As the Hank Aaron memorial service concluded at Truist Park on Tuesday afternoon, a fan stood still for a moment outside the right-field gate.
“He changed the game in multiple dynamics,” said that spectator, Michael Salanitri, a self-described avid baseball fan who lives near Truist Park and came to pay his respects. “I respect him so much. What he did for the game, what he did for the game racially, he’s one of the greatest.”
Aaron, a civil rights icon and the best player in Braves history, died Jan. 22 at age 86. Many in the baseball world gathered Tuesday for a private celebration of Aaron’s life.
Leading to the 1 p.m. service, former Braves filed into the stadium through the third-base gate, including Andruw Jones, Jeff Francoeur, Ron Gant, Brian Jordan, Brian McCann, Terry Pendleton and Gary Matthews, among others. At the nearby Phil Niekro statue, fans signed a large card dedicated to Aaron.
“Thank you for being a timeless example of humility and greatness in a world of hate and envy! Godspeed! #44 forever,” wrote one signee. “God bless you and the legacy you have left will live on forever,” another wrote. Several signed “755″ on the card, a tribute to Aaron’s home-run total. People also placed a baseball and flowers in the Niekro statue’s glove. Niekro, a Hall of Fame knuckleballer and beloved Brave, died Dec. 26.
Braves manager Brian Snitker, Hall of Famer Chipper Jones and former outfielder Marquis Grissom were among those who spoke in the Monument Garden, where Aaron’s statue is displayed. Several other franchise greats, including John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, Dale Murphy and Freddie Freeman sent their condolences through a video. Braves chairman Terry McGuirk announced the Henry Louis Aaron Fund to increase minority participation in baseball before Timothy Miller closed by singing “Amazing Grace.”
Outside, groups of fans gathered to watch on the screen at the Georgia Power Pavilion.
“I’m a big fan of the Braves and I’ve always been a huge fan of Hank Aaron,” said Randy George, who was visiting from Anderson, South Carolina. “I just wanted to come out here and pay my respects. He’s meant a lot to the Braves. He has always been a leader and spark for this franchise. I hate it for the family. I hate that he’s passed. But he’ll always be in our hearts, and he’ll always be in the Braves’ hearts. He’ll always be a big part of us.”
Credit: Elijah Nouvelage
Credit: Elijah Nouvelage
Aaron’s name and image were displayed all over Truist Park and The Battery Atlanta, as they have been since his death, honoring the man who became synonymous with Atlanta. There was a motorcycle procession on Battery Avenue SE shortly before the service began.
Aaron’s funeral will be held 1 p.m. Wednesday at Friendship Baptist Church. The private service will be shown on Fox Sports South, Fox Sports Southeast and MLB Network.
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