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On the 50th anniversary of Hank Aaron’s 715th home run, his closest friends remember his legacy

AP

The Braves’ Hank Aaron breaks Babe Ruth’s record for career home runs as he hits No. 715 off Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Al Downing in the fourth inning at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium on April 8, 1974.

They kept moving closer and closer to Hank Aaron on Atlanta’s bench, and he kept moving farther and farther away to protect them.

They kept looking for a stranger wearing a red jacket, Aaron kept staring at the pitcher.

Their minds kept wandering, sometimes in dark places; Aaron kept his sole concentration on the game.

It was a time the entire nation should have been showering Aaron with praise and glory.