The Tomahawk Times The Official Newsletter of the Braves 400 Fan Club ________________________________________________________________ June 2013

By Dave Badertscher

Wayne Coleman introduces Atlanta Braves President John Schuerholz at the High School All-Star Luncheon

The Braves 400 Fan Club honored the top Metro Atlanta baseball players at its annual High School

All-Star Luncheon on May 30th at Turner Field’s 755 Club. Special guest, Atlanta Braves President

John Schuerholz, opened the program with a cordial welcome to the players, coaches, and parents.

Fan Club President, Bob Messner, followed with a talk about the history and many worthwhile

activities of the Club. He announced that one-year, complimentary memberships to the Braves 400

Fan Club will be given to this year’s All-Stars and their families. Nearly 100 guests attended.

Frank Wren, Braves Executive Vice President and General Manager, took time

out from draft room sessions to address the group. He talked about the

excitement of the state playoffs and the quality of baseball in Metro Atlanta.

Wren and others pointed to the timely June 3rd ―Land of Plenty‖ article in Sports Illustrated, which identified Georgia as the hotbed of high school player

development in the country. Wren also cited the success the Braves had during

the 90s and the strong African-American baseball presence in Atlanta as

contributing factors. He told parents that they are the best judge of whether their high school athlete

is physically and emotionally ready to move to the professional level.

Past Fan Club President, Wayne Coleman, listed the many former All-Star honorees who went on to

play in the Major Leagues, including Brian McCann, Jeff Francoeur, Dexter Fowler, Marlon Byrd,

Domonic Brown, and Brandon Phillips. The Club has recognized Metro Atlanta High School All-

Stars since 1972. Coleman went over each player’s statistics and achievements, while Bob Messner

and Frank Wren presented the awards.

The Tomahawk Times June 2013 Issue Page 2

Back row left to right: Nathaniel Lowe, Austin Meadows, Cody Pugh, Hunter Thornton, T.J. Richardson, Clint Frazier

Front row left to right: Michael Henderson, Stephen Wrenn, Josh Hart, Matt Meeder, Brandon Baker, T.J. Riles,

Griffin Helms, Brady Smith, Dylan Cease. Not pictured: Gemini Jackson, Connor Johnstone, Brock Maxwell

All-Star

High School Coach

Brandon Baker

Redan

Marvin Pruitt

Dylan Cease

Milton

Joey Ray

Clint Frazier

Loganville

Jeff Segars

Josh Hart

Parkview

Chan Brown

Griffin Helms

Michael Henderson

Norcross

North Forsyth

Jonathan Wyman

Jim Cahill

Gemini Jackson

B.E. Mays Reginald Austin

Connor Johnstone

Roswell

Mike Power

Nathaniel Lowe

Pope

Jeff Rowland

Brock Maxwell

Lambert

Jamie Corr

Austin Meadows

Grayson Jed Hixson

Matt Meeder

Roswell

Mike Power

Cody Pugh

Mill Creek

Doug Jones

T.J. Richardson

T.J. Riles

Lanier

Woodland

Chad Longe

Michael Hardy

Brady Smith

Kell

Donnie English

Hunter Thornton

Parkview

Chan Brown

Stephen Wrenn

Walton Shane Amos

The Tomahawk Times June 2013 Issue Page 3

For the first time since 1981, the Braves 400 Fan Club selected Co-Players of the Year.

Austin Meadows (Grayson H.S.) and Clint Frazier

(Loganville H.S.) had stellar years in 2013. Both

slugging centerfielders are projected as 1st round picks in the upcoming MLB First-Year Player Draft. They

were prominently featured in the June 3, 2013 article

in Sports Illustrated ―Land of Plenty.‖ Frazier and

Meadows were rated by Baseball America as the #1

and #2 high school players in the country in the

category ―Closest to the Majors.‖

Bob Messner, Austin Meadows, Clint Frazier, Frank Wren

For the first time in Braves 400 Fan Club history, the

Coach of the Year award was given to three deserving

coaches in Metro Atlanta.

Marvin Pruitt led Redan H.S. to the AAAA State

Championship. Jeff Rowland led Pope H.S. to the

AAAAA Championship. Joey Ray and his Milton H.S.

team captured the AAAAAA State Championship.

Congratulations to each of these outstanding coaches

and their championship baseball programs!

Marvin Pruitt, Jeff Rowland, Joey Ray

The Braves 400 Fan Club supports baseball at all levels in the

community. Bob Messner presented Donnie English of Kell

High School with a $1,500 check from the Club on behalf of

Team Georgia. Team Georgia is an all-star team of Georgia

high school seniors, plus a second team of juniors, who

compete against teams from seven other states in the Sunbelt Tournament in Shawnee, OK. The tournament includes all-

star teams from the baseball hotbeds of California, Texas and

Ohio, and has been called by Collegiate Baseball the most

competitive tournament of its type in America.

It is one of the premier travel baseball organizations in the Southeast

Thanks to Braves 400 Fan Club All-Star Selection Committee members Johnny Tallant, Cindy Tate and John Padgett. Each year the Committee

evaluates the outstanding high school baseball players in Metro Atlanta to

come up with the final 18 candidates. Another job well-done!

The Tomahawk Times June 2013 Issue Page 4

The MLB First-Year Player Draft took place on June 6-8. Pictured below are the four 2013 HSAS

award winners selected in the draft. In addition, Kyle Wren, son of Frank Wren, was chosen by the

Braves. Former HSAS and College Player of the Year Kyle Farmer was drafted by the Dodgers.

Clint Frazier Austin Meadows Josh Hart Stephen Wrenn

#5 (Cleveland) #9 (Pittsburgh) #37 (Baltimore) Round 28 (Atlanta)

The Braves 400 Fan Club held its first ―indoor tailgate‖ of the season in the 755 Club at Turner

Field on the evening of April 30th. Attendees enjoyed a hearty spread of wings, pizza, and classic

nachos in the air-conditioned comfort of the 755 Club. Folks visited with fellow Club members, talked

Braves baseball, and later watched the game between the Braves and the Nationals.

The game featured Tim Hudson going for his 200th career win. To sum up the Braves’ 8-1 victory—

Huddy did it all. In addition to having one of his best pitching outings this year, he contributed a

double and an opposite field homer to the cause. Congratulations to Tim Hudson on this milestone!

Tailgating at the 755 Club before the game against the Nationals Tim Hudson notches Win #200

NEXT UP: Build Your Own Burger at our indoor tailgate in the 755 Club on June 19, 2013

prior to the game between the Braves and the Mets. Join your fellow 400 Fan Club members for

food and fun! See our website (www.braves400.org) for all the details. Sign up by June 17th!

The Tomahawk Times June 2013 Issue Page 5

On Saturday May 11th, Club members Dave Badertscher, Arlene

Langer, and Bernie Marino assisted with the Pitch Hit & Run

Competition held at the Carver Homes YMCA ball fields. These

fields are supported by the Atlanta Braves and the competition was

held on the Chipper Jones Field.

Arlene’s first assignment was at the PITCH portion of the program,

calling out ―STRIKE!‖ whenever a competitor hit the Strike Zone

target from a distance of 45 feet. Each competitor gets six throws. Dave and Bernie assisted in the RUN portion, which measured a competitor’s speed in a sprint from

the start line, touching third base, and touching home plate. Boys run a total of 160 feet. Bernie

monitored third base, while Dave had the honor of yelling GO!

The three of us also volunteered for the HIT portion of the program, which tests a competitor’s ability to hit the ball from a stationary batting tee, along a tape measure from home plate, toward straight-

away centerfield. Hits are measured for distance and accuracy. Bernie and Arlene were spotters

marking off where each hit ball first lands. Dave measured the distances as well.

We had a wonderful experience learning how to set up and execute the Competition, but even more exciting was the verbal commitment received to co-present Pitch, Hit & Run with the Carver Homes

YMCA in 2014.

Pitch, Hit & Run, the official skills competition of Major League Baseball, is intended to encourage

youth participation and emphasize the ―FUN‖ element of baseball/softball, in the safest atmosphere

possible. There is no fee to participate in this program so that every boy and girl ages 7-14, has a chance to compete in the three most important aspects of baseball/softball.

