Jim Gilliam coaching it first.
Tommy LaShaw it over third.
Ron Reed ready and the 1-1 pitch on the way.
And the inside corner for site, one and two.
The wind swirling the bunting draped along the railing going down the right field foul line.
Here's the 1-2 pitch to say, hung on, hit off the back of Reed, deflected to learn who stepped on the bag.
And it also took his sack as he turned around in his follow through and the play goes 1-3.
And don't you know it's waiting hard now.
What an ironic twist.
And at the end of an inning and a half, no score.
Bottom of the second inning, no score in the ballgame.
In a light rain in Atlanta, the senior umpire, Eddie Soutar, has huddled with the umpires
swinging two bats, waiting his first, who knows how many dramatic that's got, to Henry Aaron.
Aaron is standing a good 30 feet away from the home plate while Al Downing makes his warmup starters.
The crowd of course begins to look for us as Henry takes his shot and then another.
And as he begins to walk up the home plate, the crowd gives him a standing ovation.
He throws the shot, practice round that away, and the perlillion number 44 checks into the batting box
to a standing ovation here in Atlanta.
Joe Ferguson, now son, but leaned over and evidently said something.
And Al Downing, who also is 44, who sat on the bench when Roger Maris both debuted one year
much at 51 in all runs, now Downing slips down Aaron's bat.
Al ready and delivers and the first one is outside for one.
We told you before, every time Downing will miss, the bat will move.
Al checking and Ferguson, wigwagging a few times out, the one-hole pitch to Aaron is taken for a fight.
Outside corner and the knee is one and one.
Henry has two all-runs against Downing last year, in April in Los Angeles, later on here.
Downing splitting into the raindrops and the one-one pitch to Aaron is bounced in front of the plate.
There the crowd now flies the budget.
For Downing, he doesn't want to walk, Aaron, he doesn't want anybody to find the abusing fingers.
He's just not a pitch he's gained.
Dave Davidson trying his best he can to concentrate on the strike zone.
And there's Henry all the while, focus face, bumping that word back and forth.
Two runs, that ball is low.
Al ready.
Aaron I'm sure is hitting at all times, whether the count be two and oh, three and oh, three and one.
Downing checking, Aaron waiting and the three-one pitch is outside for one.
And not right now, Henry, and he's got the first place.
The land is lost and the batter will be the Santa Fealter, right-hand batter, Gusty Baker.
Gusty Baker comes into the game hitting two-thirty-one, right-hand hitting Santa Fealter, good running speed, good power, had a fine year for Atlanta last season.
Al be holding the bag on Aaron who takes his lead, making a waiting of the plate and downing deals and gets the site.
They have heralded Henry Aaron up to the X-ray light.
They have written everything imaginable and have shared everything imaginable about him.
They've even published a 40-page supplement to the local newspapers to tell about Aaron.
And the press kit is immense, all about Aaron, the pitch to Baker outside.
And Jerry was reading it a little before and spotted a note about Aaron the baseliner way back in his Jacksonville days.
And on a great night, it might not be bad for your melody sake to point it out, a high chopper headed ahead of Ron Say in the left field for a hit.
Aaron goes to guard before the right-footer and Henry Aaron scores the first of Baker and they get him.
Jesse Baker, a head-first guy, is shaken up.
And Baker gets up very slowly and almost broadly as he hits the bag hard.
He'll get a base hit, Buster will go on error, and Aaron will run short and it's one for nothing in Atlanta.
No run batted in, of course.
Anyway, when I was just a kid in Jacksonville in his third year in professional baseball,
they tell a story about the game he played where three times during the game he stole second base.
The pitch to Davey Johnson is foul and the count's 0-1.
Well, what makes it a memorable story is each time a young Henry Aaron stole second base
and each time the second baseman pulled a hidden ball trick on him and tagged him out.
He's had a lot of memorable days. It has to be a forgettable one for jurors.
The pitch to Davey Johnson outside, one ball and one strike.
One and one. The count's to Davey Johnson.
Now downing back to the plate and it's lifted into center field.
Coming up is Jimmy Winn, still covering and makes the catch.
A little fly ball to center, two down, and that'll bring up the catcher, Vic Perrell,
who joined the break from the Boston Red Sox at the start of the season.
He played at Fort Nugget last year. He makes his home in Georgia.
Joe Ferguson holds his hands and arms apart and then brings them together
as if he's playing an imaginary accordion, and that's what he wants.
And Jimmy Winn is waved slightly over towards right center,
and then Ferguson holds his hands up and says, that's fine.
Downing, checking with Fergie, into the windup, works the plate, and he bounces.
One and one.
Rainy night in Georgia, but that is only four potatoes concerned with the entrée,
and that is Mr. Henry Arn.
The one hole pitch is low, ball two.
No clues when you miss the strike zone to Vic Perrell,
but when you miss the strike zone to Henry Arn, it tears the skies down.
Braves leading one to nothing in the second inning of Jam-packed House.
Now the two-hole pitch on the way is the ramble sharply,
speared by Russell, a full turn, he throws him out.
Excellent play by Bill to get Perrell.
One run, one hit, one error.
Nobody left, and at the end of two Braves, one Dodger's nothing.
We can dug in a couple of scores quickly.
The Giants kept the door, and they knocked off Cincinnati today, four to three.
The Aquisto beat Nelson, Redmond, and Maddox all runs.
And numerically, they were just one game scheduled.
The Yankees beat Cleveland, five to three.
So we're all alone tonight, and rightfully so, as Henry Arn is one away from making Babe Ruth's record.
He needs one, and boy, I don't know what they're going to do here after the great free game show.
I don't know what they can possibly do if and when he hits it.
Let's go to the third, one nothing and a lot of foreplay by play.
Here's Jerry Doggett.
All right, Benin, Steve Garvey steps in, Ron Reid delivers, and Steve swings, and looks at strike one.
Reid looks to be keyed up for the ball game tonight, and of course, the big crowd,
and the fact that this is a big night for the Atlanta Braves,
and Reid seems to be really psyched up so far.
It's a high-bouncing ball to third, Evans waits for a hop, a pivot on the grass.
Three, three.
Garvey keeps it out as Darrell waited for the ball, and then had to re-grip it,
and he's too late with it, and Garvey lakes it out.
So the Dodgers get their first hit of the game, an infield single, and here is Bill Russell.
Made a fine play on Corral to close out the second inning.
The run that the Braves have is unearned, as the Dodgers had an error by Buckner on the play.
Not allowed in to score, he would not have scored on the foul ball by Johnson,
if he had stayed at third base.
In fact, he would not have gone to third, had Buckner not fouled the ball.
Here's the pitch coming in low with ball one.
Russell backs out now, has a look at third base, Coach Tommy Losurda.
Al Downing is out on deck.
A two-weaving in Georgia.
No rain at the moment.
The pitch comes in two, low ball two, that's two balls and no strikes.
This might be the biggest crowd we've seen in this ballpark.
The Dodgers back in the Copac days, when Atlanta first came into the league, had some big crowds.
Now the 2-0 pitch, taking first strike.
Two and one to Russell with Downing on deck and Lopes to follow.
The Braves lead one to nothing.
The Dodgers covered the Braves last year 15 out of 17 times.
Atlanta won one and lost two in Cincinnati.
The Braves played a little bit of one-on-one three games.
Here's a curve ball and a par ball in the right center field.
Lorell up going for it.
Dyer and Besson still going and Dyer can't get it.
He backs his other ball.
Here is Tommy going to third.
Russell drops a second base on a long double to right field.
So Russell gets one up in the booth and drives it over Dyer's head in the right field.
Baker tried to catch up with it.
He couldn't get to it.
Garvey had to wait to see if the ball would be caught.
And when it dropped, he came on to third and had to stop there.
So the Dodgers have a drop, a single and a double, and Al Downing will be the batter.
So for Russell, a two-base hit.
Still came into the game hitting.364.
Here's Al Downing stepping in now.
Al, right hand batter up in the pitch for Reid. A swing and a miss strike.
Where does he got a breaking grip?
Davy Nicks on deck and Bill Buster to follow.
Downing the batter's box, waiting now.
Ron Reid checking signs once more.
Stretch from the look on the pitch to Al.
Oh, and a miss strike too.
Al is a hitter, hit 135 in the National League, and 0.88 last year he had three RBIs.
There's a swing and a foul off to the right out of play, and the count is still strike two to Downing.
Al had five hits, still the more doubles.
His lifetime average is 129, 135 in the National League.
And now to the counter, Al, runners on his second and third.
As Alon Jogs, very good to set a field.
That'll get one in. Russell started back to the bag, and now he'll have to stop at third.
It looks for a moment like the shortstop Robinson might have a play.
So rather than get caught in a dummy play, Russell broke back toward the bag, and then was able to come only to third.
But the Dodgers get caught up on Downing, Al's a single to center, and the ball game is all even.
Runners on his first and third, and the batter now will be Davey Lope.
So Al Downing helps himself with a single into better field, and the rain is beginning to come some more.
Boy, the rain has been starting and stopping here consistently, and we had a real downpour about three hours before the game.
Right now, Downing gets the windbreaker on, waiting for Davey Lope.
He has a towel in his hand off to the right, wiping off the bat.
And the pops open the umbrellas. It's a wet night in Georgia.
Here's Davey Lope's attack. Davey's struck out, first time up.
Nobody out, the Dodgers have runners out at the corners.
The pitch on the lane, Davey takes high from Reed ball one.
One of all to count. That'll be a shame for the rain tomorrow, this festival occasion.
A huge crowd, one of the biggest in the Braves' history.
It's the Davey ground ball to third, and they'll go to the first to try to get Russell in a run down, and he's tagged out.
Russell's broke for home, and instead of going for the double play, Evans went for the front runner and gets it.
Lope is on first, Downing is on second, Russell is out from third base to the catcher.
One away, and the batter will be Buckner.
It's surprising at this stage of the game that Evans didn't go for the double play,
but he figured that he would better get the runner to the ice, and that's what he did.
All right, here's Buckner at bat, Billy grounded out, his first time up.
Down call now by Mike Lom, the first baseman.
Lom is checking something with Reed, call time, and he wanted to keep the paper.
Flying around in the outfield. All right, there's a whole bunch of it in left field.
Here's the pitch on the way to Buckner. Wow, a third out of play.
All games had one run third inning, Downing on second base, and Dainty Lope's on it first.
