APRIL 2021
Legally Brief With Kevin Patrick Automobile accidents | Daycare injuries | wrongful death
1991: The Best Year in Baseball HOW ONE EPIC WORLD SERIES SHAPED MY CHILDHOOD
When I was a kid in the late ‘80s, I caught a serious case of Braves fever. The internet hadn’t reached us yet, so there wasn’t much for my friends and me to do other than trade baseball cards and talk about the Atlanta Braves’ odds in the next World Series. I didn’t know it yet, but I was hopping on the Braves bandwagon at just the right time. At the start of my interest in the Braves, their odds of getting to the World Series weren’t good. They were one of the worst teams in the country (in 1988 they lost 106 games), but I didn’t care that they were in the bottom of their division. I was glued to every game and, over the years, became obsessed with players like Sid Bream and Ron Gant. My favorites were the pitchers: Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of watching Braves games on TV with my parents and friends during that time. I loved doing the tomahawk chop! And if "I CAN STILL REMEMBER WHAT THE STREETS OF ATLANTA LOOKED LIKE ON THE DAY THE BRAVES FACED OFF AGAINST THE MINNESOTA TWINS. VENDORS SET UP TENTS UP AND DOWN THE STREETS, EVERYONE I KNEW SHOWED UP TO BUY BRAVES TOMAHAWKS AND T-SHIRTS."
one of the games came on too late on a school night for me to stay up and watch it, I’d get up early the next morning and call the Braves hotline to check the score and see what I missed. If you’re a baseball fan or have lived in Atlanta for a while, then you probably know where this story is going. In the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, the Braves started turning things around. In the ‘80s, they were the underdogs, but in 1991, my loyalty was rewarded when they won the National League and made it all the way to the World Series! I can still remember what the streets of Atlanta looked like on the day the Braves faced off against the Minnesota Twins. Vendors set up tents up and down the streets, and everyone I knew showed up to buy Braves tomahawks and T-shirts. They had lots of games for kids, and I vividly recall standing at a height chart to measure how tall I was compared to star left fielder Ron Gant. Then, my family headed home to watch the game. The Braves didn’t win the World Series that year, but it will always stand out to me as one of the most magical days of my life. I never stopped rooting for the Braves, either. In the years that followed, I went to games at the old Fulton County Stadium whenever I could, and I still get excited every April when baseball season starts. That old stadium will always feel like the home of the Braves to me, even though it doesn’t have the modern luxuries of Truist Park. The seats were squeaky and unforgettable, and we fans had to
pack in together like sardines, but the atmosphere always seemed perfect. It was the essence of baseball Americana. Today, I still love cheering on the Braves. As I write this, I’m looking forward to their opening game of the season against the Philadelphia Phillies on April 1. (By the time you read this, that game may have already happened — I hope the Braves came through!) I never played baseball myself, but I’m already encouraging my son Michael to start T-ball when he’s old enough. In the meantime, I hope to show him the magic of baseball in person. Hopefully, when the pandemic ends, we can go to Truist Park and catch a game. Sincerely Yours,
This publication is for informational purposes only, and no legal advice is intended.
KEVINPATRICK.LAW I 404.566.5880 • 1
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