Post by redbaron on Jul 20, 2007 15:40:36 GMT -5
Announcer, umpire recall Aaron's record homer
By GABRIEL PRUETT
The Orange Leader
ORANGE, Texas (AP) -- Baseball fans across America have come to realize Barry Bonds will soon break Hank Aaron's all-time home run record of 755 homers.
Bonds is sitting just two home runs away from the magical number, a record believed to be the most prestigious in any sport.
Two of people with the best seats in the house - announcer Milo Hamilton and home plate umpire Satch Davidson - when Aaron hit his 715th to become No. 1 in 1974 still vividly remember the night and the feat.
Hamilton, who now is the announcer for the Houston Astros, and Davidson, who is retired from umpiring, both knew they were in for a special night, even before the game started.
"It was actually very hectic for me," Hamilton said. "It was opening day and I was still doing the newscast during the day. I had to hurry to the ballpark and went straight up to do the pre-game ceremony. It was a big photo opportunity night. I never even had the chance to get the jitters."
Hamilton's call of the home run has become legend since, and has been replayed repeatedly through the years.
"Henry Aaron, in the second inning walked and scored," Hamilton said on air with the Braves' flagship WSB-TV. "He's sitting on 714. Here's the pitch by Downing; swinging, there's a drive into left-center field, that ball is gonna beee . . . OUTTA HERE! IT'S GONE! IT'S 715! There's a new home run champion of all time and it's Henry Aaron."
Davidson had a different view of the home run while standing behind home place with Dodgers' catcher Joe Ferguson.
"It was a special night," Davidson said. "After he took the swing, Joe Ferguson said this was something we may never see again. It was such a hectic night. After he hit it and was rounding the bases, the people on the field running with him scared the daylight out of me.
"I waited for him to touch home and they had a room behind home plate for us to wait in while the celebration took place. It started out as a full house but in the seventh inning, 70 percent of the crowd had left."
For Hamilton, the hectic atmosphere was exactly what he needed in making the call of the home run.
"I had thought about what I would say all winter," Hamilton said. "George Plimpton, a great writer of 'One For The Record,' called and asked what I was going to say. The great thing about announcing is being spontaneous. What helped was the ball barely got out."
Barely getting out of the ball park is something hitters in the current area no little about.
Bonds' home runs at AT&T Park in San Francisco usually land in McCovey Cove, and upper deck shots are not uncommon in today's game.
"It was not like how it is today," Hamilton said. "Hank did not hit those kind of home runs. What I found interesting was that both Babe and Hank did it in Braves' uniforms, most people do not realize that. Ruth hit three homers in a game and there was one that cleared everything. Three days later he hung it up."
Davidson, now happy just to be a fan of the sport, has also seen a major change in today's game.
"Baseball wants the home runs," Davidson said. "Baseball is a more individual game than it used to be. It used to be that teams worked to score one run. It just doesn't work that way now."
Davidson added he will leave people to their own opinions on Bonds and how to act when he breaks the records.
"If and when he gets it, more power to him," Davidson said. "I have been out of the loop a good while so I will leave it to the powers that be on how to act. I am just a baseball fan now. My favorite player, and probably the only time I rooted for just one player, was Stan Musial. I just liked how he played the game.
"The pressure on Bonds during this run is not the same as what Aaron felt. Hank had life-threatening threats put on him."
At the time of Aaron's home run, many baseball fans and followers were upset that a black player would break Ruth's mark.
Davidson said he is not sure whether he will be around a television to watch Bonds break the mark.
"It first depends on if it is on TV or not and if I'm home," Davidson added.
"I could be playing golf or traveling around the country. You really don't know when it will happen."
Hamilton, meanwhile, is no stranger to witnessing significant milestones.
He recently watched Craig Biggio reached 3,000 hits, watched as Nolan Ryan collected his 4,300th strike out and saw six Astros pitchers no-hit the New York Yankees in Yankees Stadium.
"I can almost guarantee you that you will never see that one again," Hamilton said of the Houston no-hitter against the Yankees.
Of course, a lot of folks never imagined they would see Babe Ruth surpassed.
"At the time, Babe Ruth was the biggest name in the world. He thought his record would last forever. Until Aaron in 1972, nobody thought that record would be broken.
"Now there is a black cloud over this record and there always will be. When the commissioner and Aaron both pretty much say they won't be there, something's wrong. Hank knows he played the game the right way. With the book and investigations, except in San Francisco, nobody is cheering for Bonds."
Hamilton also said it is disrespectful for baseball experts to already be talking about Alex Rodriguez, who is sitting on 496 home runs at the age of 31, as the guy who will replace Bonds as home-run champion.
"When Aaron broke the record nobody was worried about the next guy," Hamilton said. "That is another blemish for Bonds. I will respect the accomplishment mainly because even before all this the guy was a Hall of Famer. If I was doing the game I feel I would treat it for exactly what it is. It will be a big night but there is that cloud."
