Billye Aaron shares memories from night Hank Aaron made history with his 715th home run

ATLANTA — The golden anniversary celebration of Hank Aaron’s 715th record-breaking homerun is bittersweet for his widow.

Billye Suber Aaron invited Channel 2′s Karyn Greer into her home for an exclusive interview to talk about how she is keeping his legacy alive and what he would have wanted people to know if she was here today.

Even non-baseball fans agree it’s a moment etched in history forever.

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On April 8, 1974, Atlanta Braves star “Hammerin’ Hank” Aaron hit his 715th career home run, breaking Babe Ruth’s record.

His future wife Billye Suber Aaron was in the stands at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium and remembers that moment well.

“What did he do when he rounded the bases?” Greer asked Aaron.

“Of course, I was watching him carefully, and I saw him looking over trying to find me, and in a few minutes, he came to the box where I am. But we embraced and he just kind of split up and he said, ‘We did it,’” Aaron said.

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“Hammerin’ Hank” broke the record against the L.A. Dodgers in front of more than 50,000 fans inside the stadium and for countless others across the U.S. watching from home.

“I’m extremely excited about it. So it’s kind of bittersweet, but, I have been and am so proud of my late husband’s accomplishments in baseball and off the field about the same, really, because he was just as great off the field as he was on the field. So I celebrate that, and I think about it all the time,” Aaron told Greer.

Her home is a museum to her husband’s many accomplishments.

Hank Aaron was born in Mobile, Alabama and had to deal with racism as a child and throughout his career.

“It was a terrible time. It was the worst of times and the best of times. Because out of the terrible times grew the best of time. Even though one would think that you would have an opportunity to enjoy playing and seeking to do what you do best -- hit home runs. It didn’t happen in that way, but the final result was that it was a tremendous ride,” Aaron said.

Today the world celebrates a man who continues to give back, funding scholarships through his Chasing the Dream Foundation -- making a way for others who had no other way.

“What would Mr. Aaron say today as we get ready to celebrate this big 715? What would he want people to say or think?” Greer asked Aaron.

“I think he would say, ‘I did my best.’ I know I’ve been blessed because he feels that God gave him a talent, and he would certainly not be worth the time and effort of a lot of people if he had not given it his best to try to make a life for himself and his family. And I think he would just say, ‘Well, I’m just glad God gave me the talent. And then I used it in an appropriate way so that now we can live and help others,’” Aaron said.

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