Logan Carmona will throw himself on the mercy of the Battlefield Elementary School administration this morning. That's what happens when 10-year-olds decide to momentarily ignore their education to collect autographs from the Atlanta Braves.
"He missed school, and I have very understanding bosses," said Logan's mother, Kelly Gardner, after the pair collected the signatures of current Braves catcher Christian Bethancourt and infielder Phil Gosselin, as well as Braves alums Marquis Grissom, Javy Lopez, Charlie Leibrandt and Terry Pendleton during the franchise's annual Caravan stop at Academy Sports at Hamilton Place on Thursday.
"We've been in line since 8:50 this morning."
To explain the depth of their dedication, Gardner and her son were the third and fourth people in line of the more than 275 fans snaking through the sporting goods store when the Braves began their signing session at 3:30 p.m.
The Braves Caravan came to Academy Sports and Outdoors Thursday, Jan. 29, 2015, with the baseball names of Charlie Leibrandt, Javy Lopez, Marquis Grissom, Terry Pendleton, Phil Gosselin, Christian Bethancourt and Cedric Hunter.And just to show that Atlanta's best days haven't been forgotten, when young Logan -- who was wearing a Craig Kimbrel jersey -- was asked the signature he was happiest to have collected, he said, "Terry Pendleton."
Said Grissom, the native Atlantan, "It never gets old being around these fans. Somebody brings up the (1995) World Series every day. And it's still a great feeling. It's one reason why you play this game. All that we can leave behind is that we can be remembered."
The current Braves will no doubt hope to forget last season's late collapse, which produced yet another September swoon, the third in manager Fredi Gonzalez's four summers running the team.
To help reverse that misfortune, the club added well-respected everyday veterans such as A.J. Pierzyzski, Nick Markakis and Jonny Gomes, promising pitcher Shelby Miller and ageless arm Jason Grilli.
Seanna Mainord, 3, of Gruetli Laager, gets a high five from "Homer," a Braves mascot, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2015, at the Braves Caravan event at Academy Sports and Outdoors, Hamilton Place.It has also decided to hand the catching duties to Christian Bethancourt, who showed his ability to handle pressure last summer when he collected three hits at Turner Field with his mother watching him in a major league game for the first time ever.
"Hopefully, she'll get to watch me a lot more this year," said the 23-year-old. "I think it's going to be fun figuring out everyone's place on this team. It's going to be a challenge every single day."
Lopez, who was the catcher on that World Series winner, believes Bethancourt has the talent and dedication to guard the plate for years to come.
"I've been with him the last two spring trainings," Lopez said. "What impressed me most is that he listens. When you're just coming up, listening is the most important part."
Not that that's all that impresses the Braves great regarding Bethancourt.
"He's got good work habits, he really studies the game," Lopez continued. "He's learning how to call a game and block the plate. Understand, he's the only one on the team who can look everyone else on the field in the eye. He's got to make the pitcher comfortable."
Lopez was spared that last task, of course. He was catching Tom Glavine and John Smoltz.
"I didn't have to teach them," he grinned. "They taught me. I probably really didn't understand the real role of a catcher until I went to Baltimore."
Of those Braves no longer with the club, Grissom says he'll miss none more than fellow Atlanta native Jason Heyward, who joined the St. Louis Cardinals during the offseason.
"I was a little sad and disappointed," Grissom said. "But it might end up being the best thing for both Jason and the Braves. Everybody seemed to expect him to hit 40 home runs and get 125 RBI every year. I've always believed you can't tell anything about anybody until they've played three or four years and had 1,500 at bats. I think the expectations were sometimes unfair to him."
The expectations for this team are uncertain at this point. The clubhouse needs leaders. The team on the field needs to remain healthy and happy to produce.
Regardless of the results, 71-year-old Hilda Abercrombie expects to watch every game on television and attend seven or eight games a year.
"We drove up from Ellijay, Ga., this morning," she said. "Took us almost two hours. We got here about 9 (a.m.). I'm sort of worried about this team, but it was great to meet Lopez and Pendleton."
Abercrombie first saw the Braves live some 25 years ago on Mother's Day when her children told her she wasn't going to church that morning and drove her to Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. She was immediately hooked and still wears the T-shirt she bought after the World Series win that had caricatures of all the players on it.
Unlike many Braves fans who don't understand the team abandoning Turner Field for a new ballpark just north of I-285, she says she likes the idea, noting, "It will be closer to our home."
Logan Carmona, 10, is overjoyed with his signed baseballs after attending the Braves Caravan event Thursday at the Hamilton Place Academy Sports and Outdoors store. "He's going to put them in his man cave, " Kelly Gardner, his mother, said.No one's closer to home more often in a baseball game than the catcher, which really hit home to 9-year-old Noah Hayes, who's a student at Battle Academy and plays catcher on his youth team.
"What could be better than having an old Braves catcher such as Javy here and the new Braves catcher in Bethancourt?" said Noah's father, Tim, as his son clutched a baseball bat newly blanketed with autographs. "We probably go to 20 games a year because my wife has a cousin who can get us free tickets now and then."
Where this season will end no one knows. The Braves could disappoint. Or they could surprise enough for Tim and Robin Hayes to lobby for free tickets for Noah and daughters Anna (7) and Avery (5) far more than 20 times this summer.
Count Bethancourt among those expecting a much better 2015 than 2014.
"We all know," he said, "that we have to do better this year."
If they do enough better, fans such as Logan Carmona and Hilda Abercrombie may have to secure their place in the Caravan line by daybreak this time next year.
Contact Mark Wiedmer at mwiedmer@timesfreepress.com.