On this day in 1976, the great Henry Aaron hit a walk-off home run against the Texas Rangers. This HR broke his own MLB record, resetting the mark to 754 career HRs. He would hit one more before retiring with 755 at the end of the season.
Aaron’s home run number 754 was a wild one. Down 4-2, the Brewers scored twice in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings. In the bottom of the 10th, Aaron took Steve Foucault deep for a walk-off home run against the Rangers. Adoring, nostalgic fans lingered long after the mob of Brewers had descended into the dugout, and Aaron returned five minutes later for a curtain call. “I was looking for a fastball inside,” Aaron said. “And I got it. He threw me a curve first, then a fastball for a strike. He hung up a curve I fouled off before the homer. … The wind was blowing out and all a guy had to do was hit the ball decent.”
Here is the Baseball Reference page for the game. I also found a very rare Bob Uecker radio clip of walk off on YouTube.
From the poster K Stream: Bob Uecker calling a walk off home run by Hank Aaron. Incredible. Amazing lost audio now preserved forever. Last year I purchased some old blank cassettes at a yard sale. One of the cassettes contained a Brewers game from June of 1976, In the game, Hank Aaron hits a walk off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning. It’s HR #754, his second to last and his final curtain call of his career. Aaron also set a record for oldest player to hit a walk off HR, a record that would stand for for 37 years. MLB.com ranked this HR as #9 in Hank Aaron’s most memorable moments of his career. “The home run I hit in 1957 against the St. Louis Cardinals, which won the pennant was my biggest thrill here,” Aaron told reporters after the game. “But I’d have to say this ranks second.” Enjoy.
