The Official Newsletter of the Braves 400 Fan Club October 2015

The Official Newsletter of the Braves 400 Fan Club
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October 2015
By Dave Badertscher
The Braves 400 Fan Club’s annual Call-Up Luncheon was held on Wednesday, September 30, in
the 755 Club at Turner Field. We were pleased to welcome Danny Burawa, Daniel Castro,
Hector Olivera, Ryan Weber, and Dan Winkler, as well as team translator, Alex Cotto. All five
players were called up to the Atlanta Braves for the remainder of the 2015 season.
Dave Badertscher, Ryan Weber, Dan Winkler, Danny Burawa, Daniel Castro, Hector Olivera, Wayne Coleman
After lunch Wayne Coleman formally introduced each of the players, sharing their baseball
accomplishments and statistics with our group. He asked the players questions about their call-up
experiences, their biggest surprises, and good-natured rookie “hazing.” A Q&A session with the fans
followed. Here’s a sample of what we learned from the 2015 Call-Up Class:
Ryan Weber said that in the Major Leagues you have to worry about every batter.
All of the pitchers agreed that they LOVED having Andrelton Simmons playing behind them.
One of the players’ biggest surprises was “hazing” attire. Braves rookies made quite an
impression in NYC wearing pink speedos.
Who were their favorite players growing up? Cal Ripken (Weber), Greg Maddux & Mark McGuire
(Winkler), Derek Jeter (Olivera), Sammy Sosa (Castro), Mariano Rivera (Burawa).
Some players participated in other sports: basketball (Winkler), soccer (Castro), golf (Weber).
Danny Burawa pitched for the Yankees on Father’s Day. He praised former Brave Brian McCann.
The Tomahawk Times
October 2015 Issue
Page 2
We finished up in time for folks to chat and get autographs and photos with Dan, Danny, Daniel,
Hector, and Ryan. All five of them gave very willingly of their time. Appreciative attendees of the
2015 Call-Up Luncheon will likely be following their careers closer from now on and rooting for their
success in Braves uniforms. The guys helped the team wind up the season on a positive note.
Danny Buwara fields a question
Ryan Weber signs for Howard Evans
Daniel Castro signs for Ron Cook
By Rick Wheeler, President Braves 400 Fan Club
The 2015 season is over for the Braves. While we watch the playoffs to see who is
going to eventually be the 2015 World Series winner, we can dream about a brighter
future for our team. Will our Braves be more competitive in 2016? Will we really be
back in the playoffs in 2017 as is the stated goal of the front office?
All of us in the Braves 400 Fan Club plan to enjoy the 2016 season at Turner Field.
Since it will be the final season, we hope the Braves will pay this venue its proper due. There are 20
years of mostly winning memories to celebrate.
We hope SunTrust Park will receive the appropriate accolades as the best and brightest stadium in
all of baseball. It most definitely will be the newest.
Over the last ten years the Fan Club has made trips to some wonderful new baseball venues—PNC
Park, Citi Field, New Busch Stadium, Miller Park, and Progressive Field among them. In
addition, I have been to Coors Field and Comerica Park. All of these stadium operations have one
thing in common: an outstanding fan experience away from the action on the field of play. Stadium
ushers all make you feel wanted. Concession areas are plentiful, varied and filled with high quality
food and beverages. The staff makes it fun to order, even if you did have to stand in line.
Among my most impactful memories from these stadiums are:
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The Sunday brunch offered at Miller Park
The game day buffet offered at Progressive Field
Seating at Coors Field—not a bad seat in the house
Fan service at Comerica as they were able to recover my son’s lost passport
Usher support at Busch Stadium
Citi Field—even with a full house you can walk the concourse and not feel crowded
The view at PNC Park
I can’t wait to see how Sun Trust Park will measure up. As tempting as it is for everyone to look
forward to 2017, we all have to remember that there is the 2016 season to be played and enjoyed. It
is the experience and memories created for fans next year that will help to shape everyone’s
excitement level for 2017.
The Tomahawk Times
October 2015 Issue
Page 3
When: Saturday, November 14, 2015, noon
Where: Atlanta Marriott Perimeter Center
Guest Speaker: TBD
Cost: $25
Details and registration information are posted at www.braves400.org
The Braves 400 Fan Club will hold its annual winter banquet and fundraiser at the Atlanta Marriott
Perimeter Center on Saturday, January 23, 2016. A gala reception, silent auction and raffle of
Braves memorabilia begins at 5:00 PM with the awards dinner and program following at 6:30. We
are working to assemble an outstanding lineup of guests and award winners. Details and registration
info for the Eddie Glennon Gameboree will be posted on our website in the coming weeks.
Never attended a Gameboree before? Then you’ve missed out on a unique baseball experience.
Click here to read about last year's Gameboree as reported in The Tomahawk Times.
