On April 8, 1974, Atlanta Braves outfielder Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s all-time home run record.
On April 8, 2024, Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Harris II will wear a special pair of cleats to honor the legend’s historic milestone.
Harris went on MLB Network ahead of the Braves’ showdown with the New York Mets on Monday night, showing off the shoes. The left cleat has Aaron’s No. 44 on the outside, while the right one has 715, which is how many home runs it took Aaron to pass Ruth exactly 50 years ago.
And as Harris tells it, the cleats will head off to Cooperstown and be placed in the National Baseball Hall of Fame after Monday’s game.
“I guess I was just a little bit more amped up, just knowing the players that’s been through this organization and what they’ve done – especially what Hank’s done,” Harris said, when asked about how he felt waking up Monday morning. “The numbers he’s put up and how much of a better person I hear he was, than a player. So just being able to roam in the outfield and be able to, I guess, remember him by having his number and some of his achievements on my feet, and then send them off, is pretty cool.”
Harris, 23, was born and raised in the Atlanta area. He won NL Rookie of the Year in 2022, and is batting .344 with a 1.056 OPS through eight games into the 2024 season.
Aaron’s career home run record was eventually bested by former Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds in 2007. Bonds’ 762 bombs just narrowly exceeded Aaron’s 755.
But even looking beyond Bonds’ ties to performance enhancing drugs, Aaron’s legacy remains virtually unblemished.
Aaron finished his career with 3,771 hits, a .305 batting average, a .928 OPS and a 143.1 WAR. He still owns the all-time records for career RBI and total bases, in addition to being a Hall of Famer, an MVP, a World Series champion, a two-time batting champion, a three-time Gold Glove winner and a 25-time All-Star.
Hammerin’ Hank died in 2021 at the age of 86.
First pitch for the Braves’ home game against the Mets is scheduled for 7:20 p.m. ET.
Follow Fastball on FanNation on social media
Continue to follow our Fastball on FanNation coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.
You can also follow Sam Connon on Twitter @SamConnon.
