The United States Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp honoring Hank Aaron, an Atlanta Braves baseball star.
This stamp, featuring one design, will be available in a pressure-sensitive adhesive pane of 20 stamps and will go on sale nationwide on the same day.
Hank Aaron (1934–2021) is a revered baseball figure known for his phenomenal career with the Atlanta Braves. He went from humble beginnings to becoming one of the greatest baseball players ever “while prevailing in the face of racism.” Aaron’s career was marked by many achievements, including breaking Babe Ruth’s home run record with his historic 715th home run in 1974.
The stamp art, a digital painting by Chuck Styles, captures Aaron in his iconic right-handed batting stance. The pane’s selvage features another digital painting of Aaron watching the ball soar after hitting his record-breaking home run, a moment forever etched in baseball history.
Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp and pane, with typography by Kevin Cantrell. The hope is that it reflects Aaron’s enduring legacy and connection to Atlanta.
United States Postal Service planned a couple of release ceremonies for the stamp. The stamp was officially unveiled on July 31, a ceremony was held in Atlanta’s Truist Park. On Aug.17 activities are planned in conjunction with the Negro League Legends Hall of Fame (NLLHOF) in Bowie, MD.
Aaron retired holding numerous records, including most home runs and most runs batted in, and he was the last active MLB player who participated in the Negro Leagues. He remains the all-time leader in total bases and extra-base hits, second all-time in home runs, and third all-time in hits.
Following his Hall of Fame career, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002 and worked in the front office of the Atlanta Braves. He died in 2021 at the age of 86.
“He was a giant both on and off the field. He rose from humble beginnings to rewrite the record books while prevailing in the face of racism,” said USPS specialist Mark Wahl, who is serving as one of the dedicating officials for the ceremony alongside Sims. “Hank Aaron was a gifted athlete and one of the most prolific hitters in baseball history. It’s an honor to celebrate his incredible legacy with a Forever stamp.”
Wahl noted that during Aaron’s chase to break Babe Ruth’s then-record 714 home runs, Aaron received more mail than any other non-politician in America. Much of this was racist hate mail intended to deter and discourage him. Wahl remembers watching that record-breaking home run to this day.
“I remember vividly where I was on April 8, 1974. All across the United States, baseball fans stopped whatever they were doing and crouched a little closer to their glowing television screens,” he said. “I was watching a small black and white TV in my parent’s bedroom at 212 Verna Drive, just after 9 p.m., it was school night, but this 13-year-old had to stay up late in this suburb of Pittsburgh to witness history. In those days playing in our fantasy world of wiffle ball, if you were a left-handed hitter, you were Willie Stargell and if right-handed, Hank Aaron.”