By GABRIEL PRUETT
The Orange Leader
ORANGE, Texas (AP) -- Baseball fans across America have come to realize Barry Bonds will soon break Hank Aaron's all-time home run record of 755 homers.
Bonds is sitting just two home runs away from the magical number, a record believed to be the most prestigious in any sport.
Two of people with the best seats in the house - announcer Milo Hamilton and home plate umpire Satch Davidson - when Aaron hit his 715th to become No. 1 in 1974 still vividly remember the night and the feat.
Hamilton, who now is the announcer for the Houston Astros, and Davidson, who is retired from umpiring, both knew they were in for a special night, even before the game started.
"It was actually very hectic for me," Hamilton said. "It was opening day and I was still doing the newscast during the day. I had to hurry to the ballpark and went straight up to do the pre-game ceremony. It was a big photo opportunity night. I never even had the chance to get the jitters."
Hamilton's call of the home run has become legend since, and has been replayed repeatedly through the years.
"Henry Aaron, in the second inning walked and scored," Hamilton said on air with the Braves' flagship WSB-TV. "He's sitting on 714. Here's the pitch by Downing; swinging, there's a drive into left-center field, that ball is gonna beee . . . OUTTA HERE! IT'S GONE! IT'S 715! There's a new home run champion of all time and it's Henry Aaron."
Davidson had a different view of the home run while standing behind home place with Dodgers' catcher Joe Ferguson.
"It was a special night," Davidson said. "After he took the swing, Joe Ferguson said this was something we may never see again. It was such a hectic night. After he hit it and was rounding the bases, the people on the field running with him scared the daylight out of me.
"I waited for him to touch home and they had a room behind home plate for us to wait in while the celebration took place. It started out as a full house but in the seventh inning, 70 percent of the crowd had left."
For Hamilton, the hectic atmosphere was exactly what he needed in making the call of the home run.
"I had thought about what I would say all winter," Hamilton said. "George Plimpton, a great writer of 'One For The Record,' called and asked what I was going to say. The great thing about announcing is being spontaneous. What helped was the ball barely got out."
Barely getting out of the ball park is something hitters in the current area no little about.
Bonds' home runs at AT&T Park in San Francisco usually land in McCovey Cove, and upper deck shots are not uncommon in today's game.
"It was not like how it is today," Hamilton said. "Hank did not hit those kind of home runs. What I found interesting was that both Babe and Hank did it in Braves' uniforms, most people do not realize that. Ruth hit three homers in a game and there was one that cleared everything. Three days later he hung it up."
Davidson, now happy just to be a fan of the sport, has also seen a major change in today's game.
"Baseball wants the home runs," Davidson said. "Baseball is a more individual game than it used to be. It used to be that teams worked to score one run. It just doesn't work that way now."
Davidson added he will leave people to their own opinions on Bonds and how to act when he breaks the records.
"If and when he gets it, more power to him," Davidson said. "I have been out of the loop a good while so I will leave it to the powers that be on how to act. I am just a baseball fan now. My favorite player, and probably the only time I rooted for just one player, was Stan Musial. I just liked how he played the game.
"The pressure on Bonds during this run is not the same as what Aaron felt. Hank had life-threatening threats put on him."
At the time of Aaron's home run, many baseball fans and followers were upset that a black player would break Ruth's mark.
Davidson said he is not sure whether he will be around a television to watch Bonds break the mark.
"It first depends on if it is on TV or not and if I'm home," Davidson added.
"I could be playing golf or traveling around the country. You really don't know when it will happen."
Hamilton, meanwhile, is no stranger to witnessing significant milestones.
He recently watched Craig Biggio reached 3,000 hits, watched as Nolan Ryan collected his 4,300th strike out and saw six Astros pitchers no-hit the New York Yankees in Yankees Stadium.
"I can almost guarantee you that you will never see that one again," Hamilton said of the Houston no-hitter against the Yankees.
Of course, a lot of folks never imagined they would see Babe Ruth surpassed.
"At the time, Babe Ruth was the biggest name in the world. He thought his record would last forever. Until Aaron in 1972, nobody thought that record would be broken.
"Now there is a black cloud over this record and there always will be. When the commissioner and Aaron both pretty much say they won't be there, something's wrong. Hank knows he played the game the right way. With the book and investigations, except in San Francisco, nobody is cheering for Bonds."
Hamilton also said it is disrespectful for baseball experts to already be talking about Alex Rodriguez, who is sitting on 496 home runs at the age of 31, as the guy who will replace Bonds as home-run champion.
"When Aaron broke the record nobody was worried about the next guy," Hamilton said. "That is another blemish for Bonds. I will respect the accomplishment mainly because even before all this the guy was a Hall of Famer. If I was doing the game I feel I would treat it for exactly what it is. It will be a big night but there is that cloud."
