Today's effort on 1B of The Times has sparked both old-schoolers and sentimental fans to respond. AND, I don't know the answer to the trivia question asked ("AFLAC!...") though you might.
(The pictures here are of my man Skip Caray and also of Craig Biggio, just before his final at-bat Sunday in a 3-0 season-ending and 20-year-career ending victory over Atlanta at Minute Maid Park. And how many of these logos do you remember?)
T-MAIL:
Teddy,
My name is Nancy. My dad and I watched the last game my dad ever watched on TBS the night he passed in 1999. I held his hand and told him the Braves had won (again!) when he went to sleep.
Thank you for your column today. I will treasure it.
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TA,
Great column this morning as I can relate to every bit of it ! My mother became a huge Braves' fan,prior to her death in 1985,simply because she could follow them everyday.I have a vhs tape that was aired in the spring of 1983 entitled "Long Way to October".It was a 4 hour(2 night) special on every aspect of a season(the 1982 Braves' season).It's awesome.
TRIVIA : We all know it was WTBS prior to dropping the W and settling for just,TBS.WHAT WERE THE ORIGINAL CALL LETTERS for this Ted Turner station ? I was looking for it in your column but failed to see it.Any ideas ?
Gov-
FROM TEDDY: Gov, I still have 'It's a Long Way to October' on VHS. Red Barber narration. My favorite part is when Torre, in the dugout during a game, looking straight ahead, asks Gibson if he's going to get up in the morning and watch him (Torre) on 'Good Morning America.'
GIBSON: What time's that come on?
TORRE: 7.
GIBSON: No.
My second favorite part is Torre watching a game and all of a sudden snatches his hat off and starts rubbing his hair and says to Gibson, who never replies, "I've got to get a haircut. I think I'll wait til we get to St. Louis. Know a guy there, gives good haircuts."
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Teddy,
Great piece! I thought my college roomie and I were the only ones
who'd watch the Braves' games twice (in the same night). I can
definitely relate...
Regards,
Buddy Wood
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ANSWER TO TRIVIA, (from The Governor): WTCG...(my guess would be "Turner's Cable Giant").
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Hi Teddy,
Loved your article about TBS and the Braves. Yes, it was always great to know you could watch baseball regardless of the time.
But-----how could you write that article and not at least mention that at the same time of that "great sadness" that Craig Biggio who had played for 20 years with the Astros (his only team--unbelievable) had just played his last game.
The professor and I were there on Saturday night to see him in his "second to last night" to play. It was outstanding and cameras were flashing everywhere.
I WILL still continue to read and enjoy all your articles. You make our day!
Have a great day! Mary Lou Hughes
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Attaboy Teddy,
You hit a home run with your piece on the Braves and TBS. Sunday was a truly sorrowful day, like some old friend had passed away. My wife Nancy and I have been Braves fans since the early 90's and it began when the worse to first phenomenon occurred. We watched as the three wise men of Atlanta (Maddox, Glavine and Smoltz) dominated in the 1990's. Then an a miracle happened and my job took me to live in Atlanta in 1993. We were enamored with Fulton County Stadium and made every ball game we could during '93 and '94. We saw the introduction of Chipper, Javy Lopez, Tony
(Tabasco) Torasco, and the likes of Blauser, Lemke and even Deon Sanders. During that time Nancy's dad, Pappy, started to watch the games to see if he could spot Nancy and I in the stands. Quickly he became a die hard fan, never missing a game. When we moved back to Shreveport, we would go over and watch games with him. Then in June of 1999, he passed away at 87, just an hour after he and Nancy had watched the Braves win on TBS. He was a true Braves fan to the end.
Then to our amazement, we realized that during those years of Braves on TBS, Pappy's wife, Nancy's mom Melba, had become a fan also. She can recite individual Braves stats better than an ESPN analyst.
At 88, she never missed a game on TV and when the Jones boys or Frenchy or any of the stars would hit a home run or make a great play, she would call us up to make sure that we were watching. It's amazing how far reaching the baseball connection can be, enabling people of all ages to share in the love of our national past time. Oh what a sad day Sunday was, for Braves fans, baseball fans, and everyone connected with the sport. Nancy and I and Melba (and Pappy up in heaven) will miss the telecasts very much. And God bless those announcers, who became like family, for they gave us so many laughs over the years. GO BRAVES!!! Rufus Lemaire
