ATLANTA — The legacy of Hank Aaron is alive and well in the hearts of many Atlantans. Channel 2′s Audrey Washington spoke with citizens to hear what Hank Aaron meant to so many.

The reach of Aaron can be seen in the daily lives of the Thomas family. Terrence Thomas is a father of two sons and coach of their baseball team.

“Ball has been in our family for a while,” Thomas said.

Baseball isn’t just a sport but a way of life for the Thomas family.

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“Take advantage of what someone has gone through to make it possible for you to be able to play this game and to be recognized in this game,” Terrence Thomas said.

Thomas’ sons Colin and Chance Thomas are students of the game. Colin wears 42 to honor Jackie Robinson, and his younger brother wears 44 in honor of Aaron.

Joshua Jones, 7, who plays on a traveling team, is honored to share in the legacy left behind by Aaron.

“I want to hit a lot of home runs like Hank Aaron, like a thousand home runs when I grow up,” Jones said.

Jones knows that Aaron broke a lot of barriers for players that looked a lot like him.

A fan at today’s service said to Washington, “He was able to make more Blacks that wanted to play Major League Baseball feel like they could do it because he has multiple records in baseball history, and he would want us to keep baseball alive.”

Cox Media Group