Reds Opening Day 1974 had an extra dose of excitement.
Sure, Cincinnati was in the middle of the Big Red Machine’s run, so there was anticipation of another great season. But the opponent for that April 4 opener 50 years ago, the Atlanta Braves, had a 40-year-old slugger named Hank Aaron, who was on the cusp of reaching one of baseball’s most revered records.
Aaron finished the 1973 season with 713 career home runs, one shy of the all-time record held by baseball idol Babe Ruth.