Atlanta Braves to honor Hammerin' Hank Aaron with a statue

ATLANTA, Feb. 12 (UPI) -- Instead of partaking in an ongoing argument regarding the location of Hank Aaron's statue at Turner Field, the Atlanta Braves will build a new one at SunTrust Park.

The Braves will move next season to play at the Cobb County ballpark and originally wanted to take the current statue with them. The Atlanta Fulton County Recreation Authority didn't like that plan, wanting to keep the statue in Downtown Atlanta.

"Nothing could be further from the character of Hank Aaron than the divisive conversations that are occurring over his iconic statue," the team said in a statement to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "As such, the Atlanta Braves have decided that we will no longer contest the eventual location of the statue and will instead focus on how to best showcase Hank's impact and legacy at SunTrust Park. Part of this will include commissioning a new statue for all baseball fans to see."

"Hank Aaron is, and will always be, a significant part of the Atlanta Braves and our proud legacy. Our sincere hope is that the existing statue will continue to be preserved and displayed in a manner befitting his legacy as the greatest Brave of all time."

Aaron, a 1982 Hall of Fame inductee, hit 755 career home runs in 23 seasons for the Milwaukee Braves, Atlanta, and Milwaukee Brewers.