The Dodgers are perfect three in our opening this season against San Diego.
The Padres will entertain Houston tomorrow night in their home opener in San Diego.
Strike one count, the Dursals still with us. Here's the pitch.
Fast one is away, and it's a ball one strike one now to Billy Buckner.
Buckner's hitting 222, he has only two hits and nine at bats so far in the year, and one run batted in.
The wind is blowing from left toward right and it's at a pretty good clip.
Now the pitch pops up foul, our third, third to a parry.
There, Lom comes through the coaching lines, he's there and he has it.
So Buckner pops up foul to third baseman Evans, and Jimmy Winn will come on now.
Winn pops up to first baseman Lom his first time up.
Jimmy has a great start, seven hits, seven RBI, three home runs,
and he's hitting 538. A win off to a great, great start.
Now our drop, runners at first and second, ball game is even at one run.
Ron Reid ready to pitch to Winn, half swing, checked up, ball won.
Well Winn has really gotten off to a good start for the Dodgers.
This is the first of a four game series in Atlanta.
Paper again blowing across the infield, curve is low and it's well too.
There are big pieces of paper in the outfield as if they were parts of newspapers.
In the infield, the plastic wrappers from the hot dogs or the sandwiches.
Two-oh count, now again the look and the pitch to Winn.
Round walk, pass third, round the left of the line, drink this.
Here comes Downing to score, here comes Winn to round three, he's headed home.
Here's the radar coming in a flick, he would be safe at home on a double by Jimmy Winn down the left field line.
The Dodgers lead three to one and Jimmy Winn is driven in two more runs.
Nine on the year as he doubles down the left field line.
So Winn, a two base hit, drives in Downing and Lopes and the Dodgers are in front three to one.
Jimmy Winn is really having a blazing start to his year.
The Dodgers acquired Winn hoping he would knock in runs.
Boy he's at nine now in four games.
Here's Ferguson at bat.
Winn edges off second, redelivered to Fergie and swinging the foul back, strike one.
Jimmy Winn wraps Winn just down the left field line.
Standing away from second base, Ferguson waiting, Joe hitting 300 on the year, three for ten with one RBI.
Back foul is in for a strike and the count goes four and two to Ferguson.
And on deck is Willie Crawford.
Grabbing in, still hit, Russell a double to right, Downing a single to center and now Winn a double to left.
Three to Fergie, half swing strike, all on the side is required.
Ferguson is out on strike for the second time tonight.
That is the third strikeout for Winn, but the Dodgers go three runs on four hits.
And Winn won the surety and the two and a half in is a boy.
Dodgers three and Atlanta one.
Henry Irons has not hit the long run tonight, but he has set another National League record.
He has just scored his 2063rd run, which gives him one more than Willie Mays
and puts his third on the all-time list behind as Dikos and Babe Ruthen runs sports.
Henry's name is in a lot of places in the record books, gets one more now,
as he sets a new National League record for runs sports in a career, 2063.
The shortstop, Craig Robinson, followed by Ron Reed and then by Ralph Giles,
who go the far in the last half of the third inning.
The Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves from Atlanta, Georgia on a damp evening,
so they keep one eye on the weather.
And it's just a light mist coming down now.
By Dyle Downing leading by three to one, ready to go to work for the shortstop, Craig Robinson.
Robinson last year with Philadelphia hit 276.
Unless they have written down the numbers wrong.
Here's the pitch on the way to Robinson, a bouncer foul off to the left, and the count goes strike one.
On one to count.
He hit 276 at Eugene and 226 at Philadelphia.
Strike one's count with a little shortstop.
He's turned a nudge, Marty Perez, out of the job on the Braves infield.
Now Downing ready, out of the livers.
Breaking ball outside, all the way to the backstop, it's got by Ferguson.
One ball, one strike to count.
The Dodgers just beginning a long road trip, four here, three in Houston, two in Cincinnati,
and then back home with the Giants on the 19th of the week from Friday.
Here's the one-one pitch on the way.
Back ball strikes, and it is one and two.
Under all, two strikes to Robinson, batting eight from the order.
Three to one, the Dodgers lead, over the Braves here.
The paint drop foul, but the plate and the count is still a ball and two strikes.
Now ready, Downing checking.
And then the windup he goes, and the pitch, half-plane, he checks in time, and it's two and two.
A huge crowd here in Atlanta.
The Dodgers are involved in some of the top crowds in Atlanta,
in fact the first and second largest and the fifth largest crowd.
So the Dodgers play here.
The top of all three, three and two.
In August of 1966, the Dodgers and the Braves played the 52,270.
In June of that same year, they had played the 51,275.
Here's the pitch, fair or high, and on with the walk of Robinson as wind comes up.
First walk from Downing, also in 1966.
On June the 25th, the Dodgers and the Braves played the 47,246.
On June 25th, 47,000.
On June 26th, 51,000.
And on June, August the 9th, 52,000.
Somebody had floated an umbrella on the field in right field.
And it apparently got away.
Willie Crawford had a lot to retrieve it.
And his umbrella came flying out of the sand.
So the training capacity is around 53,000, between 52 and 53.
We don't have the exact number.
The Dodgers have the high total.
Here's a tough foul by Reid back into the strange strike one.
They had announced the foul out prior to the game, but we can see a few vagant seats upstairs.
So maybe those folks are going outside to get away from the raindrops.
Runner at it first.
The Braves got a run in the second.
The Dodgers picked up three, and they're half of the third.
Three to one Dodgers over the Braves here in the third inning.
Now Downing working.
Reid at bat.
Say you hit on the grass.
Yeah, he breaks through the plate.
The pitch is horrible for a ball on the count of one to one.
Reid was around to butt it again.
Going to first.
They got it.
Dave Robinson picks off first on a touch through foul by Downing, and he's caught off of that.
So Robinson's caught leaning all the way, and he's picked up.
And now Downing can go to work on Reid here in the third inning.
By Ron Reid, waiting at the plate to butt his off now.
One ball, one strike, and one man out.
As Downing gets up to go with it again.
And from the pitch on the way, breaking ball outside.
Ball two and it's two and one.
The writers and the Dodgers from all over the world are here.
Right here, Reid is down.
There are some people from Japan, from Soraka, Venezuela.
It's all over the United States.
Reid's swinging to the point there, and misses strike two.
It's a two and two count.
The report was that there are somewhere between two and three hundred accredited reporters.
And I don't know whether that includes photographers or not, but they have those special photographers boxes down on the field.
And of course, every looking penny up here is a cover.
The play on this, Reid strikes out.
That's the first strikeout for Al Downing tonight.
So the right field way and Ralph Gile will be the batter.
Bounce out and loose time up.
Here's Ralph Gile, the roadrunner, stepping in.
Al Downing poised on the mound, into the windup and the pitch on the way.
Inside the ball, one and all.
Downing walked in on the first time around.
We asked Al on the free game show what he would do, how he would respond to the blues of the card.
And of course, there were many when he walked in.
He said, I don't know what's going on, but if you're going to let this go and then not see it,
now is our first day free.
I'll tell you if one gets away.
Well, that brings up my book.
Anyway, Downing was saying that he would not, of course, walk around frankly and speak.
And he would feel that he knew that he was trying to put to it carefully.
And if they blew it up a little bit, he knew better than later about what he was trying to do.
We asked him how he would feel if he was going to do that with an intentional pass here in the situation of warning.
I was not happy, but I was, of course, but I really found that he was a good player.
Here's one about the pitch.
Breaking down as a start down one.
Dying it when the right group player was coming up on the graph and Ronnie didn't get the defense on,
so he starts with the second half of the game for the Dodgers.
All right.
Two outs, one on, and a pitch.
Breaking ball, strike two.
The Dodgers last year twice lost their 11s to get their Aaron,
and one and two Aaron beat them a game, and the other they got to buy with it and got him up.
They lost those two games to the Braves all last year, one of those in overtime here.
They were pulling it right through, and down goes one with five to three ties.
Downing gets them out.
No runs, no hits, an error, and a man lost in the score at the end of three.
The Dodgers three with the Atlanta Braves something.
All right, the Dodgers coming on.
It gets Ron Reeves leading three to one.
More flavor spinning.
All right, Jay.
Willie Crawford will start it off.
He'll be followed by Ron Say and then Steve Garvey,
and Henry Ann will bat second in the bottom of the fourth inning.
It is cold, it is windy, and it is rainy,
but the excitement of the moment has kept the crowd right here.
Ron Reeves looks in to get his tie, and Crawford waiting in the big right-hander's pitch outside four to one.
Henry Ann scored the run for the Braves in the second inning.
The Dodgers came back with three.
One and all to count to Willie Crawford.
Reeves delivers, and he's high this time, all through.
Ron went to school at Notre Dame.
Nine basketball players who played some basketball professionally with the Detroit Fishman.
The nine are elected to stay with baseball, and it's been a happy choice for him and for the Braves.
Reeves' next one to Crawford is low.
That makes it three and all.
You know, the Dodgers are going to get a formal protest, I think, not about this game.
Here's a three-all pitch, and Crawford takes his strike three and one.
The Dodger uniform on the front, under the script Dodgers, is the player's number.
Downing's number is a very bright 44.
The three-one pitch is on the corner, strike two.
Reeves and Eddie Matthews in particular have complained about the shininess of the numbers on the Dodgers' chest,
saying particularly that it distracts the hitter trying to find the ball when the pitcher delivers.
That ball is hung on a mission down in North Carolina.
That's the station identification.
This is the Los Angeles Dodgers Radio Network.
This is the American Forgiveness Radio and Television Service.
One hour here on the floor of the inning for the Dodgers leading Atlanta 3-1,
and now what all of us have dreaded is taking place, a couple of kids.
And they're not, when I say kids, I don't mean children, come out on the field to shake Aaron's hand,
and now they go up the field.
So time out for the moment.
Three runs earlier than two hours for the Dodgers, one run, one hit, and no errors for the Braves.
And play at the plate.
Ron Reed checking his toucher, Vic Burrell, in the crowd.
Larm and Johnson, Robinson and Edinsonian Field.
And today, fouls are back out of play.
In the outfield, Henry Aaron and Lef, Dusty Baker and Santa Ralph, Gar and Rice.
It is the first game of a fuller game series.
We had a half hour pregame show honoring Aaron.
And now we're in the fourth inning. Reed delivers, and Faye hits a high fly ball to the right field.
