When Bowie Kuhn brushes back Hank Aaron

Hank Aaron launches career homer No. 714 on Opening Day 1974

With Hank Aaron sitting on 713 career homers to start the 1974 season, the Atlanta Braves plan to sit their prized outfielder for their first three games at Cincinnati to give Aaron a chance at home to tie and then break Babe Ruth’s hallowed record of 714.

Commissioner and renown buzz kill Bowie Kuhn, though, nixes the plan 51 years ago today as he orders the Braves to play the 40-year-old Aaron in at least two of the three season-opening games at Cincinnati.

Aaron promptly starts the 1974 season on April 4 by tying Ruth’s record as he launches a three-run homer off the Reds’ Jack Billingham in the first inning at Riverfront Stadium.

Bowie Kuhn with Hank Aaron after homer No. 714 before going AWOL for Aaron’s record-setting 715th

Aaron then reaches base on an error before walking and flying out in his three other plate appearances that day against Billingham and reliever Roger Nelson.

“I hit 714 in Cincinnati,” Aaron says. “Somebody should have said, ‘He played, he did the best he could, why not let him hit 715 in Atlanta?’ I think I should have been given that privilege.”

Turns out Aaron gives himself that privilege.

After sitting out the series’ second game, Aaron goes 0-for-3 against Reds starter Clay Kirby with two strikeouts – both looking – and a groundout in the series’ final game at Cincinnati.

Hank Aaron preparing to hit No. 715

The Braves return April 8 to Atlanta, where Aaron quickly breaks Ruth’s record with a fourth-inning homer off Los Angele Dodgers starter Al Downing.

Kuhn is conspicuously absent from that record-breaker moment in Atlanta, opting instead to send one of his top assistants – newly elected Hall of Famer Monte Irvin – to represent the commissioner’s office.

During the 11-minute, in-game celebration after the historic homer, Irvin presents Aaron with a watch – yes, a watch – from the commissioner for breaking one of baseball’s greatest records.

Then, as soon as Irvin begins to mention Kuhn’s name, the sellout crowd of 53,775 in Atlanta sets off a cacophony of boos for a commissioner who is not there to hear them.

“I was smiling,’ Aaron later says, “because of the boos he was receiving.”