The Official Newsletter of the Braves 400 Fan Club

Transcription

1 The Official Newsletter of the Braves 400 Fan Club August 2017 By Arlene Langer Members of the Braves 400 Fan Club enjoyed terrific baseball and fantastic weather during the weekend of August in St. Louis. This was the Fan Club s second Major League Trip in During the day members enjoyed visiting the famous Arch, seeing the Budweiser Clydesdales and tasting new brews, or checking out some of the best restaurants in the city. We also spent time meeting other Braves fans from all over the country. Braves first baseman Matt Adams received a warm welcome home from former teammates and fans. Braves pitchers Mike Foltynewicz (at left) and Lucas Sims ran into trouble early in the games on Friday and Saturday nights resulting in two disappointing losses. The Braves ended their five-game losing streak on Sunday, as R.A. Dickey silenced the St. Louis offense to take a 6-3 victory. Brandon Phillips blasted a two-run homer and Ender Inciarte finished the day with three hits, two runs and a stolen base. The Cardinals staged a comeback attempt in the eighth, loading the bases but ultimately came up just short. This was the Braves first win over the Cardinals in the six games the two teams have played this season. It was a truly enjoyable weekend of meeting new Braves fans and talking baseball.

2 The Tomahawk Times August 2017 Page 2 By Rick Wheeler, President Braves 400 Fan Club This month I want to update you on two items. First is the use of the voluntary contributions you all have so generously made to the Club this year and last year. The Board agreed to make this an ongoing part of our membership effort this year. Also recall that we committed to use these funds toward outreach contributions to the community. The to-date contribution number is $700. Earlier this year we increased our contribution to the Braves Foundation Reach Out Program from $1,500 to $2,000. This leaves over $200 to combine with next year s contributions. We will let you know how these contributions are utilized. Second, at the Gameboree in January you will recall I announced the launch of a major membership drive to coincide with the Braves move to SunTrust Park. At the time I said our goal was to double our number of primary members from 175 to 350. We have made significant progress toward the goal. As of August 14, we have added 123 primary members. In addition, several secondary members joined with their primary partner. Congratulations to Richard Davies for being the winner of the Member-get-a-Member promotion. For being the top recruiter Richard will receive two tickets to one of the remaining 2017 home games. Thanks again for all your help and support this year. We received the following request from Braves 400 Fan Club member Ed Epps: For an upcoming book about the historic Duncan Park Stadium in Spartanburg, SC, built in 1926 and one of the oldest ballparks in the country, I would like to talk with any Braves 400 Fan Club members who have memories of the old stadium or games played there. The ballpark was home to the Spartanburg Phillies, a Class A affiliate of the Philadelphia team, from the mid-1960s until the mid-1990s, and over the years hosted both the Greenwood Braves and occasionally the Greenville Braves. Former Braves like Chipper Jones, Javy Lopez, Tom Glavine, and others played there. I'd be interested to talk with Fan Club members about the stadium, Braves players they saw there, etc., and to see any memorabilia of Duncan Park they might have. I can conduct interviews in person, by phone, or via ; and I will give a prominent public thanks to everyone I talk with in the book. Contact me via at eepps7@icloud.com or via cell phone at (864) On June 22 nd after waiting out an hour and a half rain delay, Fan Club member Howard Evans took over the chopping duties in the first inning to lead the crowd in the familiar Tomahawk chant and inspire the Braves to victory. Result: The energized Braves hitters put on an awesome offensive show to score 12 runs in downing the Giants, who ended up tallying 11. It was fun, Evans said, but the dang Tomahawk must weigh 20 pounds! Welcome New Braves 400 Fan Club Members! Shelby & Jason Behret, Woodstock, GA Rebecca Sawyer, Marietta, GA Valerie Smith, Tucker, GA

