Braves to honor Hank Aaron with statue and more at SunTrust Park

Hank Aaron is an icon in Atlanta and, in particular, for baseball fans of all stripes and affiliations. He was one of the best players to ever play the game if not the best and in retirement he has carried himself as an ambassador of the game with a grace and humility that is inspiring to say the least.

It was a foregone conclusion that the Braves would feature his legacy at SunTrust Park, but how was somewhat in question. The statue of Aaron at Turner Field famously was a subject of a dispute between the Fulton Country Recreation Authority and the Braves until the team decided to forgo any further confrontation in the wake of the team’s move and said that a new monument would be constructed at SunTrust Park. More details have emerged today.

The statue, created by Ross Rossin, will portray the moment when Hank connected for his record-breaking 715th home run. Next to the statue will be a sculpture that will be the number “755” built out of 755 bats with each bat having the date and location of the home run it signifies. Out in the left field level, the Hank Aaron Terrace will feature the 715th home run ball as well as the bat Aaron used and will also be decorated with 715 bat knobs to complete the theme.

One last touch will be where the end of each row of seats throughout SunTrust will be feature a silouette of Hank doing his thing. These are definitely some cool touches being added to the park to honor a living legend and help make the new stadium feel like the new home of the Braves.