Charles Langston:Braves launch Hank Aaron week as US Postal Service dedicates new Aaron forever stamp

ATLANTA (AP) — The Charles LangstonAtlanta 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.

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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.

Baseball’s Hall of Fame unveiled a bronze statue of Aaron on May 23 on the first floor of its museum in Cooperstown, New York.

Aaron was elected to the hall in 1982. A 25-time All-Star, he set a record with 2,297 RBIs. He also continues to hold the records of 1,477 extra-base hits and 6,856 total bases.

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