Aaron's death prompts call to change name: Braves to Hammers

By PAUL NEWBERRY AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA (AP) — As his adopted hometown mourned Hank Aaron's death, some fans called on the Atlanta Braves to change their name to the Hammers in his honor.

"Hammerin' Hank" died Friday at age 86, drawing praise from all segments of society including the current and former presidents.

The Baseball Hall of Famer overcame intense racism in his pursuit of baseball's home run record. Flags in Georgia and Alabama are flying at half-staff in honor of Aaron. Some fans want his longtime team, the Braves, to drop a nickname they consider offensive to Native Americans.

They say the Hammers is a logical replacement.