Coming up is Gar, and he has to back up a little, and behind him comes Dusty Baker to make the catch.
Reed throwing out the right field is evidently strong enough to affect the towering fly ball,
and so Baker went behind Gar to handle it.
And the batter is Steve Garvey.
Garvey had an infield single in the third inning. He outlegged a throw from Darrell Evans.
That eventually came around to score.
A change is lifted over first base, slicing foul Larmond.
Good play by Mike Lums. The Dodgers are gone in order and score at the end of the three and a half inning.
The Dodgers three braves one.
Bottom of the fourth inning with the Dodgers leading at ladder three to one,
and the crowd again, especially alive because Aaron is coming up.
It'll be Darrell Evans to start things, then Henry Aaron, and then Dusty Baker.
Darrell Evans grounded out in the first inning. He's 0-1.
Now downing to a little housekeeping out there on the mound as we retrieve some paper.
Because of the wind, my paper's swirling out of the stands,
and we have several pieces of paper out on the field right now, but here we go.
Downing into the windup, and the pitch to Darrell Evans is low, 0-1.
And Aaron walks in the second inning.
It will be interesting when he comes up again how the crowd will react if downing misses the strike zone.
He misses again to Evans ball two, 2-0.
Downing has walked two, and he has struck out two.
The Dodgers lead three to one in the fourth inning.
Darrell Evans back up to the plate.
Downing checks his signs, now to the windup, and the two half pitch on the way is a ground ball behind second.
That's where recreation slips Mr. Thraws to right.
Because of the lane, Ruffer was positioned to feel the ball, and he slipped on the wet grass.
He has gone a draw now, and once again a standing ovation for Henry Allen.
There's a confrontation for the second time.
Aaron walked in the second inning.
He needs a fine runner to play now, but we'll see what downing does.
Now it's a pass delivered, and he's low, 0-1.
The Dodgers hold to the pressure.
The crowd's booing.
Downing has to ignore the sound effects and stay up with that showing pitch again.
One ball and no strikes, Aaron waiting to help you beat him straight away.
That's the only high drive to beat that runner until he's swept and goes back to the stands.
And there he is, down.
0-1.
What a marvelous moment for baseball.
What a marvelous moment for Atlanta and the state of Georgia.
What a marvelous moment for the country and the world.
A black man is getting a standing ovation in the deep south for breaking a record of an all-time baseball idol.
And it is a great moment for all of us, and particularly for Henry Aaron.
He was met at home plate not only by every member of the Braves, but by his father and mother.
He threw his arms around his father, and as he left the home plate area, his mother came running across the grass,
threw her arms around his neck, kissed him for all he was worth.
And in the Aaron circle of bases, the Dodgers on the NCO shook his hand, and that was a memorable moment.
Aaron is being mobbed by psychographers. He is holding his right hand high in the air, and for the first time in a long time,
what broke your face of Aaron shows a tremendous strain and relief of what it must have been like to live with for the past several months.
It is over. At ten minutes after nine, in Atlanta, Georgia, Henry Aaron has equipped some art sets by Babe Ruth.
You could not, I guess, get two more comprehensive men, the Bays, big and gallant and also sociable,
and also immense in all of his appetites. And then the quiet, loyal, and immobile Alabama,
splendid and safe splendid throughout his career. Ruth, as he put on the poundies and the points,
the Yankees put their ballplayers in pinstripe uniforms because it made Ruth look splendid.
But they didn't need pinstripe uniforms for Henry Aaron in the twilight of his career.
He looked almost the same as he did when he first came up 20 years ago.
And so it was a memorable moment before the game, and now at a sweet moment, it is here in the middle of the game.
Bill Bartholomew, the chairman of the board of the Atlanta Braves, is speaking over the PA system,
and with the roar of the crowd, there's no way we can pick it up.
Aaron has already received, among other things, tonight a $5,000 check for the Henry Aaron Scholarship Fund.
So Henry and the Babe, the two greatest home run hitters that have ever lived,
and it's a marvelous, wonderful, enjoyable moment here in Atlanta.
I'm so happy, too, that it could be seen all over the United States, that it will be duly reported all around the world.
And I'm sure films of it will be seen around the world, and you can hear it, Georgia, around the world.
Henry Aaron is now at the microphone.
The technical difficulty here in this vast ballpark was for that us from picking it up.
Henry, blow up, I say. I thank God it's all over with.
But I'm sure he has thanked God many times that he had to do it to get it all over with,
and he becomes the greatest home run hitter in the history of baseball.
April 8, 1974, one of the greatest and not the greatest moments in recorded sports history,
Henry Aaron scored the first run of the game, and then hit the two-run home run to tie it up.
We're all even 3-3 in the fourth. There's still a lot of this game left. There'll be more at bat found.
The Dodger in field, standing around with Joe Ferguson. The outfield, also, except for Jimmy Wynn.
The field in the background, directed by Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, and I'm sure if you have been following baseball and Aaron and the Braves lineup,
you are aware of the fact that the Commissioner wanted Aaron to play, and of course, his name is Anathema here in Georgia.
When the Anathema was made, the Commissioner is sorry he couldn't be here, why that Anathema was meant with a tremendous amount of booze.
Henry Aaron was born February 5th. Babe Ruth was also born February 4th or 5th, I believe,
so that would make them Aquarians in the age of Aquarius.
And Aaron, one war number three, one war 44. One was a left-handed batter, one was a right-handed batter,
and evidently, from what we have heard of one and what we have known of the other, they were as different as black and white.
Aaron is now gone back into the dugout with all of his teammates. Here on the fourth inning, Darrell Evans hit a ground ball.
Russell flipped on the wet grass and could not make a play. He was charged with an error, and then Henry Aaron hit it out,
and it was a merciless wallop, or even better, tonight, it was a Ruthian wallop.
It sailed out just to the right of the 385 sign, and he really had it through it to hit it out in the rain
and with a crosswind blowing from left to right. And there, as Aaron said, it's over.
He said, thank God it's over for all of us. We have our own blessings. We feel fortunate just to have been here to see the man do it.
And on the message board, another nice thought, that George Herman Ruth also shares this great moment with all of us tonight,
because it was Ruth who set the standards of 7-14, and he made the great chase possible.
And so here in Georgia, they salute the boy from Baltimore, Maryland, George Herman Ruth.
At the bottom, after the tribute to Aaron, it says, hail to the Bayes. A memorable evening in Atlanta, Georgia.
A 3-3 tie, and Aaron has done it, and now Downing is loosening up to Joe Ferguson.
What an evening, as we said earlier, what a great moment for all of us.
It worked out well, don't you think?
Downing is loosening up on a pregame show, trying to cover all the angles. Jerry had said, Downing, what will you do if Aaron hits that big home run against you?
And here's what Al said.
You're on the mound, you make a good pitch, and there it goes, with the 7-14. The crowd cheers, everybody goes crazy. What is Al Downing up to? What are you going to think about?
He wouldn't be sad, and he wouldn't be happy, I guess.
He's been going so far, and he's going to tremendous job as far as I'm concerned, he's going to tremendous job as 8-4 points up, and when he's 7-15, he's going to deserve it.
Well, he deserved it, all right? He didn't beat him, but he certainly cried out, Downing.
Downing was nobody out. Al Downing now out of the dugout, back on the mound, and loosening up.
Well, I can get so choked up on one thing. It was an Aaron's home run, we've sure seen enough of those, and it wasn't even the dog in field shaking his hand as he went by.
That's got to be one for the book, before when his mom and dad met him at home. Boy, look out. That was really something.
I mean, his dad hardly made any money at all in Mobile, Alabama, when he was a little kid growing up, and now all of a sudden, there they are.
Henry was the third child of eight born to Mr. and Mrs. Hergadon in 1934 in Mobile, Alabama, a black family.
You know they didn't have very much, and now, indeed, I'm sure the tough has run aground.
And now as yours do, the world takes another turn, and life moves on. It's 3-3, and the batter is Dusty Baker, and the crowd is decided to help with joy.
They can take that side, 4-1. They had a half-hour pregame ceremony, actually only a 10-minute interruption when he knocked it.
The 1-0 pitch to Dusty, high ball through to an hour.
715 home runs for Henry on, and he did it again for Dodgers here in Atlanta on April 8.
The 2-0 pitch is high, ball 3-3, you know.
Downing, leading Ferguson into the windup, and the 3-0 pitch, high ball forward.
So a 3-3 tie in the fourth inning, and the batter would be J.B. Johnson, who applied to center in the second inning.
Johnson, right-hander, and a home run threat to Zalma, with Baker at first, held on by Garvey.
3-3 tie in the fourth.
Downing, ready, and delivers, and the breaking ball is low, ball 1.
Johnson backed out for a moment, checking with Connie Ryan, now he's back up to the plate.
One ball and no strikes, and Downing delivers, and it's flung on and fouled away, 1-1.
There used to be an expression many years ago, in fact it might even have been a song, the Eagles, they fly high in Mobile.
Boy, they gotta be flying high in Mobile tonight, for the home of Henry on, for at least his birthplace.
1-1, the count to J.B. Johnson.
Downing delivers, and it's grounded foul outside of third, and the count's 1-2.
1-2 to J.B.
Ready? Johnson waiting.
Rick Correll, on deck, nine-court by Eddie Soudal, with a second baseman on fire.
They want something picked up from behind the home plate area.
1-2.
Downing looks over at Dusty Baker, works the plate, and he's lowing inside.
He is not sharp, he's struggling a bit, and Mike Marshall, bare-armed as usual, is throwing in the Dodger bullpen.
3-3 tie, bottom of the fourth.
Downing ready, and the left-hander's 2-2 pitch coming up.
He bounced it, or a three.
The Downing has walked through, and he was faker after the home run by Eddie.
The official time of the home run was 9.07 p.m. in Atlanta.
9.07 in case you're here. 3-2 the count to J.B. Johnson.
Nobody else will see what Baker does at first.
Downing at the bell. Looks at Baker, he goes, the pitch is low, 4-4.
The Downing is really fighting to stay in the ballgame now.
Coming up is Vic Correll, the catcher, and going out to the mound is Walter Alston.
Red Adams goes out to talk to a pitcher.
Alston usually makes the change.
Downing is anything but sharp.
He might also be suffering some kind of an emotional letdown or reaction to the home run by Alston.
But he has been a little wobbly, and they're going right to the bullpen.
For Henry Aaron, it's a forgettable night and a memorable one at the same time.
