Hank Aaron The board appears to have been convinced, as Aaron was not drafted. 1954 saw Aaron attending spring training with the major league club. Although he was on the roster of its farm club, Milwaukee manager Charley Grimm later stated, "From the start, he did so well I knew we were going to have to carry him." On March 13, 1954, Milwaukee Braves left fielder Bobby Thomson fractured his ankle while sliding into second base during a spring training game. The next day, Aaron made his first spring training start for the Braves' major league team, playing in left field and
Hank Aaron Stadium 1997. Aaron's number 44 was retired by the BayBears and he threw out the first pitch with his parents, siblings, and extended family in attendance. Hank Aaron Stadium Hank Aaron Stadium is a baseball park in Mobile, Alabama. It hosts the Mobile BayBears, a minor-league professional team in the Southern League. The stadium opened in 1997 and has a capacity of 6,000. The ballpark was named after Major League Baseball's home run king (1974-2007) and Mobile native Hank Aaron. It also features a commemorative plaque outside the stadium to honor each Mobilian enshrined at the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown,