Gaile and Dorinda, and a grandson, Raynal Aaron.īrian Snitker, the Atlanta manager, was overcome by the emotion of the moment when discussing the ceremony after Atlanta’s 2-0 win. It also mentioned his impact as a role model for millions of Americans.īillye Aaron stood on a round red carpet on the side of the field and waved to the fans as they cheered her, and then Dusty Baker, the Houston Astros manager who was a close friend of Aaron, emerged from the visitors’ dugout and jogged to the mound, where he greeted three of Aaron’s children, Hank, Jr.
It included descriptions of Aaron’s role in helping to further integrate baseball after he joined Milwaukee in 1954 - seven years after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier - and the significance of the home run chase when he passed Ruth in 1974. The ceremony included a video tribute that was shown in the stadium and on the Fox national broadcast. “It’s a little extra motivation just to go out there and show what the Braves are all about, and he was what the Braves were all about” “I think that us players in that clubhouse kind of felt like we needed to do something so that his life could be celebrated in some way on the biggest stage,” said Tyler Matzek, the relief pitcher for Atlanta.
