AIRCRAFT NAMED FOR HOME-RUN KING

DELTA UNVEILS HANK AARON 755

By CHARLES ODUM

AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA - With Barry Bonds only seven homers away from tying Hank Aaron's home run record, Delta Air Lines made the most of its opportunity to honor Aaron as the home run king.

Loud music blared and Delta employees cheered as the Atlanta-based airline on Monday unveiled a new 757 aircraft adorned with artwork of Aaron in his home run pose, gazing upward as if following the arc of one of his record 755 home runs.

Ed Bastian, chief financial officer of Delta Air Lines Inc., and Aaron pulled back the tarp to reveal the "Hank Aaron 755" aircraft at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

"This is in honor of a true Hall of Famer and a humanitarian," Bastian said.

The Mobile-born Aaron broke Babe Ruth's career home-run record by hitting his 715th homer at old Atlanta Fulton County Stadium on April 8, 1974. He finished his career in 1976 with 755 homers, a record being challenged by Bonds, who hit his 748th homer for the San Francisco Giants on Sunday.

Aaron made no mention of Bonds in his comments Monday to Delta employees or when answering two questions from reporters following the ceremony.

"I am honored and sometimes, you know, I pinch myself every now and then to see whether it is real or not," Aaron said.

Added the 73-year-old Aaron: "I am so thrilled to have an airplane named after me. This is something I never dreamed about. As my mother always said, you've come a long ways baby, and enjoy yourself."

Aaron, a vice president with the Braves, was joined by his wife, Billye, at the ceremony.

Bastian said Delta's plans to honor Aaron "have been in the works for some time." He said the unveiling was not deliberately timed to be held before Bonds breaks the record.

"It wasn't so much that, it was just that with all the attention paid to the record, we thought it'd be appropriate that he be honored in his hometown, " Bastian told The Associated Press.

"We thought it'd be appropriate to honor Hank as baseball's home run champion."

Aaron, who has declined recent interview requests from The Associated Press, has said he will not be present to witness Bonds' record home - even if it comes in Atlanta.

Earlier this month in Milwaukee, Aaron was asked about Bonds and replied with a laugh, "I don't have any thoughts about Barry. I don't even know how to spell his name."

CUTLINES:

JOHN SPINK/AP, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Hank Aaron and his wife, Billye, embrace after the unveiling of the Hank Aaron 755, a Delta Air Lines signature aircraft, Monday in Atlanta.

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