ATLANTA — There’s a looming controversy over the disposition of a Hank Aaron statue currently on display outside Turner Field.
Should the statue move to Cobb County in 2017 when the team starts playing in the suburbs?
The statue was erected outside Atlanta Fulton County Stadium — where the longtime Brave broke Babe Ruth’s home run record — in 1982. The statue was relocated to Turner Field after Atlanta Fulton County Stadium was razed following the 1996 Olympics.
“I think it should stay where it is,” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution quoted Fulton County Chairman Johns Eaves as saying during a meeting the newspaper’s editorial board. “There should be some memorializing of the Braves and Aaron, as well as the Olympics.”
With the constant discussion about the Braves’ decision to relocate to Cobb County, a question about who owns the statue has surfaced. Does the statue belong to the Braves or the Atlanta Fulton County Recreation Authority, which owns Turner Field?
For Aaron’s part, he doesn’t seem concerned about the statue’s final disposition.
“If that’s what they want, that’s what they want,” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution quoted Aaron as saying in February. “I’m just wishing everybody the best of luck.”
