The Atlanta Braves have announced that SunTrust Park will feature numerous tributes to Hank Aaron. Tributes to Aaron had been a prominent feature at Turner Field, which included a statue outside the ballpark.
In advance of the team’s opening of the stadium this spring, the Braves are unveiling several tributes. Consisting of several displays, these touches will include a bronze statue, baseball bat sculpture and a terrace featuring his 715th home run bat and ball.
“Hank Aaron is one of the preeminent figures of all time not only in sport, but in history, and this organization is constantly humbled by the opportunity to call him one of our own,” said Braves Chairman and CEO Terry McGuirk. “In constructing SunTrust Park, it was a priority from the beginning to incorporate Hank’s legacy in a way that not only allowed fans to celebrate their idol, but also did justice to his unparalleled accomplishments.”
At the heart of these tributes will be a new statue of Aaron created by world-renowned artist and Atlanta-based Ross Rossin. Fittingly, the statue will show the moment of impact between bat and ball on Aaron’s record-breaking 715th home run. The statue will be the third work of art Rossin has created with Aaron as the subject, having previously completed a portrait of him which is in the Permanent Collection of The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, Washington DC and another portrait that was commissioned by the Hank Aaron Foundation and is intended to go to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Copperstown, NY.
Adjacent to the statue will live a sculpture featuring 755 baseball bats (shown above), with each bat signifying the home run date and location, in honor of Aaron’s career home runs.
The Hank Aaron Terrace, open to the public and located on the upper left field level, will be home to the bat and ball Aaron used for his 715th home run. In addition, the terrace will be decorated with 715 bat knobs, each inscribed with the date, homer count and opponent recognizing all 715 of the home run king’s tallies. The terrace will be complete with an inside bar and outdoor seating, giving fans the chance to watch the action on the field in the company of these historic items.
Lastly, fans will never be far from a tribute to Aaron, as each end seat filigree on every row throughout SunTrust Park will display his infamous swing silhouette.