Braves to wear patch commemorating Hank's 715th

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The Braves will wear commemorative patches on their jerseys throughout the 2014 season in recognition of the 40th anniversary of Hank Aaron’s historic 715th home run.

The great Braves slugger broke Babe Ruth’s career home run record when Aaron hit No. 715 on April 8, 1974, over the left-field fence at old Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. It was his second homer of the season and came in the Braves' home opener against the Dodgers, after Aaron had tied the record in the opening road series at Cincinnati.

The Braves’ home opener in 2014 is also on April 8, against the New York Mets, and Aaron and his iconic moment will be celebrated during a pregame ceremony. The Braves open the season with a trip to Milwaukee and Washington.

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The jersey patch will be worn on the right sleeve. It’s the shape of home plate, has a navy-blue background with “715” in red and Aaron’s signature across the numbers. The words “40th anniversary” are atop the number and the distinct, modernized feather features on the ‘70s era uniforms is at the bottom of the patch.

“We are delighted to honor Hank and recognize this momentous occasion,” Braves president John Schuerholz said in a news release. “It was such an enormous milestone for him, for our team and for Major League Baseball, and we believe it deserves a season-long celebration.”

The Braves are also wearing new caps for spring training and batting practice this year that are similar to the ‘70s era caps worn at the time of Aaron’s 715th homer.