Because when they ask him years from now, what was it like the night that Henry Aaron hit the home run with a big spike?
Downing will say, well, I'll tell you one thing.
I pitched only two more batters and left them both when I was gone.
So Downing standing on the mound, and Mike Marshall comes jogging in from the bullpen.
Here in the inning, Kyle Evans is bored on the air, and Aaron really smacked one.
It wasn't a fly ball home run, it just made it.
He hit it to a deep part of the park and to deep left center field at the 385 part.
That's the rest of Downing.
And Mike Marshall takes over, and they give Downing a standing ovation,
which is indeed a left-handed compliment, the fact that he gave it a battle and surrendered the home run.
We'll never know, and Downing would never be able to tell us, but remember the first time Aaron came up, he walked.
And the next time Aaron came up, with the crowd booing, the first pitch was 4-1.
And somehow, maybe that triggered a reaction in Downing.
I'm not going to walk him again, the next you know the big home run was this.
A 3-3 tie.
Mike Marshall has come up with a Humpty's uniform.
That's the baseball way of describing it.
He must have forgotten his shirt.
He's wearing number 73, and that's a uniform that would be found on the bottom of a trunk
on a bus ride from Vero Beach to Sarasota.
So Mike comes in wearing 73, he couldn't care less.
A 3-3 tie.
First and second, nobody else, and Mike Marshall picked up.
Jerry Levin did a lot of chattering about Aaron's home run in the big moment.
I'm sure you have thoughts of your own about it.
Well, one of the thoughts I had was of course that you were talking about the Dodger players taking his turn as he went around.
And while the crowd was gathering at home place to wait for him as he got there,
Steve Garry, who has been a great inspiration to a lot of young kids,
and as it changed up I'm sure, I followed him somewhere,
he stood there and he kind of helped leave the applause, just clapping his hands.
I thought that was a little thing of size in the general picture there.
What other thoughts?
He flipped and we weren't neglectful in it.
You might wonder about the ball.
It never reached the sand.
The brave were all it was retrieved, and when Aaron was 20 feet from home place,
the ball was already in his possession.
Marshall checked the runners, the fixed it to Raleigh, waved out a missed on one.
I'm not sure who the brave player was because he had a windbreaker on and glasses.
It might have been the film he grew up with.
I don't think it was the Hops.
Okay, time out.
And as Aaron got home and jogged away, a member of the brave had the ball in hand and it threw him.
And in a sense, that was good.
Not that we want to deprive anybody of money if the ball was worth that much,
but we were quite concerned about the possibility of near-riots,
people fighting each other in the less field stands for what apparently is a valuable piece of merchandise.
It never got to the stands and it saved, I think, a lot of possible injuries.
The fixed it to Raleigh's low, one ball and one strike.
Mike Marshall in the lead for Val Downing.
A 3-3 tie on the fourth.
Henry Aaron has done it.
He hit a 2-run homer and a tie against Downing here in the fourth inning.
And then, perhaps bothered by that, Val Downing, Warf Baker, and Johnson.
Marshall to his stretch, checks the runnys and delivers.
Fastball followed away.
That carries upstairs behind the plate.
One and two.
Now for the third, it lands down below.
It will be interesting as years go by that they're defending tonight
and how many people will have claimed to have been here tonight.
But there will be millions who have seen it on television
and countless millions more on newscasts.
The pitch is high ball two.
In checking, just as their footnote, Tommy House was the one who gave it to Henry Aaron.
Where they sure got that ball to him in a hurry.
His arm was around his father and Tommy House had the ball.
When he beat us, we caught a phone call.
A couple of the Braves tried to pick him up, but they were two of the smaller Braves
and they couldn't get him off the ground with all the crowd.
So they finally gave it up as a tough assignment.
Then Aaron walked away.
Two and two, the count. Marshall ready and delivers.
Very high ball three.
Three and two, the count.
Two on and nobody out. A three-three tie in the fourth inning.
Mike Marshall checked in with Joe Ferguson.
Now the right end is three-two fastball as it fouls outside of third.
So it's tied again. Three-three in the fourth.
A cool night in Atlanta. A pretty stiff breeze blowing out.
The threat of a tornado was finally canceled.
We've had some rain.
And remember the ballgame is not official yet.
It would be a terrible thing, but it's not.
The roll is followed by Craig Robinson and then Ron Reese.
Marshall checking, Mike deal fastball and a hit down the left.
Russell drops it. Everybody's face, figure and stride.
Johnson a second and holding it for Sorrell.
I don't know where the Dodgers are taking up over Aaron's home run or what,
but Russell dropped a perfect throw to start a double play.
And the bases are loaded with nobody out.
The bases are loaded and nobody out.
Marshall did his job. He got a perfect double play ball.
But instead the Dodgers could not negotiate it.
So the bases are loaded with nobody out.
Craig Robinson, the shortstop, got all the way to home plate
and he's been pulled back to the dugout and that's a road trip here.
And they're going to go for a hitter, I believe, to try and get out in front.
Frank Cepedino, left-hand hitting first baseman who had been with the Yankees,
who's going to come up in bat for Craig Robinson.
So with the bases loaded and nobody out, the Dodgers blowing a big opportunity
and now Eddie Matthews doesn't want to blow it,
he'll send up a better hitter trying to catch it in.
So Frank Cepedino, Cepedino did well against the Dodgers last year.
He's all for one, started this young season.
Three-three-five, three runs, four hits.
The Dodgers have played poorly in the field.
We're seeing how the Braves can catch it in.
The Dodgers tried with four areas up the hill.
The Dodgers have committed the errors, Buckner and Clay, and two by Russell.
One of the errors, by Russell, was understandably slipped in the rain on the grass.
All right, Mike Marshall, gets off the mound, looks out at Davey Lopes, then to Ron Say.
Say is up, Garvey is up, Lopes and Russell are back.
The outfield, Frank Cepedino to pull, and Marshall ready to go to work with it.
A three-three tie and the Dodgers are in trouble here in the fourth.
The first pitch low and inside, ball one, one and oh.
On the count of Cepedino, make it Johnson and Carell out on the line.
Marshall plants the right foot on the rubber, he's pitching out of the stretch.
They are passing out pictures of Henry Aron to the crowd with the cryptic number 715.
Cepedino excites on the count of one and one.
One ball, one spike.
A three-three tie in the fourth on what is turning out to be a cold night in Atlanta.
They're armed as he was in Montreal.
That's about one-one pitches in the dirt, ball two, two and one.
The Graves have received four awards.
The Dodgers have committed four errors.
The Dodgers are fortunate that this ballgame is not out of sight, should it be even.
The Reddites are all attributed to the Henry Aron night.
Two and one, the count of Cepedino.
Marshall ready and Mike Beals, whoa, ball three.
Marshall turns his back on a home plate, thinking over things.
The infield of Garvey and Lopes, Russell and Say, and the outfield, Buckner, Wynn and Crumper.
Not only did the other take the Braves out of a two-out situation,
it also puts a much better hitter up at the plate, so that is indeed a damaging one.
Ferguson has to pick up a piece of paper in front of home plate.
Three and one, the count. Three, three, five, bottom of the board, the Braves have loaded the bases.
Well, the parable is experiencing some difficulties,
and I can tell you for the first time, honestly being the best policy, that this is a problem here at AFRTF.
I can hear the incoming heat from my head jet, but you're not getting it somehow,
so it's very possible you're not going to be hearing me.
But anyway, if that is the case, our engineer Ralph Walters is trying to figure it out.
He says he's got to take it care of, so let's get back to the ballgame.
Our show looks to pure Ferguson, now Mike Ruddy.
One, two, three, fastball filed away, our first base out of play.
Look, Joe, one and two.
Four to three, Atlanta, here in the bottom of the fourth inning.
And Aaron has stolen the show, no matter what the outcome of this one.
Headlines across the country, Henry has done it.
One and two, the count to Ron Reeves.
I shall deliver, screwball, whiffed at Russia, and the NTFI will be called by Sue Dale.
Far away.
That brings up Ralph Gar.
Almost impossible to double up Gar.
He's back to the box and was aboard on an error.
There was four to three, Atlanta, here in the fourth inning.
And Gar waiting at the plate.
Base is loaded, one away.
And Gar, left-hand batter, checks in with Ron Faye on the grass at third.
Marshall's taking a lot of time, he should be out of the inning.
Mike deals and he's high and outside with it, 4-1.
He did his job, he got the batter to hit into a double play, and the Dodgers missed it.
So it's four to three, Atlanta, and they're still swinging here in the fourth inning.
Marshall checking, Gar waiting, now Mike's ready.
One-oh-fix, fastball, flung out and missed in the count of one and one.
The old story is pretty high to do it on one-fix in the big leagues, and so Marshall's known for his screwball,
but every now and then he shoots that express in the count of one and one.
Johnson, Corral, and Temadino all out on the line.
Ralph Gar trying to pick somebody up, and another left-hand hitter on deck, Mike Worms.
The one-one-fix is right to left field, that's where another corner makes the catch.
Johnson flags and comes home, and it's five to three, Atlanta.
David Johnson carries it home.
That run is charged to Downing, and you can close the book on Al.
He went three innings and lost five runs.
But one of them, one of the most dramatic hits in all of the game history at baseball, the home run by Henry Ahn.
Here's Mike Lumb with two on, two out, four runs over, five through Atlanta.
Marshall ready, Mike Dio screwball, flung out and missed on one.
I tell you, I'm extremely thankful that Aaron hit it tonight. The over 200 writers who were here,
they were dreading the thought, especially Dodger writers, that Aaron might do it on a getaway night.
But now they've got plenty of time.
The one-one to count to Mike Lumb. Marshall's ball is hit back to Mike.
And it's a great job in relief, but the Dodgers play poorly and they surrender four runs on one hit.
And one on Ovation in left field when Henry Ahn goes jogging out there again.
The score at the end of the four, Atlanta five and the Dodgers three.
The fifth inning here in Atlanta, the Braves are leading five to three, and a few people are going home.
They have seen what they came to see, and as we told you, it's cold and we bet you'll rain.
And for some folks, maybe, okay, we've seen enough time, but the majority of the six are out standing right here.
The game is the thing and it is hard to play Atlanta.
And the party players have taken over a short stop for Craig Robinson.
Well, I bet the temperature dropped 20 degrees from just before the start of the game to now.
