Name change would honor Aaron
Some fans call for Braves to change their nickname to Hammers for slugger
Atlanta 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 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 both 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 and called Atlanta home for much of his life.
The NFL’S Atlanta Falcons, Major League Soccer’s Atlanta United and Georgia Tech’s football team all announced they would retire Aaron’s trademark No. 44 for their 2021 seasons.
“May generations of Georgians continue to be inspired by his groundbreaking career and tremendous impact on our state and nation,” Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey added, “He inspired many young boys and girls to pursue their dreams and pursue excellence in whatever they do.”
The Braves opened up Truist Park to fans for the first time since the 2019 season, allowing them to pay socially distanced tribute to Aaron on Friday and Saturday at his statue located in a monument garden on the main stadium concourse.
Other fans paid tribute at a display honoring his 715th homer, which is in a parking lot for the stadium formerly known as Turner Field. The site was the home of Atlanta Fulton-county Stadium, where the Braves played for 31 seasons after moving from Milwaukee in 1966.
Astros: Houston traded left-hander Cionel Perez to the Cincinnati Reds for minor league catcher Luke Berryhill. The 24-year-old Perez pitched seven games in relief last season, going 0-0 with a 2.84 ERA. In parts of three seasons for the Astros, he is 1-1 with a 5.75 ERA in 20 games. He’s pitched 262⁄3 innings, striking out 27 and walking 15. The 22-year-old Berryhill hit .240 in eight games in 2019 for Greeneville at the rookie level. He didn’t play in any games last year because of the minor league shutdown caused by the pandemic.
Blue Jays: All-star outfielder George Springer finalized his $150 million, six-year contract with Toronto, becoming the most prominent free agent to reach an agreement this offseason. Springer, who turned 31 in September, received the largest deal in team history, topping outfielder Vernon Wells’ $126 million, seven-year contract in 2006. Springer gets a $10 million signing bonus payable within 30 days and salaries of $22 million this year, $28 million in 2022 and $22.5 million in each of the final four seasons. He gets a limited no-trade provision, allowing him to designate eight teams annually he cannot be dealt to without his consent.
Cubs: Chicago finalized a $1.5 million, oneyear contract with catcher Austin Romine on Saturday. Romine can earn an additional $700,000 in performance bonuses for starts at catcher and $500,000 in roster bonuses.