The Official Newsletter of the Braves 400 Fan Club. August By Rick Wheeler, President Braves 400 Fan Club

Transcription

1 The Official Newsletter of the Braves 400 Fan Club August 2015 By Rick Wheeler, President Braves 400 Fan Club There are about six weeks left in the season. It has been a challenge to keep track of all the comings and goings on the big club this year. This makes for one of the most interesting seasons for Braves baseball in recent years. No matter who is on the 25 man roster, the players compete day after day. That is a tribute to the manager, coaching staff, and all the players. At our recent sports writers luncheon, we heard plenty about the arms of the future. Reflecting on that event and what I heard, I honestly think the future is bright. We just need to get through 2015, like we did Recently Mark Bradley wrote an article in the AJC comparing the current club with what was going on 30 years ago in the buildup to the teams of the 90s. Everyone knows the foundation of the 14 consecutive championships was pitching and lots of it. Do you remember that in order to produce two home grown Hall of Fame pitchers, it took a stable of almost a dozen highly touted pitching prospects in the farm system? Well, today there are at least a dozen similar prospects wearing Braves uniforms throughout the minor and major leagues. Let s see, what is your guess as to who the next pitchers will be to follow the path laid by Tommy Glavine and John Smoltz? Maybe we should start a Fan Club poll? I can t wait to see what happens over the next few years. Go Braves! August 22 nd (Sat.) September 30 th (Wed.) October 14 th (Wed.) November 14 th (Sat.) January 23, 2016 (Sat.) Special Tour of Turner Field/Braves Museum & Hall of Fame Call-Up Luncheon at 755 Club, Turner Field Sid Slid Celebration, Turner Field Parking Lot Election Luncheon, Marriott Perimeter Center Hotel 2016 Eddie Glennon Gameboree, Marriott Perimeter Center Hotel Join the Braves 400 Fan Club on Saturday, August 22 nd, and experience the Braves Tour with virtual hosts Bobby Cox, John Smoltz, and Dale Murphy. Our stops will include: Coca-Cola Sky Field Scouts Alley Broadcast Booth Press Box Clubhouse and Dugout Special Behind-the-Scenes Interactive Videos The cost is only $10. Parking is free in the Green Lot. The tour begins at the Braves Museum. Following the tour we will meet at the Atlanta Braves All-Star Grill, located at 200 Peachtree St. for lunch (on your own). Register now on our website (

2 The Tomahawk Times August 2015 Issue Page 2 Fan Club President Rick Wheeler started the August 5 th program in the 755 Club by introducing our two guests: Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fred Owens of Tomahawk Take, who travelled from Abilene, Texas, to join us. Before coming to Atlanta, Michael covered the Packers and Brewers for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and later the Dolphins and the Heat for the Miami Sun Sentinel. In 2010 Michael moved to Atlanta where he initially covered the Hawks for the AJC. In 2014 he switched assignments and began reporting on the Braves. Michael also covers the Falcons. Fred grew up in central Illinois where he was a Cubs fan. He served in the Air Force for 28 years as a firefighter and later a fire chief. Around 1991 Fred began following the Braves on TBS and got hooked. In 2010 he started a personal blog about Braves baseball. Later that year Fred began writing for Tomahawk Take ( where he is now senior staff writer. Rick asked both gentlemen to open with some initial remarks about both the season so far, including a very confusing flurry of trade deadline activity, and your take on the direction our team is taking as they prepare to move to Sun Trust Stadium in A lively Q&A session followed. Rick Wheeler introduces Media Luncheon guests Michael Cunningham and Fred Owens Fred talked about the factors that made it necessary for the Braves to rebuild, including an empty minor league system and a swing-and-miss parent club saddled with burdensome long-term contracts. He found upsides in the major deals so far Heyward, the Uptons, Kimbrel, and the latest trade for Hector Olivera but allowed that lots of things can go wrong with pitching prospects. The Braves were never going to buy at the deadline, he said. Which of the newest acquisitions most excited the two panelists? Both picked Matt Wisler. Fred said that Tyrell Jenkins will be a stud. Who will be the starting catcher in 2016? Good question. Maybe a trade is in order. Who will comprise next year s starting five? Most likely Miller, Teheran, Foltynewicz (not a reliever!), Wisler, and Banuelos. Topics such as instant replay, catcher ERAs, interleague play, and that baseball is all about the money these days spiced up the dialogue. Both Fred and Michael said John Hart has a clear plan that he s going about executing. The team is playing hard, but doesn t have the talent. Fred hopes that Braves fans will be patient like Astros fans, who are now seeing dividends after some lean years. Michael suggested trying to separate the move to Cobb County, which upset some, from the moves on the playing field. How will it all work out? We ll definitely have to stay tuned. Thanks to Fred and Michael for their candid, insightful remarks on a conversation of interest to all Braves fans.

