Braves honor Aaron's legacy with new City Connect uniforms
NORTH PORT, Fla. -- The Braves will display a new look when they wear their Nike City Connect jersey during every Saturday home game this year.
The new jerseys -- unveiled by the club on Monday morning -- will debut when the Braves host the Padres on April 8, the 49th anniversary of Hank Aaron hitting his historic, record-setting 715th home run.
Paying homage to the iconic legend, these jerseys resemble the design the Braves wore in 1974, the year Aaron broke Babe Ruth¡¯s home run record.
¡°The Atlanta Braves are proud to honor Hank Aaron with our City Connect uniforms,¡± Braves president and CEO Derek Schiller said. ¡°We are thankful to Nike, who collaborated with us on the designs as we recognized the impact that Hank continues to have on our organization while also celebrating the role of the Braves in our community.¡±
Jersey features include:
- The inside collar has a ¡°715¡± graphic in a font reminiscent of the scoreboard lights at Atlanta Stadium (later named Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium) after Aaron¡¯s record-breaking 715th home run.
- The Art Deco-esque crown design on the sleeves is a nod to Aaron as the home run king. The new ribbing pattern on the peak of the crown mirrors the Presidential Medal of Freedom bestowed upon Aaron by President George W. Bush.
- Aaron¡¯s motto and number -- ¡°Keep Swinging #44¡± -- appear above the jock tag.
Features of the cap:
- The classic ¡°A¡± logo bears the colors of the 1974 uniform.
- ¡°Keep Swinging #44¡± is embroidered on green fabric under the bill.
The Nike Atlanta Braves City Connect Collection goes on sale Saturday at the Braves Clubhouse Store at Truist Park, along with Nike.com, the Nike app, local Nike stores, MLB Flagship Store (NYC), mlbshop.com and select retail locations. A-List Members will have first access at 10 a.m. to the Braves Clubhouse Store before it opens to the public at 11 a.m. Fans can visit Braves.com/clubhousestore for additional information, including store hours.
A portion of proceeds from the Nike Atlanta Braves City Connect Collection purchased at the Braves Clubhouse Store at Truist Park will benefit the Henry Louis Aaron Fund. Established in 2021 under the banner of the Atlanta Braves Foundation, the Henry Louis Aaron Fund supports Aaron¡¯s lifelong passion to increase minority participation in baseball on and off the field and invests in creating opportunities for diverse entrepreneurs and minority-owned small business.
The Nike MLB City Connect program was created in 2021 to celebrate the bond between each club and its city. This uniform series explores the personality, values and customs that make each community and their residents unique. Nike and MLB clubs partnered to design jerseys inspired by their cities to invigorate longtime baseball fans and invite more people into the game, expanding the future of the sport.
The Braves, Rangers, Mariners, Reds, Pirates and Orioles will wear City Connect jerseys for the first time this year.