SAM Adds Emotional Depth to MLB’s All-Star Game Tribute to Hank Aaron
At the 2025 All-Star Game in Atlanta, Major League Baseball commemorated the 51st anniversary of Hank Aaron’s historic, record-breaking 715th home run with an unforgettable tribute created through a ground-breaking blend of projection mapping, pyrotechnics and immersive music and sound. Immersive entertainment pioneer Image Engineering produced, while sonic branding leader Stephen Arnold Music (SAM) created the soundtrack for the emotionally charged spectacle broadcast live on Fox Sports and experienced in person by a packed crowd at Truist Park.
Played at the top of the 7th inning, the tribute took fans on a breathtaking journey back to Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium on the night of April 8, 1974 when Aaron hit the home run that broke Babe Ruth’s long-standing record. The playing field at Truist Park transformed into a living memory as 3D projection mapping recreated the stadium, crowd and players of that iconic night. Meticulously restored archival audio from announcers Milo Hamilton and Vin Scully was layered with crowd noise and dazzling visuals, including fireworks, to recreate the moment. The tribute wasn’t simply a look back—it was a celebration of memory, pride and legacy.
Image Engineering created a seamless 3D illusion on the field using twelve 30,000-lumen projectors mounted on the stadium’s upper bowl and in outfield towers. A Sony 4K camera was used to gather precise references of Truist Park to allow for perfect visual alignment and realism. Custom 3D animations on the field and outfield billboard enhanced the scene. Pyrotechnics, including ground-based smoke and aerial fireworks, were synchronized to add drama to the climactic moment when Aaron’s bat connected with the ball.
“This was an opportunity to honor not just a baseball legend, but a defining moment in American history,” says Chad Cook, SAM President and Creative Director. “We congratulate MLB and Image Engineering for crafting a truly unforgettable experience—one that captured the spirit of baseball, the legacy of Hank Aaron, and the enduring power of great storytelling.”
SAM’s production team, led by Executive Producer Whitney Arnold, Producer Russell Boiarsky, Sound Editor/Designer Jesus Garcia and Audio Mixer/Restoration Artist Paul West, delivered a soundtrack that matched the scale of the visuals and help guide fans through the story’s emotional arc. “We are all huge fans of baseball, and our goal was to deliver a track with the cinematic sweep of a Hollywood epic,” explains Boiarsky. “The music evokes the electric atmosphere of Fulton County Stadium in 1974 and punctuates each moment in the story.”
Integrated with the music are detailed sound design elements, including the dramatic crack of Aaron’s bat, that both help to bring the visuals to life and propel the story forward. “Sound design supports many of the graphic elements, including typography that appears on the screen revealing the historic date,” says Garcia. “We used drums to give more impact to the type, but it’s subtle and not distracting. We wanted people to be involved in the story—not thinking about the soundtrack.”
The sound team also performed extensive restoration to clean up recordings of Scully and Hamilton from the original 1974 broadcasts. West explains that various plugins and other tools were used to remove distortion and artifacts as well as background crowd noise, resulting in audio that is pristine and up to current standards. Bitrate conversion was also required to translate analog archival recordings to digital format.
Extensive planning was needed to ensure that the tribute unfolded flawlessly on All Star night. “Two rehearsals were held in the stadium with the 3D projections and pyrotechnics to see that everything came together in sync,” recalls West. “One of the biggest challenges involved a heartbeat sound that accompanies Al Downing’s fateful pitch. We had to dig into our bag of tricks to get it to build intensity and fill the stadium environment.”
“As a one-time-only, live event, you don’t know how it is all going to sound until it happens,” adds Garcia. “There were so many things that needed to match and synchronize, but the execution was perfect.”
Cook says that, for, SAM collaborating with Image Engineering was a wonderful experience and he sees a tremendous future for this unique form of entertainment. “It’s an innovative, multi-dimensional format that can be used to enhance many types of game day experiences,” he observes. “We’re excited to contribute creatively to this emerging field and have a long-term commitment to remaining at its forefront.”
Credits
Stephen Arnold Music
- Whitney Arnold, Executive Producer
- Russell Boiarsky, Producer
- Jesus Garcia, Sound Editorial & Design
- Paul West, Audio Mixing & Restoration
- Noah Smith, Music Supervisor
- Ian Larsen, Music Supervisor
Image Engineering
- Michaela O’Gallagher, Manager, Creative Services
- Ian Bottiglieri, VP, Operations