Aaron's death prompts call to change name: Braves to Hammers

Published Jan. 23, 2021 2:29 p.m. ET

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ATLANTA (AP) — As his adopted hometown mourned Hank Aaron's death, some fans called on the Atlanta Braves to change their name to the Hammers in his honor.

“Hammerin' Hank” died Friday at age 86, drawing praise from all segments of society — including the current and former presidents — for his Hall of Fame career and providing inspiration to Black Americans by overcoming intense racism in his pursuit of baseball's home run record.

The governors of both

The NFL's Atlanta Falcons, Major League Soccer's Atlanta United and

“May generations of Georgians continue to be inspired by his groundbreaking career and tremendous impact on our state and nation,” Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey added, “He inspired many young boys and girls to pursue their dreams and pursue excellence in whatever they do.”

The Braves

Other fans paid tribute at a display honoring his 715th homer, which is in a parking lot for the stadium formerly known as Turner Field. The site was the home of Atlanta Fulton-County Stadium, where the Braves played for 31 seasons after moving from Milwaukee in 1966.

The stadium was imploded after Turner Field became the Braves' new home in 1997, but a small section of fencing, a wall and a sign mark the spot where No. 715 broke Babe Ruth's hallowed home run record in 1974. Aaron finished his career with 755 homers, a standard that has since been eclipsed by Barry Bonds.

The Hammer spent nearly all of his 23-year career with the Braves, whose nickname has drawn some criticism as being offensive to Native Americans.

Social media buzzed with calls to change the moniker to match Aaron's nickname. There was even a fledgling

“The renaming serves two important purposes: 1) It honors an icon who represented our city with grace and dignity for more than half a century, and 2) It removes the stain on the city of having a team name that dishonors Native and Indigenous people, especially given one of the greatest tragedies in American History, the Trail of Tears, began in the region the team calls home,” the petition said.

The Braves have steadfastly resisted calls to change their name, saying they view it as a tribute to Native Americans rather than a slur.

But the team did take steps during the 2019 playoffs to downplay symbols of its nickname after St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Ryan Helsley — a member of the Cherokee Nation — said he found the team's "Tomahawk Chop” chant offensive.

The team

Braves officials have not said whether those moves will be permanent when fans are allowed to return to games, but it has

In recent months, some fans began coming up with

There has been no indication that Aaron's death would change the team's stance on its Braves nickname. The NL's oldest franchise began using Braves more than 100 years ago while its played in its original home in Boston.

The team changed its name to the Bees in 1936, a move that lasted until it reverted back to the Braves in 1941.

Last year, the Washington NFL Team dropped its longtime nickname, which

The Braves are among several big league teams that still use Native American-inspired monikers, including the NFL's Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, the NBA's Golden State Warriors and the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks.

Aaron also was honored in Milwaukee, where the Hammer began his big league career and helped lead the Braves to the 1957 World Series title. He returned to the city at the end of his career, playing his final two seasons with the Brewers, and regularly visited over the years for charity events.

The Brewers plan to wear a “44” patch on their jersey sleeves throughout the 2021 season.

“His contributions to the game of baseball and the community of Milwaukee created a legacy that is cherished and will never be forgotten,” Brewers owner Mark Attanasio said.

Bob Uecker, who was Aaron's teammate in Milwaukee during the 1960s and went on to greater fame as a Hall of Fame broadcaster, remembered his longtime friend.

“I will always cherish my time with Hank, and with (his wife) Billye — all the laughs we shared, and all the unforgettable stories," Uecker said. ”Hank loved Wisconsin, and we loved him back.”

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Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at https://twitter.com/pnewberry1963 His work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/paulnewberry

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Ryan Helsley

Atlanta Braves

Milwaukee Brewers