The 2016 Gameboree Silent Auction will feature autographed pictures of many
Braves players, past and present. Additional items include baseball souvenirs,
signed memorabilia, baseballs and caps of Braves stars and rising future stars.
The funds raised from the Silent Auction are devoted
to recognizing baseball programs and promoting
baseball in Georgia. As always, the officers, advisors,
and directors of the Braves 400 Fan Club step up and gather featured
items for the auction. At this time of year, we reach out to you, our
members for your support by arranging to donate items for the upcoming
Gameboree. The Club will reimburse costs, if requested, for shipping. We
ask if you have items which could be included in the auction for this worthy
cause, that you consider contacting Howard Evans, Silent Auction
Coordinator, by email at atty4hrlaw@gmail.com.
Jimmie Boulware, Hiram, GA
David Muir, Marietta, GA
Linda Smith, Smyrna, GA
Pat Swartzendruber, Cumming, GA
Wil & Crystal Walton, Powder Springs, GA
Braves 400 Fan Club
www.braves400.org
Mailing Address:
Fan Club Hotline:
P.O. Box 7689
Atlanta, GA 30357-0689
770-416-4539
The Tomahawk Times
October 2015 Issue
Page 4
On a glorious fall day we celebrated one of the most memorable
moments in Braves history on the site of Atlanta-Fulton County
Stadium. Hard to believe that 23 years have passed since Sid
Bream slid the Braves to an amazing walk-off victory over
Pittsburgh in Game 7 of the 1992 NLCS.
We had a nice turnout of Braves 400 Fan Club members this year.
In addition, we welcomed a family from Nashville, who had just
finished touring the Braves Museum and were out exploring Hank’s
715 Home Run Marker. Our visitors got to hear all about Sid Slid.
Johnny Tallant recollected it started with Gary Caruso around 2002.
23rd Anniversary cake
Folks wondered aloud what the future might hold a year or so from now for this memory-filled
expanse in the Green Lot, as well as for the whole Turner Field complex. Carol Magill and Cheryl
Murk fondly recalled having outfield seats the night Sid slid. Others shared their favorite Braves
memories from bygone eras. Many photos were taken. A few of us “boys” who brought our gloves
took the opportunity to have a catch on the asphalt and brick diamond.
The highlight of our gathering was Skip’s ecstatic play-by-play call of Cabrera’s hit and Sid’s slide
on video courtesy of Murray Cohen and his laptop. Braves win! Braves win! Top that off with a
hearty piece of anniversary cake and you’ve experienced a genuine Sid Slid Celebration.
Watching the video in the back of a pickup
Cutting the cake
Johnny Tallant pitches to his grandson
The Tomahawk Times
October 2015 Issue
Page 5
By Dave Badertscher
On Saturday morning, August 22nd, members of the Braves 400 Fan Club took a special Tour of
Turner Field and the Braves Museum & Hall of Fame, followed by lunch at the Braves All-Star
Grill located at 200 Peachtree St.
Braves tour guide, Dave Barrett, led our group of seventeen on an hour-and-a-half excursion
through well-known stops at Turner Field: Scouts Alley, Coca-Cola Sky Field, Luxury Suites,
Broadcast Booth, Press Box, Clubhouse, Dugout, and more. No matter how many times you’ve
taken the tour, there are always new things to see and learn. When you sit in the Skip Caray
Broadcast Booth, visit the Braves dugout, or look into the players’ locker room, you know
you’re in the heart of Braves Country.
Our guide invited us to ask questions along the way and we had plenty. There were the usual queries
about beloved Braves teams, players, and announcers, as well as requests for factual info about
Turner Field. There was also a lot of curiosity about the future. This coming on the heels of the
official announcement that the Braves will vacate Turner Field by the end of 2016. So many
questions. What will happen to the contents of the Braves Museum? Will all the player monuments
and displays be moved to Sun Trust Park? What about the legacy bricks? And gazing outward at
the view from Coca-Cola Sky Field, what will the whole Turner Field area look like in just a few
short years? So much to be sorted out.
Before driving to the Braves All-Star Grill for lunch, our group headed back into the Museum.
Some watched a series of short behind-the-scenes videos presented by Senior Museum Coordinator
Sam Wallace, while others took the opportunity to further explore the Museum. It was an enjoyable
outing topped off by a tasty meal at the All-Star Grill with plenty of Braves baseball conversation.
The Tomahawk Times
October 2015 Issue
Page 6
By Lynn Walley
Our fifth “Reach Out, Be Our Guest” event for the 2015 season featured a group of 20 youth
baseball players and their chaperones from Colombia, South America. The group was in Atlanta for
a week-long September visit as part of the Initiatives in Sports Diplomacy Program sponsored by
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia.
The Initiatives in Sports Diplomacy Program focuses on towns with a high rate of child
recruitment by illegal armed groups in the Colombian armed conflict. The Ministry of Foreign
Affairs strongly believes that recruitment can be prevented by getting children and adolescents to
think of sports, culture, and arts as an opportunity to build a better future. Participants live in towns
involved in a program called “Children and Adolescents with Opportunities.” Our group was
from the small town of San Bernardo del Viento in northern Colombia, which has been affected for
many years by the Colombian conflict.