3 The Tomahawk Times August 2015 Issue Page 3 The Braves 400 Fan Club s annual Major League road trip took us to the Steel City, where we saw a three-game series between the Braves and the Pirates at beautiful PNC Park. Thirty-four Fan Club members participated. A rainy weekend was predicted, but we hoped for the best. After checking into the DoubleTree Hotel at Bigelow Square on Friday morning, our group headed off for an afternoon tour of Pittsburgh via Molly s Trolleys. The highlight was a stop at the top of Mount Washington where we savored the spectacular panoramic view of Pittsburgh and the Three Rivers, followed by the steep ride down on the historic cable railway at the Duquesne Incline. Returning to the hotel, we enjoyed a tasty pre-game buffet tailgate before choosing either the minute walk to PNC Park by way of the Roberto Clemente Bridge or catching the nearby T. We missed out on the rains for Friday night s game, but they caught us big-time on Saturday with some leftovers for the Sunday afternoon game. Good that most of us brought along our Braves ponchos. While there were rain delays on Saturday, fortunately we got all three games in. The games themselves didn t go as well as we hoped. The Pirates took the first two games by scores of 3-2 (10 innings) and 8-4. Starter Williams Perez continued to look impressive in Friday night s game, before taking a wicked shot to the foot that landed him on the 15-day DL. Juan Uribe homered, but the Pirates scored the game-winning run off Jason Grilli in his return to Pittsburgh. Saturday s rainy contest saw Julio Teheran get touched up for five first-inning runs. Jace Peterson delivered a three-run double to rally the team in the 7 th against former Brave Charlie Morton. Then the Bucs bullpen closed the door. On Sunday the Braves got seven stellar innings from Alex Wood in a 2-1 victory, as Grilli got revenge by earning his 21 st save of the year. A scary moment took place in the 9 th inning, when Cameron Maybin and Eury Perez collided in centerfield going after a ball crushed by Jordy Mercer. Neither player was seriously hurt, but as Fredi Gonzalez later said, We dodged a bullet there. It was nice to win one in Pittsburgh and end our trip on a high note. The lineups for Sunday s game Seventeen members of the Braves 400 Fan Club

4 The Tomahawk Times August 2015 Issue Page 4 When we weren t watching baseball at PNC Park, our group found plenty to do in Downtown Pittsburgh despite the rain. Folks enjoyed such varied activities as the Andy Warhol Museum, the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum, Primanti Bros., and the Rivers Casino. We rubbed shoulders with a lot of mostly friendly Pirates fans along the way. Our thanks go out once again to Fan Club Trip Coordinator Rick Wheeler for putting together a winning itinerary that gave us a memorable baseball experience, provided time to explore the revitalized Golden Triangle, and let us get to know our fellow Club members better. Great job! Taking the tour of Downtown Pittsburgh on Molly s Trolley At the top of Duquesne Incline overlooking Pittsburgh Trip Coordinator Rick Wheeler addresses the group Hangin out at Primanti Brothers after the game Sunday s game: Braves 2 Pirates 1 For more photos from our trip, visit the Photo Gallery on our website at

5 The Tomahawk Times August 2015 Issue Page 5 By Lynn Walley About 45 children and their adoptive and foster parents from Cobb County Foster & Adoptive Parent s Association attended the Braves vs Nationals game on Tuesday, June 30 th, for the third Atlanta Braves Reach Out, Be Our Guest program of the season sponsored by the Braves 400 Fan Club. Mary Lou Brooks, Carol Brooks, and Lynn Walley welcomed the group. The mission of Cobb County Foster & Adoptive Parent s Association is to inform, educate, and inspire Cobb County residents on the truly rewarding experience of becoming a foster or adoptive parent and to provide support to the parents in achieving safety, permanence, and well-being for the children and youth in their care through education, advocacy, and other community, state, and national resources. The parents shared their heart-warming and rewarding experiences amidst extremely challenging circumstances with the special needs children they have fostered and adopted over the years. The outing started with the kids watching the Braves take batting practice. They were each given a goodie bag with a T-shirt and decal. One little girl was caught by surprise when shortstop Andrelton Simmons snuck over and pulled out a batting practice baseball from his back pocket and autographed it for her, telling her it was a secret! Andrelton also signed autographs for the other children and was joined by third baseman Pedro Ciriaco. After batting practice, the kids were escorted to the Club Level where they were enjoyed a complimentary meal courtesy of Chick-fil-A. Then it was time to head to their seats for the Braves game. Even though the Braves lost to their division rivals, the kids had a great time being a Braves fan in Braves Country! By Lynn Walley The fourth Reach Out, Be Our Guest group for the 2015 season included about 50 children and their families from T*A*P*S (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors) to attend the Braves vs Giants game on Tuesday, August 4 th. The group was welcomed to Turner Field by Braves Community Affairs Coordinator, Kathryn Bennett, and Braves 400 Fan Club members, Dave and Nancy Badertscher, Carole Brooks, Mary Lou Brooks, Lynn Camp, Carol Magill, and Lynn Walley. A special guest who flew in from Arlington, VA to welcome the group was Jessica Harper, Manager of Strategic Partnerships for the T*A*P*S Office.

