ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — The Atlanta Braves unveiled the third of 16 renovated baseball fields across Atlanta as part of Hank Aaron Week, addressing the decline in African American youth participation in baseball.
The team opened the newest “Hank Aaron Diamond” at Booker T. Washington High School on Tuesday. The field features turf grass designed to drain better than traditional grass and dirt fields. Representatives for the City of Atlanta said poor drainage had plagued grass fields in Atlanta’s rainy climate, leading to more cancellations than would be necessary on a turf field.
Baseball has seen a major decline in African American youth participation over the past several decades. Danielle Bedasse, vice president of community affairs for the Atlanta Braves, said field access presents a significant barrier.
“[The problem is the] lack of field access for kids, particularly kids ages 12 and up,” Bedasse said.
The new field, “The Hank Aaron Diamond at James ‘Red’ Moore and Donn Clendenon Field,” aims to address deeper inequalities in the sport.
A mural of the three men sits just outside the field on the third-base line.
“If there’s no place for these kids to play or matriculate in their careers, parents don’t see opportunity,” Bedasse said.
African American representation in Major League Baseball has declined to one-third of its 1970s level. On Opening Day in 2025, only 6.2% of MLB players were Black, down from nearly 20% in the 1970s.
Alumni attended the field opening, including Maurice Hall, who took it upon himself to run the bases for the first time in years.
“I made it,” a winded Hall said after completing his run around the bases.
Booker T. Washington High School also broke ground Tuesday to renovate its softball field, expanding the project’s impact beyond baseball.
“This is really about the future of the game in the city and creating pathways,” Bedasse said.
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