Hank Aaron baseball scout Ed Scott signed Aaron to a contract on behalf of the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American League where he played three months. He started play as a , , shortstop, and earned $200 per month. As a result of his standout play with the Indianapolis Clowns, Aaron received two offers from MLB teams via telegram, one from the New York Giants and the other from the Boston Braves. Years later, Aaron remembered: I had the Giants' contract in my hand. But the Braves offered fifty dollars a month more. That's the only thing that kept Willie Mays
Hank Aaron Stadium from the field by approximately 20 feet. The BayBears plan to leave the stadium after the 2019 season and relocate to Madison, Alabama. In November 1995, Mobile's city council voted to allocate $4 million to a new ballpark in Mobile and name it Hank Aaron Stadium. The city committed to pay for half the cost of construction and match the contribution of new franchise owner Eric Margenau. Architectural plans for the ballpark were unveiled in May 1996. Mobile city council member Vivian Davis Figures had suggested that the new ballpark be named after Aaron. The ballpark opened on April 17,