3 The Tomahawk Times August 2017 Page 3 Fan Club members enjoyed our second Minor League activity of the season, as the Gwinnett Braves hosted the Indianapolis Indians (Pirates affiliate) on July 22 nd at Coolray Field. As with our trip to see the Rome Braves back in April, a little pre-game rain didn t dampen our evening of baseball. It was Phil Niekro Bobblehead Night and a large crowd of 7,889 turned out. Many recipients lined up as the Hall of Famer graciously signed his bobblehead before throwing out the game s first pitch. Lucas Sims looked call-up ready as he hurled seven innings of shutout ball, allowing only three hits while striking out nine and upping his record to 7-4. Ozzie Albies led the G-Braves to a 2-0 lead with a 400-foot blast to right center in the fifth. We got a look at rising prospect Ronald Acuna, as well as recent Atlanta Braves Lane Adams and Rio Ruiz, whose slick fielding squelched the Indians ninth inning rally. Final: G-Braves 2, Indians 1. Phil Niekro signs his bobblehead for the fans Ozzie Albies steps into one The Fan Club is in the house! September 19 th (Tues.) October 14 th (Saturday) November 4 th (Saturday) Call-Up Luncheon, Marriott Northwest at Galleria Sid Slid Celebration, Turner Field Parking Lot 2017 Wrap-Up and Club Elections, Marriott Northwest at Galleria

4 The Tomahawk Times August 2017 Page 4 By Lynn Walley The second Reach Out, Be Our Guest event for the 2017 season was held on Tuesday, July 18th, when the Braves 400 Fan Club welcomed families from the Georgia Chapter of Hand & Voices to attend the Braves vs Cubs game. Terri Patterson, founder of the Georgia Chapter of Hands & Voices, and her group were welcomed to SunTrust Park by Braves Community Affairs Coordinator, Kathryn Bennett, and Fan Club members, Dave Badertscher, Carole Brooks, Mary Lou Brooks, Lynn Camp, Linda Smith, and Lynn Walley. Hands & Voices is a non-profit, parent-driven, professionally collaborative organization. They support families with children who are deaf or hard of hearing from birth through high school, regardless of their communication choices, in order for the child to reach his or her highest potential. They provide resources, opportunities for families to connect, workshops, educational advocacy support, and emotional support from parents making a similar journey. Terri currently oversees the Guide By Your Side Program, which offers one-on-one support to families of the children. Prior to the game, the children were given a Braves T-shirt provided by the Fan Club. The group was then escorted to Hope and Will s Sandlot where they enjoyed zip-lining and playing against each other on the various arcade games. Watching these children play together and have such a good time at a Braves game was a joy and an inspiration! One family shared this: Our daughter had a blast playing with her peers in the Sandlot and exploring other areas of the stadium. With our jobs and never-ending medical appointments, the time to just enjoy an afternoon together in a new setting is few and far between and we were thrilled to be provided with that opportunity.

5 The Tomahawk Times August 2017 Page 5 Six members of the Braves 400 Fan Club helped kickoff the 2017 Braves Youth Baseball Classic on Thursday evening, July 13 th, with a huge party for players, parents, and coaches coordinated by the Braves Community Affairs staff. Arlene Langer, Pat Schwartzendruber, Carole Brooks, Lynn Camp, Lynn Walley, and Dave Badertscher assisted with check-in, welcoming kids, and serving a whole lot of pizza. Rumor had it that 3,000 slices of pizza were delivered to the Chop House from Papa John s. Fact: At the end of the evening it was all gone. A few showers fell during the Kickoff Party, but that didn t dampen the enthusiasm of the kids as they explored the Chop House area, had a blast at Hope & Will s Sandlot, and enjoyed free play in the plaza. It was a most excellent start for the three-day youth tournament, which began the next day at two parks in Alpharetta. A group of hearty Fan Club members gathered at the Marriott Northwest at Galleria on Saturday, July 15 th, before the Braves vs. D-Backs game. Originally billed as an outdoor tailgate, we opted instead for the airconditioned comfort of the Marriott on a sunny afternoon with temperatures reaching the 90s. It was a good plan. We enjoyed hamburgers, hot dogs, and fixings, while talking about the Braves push toward the.500 mark. Playoffs!! Did somebody say playoffs?? The Braves looked like playoff contenders that evening as we beat a tough Arizona team, 8-5, in the second game of a three-game series. Ender Inciarte and Brandon Phillips both had three hits, pinch-hitter Lane Adams drove in three runs with a double, and Jace Peterson hit a towering shot onto the roof of the Chop House to help seal the deal. Jim Johnson picked up his 21 st save.

