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 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,