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 on 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 Georgia and Alabama ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of Aaron — the Hammer was born in the port city of Mobile, Alabama, and called Atlanta, Georgia, home for much of his life.
Photo: AFP
The NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, Major League Soccer’s Atlanta United and Georgia Institute of Technology’s football team all announced they would retire Aaron’s trademark No. 44 for their seasons this year. The number was long ago retired by the Braves.
The Hammer spent nearly his entire 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 online petition backing the idea.
“The renaming serves two important purposes: One, it honors an icon who represented our city with grace and dignity for more than half a century, and two, 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.
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.
It did not distribute red foam tomahawks before the decisive Game 5 of the series, won by the Cardinals, and also halted the playing of rhythmic music that prompts fans to break into the arm-swinging chop.
Braves officials have not said whether those moves will be permanent when fans are allowed to return to games, but it has removed a “Chop On” sign that was near the entrance to Truist Park.
In the past few months, some fans began coming up with a possible new logo that replaced the team’s trademark tomahawk with a similar-looking hammer.
There has been no indication that Aaron’s death would change the team’s stance on its Braves nickname. The National League’s oldest franchise began using Braves more than 100 years ago, when it 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 Meriam-Webster defined as “insulting and contemptuous.”
Baseball’s Cleveland Indians have announced they would change their nickname as well, although not until after this season.
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.
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