By Bob Messner, President Braves 400 Fan Club

We handed out awards to outstanding local players at our annual High School All-Star

Luncheon at the end of May. Then we watched the MLB Draft and saw our young

men get selected in the draft by various teams. One day you are at the table talking

with these players and the next day they are on TV or in the newspaper being picked by

Major League teams. As we were reminded by Frank Wren, if you’re not scouting

Georgia there's something wrong with what you’re doing.

Here we are well into the season and in first place over the Nationals and Phillies with the All-Star

Break about four weeks off. Now let's get behind our guys and vote for them to be included this year.

And wouldn't it be great to see Evan Gattis get invited to the Home Run Derby as a rookie?

The Tomahawk Times June 2013 Issue Page 6

Donnie Ellenberg has been a member of the Braves 400 Fan Club since 1996. He was on the Club’s

Board of Directors for five years. Donnie served in the Army and relocated to Atlanta in 1962, where

he enjoyed a long career with the Postal Service. He attended Atlanta Cracker games at Ponce de

Leon Park and celebrated the arrival of the Atlanta Braves in 1966. All of this has served Donnie well over the years. He worked as an usher at Atlanta-Fulton County

Stadium from 1992-96. For the past twelve years, Donnie has worked for the Braves in the mail

room at Turner Field. Donnie loves to be around the ballpark. ―I can’t wait to go to work every

day,‖ he happily shares. ―I can’t believe there’s a job like this.‖

Donnie has many fond baseball memories. He recalls seeing the

2-1 pitching duel between Denny Lemaster and Sandy Koufax

on August 9, 1966. Three decades later, as a member of Guest

Services, Donnie welcomed the last official fan into Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium at the final game on October 24, 1996.

It was taped and aired locally on Channel 5. They were kind

enough to give Donnie a copy.

Some of Donnie’s most memorable times come in the offices, elevators, and tunnels of Turner Field while he delivers the mail.

Where else, he asks, can you bump into and chat with folks like

Braves great, Hank Aaron? ―It doesn’t get much better than

that,‖ Donnie declares. He’s definitely the right man for the job.

Welcome New Braves 400 Fan Club Members!

Gale & Sam Bell, Marietta, GA Quinton King, Stockbridge, GA

Shannon Belletti, Marietta, GA Doris McGee, West Memphis, AR

Marcia Dworetzky, Marietta, GA Katie Wood, Sandy Springs, GA

Complimentary memberships for HSAS Players/Families:

Family of Brandon Baker, Lithonia, GA Family of Austin Meadows, Grayson, GA

Family of Dylan Cease, Alpharetta, GA Family of Matt Meeder, Roswell, GA

Family of Clint Frazier, Loganville, GA Family of Cody Pugh, Buford, GA Family of Josh Hart, Snellville, GA Family of T.J. Richardson, Sugar Hill, GA

Family of Griffin Helms, Duluth, GA Family of T.J. Riles, Ellenwood, GA

Family of Michael Henderson, Gainesville, GA Family of Brady Smith, Acworth, GA

Family of Nathaniel Lowe, Marietta, GA Family of Hunter Thornton, Lilburn, GA

Family of Brock Maxwell, Suwanee, GA Family of Stephen Wrenn, Marietta, GA

PRODUCT RECALL??

The product in question? Those business cards that were included as part of your

membership packet. We would like to get those business cards back--along with a

membership application.

Beginning June 15th and through the remainder of the calendar year, the Club is

conducting a contest. The rules are simple. When you give someone a card, have that

person send it in with a paid membership and we’ll credit you with the membership. The

Club member with the most new memberships at the end of the year will receive a complimentary registration to the 2014 Gameboree. Put those business cards to work!

The Tomahawk Times June 2013 Issue Page 7

By Wayne Coleman

Former Braves pitcher Rick Camp passed away April 25, 2013 at his

residence in North Georgia. Rickey Lamar ―Rick‖ Camp was born June 10,

1952 in Trion, GA, graduated from Trion High School in 1971 and

attended West Georgia College.

Rick’s friends would agree that his memorial service was entirely

appropriate. It began with a playing of Elvis Presley's Amazing Grace and

ended with Presley's How Great Thou Art. Phil Niekro and Levi Walker (Chief Nokahoma) were among the many mourners overflowing the

service at the Erwin-Pettit Funeral Home chapel in Summerville, GA.

