COOPERSTOWN, NY — A new tribute to American hero and baseball legend Hank Aaron is now on display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
Aaron was known for his work on and off the baseball diamond. The statue honoring his legacy was officially unveiled Thursday night at the Baseball Hall of Fame. The new statue welcomes baseball fans on the first floor of the museum.
Aaron’s granddaughter, Emily Haydel is a budding journalist and she took Channel 2 Action News behind the scenes for an exclusive look at the statue honoring her late grandfather.
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Haydel interviewed former Brave Fred McGriff, who spoke about the importance of the statue being unveiled.
“Oh, what a great honor. I mean, your granddad was just an awesome individual. and so it’s an honor to be here,” McGriff told Haydel.
McGriff was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame last year and said Aaron was a mentor to him.
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“For me, to be able to, to talk to the greatest hitter in my mind of all time, because he, when I was growing up in Tampa, we had TBS, and we had WGN. and that was it,” McGriff said. “So at night, you know, it was watching the Braves game and seeing Hank play and, and being able to watch Hank break, the homerun record, and everything it was it was just awesome. and it was just beautiful.”
The statue was created by nationally renowned sculptor, Will Behrends.
The new statue is debuting this weekend for the Hall of Fame Classic Celebration
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