6 The Tomahawk Times August 2017 Page 6 This year s MLB RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) Southeast Regional Tournament was hosted by the Braves on July 27-30, in preparation for the RBI World Series in Cincinnati in August. Community Affairs Coordinator Kathryn Bennett invited Fan Club members to volunteer at the tournament held in Marietta at Harrison Park, Sandy Plains Park, and Lassiter High School. Tim Jacobsen and Dave Badertscher answered the call. RBI is an outreach program designed to increase participation and interest in baseball and softball among underserved youth. The photos below taken of the Senior Baseball Division (ages 16-18) show the competition, comradery, and sportsmanship. Click here to watch a short (2 min.) MLB video featuring players, such as former Brave Mallex Smith, encouraging kids in the RBI program. Learn more about how RBI operates at By Dave Badertscher The Braves 400 Fan Club welcomed baseball journalist and host/producer of Braves Banter Radio, Dan Schlossberg, to our Author Luncheon on Saturday, June 24, at the Marriott Northwest at Galleria. Fan Club VP Howard Evans introduced Dan, who has authored 38 books and is one of the country s premier baseball experts. An unabashed Braves fan, Dan has followed the team closely as a fan and a sportswriter for more than 50 years. Dan began his talk with this intriguing possibility. Could 2017 be the year that the Braves go from worst to first as they did in 1991? The Wild Card route is clearly out, he said, given the strong teams in the West. All that needs to happen is for the Braves to catch the Nationals, who have a really weak bullpen. One can only hope, right?

7 The Tomahawk Times August 2017 Page 7 Dan entertained the group with rapid-fire commentary on the Braves rebuilding effort and trades, while mixing in humorous anecdotes from two of his books: When The Braves Ruled The Diamond: Fourteen Flags Over Atlanta and his latest The New Baseball Bible: Notes, Nuggets, Lists, and Legends from Our National Pastime. He described the former as a labor of love. The latter updates previous editions of the New Baseball Catalog, which was originally published in The Fan Club congratulates you and thanks you for 14 straight division titles, great memories, and your support of the Fan Club over the years!

8 The Tomahawk Times August 2017 Page 8 By Wayne Coleman Longtime Braves 400 Fan Club member Tom Millin passed away on July 6 after a long battle with cancer. Tom attended the Fan Club s June board of directors meeting only three days before his June 15 th hospitalization, never hinting at his declining health condition. Tom was born in Queens, NY, on May 21, After a stint in the U. S. Navy he went to work for I.B.M. for the next 35 years, where he retired as a Senior Systems Analyst. He was an avid Braves fan who worked as a volunteer with the Braves as well as serving on the board of the Fan Club for many years. Tom and his late wife Phyllis also put in countless hours for the Braves Foundation and other front office departments. His accomplishments with the Braves 400 Fan Club were many. Tom redesigned the Club s website 15 years ago and managed it for years. Until recently he kept the Club membership roster and developed and managed the mailing and ing lists. One of the proudest accomplishments of the Fan Club is bringing a few hundred underprivileged kids to Braves games every season. Tom initiated this program for the Club through his volunteer work with the Braves Foundation. Tom used his considerable computer knowledge to provide computer training and repairs for countless senior citizens and friends, frequently refusing reimbursement for parts. Tom was also very active at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Tucker. A theme that echoed throughout Tom s church and funeral services was, Tom was always there. Whether it was chairing a committee or volunteering for a task, Tom was always there for everyone. He will live forever in the memories of everyone he touched. Tom was interred at Georgia National Cemetery in Canton. Those wishing may make donations to the American Cancer Society.