While visiting the Braves and being hosted by Ericka Newsome,
Janet Sevilla, and Kathryn Bennett of Atlanta Braves
Community Affairs, the group attended clinics with the players,
as well as enjoyed some of the sights of Atlanta. The Braves
400 Fan Club hosted the group for two Braves games during
their visit. Carole Brooks, Mary Lou Brooks, Howard Evans,
Shirley Suttle, and Lynn Walley joined the group in their Q&A
session with Christian Bethancourt, Pedro Ciriaco, and Sugar
Ray Marimon (photo at right).
They also participated in the on-field batting practice and
meet & greet with Julio Teheran (photo at left). What a
treat to watch these kids interact with the Braves players.
It was not only their first visit to the US, but also the first
time they traveled outside of their country. They also
experienced their first rides on an airplane, an escalator,
and an elevator. Even though they didn’t like American
pizza, everyone enjoyed their meal at Chick-fil-A.
It was a privilege for us to meet this group of young ball
players from Colombia. They were so appreciative of the
opportunity to travel to the USA and to experience being
in Braves Country! In spite of the language barrier, we
all shared a common ground—the love for baseball!
By Lynn Walley
The final “Reach Out, Be Our Guest” group for the 2015 season included about 60 youth and their
families from various youth baseball teams affiliated with Hatton Park in Hatton, AL, who attended
the Braves vs Phillies game on Sunday, September 20th . The group made the four-hour trip to
Turner Field and were welcomed by Braves Community Affairs Coordinator, Kathryn Bennett, and
Braves 400 Fan Club members, Carole Brooks, Mary Lou Brooks, Lynn Camp, Lynda Houser,
Tom Millin, and Lynn Walley. For most of the group, this was their first time to attend a Major
League baseball game! Prior to the game, the group was taken on the field for a photo-op. Then
they participated in the pre-game parade around the field.
The Tomahawk Times
October 2015 Issue
Page 7
Hatton Park, located in the small northern farm community of Hatton, AL, had its baseball fields
destroyed by wild animals a couple of years ago. Since then, youth baseball teams, like the Hatton
Hornets, have had to travel at least 20 miles to Town Creek to find a usable field for practice or a
game. They faced dealing with red tape, unaffordable renovation costs, and decreased signups of
youth players due to the long drives. The rural communities surrounding Hatton have teamed with a
local John Deere dealership, TriGreen Equipment, to selflessly volunteer their time from sunup to
sundown on Saturdays to renovate the fields.
There’s a lot of work to be done and minimal financial resources available. But the dreams of young
baseball players to follow in the footsteps of Donovan Hand, a former right-handed pitcher for the
Hatton High Hornets and now pitching for the Red’s Triple-A Team in Louisville, is what keeps these
communities focused and determined to get their kids back onto the fields at Hatton Park!
The Braves 400 Fan Club reaches out to an enthusiastic group from Hatton, AL on September 20 th
By Lynn Walley
On Sunday, September 13th, the Atlanta Braves
celebrated Childhood Cancer Awareness Day at
Turner Field. Various groups of Childhood Cancer
survivors and their families were welcomed to Turner
Field by Braves Community Affairs Coordinator,
Kathryn Bennett.
Braves 400 Fan Club members, Carole Brooks,
Lynn Camp, and Lynn Walley worked the
registration table where these young warriors picked
up their tickets to watch the Braves vs Mets game.
They were all given yellow t-shirts that said “We Go Gold for Childhood Cancer Awareness” and
yellow sunglasses imprinted with “Chop Cancer!”
The Tomahawk Times
October 2015 Issue
Page 8
Pre-game activities and a reception honoring
several survivors with awards were held in
the Patio area. The group participated in a
pre-game parade around the field. The
Braves wives also presented a check in the
amount of $5,000 to Childhood Cancer
Awareness.
To top off the pre-game festivities, nine very
excited survivors were selected to cover each
field position, where they met and got
baseballs autographed by their respective
Braves player as the Braves took the field.
Braves Country Goes Pink!
Nine Braves 400 Fan Club volunteers helped the Atlanta Braves “Pink Out” Turner Field for
the 9th annual Breast Cancer Awareness Day on Saturday, October 3rd. We assisted
Kathryn Bennett and the Braves Community Affairs staff with the registration desk, t-shirt
distribution, the Pink Wall in Monument Grove, and at “I Go Pink For…” stations inside the
gates. More than 250 breast cancer survivors registered for this day-long celebration,
which raises awareness and funds to support research, education, and advocacy for cancer
patients and their families.
It was both a joyful and emotional time as many stopped to sign the Pink Wall in honor of
loved ones affected by breast cancer.