The Atlanta Braves launched Hank Aaron Week on Wednesday when the U.S. Postal Service dedicated a commemorative forever stamp honoring Aaron during a ceremony at Truist Park.
The stamp was announced on April 8, the 50th anniversary of Aaron’s record-breaking 715th home run.
On April 8, baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred helped honor Aaron in Atlanta by joining the Braves in announcing a $100,000 endowment of a scholarship at Tuskegee University, a historically Black university in Aaron’s home state of Alabama.
The Henry Louis Aaron Fund, launched by the Braves following Aaron’s death in 2021, and the Chasing the Dream Foundation, created by Aaron and wife Billye, were designed to clear paths for minorities in baseball and to encourage educational opportunities. Billye Aaron, Hank Aaron’s widow, attended Wednesday’s ceremony at Truist Park.
The 2024 Hank Aaron Invitational Showcase will be played at Truist Park on Saturday. The game will feature 44 athletes from diverse backgrounds who competed during the two-week Hank Aaron Invitational series held at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, Florida.
Aaron’s 715th home run topped the record 714 hit by Babe Ruth in a career from 1914-35. Aaron hit 755 home runs from 1954-76, a mark that stood until Barry Bonds hit 762 from 1986-2007, a feat assisted by performance-enhancing drugs.
Orioles lose Westburg
The Baltimore Orioles lost All-Star third baseman Jordan Westburg to a broken right hand Wednesday after he was hit by a pitch in the fifth inning of a game against Toronto.
Manager Brandon Hyde said he hopes Westburg can be back by the end of the regular season, but wasn’t able to give a sense of how likely that is.
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