And giving the statistics on Al Downing, the voice on the PA system in the first box,
Al Downing three innings, five runs, two at four, four, and then two strikeouts and the home run.
The fifth inning, the Dodgers five, Dodgers three, Bill Russell has had a rough night,
and it'll be Mike Michael, and after Michael, Davey Lopes. Russell swings, doesn't get it, on one.
On one to count, back comes Ron Reed and is a high chopper to shortstop.
Perez clubs it and throws the first of the outs.
And time to cover the Aaron story for you. We had Downing introduced before the game as to how he would feel
and what it would be like and what he would do if and when Aaron hits the home run.
And he did exactly what he said. He was going to go in the dugout and sit down and watch the sound on him.
Then we have a quote now from Downing as to how it feels in reality now that it has been hit,
now that you're all alone in the clubhouse, now that your ballgame has gone down the drain, and here's what he said.
I was really 715 for them. I rubbed kind of a pitch through it. I was fast forwarded. I kind of got a down for him, but I didn't get it down and maybe he didn't. I gave it a go.
I was trying to get the ball up, but then he hit me. He didn't bother me though.
He pitched out and hit you to him in the second inning and then of course two pitches in the fourth inning when he hit the home run.
And actually just as he did on the number 714, he hit this one on the first time he swung his bat.
Well, I agree with him. He kicked his kick and he's pretty sure that's the pitch he hit before and it seems like he's going to hit it pretty good.
When did you think it was out?
Well, when he first did, I didn't think it might be going because I was watching a win and I was watching Buckner.
So then the rest of the pitch, I think, I'm going to watch him when he gets the pitch. I knew it was going in.
Well, that's Al Downing talking about the other end, the other side of the coin of Henry Irons home run.
Russell Browned is short and Marshall Fowldowd and Davy Lopes up there, they count one ball in one side. Reed's fastball is high, ball two, two and one.
Brett Patterson, vice president of the Dodgers, thoughtfully went down and got those quotes and we appreciate it.
Thank you very much. I know you do too.
Here's the 2-1 pitch to Davy Lopes and it's blown away.
Five to three in favor of Atlanta.
Three and one to count to Davy.
Ron Reed checking with Dick Correll and the right-hander's fastball is inside.
So a two-out walk to Davy Lopes and that brings up Bill Buckner.
Buckner was the one closest to the home run by Henry Irons and when the ball went out deep at the 385 side,
Buckner climbed the fence and he had his back to home plate as he got to the top of the fence desperately trying to catch it.
And every foot of that 390-foot home run and every step around the infield, the pitch to Buckner to strike.
Oh and one. Oh and one to Bill Buckner.
Buckner waiting, now Reed at the bell, looks at Lopes who bluffs and Buckner hits it into right heel.
That's going to be a base hit. Over to get at his jaw, Lopes moves into Byrd.
So with two out, a walk and a base hit and Dodgers are at first and third and the batter is Jimmy Winn.
Winn waiting and the fastball is fouled back. Oh and one to count.
Oh and one to count to Jimmy Winn. Reed at the bell, Ron delivers and Winn takes the strike.
The strike two pitch, one on and fouled away. Jimmy Winn battling Ron Reed. Oh and two to count.
Oh and two to count to Jimmy Winn. Reed checking, straightens up.
And the strike two pitch on the way is a poker back over the mound down to Davey Johnson who steps on the bag to force Buckner.
No run to hit, two left and at the end of four and a half, Atlanta five, Dodgers three.
Okay, Joe, I was just listening to the PA system getting more notes on Henry Aaron's home run.
Mike Marshall into the wind up and the pitch is a strike. Oh and one to Dusty Baker.
They were saying the ball had a certain series of numbers on it so there would be no fooling around once it was hit.
And if I heard him right it was 12-12-2-2 marked on the ball.
Five to three in total of Atlanta.
Dyle Evans, Henry Aaron, Dusty Baker in that order. Evans grounded out and it was a board on the eye. He takes a change, fair blow.
And the count one and two.
One and two to count to Dyle Evans.
And a screwball is popped in here into right field. Davey Lopes backs out, falling all the while and makes the catch. One away.
And here is Henry Aaron for the third time tonight, a standing ovation.
The third time during the game he had a standing ovation in the pregame ceremony.
He had another standing ovation after he hit the home run.
So he leads the league in standing ovations. He's had five standing ovations in five innings.
The winner is at the plate.
Mike Marco hooks in to Joe Ferguson to get a sign.
Mike's fair arm scratches up the dirt in front of the rubber then on the rubber. Aaron gets in.
There are so many pictures that are marked indelibly in my mind now, back tonight.
Two ball, first like on one.
First it was Dan really hitting it. It wasn't a fly ball home run, he really crushed it.
Secondly, the Dodger is shaking his hand as he ran around the infield.
Fastball to one hopper to stay. Ron has it and throws it out.
And then I guess the thing I'll never forget, Aaron's father standing at home plate.
An edge in the five. And the father, who had to work so hard and get so little to support his children.
And then his mother throwing her arms around his neck, kissing him for all she was worth.
I think that was it. That's the scene I remember more than anything else.
Hold on a moment.
Mike Marco just flung out on this on one.
Marshall back with a screwball, squirted foul off first and the count on two.
Oh and two, the count to Dusty Baker.
Marshall hands it his side, checking Ferguson. Now Mike into the wind up and the strike two-thirt, the fastball over strike three-fourth.
Marshall has turned in a tremendous job in relief, undermined by the Dodger lapse in defense.
And the Braves are out in order in the fifth. And at the end of five, at Lattifive and the Dodgers three.
At the end of five, as the Braves five runs on two hits, the home run, a jury, one of those two hits, the home run by Henry Aaron.
For the Dodgers three runs, five hits and four errors.
For the Dodgers, Joe Ferguson, Willie Crawford and Ron Frey.
Reed both feet on the rubber now and the big guy from LaForte, Indiana, ready to go to work for Ferguson.
And the fastball is high, ball one, one to no.
Reed comes back to the plate and it's fouled over the screen into the lower deck. One and one.
We've mentioned the weather here in Atlanta. It is very cold. It had rain so it's damp and the wind is carrying a bit of a knife.
So a lot of folks have taken off. It's a Monday night. They're going home.
The one-one pitch is about to hit down to Marty Perez. The short shot has it and throws out Ferguson. One away.
But they saw what they came to see and that makes it quite a night.
One down and Willie Crawford's a batter. Ground is enjoyed and struck out.
Reed ready and delivers. Fastball, line drive and a fouling catch by Perez but it goes off his glove when he hits the ground.
And Crawford is aboard with the base hit. A fine diving attempt for Perez but he couldn't hold it.
Crawford aboard and that'll bring up Ron Sey.
Ron Sey is back to the box and flies a challenge.
Jerry, I'm just wondering, what are you going to try to do for the post-game show, do you think?
We're going to have a press conference with Henry Head and the Hulmer of the Suburbs side near the base.
We'll go there and hopefully we can bring at least part of that press conference. There'll be several hundred writers in the room asking questions.
We'll do that as much of it as we can. We might let the folks here.
I'll use the Scrabble Hulmer and we'll have a little bit around the post-game show.
But I think mainly we'll be in the clubhouse and listen to what Henry has to say and answer the questions.
That's great. We'll all look forward to that for sure.
Crawford now at second as the pitch gets away and Sey takes a breaking ball low.
A one-out single wild pitch. Crawford at second. Q&O to counter Ron Sey and it's 5-3 Atlanta.
We're lifting the top of the sixth inning.
Reed ready and delivers and there's a half-flame, Crawford back to second base and into center field.
Crawford scores and Sey shuts this fling and drives in a run.
So for Ronny, things are going just fine. That's his eighth-high B-I.
The Dodgers are close now. It's Atlanta five and the Dodgers four.
And Nevada will be Steve Garvey.
So five-four Atlanta. And here's Garvey infield single and fouled out.
Reed ready and delivers. Steve takes low, ball one.
The Braves are going to get somebody up on the bullpen. They take the tie ball.
One and all to count. Reed ready, checks and delivers. Change is just outside.
Ball two, two and all.
This story is not over, not by a long shot.
First of all, in order for Aaron's own run to count, it has to be an official game.
Can't have an outcome to it. The Vig is flung on a miss. Two and one.
And we're in the sixth inning and the Braves are leading five to four.
Reed straightens up now, set of the bell. Looks to Sey and delivers.
Fastball grounded to third. Jai Levin has it. Down to second for Forest and Etterol.
Sey going in hard to tie up Baby Johnson.
And to pass the station identification, this is the Los Angeles Dodgers Radio Network.
This is the American Forces Radio and Television Service.
Here's Bill Russell. Russell has it double and grounded out.
He's got a rough night in the field, committing two errors, and one of them,
Bill Gibbs of Braves, four runs.
So Downing was very unlucky tonight. He got no support whatsoever.
Reed, a checker first, and delivers. And the Vig is popped out, back of the plate.
Carrillo comes back to the backstop screen.
And he can't get it. It's on the other side of the screen.
On one, the count to Bill Russell.
Danny Forsyth drawing in the Atlanta Bullpen.
X-Mets.
Well, Capra was recently sold from New York to the Mets.
The Vig filed away on two. In fact, there was a note in the papers,
the Mets and the Braves have been involved in something like 24 deals.
24 deals.
Most recently, the sale of Capra.
Reed, ready, delivers. Fastball, bounce down to Davey Johnson.
Davey has it, goes to first, that'll do it.
The Dodgers are over to get a run on a couple of hits.
The Braves lead the game to 5-1-1 and the Braves 5, Dodgers 4.
Bottom of the sixth inning, the Braves leading the Dodgers 5 to 4.
Mike Marshall and the Leafs starting pitcher, Al Downing.
The headline story, of course, for Henry Irons home run with the man on board in the fourth inning,
number 715, to equip the base.
And now the ball game itself is of great interest.
Mike Marshall waiting for a Leafs baseball to be retrieved by Willie Crapper.
Dave Johnson, Vic Carell and Marty Perez in that order.
Marshall up on top, Jill Ferguson with dragging signs out and Davey Johnson waiting.
Right hand to the windup and the right hand is first pitch.
Two ball punted, off to the right and foul, 1-1.
1-1 to count.
The ball's in one's sight.
Joe, reading Ferguson.
Now Mike into the windup and the strike one pitch on the way.
Screwball far back up there, knocked down with a throw by Schell.