The four eulogists included Rick’s lifelong friend Whitey Tucker, Coach

Roger Kaiser of West Georgia College, former Braves manager Bobby Cox

and Reverend Mike Woods. Tucker delivered the quip of the day: "Rick

lived only 60 years, but his engine had a lot of miles on it."

Reverend Woods’ remarks were very reflective on Rick’s life – until his closing in which he mentioned

the Braves 400 Fan Club. He told of Rick having been out of the public eye for a few years, and

how appreciative Rick was when the Braves 400 Fan Club invited him to speak at the 2008

Gameboree, the Club’s annual winter banquet. Rev. Woods then read verbatim the introduction given

for Rick at that banquet. He delivered it with enthusiasm, had everyone laughing and applauding,

and it was a perfect ending to Rick’s memorial service.

Here is Rick’s introduction from the January 2008 Gameboree that Rev. Woods read:

Rick Camp was a right-handed pitcher with the Braves from 1976 to 1985, and he was always

popular with the fans and with his teammates. He did whatever his managers asked—he

started games and pitched long relief and short relief. Although he played for some losing

Braves teams in the late 70s, he ended his career with a winning record. And in 1981 he

recorded a 1.78 ERA with 17 saves and tied for the National League lead with 9 relief wins.

Rick is probably remembered most for his hitting, or should we say, lack thereof. He was a

lifetime .074 hitter, and when he came to bat Skip (Caray) would frequently warn the TBS

audiences, “Get the women and children away from the television; this is not going to be a

pretty sight.”

However, he remains one of the Major Leagues’ all-time top hitters for at-bats after 3:00 AM.

On July 4th, 1985, the Braves hosted the Mets in a 19 inning game that, with two rain delays,

ended at 3:55 AM the next morning. The game might have ended sooner, because the Mets

led by one entering the bottom of the 18th inning. But with two out and nobody on, Rick

stunned the entire Mets team, the TBS viewers, and everyone in the ballpark by hitting an 0-2

pitch over the left field wall for his only career home run.

Ladies and gentlemen, one of the most popular .074 hitters of all time, Rick Camp!

The mourners packed into the chapel responded with a final round of applause for Rick.

In lieu of flowers the family requested that donations be made to American Society for the

Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

The Tomahawk Times June 2013 Issue Page 8

Rick Camp, fan favorite, at the 2008 Gameboree

By Dave Badertscher

Lots going on since our last issue of The Tomahawk Times! With a little less than a month to go

before the All-Star Break, our Braves have strengthened their grip on first place in the NL East. The

talent is definitely there. We’ve seen some great individual performances recently ranging from Evan

Gattis’ opposite field grand slam on a 3-0 pitch to Julio Teheran’s near-miss no-hitter.

Exciting times at Turner Field!

Wayne Coleman offers a fitting tribute to former Braves pitcher, Rick Camp, in this

issue. My close encounter with Rick occurred on July 30, 1978. It was Braves picture day

out in centerfield at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium before the game. No tents, no

shade, just the blazing Georgia sun. Rick graciously posed for a picture with our three

children, which we still have. By the end of the session, everyone was wilted including the Braves players. Fortunately for Rick, he didn’t have to pitch that day. The Braves went on to lose to the

Expos, 19-0. Thanks again for the memories, Rick.

In our next issue look for a full report on the Club’s Major League trip to see the Braves play the

Chicago White Sox on July 19-21 at U.S. Cellular Field. About thirty of us will be going. We’ll see some quality baseball and do our best to stay out of trouble in Chicago. Let’s go Braves!

At the Fan Club’s monthly board meeting in May, one of our own,

Mary Lou Brooks, entertained the group with an impressive video

of her skydive over the Georgia countryside on April 13th.

The big day was a long time coming after several postponements,

but she and her crew had a blast. It was her grandson’s 26th

birthday. Congratulations, Mary Lou, just don’t expect the rest of

us to follow suit anytime soon!

Braves 400 Fan Club The Official Fan Club of the Atlanta Braves

www.braves400.org

Mailing Address: Fan Club Hotline: P.O. Box 7689 770-416-4539 Atlanta, GA 30357-0689