Fifty-one years ago, baseball legend Hank Aaron broke what was thought to be an unbreakable record, belting his 715th career home run to surpass iconic Yankees slugger Babe Ruth for the most career long balls in MLB history at the time.
So with the MLB All-Star Game in Atlanta on Tuesday, July 15—7/15—it was the perfect time for MLB to tribute the late Aaron's monumental achievement.
And the league couldn't have come up with a cooler tribute.
After the bottom of the sixth inning, the lights went out at Truist Park, and fans were transported back in time to April 8, 1974 in hologram form on the field, which was projected with the original broadcast footage of Aaron's home run.
Words don't do it justice.
A tribute to Hank Aaron ⚾️ pic.twitter.com/DTc4vjbqPb
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 16, 2025
Fox announcers Joe Davis and John Smoltz, as well as fans on X, greatly enjoyed the tribute.
"By the way, that's one of the coolest things I've ever seen in my life."
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 16, 2025
"So cool."
John Smoltz and Joe Davis react to the Hank Aaron tribute. #AllStarGame #MLB pic.twitter.com/u7nnNK7XYM https://t.co/fZBuf4F43Q
This Hank Aaron tribute is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen at a professional sporting event. Wow. pic.twitter.com/dhccLm06CV
— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) July 16, 2025
Making the tribute even better was the fact that Aaron's widow Billye was there to witness it.
And we love you, Mrs. Aaron 💙 https://t.co/PZwxFIVrxx pic.twitter.com/EMbbMm3Czj
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) July 16, 2025
Aaron, who passed away in 2021, is widely regarded as one of the best players to ever step onto a baseball diamond. He ranks in the top-five all-time in home runs, hits, runs scored, RBI and total bases.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as MLB All-Star Game Featured Epic On-Field Tribute to Hank Aaron's 715th Home Run.