It's trickled through into the field.
Johnson holding with a single.
Received by Puckner.
So Davey Johnson singles off Faye's love.
That was a solid base.
It's safe to say it would have made a fine play to get him.
Nevada would be Vic Carell a catcher.
We're waiting for Carell, Marty Perez down the on deck circle.
They have a...
Catcher Vic Carell coming up.
Mike Marshall waiting for Ferguson to settle in a crouch behind the plate.
Carell's fall, it's right hand battered.
Marshall will look over at Davey Johnson.
Oswell, Atlanta in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Marshall ready to let a screwball probably to say he jumped as it picked it up.
There's the red for a 4-hundred in the Dodgers' next-up and every other is a double play ball.
So they are really having the kidders tonight.
Maybe because of the Aaron influence, but whatever.
Their inability to make a play, plus their four errors have contributed heavily to the Atlanta 5-way lead.
That was another double play ball.
So Marshall must be wondering about their defense on this club.
He's got everything imaginable.
The Dodgers just can't get him out for him.
Just Perez.
Marshall at the bell and Mike delivers.
Screwball, exercise, 0-1.
Marshall is due up first when the Dodgers hit in the seventh.
So to get ready for that, a possible hitter, Charlie Huff, saw a knuckleball in the Dodger bullpen.
Marshall checking. Ferguson hangs out of time.
And Mike delivers. Screwball low, 1-1.
Well, the refs in great faith in Marshall, but also faith in his bullpen,
because it was kind of early when you think about it.
You think of Marshall as a defender, but he came into the game in the fourth inning.
Mike checking with Ferguson. Marty Perez waiting. Ron Reid on deck.
Marshall, screwball in the dirt. 2-1.
Marshall straddling the rubber.
Turn's on, looks over to Perez.
Mike ready.
The 2-1 pitch is lined right through it for a face-off,
so often ever to get it.
The second and going to third is Terrell.
And so, because they missed the double play, the Dodgers are in trouble again.
First and third with one out.
And the batter will be Ron Reid.
Terrell may be a hitter, because Reid has been called away by Eddie Matthews.
So a base hit to put Ron as his first and third.
Here in the inning, Johnson's single. Terrell had a double play ball to save,
but Ron was handcuffed and then could only get a fourth.
Now a base hit by Perez, and evidently will have a hitter for Marty Perez, for Ron Reid.
Could be Johnny Oaks, the left-hand hitting catcher.
And we're waiting. Dave Davidson, a playoff player, walking over near the Atlanta dugout,
and just say, come on now, it's cold out here.
Dave was a wise man, he's wearing a turtleneck.
Les Capra is now throwing in the Atlanta bullpen instead of Danny Purcell.
And Johnny Oaks, the left-hand hitting catcher, is coming up to hit for Reid.
So each time the Dodgers make a mistake in the last couple of innings,
Matthews is not only grateful for the mistake, he's going to try and catch it in.
So when Terrell hit a double play ball and Russell dropped it,
he then batted for the Robinson with Cappadino, who walked a fourth over a run.
Terrell saved Mr. Double Play until he's going to try to catch that in,
and he has Johnny Oaks batting for Ron Reid.
So Reid went six innings, allowed four runs, seven hits,
and he can be the winning pitcher,
as Capra has been throwing in the Atlanta bullpen along with Danny Purcell.
So Johnny Oaks had the play.
Oaks is one for eight from that Cincinnati series.
Mike Marshall ready to work to him.
There's at first Terrell at third, the pitch to Oaks, five, four, one.
The Dodgers have given a hard-hitting team enough work and have made enough errors
for a hard-hitting team to knock them out of sight,
but they're still very much in the game, failing five, four.
Mike Marshall ready for one-off, it's so fast for a left-to-ground ball to Russell.
He's the 12th who juggles, but they get the out at second.
The players are going to argue that Davey was never in possession of the ball,
but Tudor is now indicating safe.
He had called him out, but when the plays came out,
Eddie's entered, no, he's safe, he juggled it.
So Davey Lurch juggles the ball, and that's going to be five hours for the Dodgers.
Oh, they are putting up a dreadful defense in this game tonight.
So an E4 play gives the Braves another run, their leading six to four,
and with runners at first and second here is Ralph Gar.
So Mike Marshall, taking himself, it's cold enough to think he's pitching for Montreal on a bad year.
Ralph Gar, he's back to the box, a ball down an error and a fly-out.
This far ball has got a run long, so he's 0-2 with a run about at end.
Five Dodger errors. That would be a high or a low, I guess.
See how many they made in one game last year, six.
Marshall delivers a butt out of the box.
They are really playing as if they're in shock, and that would be a fine way to play.
So Gora butted, Ferguson had the angle to pick the ball up, and he just dropped it, although they have not classed it.
That means a half a dozen errors to the Dodgers, whether they can get it all out tonight.
And the batter is Mike Lom.
So the Dodgers commit six errors. That's the high or the low they've ever had.
Russell fields the ground ball and throws the first to get Lom, and the runners move up, and a run comes over.
So the Dodgers keep making mistakes, and the Braves keep picking up the runs, and they're leading now as Monty Perez carries in a run.
So it's 7-4 in line.
The game is just a batter, and Henry Garrett is on deck. So the Dodgers have committed six errors tonight.
The Braves are leading 7-4.
And here's Dan Eleven, rounded out, a board on an aricotta.
Fitz Goobel is left to sky, left bird, down the line, say in pursuit, makes the catch for the hour.
In the sixth inning for Atlanta, they get two runs on two hits, and they were erred by Lopes and Bergen.
At the end of sixth, grade seven, Dodgers forward to the sixth inning for Atlanta.
Seven runs, four hits, one of the four hits, a historic home run by Henry Garrett with Atlanta Bulldogs.
But the Dodgers throw those on eyebrow raising, four runs, seven hits, and six errors.
And here's Roy Capra, down in the Atlanta bulls.
Seven innings, four playing, here's Jack.
Five innings for the Dodgers, it'll be Von Joshua to replace Mike Wetzel, who worked three innings,
and Roy Mike was hidden picked up by, he goes, he picks up the bird.
He got two runs, and two hits.
And now, he's got only one ball to get out of the end field. That was a classified spot, a shallow left field by Rob Josh.
I hear Capra coming on now to take over for Ron Reed.
Capra, making his second appearance of the year, he has worked in one game, two thirds of an inning,
gave up a run to lose the game.
Henry Garrett is still in the game in the left field, in case you're wondering,
and he has one more bat he'll be batting in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Here is Von Joshua now, the Dodgers have had a cast yet.
They have not been behind much this year, even in the spring games,
but now they find themselves three down after gifting two more runs to the Braves.
Actually, all of the runs the Braves have scored are painted except for the one run.
That was the only clean run they have scored.
The first run was unearned, and in that fourth inning there were a couple of unheard runs.
The Braves were 20,000 away strike one.
Two more. Here is Joshua Williams, Murray Capra, second time.
Time called now, he's going to the mound to have a cup.
Got your Vic Correll visiting with Capra on the mound.
Capra is not in the Braves front guy, he was just recently obtained from the New York Mets.
Now the Gubrin's home kind of kept on the field, and some of the civilians here are taking him off.
They had a few run on the field there today.
This fellow didn't want to leave, and he's getting a couple on season now.
He's getting us going around the ballpark down in the right field corner.
A 7-4 Braves lead on a wild and windy night in Atlanta and a historic night in baseball victory.
Lee Lacey is out on deck, he was back for maybe much for that.
Joshua is up batting now for Marshall, but Lee Lacey comes out on deck.
7-4 the score.
Time is short for the moment, while we wait for the plan to be escorted up into the park corner in right field.
Charlie Heff is still throwing in the Dodger pass line down in right field.
Here's Capra, 50-0 Joshua, come on in this, strike two.
O-N-T is a count.
Here's the strike, the Dodger who's the Dodger leading middle and spring.
Now Capra ready to deliver.
Come on in, this is like a little breaking ball and down goes Joshua.
That's one away, and the batter now will be David Lacey.
David Lacey was up bat, it'll be Lee Lacey instead.
So Lacey's going to get to finish up the game, batting here in the 7th inning.
Lacey steps in, Lee on the year has not had an attack.
Buckler is on deck and the Dodgers are down, 7-4, but they have really kicked this one away literally.
They have given up a chance for the Braves.
Now the pitch on the way, breaking ball long.
The Braves have seven runs, they should have only one.
But that's part of the game, the air is out of all of it.
Lacey, a half-frame foul out of play with Tim, but that pitch from the Capdota 1-1.
One bar, one strike, Lee Lacey the batter.
I'm sure you'll hear the remarks from Henry Aaron himself.
He'll be in the locker room.
When Henry's interview's following the game, it'll be a mass interview, a press conference thing.
We'll be there to pick up his remarks for you.
Here's the 1-1 pitch on the way.
Lacey takes a third strike out of those 1 and 2.
Kapper comes over from the net.
For Scheller, he's far from the Braves' booth and they're trying to sure hit the bullpen a bit.
Lacey takes a back ball down low, a ball 2 and a third even to 2 and 2.
Two-ball soup strikes with one out and nobody on, the Braves leading 7-4 here in Atlanta.
Come on, I've done something that goes against Kyle and Murphy.
Half of the crowd is gone.
Over half, I would say.
Now the pitch on the way.
That's bring second, ball three, 3 and 2.
Both go through in the upper stands in the outfield.
Most of it all gone.
There are a few remaining in the lower stands in the outfield.
Quite a good gathering in the home plate area.
Lacey, Kyle's up and back to the line.
The count is still 3 and 2 to leave.
They had a great turnout.
They were just over 50,000.
They have not announced the paid attendance as yet.
They do not have a big advance goal for tomorrow night considering the occasion.
Here's the 3-2 pitch.
That's 3-4. Lacey is far out on set.
Strikeout number 2 for Capra.
And the battle will be Bill Buckner.
Buckner is 1-3.
Jerry, we just heard that when the news reached Washington, D.C.,
President Nixon put in a call to talk to Henry Aaron.
Aaron, at the moment of the call, was in the outfield.
So they said they would call back.
When Aaron did come in, they replaced the call in the clubhouse.
Aaron talked to the President.
He congratulated.
And it's just another note on our number of leaving.
Fine, Vinnie.
And here's the attendance.
That should be a new record.
There's a flung-and-a-fall straight back.
53,775 is the new all-time record there.
