The Atlanta Braves organization put together an amazing celebration last night to honor the 50th anniversary of Hank Aaron breaking the home run record. They even let Aaron's great-grandson, King Aaron, throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
Despite the rival New York Mets spoiling the party by handing the Braves a one-run defeat, the night was still a huge success thanks to the dedication to properly honor one of the greatest baseball players of all-time.
The night was filled with treats and amazing stories about Hank Aaron. Braves superstar Ronald Acuna Jr. received his 2023 NL Hank Aaron Award last night before the game. Also, we got some great commentary from the man who was on deck for home run 715, Dusty Baker.
"SAFE!" - Dusty Baker in the booth 🎙️#BravesCountry pic.twitter.com/gsWZMaTrUI
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) April 9, 2024
However, the biggest news to come from yesterday's celebration was baseball creating another way to honor Henry Aaron. The National Baseball Hall of Fame announced that a new statue of Hank Aaron will be unveiled next month.
New Hank Aaron statue set to be installed in Cooperstown
Hall of Fame Chairman of the Board Jane Forbes Clark announced that a Hank Aaron statue will be unveiled at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown on May 23. The statue will be a bronze figure of Hank, and will be located on the first floor of the museum.
Clark gave a glowing response as to why the National Baseball Hall of Fame decided to create this new statue of Aaron, "We are extremely privileged to care for and preserve his entire personal collection in Cooperstown, and this statue will stand forever as a tribute to an American hero.”
An American hero indeed, Hank Aaron could get 1,000 more statues created in his honor, and it still wouldn't be enough to display the gem of a human he was. Baseball owes a lot of thanks to Hank Aaron, and as a site that has branded itself behind his iconic name, we are happy to see each step MLB takes in an attempt to honor such a legendary baseball man.