MLB legend Hank Aaron honored by Braves during All-Star Game in Atlanta

ATLANTA – Major League Baseball paid tribute to one of its greatest legends on Tuesday night with a high-tech, emotionally charged homage to Hall of Famer Hank Aaron during the 2025 All-Star Game at Truist Park.

Hank Aaron tribute takes over Truist Park 

What we know:

The tribute, held following the sixth inning, honored the anniversary of Aaron’s record-breaking 715th home run by recreating the historic moment using projection mapping and pyrotechnics. The lights dimmed across the ballpark as fans illuminated the stands with cellphone lights. On the infield, a digital recreation of the April 8, 1974, scene from Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium played out, showing Aaron’s iconic homer that surpassed Babe Ruth’s long-standing record of 714.

A moment to honor Hank Aaron in the end of the sixth inning during the 95th MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard at Truist Park on Tuesday, July 15, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

High-tech images of Aaron and other players from that era were projected across the field, culminating in a fireball launching from home plate to simulate the trajectory of the historic home run. The scoreboard displayed “715” in bold, and fireworks erupted from the left field stands to complete the experience. A crowd of 41,702 looked on, with Aaron’s widow, Billye Aaron, standing and waving as the ballpark erupted in applause.

National League players warmed up earlier in the evening wearing batting practice jerseys bearing Aaron’s No. 44, continuing a weeklong celebration of the Braves legend. The symbolic jersey tribute followed a similar gesture during the Home Run Derby, when NL participants also wore No. 44 and AL players wore No. 3 to honor Ruth.

This year’s tribute at Truist Park was one of several enhancements to the All-Star Game, which also included the use of automated ball-strike technology and a return to regular-season uniforms with special All-Star caps. The celebration in Atlanta marked the first Midsummer Classic hosted at the Braves’ new ballpark and the city’s first All-Star Game since 2000.

Atlanta loves No. 44

The backstory:

The celebration came one year after MLB marked the 50th anniversary of Aaron’s 715th homer by announcing a commemorative stamp through the U.S. Postal Service and a new statue to be placed at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

The Hank Aaron tribute during the 95th MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard at Truist Park on Tuesday, July 15, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred also helped unveil a $100,000 endowment at Tuskegee University, a historically Black university in Aaron’s home state of Alabama. The scholarship was part of a broader initiative that includes the Henry Louis Aaron Fund—launched by the Braves after Aaron’s death in 2021—and the Chasing the Dream Foundation, established by Aaron and his wife to increase opportunities for minorities in baseball and expand access to education.

Aaron’s impact on the game remains unmatched. From 1954 to 1976, he hit 755 career home runs—a record that stood until Barry Bonds reached 762 in 2007. Aaron still holds Major League Baseball records for runs batted in (2,297), extra-base hits (1,477), and total bases (6,856). He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1982 and was named to 25 All-Star teams.

Earlier in the week, fans participated in the All-Star 4.4 Miler, a 4.4-mile race starting and ending at Center Parc Stadium, formerly Turner Field. Race medals bore the number 4.4 in honor of Aaron’s jersey number. A mural was also unveiled to celebrate his impact on the game and on Atlanta.

Aaron, who died in 2021 at age 86, hit 755 home runs during his 23-year Major League career. He remains the all-time leader in RBIs, total bases, and extra-base hits. A longtime member of the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves, Aaron was a 25-time All-Star and is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the sport’s history.