So the Dodgers hold the top three cards now in the Atlanta Stadium.
We told you earlier about the other two that they had.
So this is the top card of all.
And the Dodgers hold the top three.
And, in fact, the other one was 52,270, then 51,275,
and another large Dodger got it, 47,000.
So the President has congratulated Henry.
And it's really an absurd occasion in baseball.
I tell you, that's been all through the wrong tile.
Even last year, at the end of the year,
when he was chasing the record and getting closer and closer,
Henry's conduct was superb.
And he was a great gentleman about it and very cooperative with everybody.
Which comes outside the back of the ball,
filled with the two-and-one shot.
I would imagine that Henry will bat in the bottom of the seven-point inning
and then leave the game and go into the clubhouse
and wait for the first conference pass of the game.
Here's the pitch.
Three-and-one.
Three-ball, one strike.
Three-one pitch on the way.
And it's taken for a strike, but they're three and two.
Three-ball, two strikes.
The others kept working here in the relief of Brown-Reade.
The Dodgers are down by three runs.
They played give-away here tonight.
Down the pitch, taken low, and Buckner is on with the lock.
So Billy Buckner draws the lock.
That's the first lock the Dodgers have received tonight.
And it brings the Dodgy win with Joe Ferguson to follow.
Strong breeze from westward right.
He's got the wind at the end of the wind, and he hit it well.
It carried about 385 over the 385 mark,
and the Dow downing said this was off the fastball.
The line called a moment to pick up some gray papers
that are blowing around on the open plate area.
And off the first and back.
There's a pitch to win.
In the dirt, four-one.
Billy has a whole run of each game that he's played as a Dodger.
A great win is driven in. Two runs with a double to left field.
Big newspaper picked up by second base umpire, 82-ball.
A couple dribbled stuff to the pocket.
A one-all count.
Pitch on the way.
Curve strikes a win in the 10-and-1.
The Dodgers gave away two more runs in the last half of the first inning,
and those were a vital run.
They were almost to catch up to the Braves until they gave those away
and then fell back to three behind.
But now they've got a little more of a hill to climb.
If I count a ice skate, you take one step and flip down.
Wins, takes the strikes on the inside corner, one-and-two to Jimmy.
If the Dodgers lose tonight, that means the Giants are the only unbeaten team left.
The Giants won today. They beat the Reds four to three.
The Reds are now two-and-two on the year.
A one-ball, two-strike count.
Here's the look in the pitch to win.
Jimmy strikes out the five.
He ties to the Dodgers, and he's got the winning.
The Topper strikes out the five.
The runs go into one more.
The Scorpions, a picture there.
The Dodgers, former and Atlanta, seven.
Well, as we told you, the Braves are focusing on Jimmy Scott many times.
He was entering, stepping in now.
And Charlie Huff, into the lineup, and the knuckleball bounces away, ball away.
Don Dysdale is the number one victim of all 50s of Henry Aaron.
Don yielded 17, while those teams, 13.
So Don dubbed him Bad Henry.
The swing winner of the knuckleball, one-and-one,
Danny Koufax, allowed seven.
Davey Larkin's out of the lineup because of a strained back.
They were fecking on that, and that's the word that comes up now.
The one-one-sixth turn.
Well, and an up-strike, too.
Charlie Huff opens up another knuckleball, and Henry,
I would imagine, has had a relapse.
I would think that he would just have a letdown after all he's gone through,
all this swing, time called out, he backs out.
Can't help but have another big piece of newspaper come
mainly in front of the man, and Steve Garvey comes over to receive and pick it up.
First-rate coach Jim Busby will stuff that piece in his pocket.
We're certainly glad to be able to sit in on some baseball
and see the many shows we're on here.
We've been very fortunate to see several big records shattered.
Knuckleball will, I'll say, have more room than his big record-setting team.
Quite well, as he went through the man's time at the time in the late days of his career
as a Dodger a couple of years ago.
First, a great performance of the guys, Daly and Koufax.
Knuckleball, top-score six, wrestles from back there to back.
Here he is on Dutchman Heron, and he's out on the ground ball to score.
And you've got today the Rovers going to come to the basketball.
This might be his last appearance here tonight.
Let's pause for station identification.
This is the Los Angeles Dodgers Radio Network.
This is the American Forces Radio and Television Service.
Here is Jesse Baker, about a single walk and stretch out.
That's a ball of little ball, one ball and no strike.
Bottom of the seventh inning.
I'm trying to think if there are any other records that might be
obtainable here in the modern day of baseball, but I can't let them come to mind right now.
But I'm sure that there might be some more around.
Here is the two-horse pitcher on the left, back ball low, and his ball free is up to Baker.
But this was a big one.
Way on the count.
Now the hand that went up on the pitch on the way.
Taking low ball for it, and Jesse Baker is on with a walk.
That's the first walk given up by the left.
Baseball, of course, is a secret tradition.
Down through the years.
The records have been very meaningful to the fans, as well as the performance on the field.
So the records are all part of it.
Here is Davey Johnson, is that an infield hit a walk and a fly out.
He's one for two to pitch today.
Another ball high, one ball and no strike.
The game is about two hours and a half along now, and we're in the bottom of the seventh inning here in Atlanta.
The rest of the kids and folks are still living in this chilly evening now.
But after Henry's last attack, a lot of folks have to go high, high, and center field.
There's no runners there.
It's now late Sunday, and that was a good point to check it out.
A lot of folks waited for Henry to hit one more, and now they're beginning to wait for the exit.
Well, there's a new book out that's just been handed to us, the Pro Bowl hitter,
and the title is simply Aaron, by Henry Aaron, with Berman Bisher, fine sports writer here in Atlanta.
So the autobiography of the greatest pro-run hitter of the modern era is out.
We have a nice copy of it here.
Let's have Henry autograph that one for me.
All right, there are two outs.
Waiting as the catcher, Corral, takes the number ball for a strike.
Runner at first base, Dusty Baker.
Last throw to first, not in time, Charlie Hook.
Trying to keep the runner on bottom of the seventh, the break through seven to four.
The Dodgers would like to spoil the party, but they've been playing a little loose out there tonight.
They're just playing a power tip back into the strike two, and catcher Rick Corral.
The Dodgers were 6-0 tonight.
That's five to the high of Lars Speer.
Rather than worry about four to the third tonight.
They just couldn't forget that.
Now again, Charlie Hust working, Corral waiting, catch on the way.
Knuckle ball high, one ball, two strikes.
A one and two count.
Now, a four to first, not in time.
One and two again.
There's a five ball in the right field coming up to Crawford.
A catch to the outfield tower of the side.
So they're all going in the seventh.
Runner in the front, and one left on the floor at the end of seventh.
Atlanta seven and the Dodgers have four.
We have a couple of changes for the break.
Leo Foster takes over second.
Aaron comes out of the game.
We have Baker going into the outfield in right.
Gar goes to left field, and Lohan offices the new center builder.
Those changes for all the Braves, as we go along into the evening,
the Dodgers need really to catch up against Crawford.
One play, let's go back to the beginning.
There are two things occurring here tonight that should be reported.
One would be a concern to the Braves, a little perhaps it is just the weather.
First, of course, Aaron hit the home run.
But since then, there has been a constant exodus.
By the time this game ends, the ball plot will have just a few spectators in it.
And it's on the same night that they had the largest crowd in the stadium history, 53,775.
It will be interesting indeed to see how many will be here tomorrow night.
They had an advance of about 12,000, and we'll see the turnstile count tomorrow evening.
The Braves make a couple of changes, and Foster will hit in Johnson's spot,
and Orfus will hit in Aaron's spot.
That's a nice thing for a kid named Roland Orfus.
He comes in tonight, and he technically replaces Aaron,
and he'll hit in Aaron's spot the night that Aaron hits number 715.
Now, he can tell us, folks, about, yeah, tonight Aaron broke it,
why I took over for him and finished up hitting number 4.
Capra's fastball is outside for 1-1-0.
1-0 to count.
Capra, who has done a great job of traveling the Dodgers,
stuck out the side, and the 7th Ferguson swings and goes to get it.
The weather, as cold and as rainy as it was, did not take the edge off the night.
It has been a magnificent evening for Aaron and for baseball,
particularly for the 50,000 who came here to see it, and their wishes were granted.
Capra, back to the plate, and a little slider is on the outside corner for the second strike.
Seven runs and only four hits, but one of them heard round the world.
The Dodgers, four runs, seven hits, and a half a dozen errors.
It's about as bad as they've played in any game in a long time.
Two-two pitch coming up, half-flang with the topside, for a decent follow-up lead.
Three and two to count to Joe Ferguson.
Capra on the rubber.
The other is shaking no, now nods yes.
And the three-two pitch fastball flung on a missed strike three. Capra has faced five men,
and he has struck out four of them.
And the batter is Willie Crawford, grounded out, struck out, in field single and short a run.
Willie won for three.
Now and out of the game, and his mother and father are no doubt with him, along with his wife.
And he will be holding a press conference after the game.
We will try, and of course I'm sure you'll understand there will be a tremendous amount of post-game confusion
and hubbub as the writers, photographers, newspaper, newsreel men, television men, radio men,
they will jam a room downstairs, and we will try to cover it for you.
And he's gone down just to do that.
Just stay with us. The Henry Aaron Knight is not over.
The one-one pitch fastball outside ball two, two and one.
In the Dodger Bowl, Ben Jim Brewer is loosening up.
Plus Capra recently purchased by the Braves.
Here's the two-one pitch to Crawford, a half-swing foul on the count two and two.
Seven to four in favor of the Braves, top of the eighth inning.
Capra looks down to get a sign from Vic Carell, the catcher.
The infield of Mike Lum and Leo Foster, Marty Perez and Darrell Evans,
the outfield of Ralph Dahl, Roland Office and Dusty Baker.
Ron Reed is a pitcher of record.
He went out a winner, and Capra's trying to preserve it for him.
The Dicks have type three called, and so Capra is on the remarkable side.
They're struck out five, facing six batters.
And the batter is Ron Tse.
Ron Tse hit back to the box, wide to center, and single. He's one for three.
Fastball low, backhanded by Carell for one, one and all.
That strong breeze to right field has been with us all night.
Now the one-all part is low. Two and all to count to Ron Tse.
Now the two-half pitch to Tse is a high chopper to third.
The Ducks are in the eight, the end is seven and a half,
Atlanta seven and the Dodgers four.