6 The Tomahawk Times August 2015 Issue Page 6 T*A*P*S is a not-for-profit organization that offers compassionate care, help, hope, and healing to all those grieving the death of a loved one serving in America s Armed Forces. Since 1994, T*A*P*S has provided comfort and hope 24/7 to over 50,000 surviving family members, casualty officers, and caregivers through a national peer support network and connection to grief resources, all at no cost to surviving families and loved ones. The group, proudly wearing their red T*A*P*S t-shirts provided by Jessica and carrying Tomahawks from the Braves 400 Fan Club, was escorted to the field where they were treated to the Braves VIP On-field Batting Practice Experience. The kids were thrilled to be able to watch their favorite Braves players up close and personal as some were handed baseballs from the players. After batting practice, the kids were escorted to the Club Level where they enjoyed a complimentary meal courtesy of Chick-fil-A. Even though the Braves lost the game to the Giants, it was an exciting and memorable event for those who have lost so much. By Arlene Langer Twenty-nine Braves 400 Fan Club members watched the Gwinnett Braves take on the Charlotte Knights on Saturday night, July 25th, at Coolray Field, as part of a large crowd waiting to get their Bobby Cox HOF Bobblehead. It was the Fan Club s annual Minor League trip. Although the G-Braves fell behind 2-0, a sacrifice fly from catcher Christian Bethancourt allowed Cedric Hunter to put the G-Braves on the board in the bottom of the 2nd inning. Jose Peraza and Mallex Smith added two more runs in the bottom of the third to give the G-Braves the lead for good. Both players provided insurance with two more runs in the bottom of seventh inning, giving the home team a 5-2 win. Kanekoa Texeira pitched six strong innings allowing only four hits and two runs. He had six strikeouts and gave up only two walks. It was another terrific evening!

7 The Tomahawk Times August 2015 Issue Page 7 The 7 th Annual Atlanta Braves Youth Baseball Classic took place on July at Wills Park in Alpharetta. This year the tournament expanded to 78 teams by adding a new 18U age division with six teams. Temperatures soared, as teams from around the Southeast vied for the Tomahawk Trophy in their age divisions in this round robin/bracket style tournament. One of the highlights for the kids was going to Turner Field on Saturday evening, where they participated in a pre-game parade and watched the Braves play the Chicago Cubs. This was the third year in a row that members of the Braves 400 Fan Club helped the Braves Community Affairs staff with the tournament. Our volunteers were Arlene Langer, Lynn Walley, and Dave Badertscher, who worked either Saturday, Sunday, or both days. Our duties consisted of field management tasks during the games, assisting with the Skills Competition, and helping with the Saturday team photo session with Braves pitcher, Matt Wisler (pictured with team below). The Braves Youth Baseball Classic featured a healthy mix of recreational and travel teams. The competition was spirited with plenty of action. Hitters of all sizes came up to the plate ready to swing away, some accompanied by their own walk-up music. Pitchers did their best to throw strikes past their foes. Base running was aggressive and fielders were tested. Minor injuries were sustained. At times dust flew everywhere, but the men in blue were on top of it. Parents really got into the games, particularly as the tournament moved into its final day. By and large good sportsmanship was on display. Most importantly, kids had fun playing the great game of baseball. The Atlanta Braves Prostate Cancer Awareness Day was held on Father s Day, June 21 st, before the Braves vs Mets game. This annual event honors those who have battled prostate cancer and raises funds for research and education. More than 50 survivors registered, many of them accompanied by family members. Each survivor received a Prostate Cancer Awareness Day T-shirt, a ticket to the game, and took part in a pre-game ceremony on the field. In addition, a Prostate Health Education Seminar was held before the game and drew a good crowd. Seven Braves 400 Fan Club members volunteered for Prostate Awareness Day: Carole Brooks, Lynn Camp, Wayne Marshall, Angie Tankersley, Lynn Walley, and Nancy & Dave Badertscher. Several of us worked at the registration area in Monument Grove and others served as Seminar greeters. It was a pleasure to work with these determined cancer survivors, as well as with Braves Community Affairs staff members, Janet Sevilla, Ericka Newsome-Hill, and Chase Jubinsky.

