Petitions Seek To Rename Atlanta Braves, Truist Park In Honor Of Hank Aaron

Legendary baseball player and Civil Rights activist Hank Aaron passed away at age 86 on January 22, and now, there’s a push to change the name of the Atlanta Braves.

As of Monday morning (January 25), more than 800 people have signed a petition on Change.org advocating to rename the Atlanta Braves, the Atlanta Hammers. That proposal stems from Aaron’s famous “Hammerin’ Hank’ nickname.

Organizers say that changing the team name would honor “an icon who represented our city with grace and dignity for more than half a century,” and would remove the “stain on the city of having a team name that dishonors Native and Indigenous people,” the petition reads, noting similar initiatives by the Washington Football Team and the Cleveland Indians.

Similarly, petitions are circulating to rename Truist Park in honor of Aaron.

Fox News noted Sunday (January 24) that the team has been called the Atlanta Braves for more than a century, and, at least based on a December interview between Atlanta Braves chairman Terry McGuirk and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, there’s no indication the name will change.

"We are absolutely devastated by the passing of our beloved Hank," McGuirk said, in part, in a statement shared to ESPN following Aaron's death. "Henry Louis Aaron wasn't just our icon, but one across Major League Baseball and around the world."

Photo: Getty Images


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