Once again to remind you that we will stay with the Dodgers radio network
right after this ballgame and pick up what the Dodgers may provide for us
following in the conversation with Hank Aaron in the Atlanta dressing room.
We told you earlier how the San Francisco Dodgers knocked off the Reds.
We'll tell you again, Gary Maddux slammed in all four Giants scores
in a home run and a single to lead the Giants to a four-to-three win over Cincinnati.
That's the win as the Giants fourth of the year, Cincinnati is two and two.
The American League game involved the New York Yankees and the Cleveland Indians.
And the Yankees, scoring heavily in the late innings for the third straight game,
swept their opening series with the Indians with a five-to-three victory.
George Medich was relieved in the ninth after giving up a leadoff single
and he picked up the win.
What proved to be the winning run in that game was scored in the seventh inning
against left-hander Tom Hildendorf with one out Ron Bloomberg
and Greg Nettles for runners-up first and third,
and Bloomberg scored with Bill Sudeikis for his medal.
In the eighth inning, Atlanta leading the Dodgers 7-4.
The Dodgers with Al Downing, and of course Downing served it up,
number 7-15 in the fourth inning to Henry Ahn.
Then Downing, relieved by Marshall and then Huff.
Mike Marshall did a tremendous job in relief, but the Dodgers just kicked the ball around.
However, it is Downing's game to lose.
Scott Hoff worked the last inning, and he'll be pitching to Marty Perez,
then Buzz Capra, and the leadoff man Ralph Gah.
Scully Hoff ready and the knuckleball is inside, ball one, 1-0.
The press room looks like a scene out of the front page.
Riders hanging away on the typewriters, on the telephone.
What a sight.
They come back into Charlie Huff, and he flips over to Garvey, one away.
The battle will be Buzz Capra.
The Buzz Capra right-hand batter, and Charlie Huff looks down to get his eye,
and the knuckleball is ready and delivers, and the first one is low and away, ball one.
Tomorrow night, John Sutton will go after his second victory.
The next one is low, ball two, 2-0.
Warm-up time tomorrow will be at 4-10 and game time at 4-30.
The two outfits, low, ball three.
The Braves delayed the start of the game tonight by a half-hour because the pregame ceremony is honoring them.
They'll go back to the normal starting time, which means a 4-30 game, and the airtime for the warm-up show at 4-10.
The three outfits is low, ball four.
The Capra scores a one-hour walk, and the battle will be Ralph Garve.
I'm not sure of the official start of the game.
It certainly wasn't 8-0-5 local time.
It's about two and a half hours old.
Ralph Garve is back to the box, a board on an air out, a scoring flag wall and sacrifice.
Garve is 0-2.
He takes a knuckle high that gets away from Ferguson to the backstop.
The Capra to second base and holding there.
It'll be a pass ball charged to Joe Ferguson.
One-on-one recount.
Now up to a stretch.
Looks to second, works to play.
The knuckle is long on and is one-on-one.
Off again, looks at Capra, works to play way outside, one-handed by Ferguson, wearing that big waffle mitt.
Two-on-one recount.
Ralph has a look at second base, and the 2-1 pitch.
Garve takes a dancer on the inside corner for a strike and nods his head yes.
Good pitch.
He bailed out.
The two got the corner.
Grave scored once in the second.
The Dodgers got three in the third.
The Graves scored four times in the fourth, and the big moment was Aaron hitting a two-run home run.
It was the first time that he swung the bats tonight.
The first time he swung the bat in Cincinnati was a home run for 7-14.
And the first time he let it fly tonight, it was number 7-15, because he walked without swinging the bat in the second inning.
And the first pitch to Aaron in the fourth inning was 4-1, and then he swung and that was it.
The 2-2 pitch is Chase and Garve looking awkward trying to flag that knuckleball.
Down he goes.
And the batter is Michael Arme.
Lam is 0-4-4.
The game, the score, the turtles are almost incidental, of course, to Henry Aaron Knight here.
John Knight, Don Crompton, trying to get the Dodgers back on the right track.
They've committed six errors tonight.
The pitch is low, 0-1, 1-0.
Well, the Dodgers have a tough break after the beautiful weather in Los Angeles, where they went three straight from San Diego.
They come over here and, oh, what a night.
Tornado warning, cold wind, rain, the one-hole fit, one on and this one-on-one.
The field littered with papers, paper bags, partly from the wind and partly from the crowd's enthusiasm when Aaron hits the home run.
Here's the one-one pitch.
The Dodgers fouled away in the count one and two.
One ball and two strikes to Mike Lam.
Darrell Evans on deck.
Four atlante here in the eighth inning.
When the Dodgers bat in the ninth, they'll have Garvey, Russell, and a hitter for Huff.
Charlie Knuckler fouled away.
One and two.
The eighth inning runs four hits for Atlanta.
Four runs, seven hits, and six errors for the Dodgers.
Now the one-two pitch on the way.
Knuckler ball punched down to say Ron is up with it.
The long throw to Garvey in time.
So the eighth inning no runs, no hits to man.
Lesson at the end of it.
Grade seven Dodgers four.
So I've told you about the National League and the American League.
Of course there's a few more things going on.
That baseball, notably basketball, the National Basketball Association playoffs on Sunday,
New York 106, capital 105, New York leads that series three games to two.
Boston and Buffalo also in that Eastern Division, those two teams did not play,
and that series is tied at two each.
In the Western Conference playoffs, Detroit tied that series at two games a piece
with Chicago by knocking off the both 102 to 87.
Milwaukee clinched its series against Los Angeles by beating the Lakers 114 to 92,
and the Milwaukee wins that series four games to one.
So the Milwaukee Bucks will go into the National Basketball Association championship,
or actually it will be the Western Conference playoff against the winner of the Chicago-Detroit series.
That was it, Sunday, nothing scheduled Monday in the NBA.
In the American Basketball Association, just one game played Sunday, New York 116, Virginia 88.
Nice running at Latter-Lating the Dodgers, seven to four,
and in the ninth the Dodgers will have Steve Harvey followed by Bill Russell,
and we'll see about a hitter for Charlie Hough.
There's Campra on the phenomenal side, it's stuck outside at two innings.
Smallish right-hander, formerly with New York, trying to finish it up and hand Ron Lee to victory.
Steve Harvey, aboard on an infield single, has fouled out and hit it to a fourth place hit.
So to the ninth, first game of the four game series,
the Dodgers playing four in Atlanta, three in Houston, and two in Cincinnati.
And Buzz Campra, ready to work.
Right-hander into the wind-up, and the pitch to Garvey, breaking ball in the third ball, one and oh.
The next pitch to Steve is in there for a strike, one and one.
And when we get the postgame show, we're going to try and bring you all the excitement
in the Aaron interview as Garvey five-run onto the right and out of play,
rattling down below in the count one and two.
Henry Aaron will hold a press conference for all the writers and media in attendance,
and boy, there are a lot of them.
And Jerry will be down there, hopefully, able to get it all to you.
So stay right with us.
The one-two pitch is hung on and missed by three,
and Buzz Campra has struck out a half a dozen of the seven-outs that he has gotten.
The batter is Bill Russell, double-grounded out twice.
He's one for three.
Russell has a look at a pitch high and outside, four-one, one and oh.
Now, Capra is one-oh pitch, fastball in there for a strike, one and one.
The throw from Vic Carell goes out into center field, and Marty Brez is a way out to get it.
One ball and one strike to count.
One down in the ninth inning, seven to four Atlanta.
On Henry's ninth, Aaron is number seven, one, five in the fourth inning.
Is it more home runs in the big leagues than any other man in history as he passes Dave tonight?
Boy, the city really went on its ear for him in a pregame ceremony,
and then they went wild when he finally hit it in the fourth inning.
Here's the one-one pitch to Bill Russell, fastball over at the knees for a strike, one and two.
Capra into the windup, the one-two pitch is hung on and foul back and out of play.
Seven-four Atlanta in the ninth.
Dodgers one-sixth out of eight played here last year.
They won all nine of the games played at Dodger Stadium.
One-two slider is hit wide at the tricky hop, Evan stays with it and gets it.
The Dodgers down at their last out, and it'll be Manny Mota coming up to bat for Charlie Hopp.
So Manny Mota batting for Charlie Hopp, and for Manny will be his first appearance of the year.
The Dodgers already used Juan Joshua and Lee Lacey as pinch hitters.
They each struck out, and so Mota is the third pinch hitter.
Capra delivers fastball, hits the right side of field towards the alley, but coming over the circuit, up backhanded on the line.
Fine running catch by Dusty Baker.
And so on Henry's night, the Braves have beaten the Dodgers seven to four.
We'll have the turtles right after this message.
And we invite you to stay with us on the AFRCS Parade of Sports because the Dodger Network, along with hundreds of radio and television and press people, will be in the Atlanta clubhouse.
Or actually, they probably will not be in the clubhouse.
They said they have a special room designated for the interview with Hank Aaron after this ballgame.
And so don't you go away, be with us, because we're going to stay right where the Dodgers network and tune in as they talk with Hank Aaron, who has hit career home run number 715,
obviously the all-time Major League Hiving, Babe Ruth's record of 714.
Al Downing of the Dodgers, they pitchers threw that home run pitch.
Said he would not change his way of pitching and working the ballgame.
He said there's a small chance of his walking Aaron, which he actually did do the first time Aaron came to bat.
Downing says he is excited but also knows he has a job to do.
And Aaron hit two home runs against Downing previously to this season.
The Dodgers on the ballgame for Atlanta, seven runs, only four hits.
One of them, Aaron's blow, and no errors.
For the Dodgers, four runs, seven hits and six errors.
Aaron has played a role for the year and for quite a while.
And their inability to pick up the ball or hold it or throw it accurately certainly contributed heavily to Atlanta's victory.
Tomorrow night, Don Suckma will try and get them back on the track.
Now, if you possibly can, well, stay right with us because the story is not over yet.
We've already heard one from Henry Aaron.
We're going to hear a lot more from him in the special press conference which will be held in a small room put aside just for that duty.
And it's alongside the Atlanta Braves clubhouse.
So stay with it and we'll try and pick it all up and send it back to you because it's been quite a night here in Atlanta.
Once again, the final score of the ballgame, the Braves seven and the Dodgers four.
Well, now this is Dennis Cully along with Jerry Doggett inviting you to stay tuned for the postgame show coming right up.