8 The Tomahawk Times August 2015 Issue Page 8 Fan Club volunteers for Prostate Awareness Day Registering prostate cancer survivors On Saturday, June 20, I celebrated Father s Day a day early by participating in the annual Braves Country 5K at Turner Field. Sponsored by the Atlanta Braves and the Atlanta Track Club, this popular annual event drew more than 2,100 dads, family members, and runners/joggers/walkers of all levels. How warm and humid was it at 7:30 AM, when the first runners headed up Hank Aaron Drive and under the Olympic Rings? Don t even bother to ask! There were lots of perks for Braves fans. The two biggest fans dressed in their best Braves gear won baseballs autographed by Andrelton Simmons. The big treat was running through the tunnel at Turner Field and out onto the outfield warning track with the finish line in sight. Cool! As runners legged out those last tough yards, we were shown right up there on the Big Screen. At the awards ceremony on the Plaza, a drawing was held for two people to see the Braves play the Nationals in DC on Labor Day Weekend. Participants who placed in the top 3 in their age group received a commemorative baseball. The fun wasn t over yet, though. As part of the Braves Country 5K package, participants received a ticket to the Braves vs Mets game that evening. We were invited to walk in a pre-game parade wearing our new Braves Country race shirt. Lots of folks enjoyed the stroll around Turner Field, followed by a 6-4 Braves victory attended by more than 40,000 fans. Starting the 5K on Hank Aaron Drive 2nd Place age group award Pre-game parade around Turner Field

9 The Tomahawk Times August 2015 Issue Page 9 Several Braves 400 Fan Club members made the pilgrimage to Cooperstown for the induction of Braves legend, John Smoltz, along with Craig Biggio, Randy Johnson, and Pedro Martinez. Last year Braves Country ruled the streets of Cooperstown. This year two boisterous groups vied for that honor: Astros fans (BGO, BGO!) and an international delegation of Martinez fans (Pedro, Pedro!). Braves fans did their best to cheer Smoltzie on, as he deservedly took his place in the Hall of Fame. In his spirited speech on Sunday afternoon, John Smoltz confirmed what Braves fans already knew: his love for the game of baseball, that he enjoyed a stellar career as both a starter and a closer, that he received lots of help along the way, that he was relentlessly driven to succeed while never being afraid to fail, that he battled through serious elbow and shoulder injuries, and that family and faith mean everything to him. Congratulations to John Smoltz, the newest Atlanta Brave in the Hall of Fame! Smoltz exhibit in the Museum Tom Millin & John Smoltz Smoltz fans wait for the Legends Parade John Smoltz, Class of 2015, with his wife Kathryn Hall of Fame Induction speech

10 The Tomahawk Times August 2015 Issue Page 10 By Howard Evans The Braves 400 Fan Club was well represented as Braves broadcaster Don Sutton was inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame during ceremonies held on July 20, As a broadcaster, Don has spent over 18 years with the team, a period which included 14 straight division titles. There were plenty of accolades, as well as good-natured fun provided by Don s co-broadcasters, players, coaches, and the front office. Braves President, John Schuerholz, covered the remarkable pitching accomplishments which paved the way for Don to enter the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown with a pitching career of 23 Big League seasons and a total of 324 wins. Dale Murphy highlighted his achievements batting against Don that included 4 home runs, 10 hits, while reluctantly admitting to a batting average of.179. Murphy said he enjoys listening to Don more on the radio than facing him on the mound. On listening to games called by Don Sutton, Phil Niekro said, You realize you re not in the house. You re in the ballpark, 10 rows behind the umpire Just close your eyes and you re on the field. You re one of the players. Good broadcasters don t do that. Great ones do. Joe Simpson told a hilarious story involving a Sutton call. Two runners had been erased on outs, when Don called an ensuing grand slam. According to his radio call, that resulted in scoring five runs, including two runners crossing home plate who were no longer on base. When Don finally got to the microphone, while visibly humbled at the honor, he paid an emotional tribute and gave thanks to his father for all that wasn t supposed to happen, but it did. He also shared the advice he received from Ernie Johnson, Sr. which set his path for easy conversation with his radio listeners. A hint: when you listen to Don s call of the game, if you feel like he s talking directly to you or telling you a story, that s because he is. Shannon and Mike Gross, Lilburn, GA We hope you ve enjoyed this issue of The Tomahawk Times. As you can see, the Braves 400 Fan Club has been involved in a wide range of activities this summer. Our Major League road trip to Pittsburgh in June was the highlight of the season. We had a good crowd to see the G-Braves play at Coolray Field. Service and volunteer activities like Reach Out, Be Our Guest, the Braves Youth Baseball Classic, and Prostate Cancer Awareness were definitely worthwhile. Our August Media Luncheon took a timely look at The State of Braves Country. If you missed out on these outings, be sure to save the date for future Fan Club events.