The Braves 400 Fan Club will host its annual winter banquet and fundraiser on Saturday, Jan. 21, in the Grand Ballroom of the Atlanta Marriott Century Center Hotel. A gala reception, silent auction and raffle of Braves memorabilia begins at 5 p.m. with the awards dinner and program following at 6:30 p.m.. This year’s Gameboree honors both the 1991 and 1992 National League Champions. Twenty years ago, these two started a 14-year run of championship teams. Braves announcer Jim Powell will emcee the evening’s festivities. The keynote speaker will be Atlanta Braves President John Schuerholz. Other speakers include Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro; first base coach for the 91-92 Braves Pat Corrales; Otis Nixon, the centerfielder on these teams; and IJ Rosenberg , who covered these teams for the AJC. Awards for outstanding performances by Braves minor league players in 2011 will be presented to Julio Teheran, Cory Gearrin, Joe Terdoslavich and manager Randy Ingle.
The first annual Braves 400 Fan Club charitable award to support baseball in the Atlanta area will be made this year. This initial award is to The Brian Jordan Foundation. Other awards include the Braves 400 Fan Club Rookie of the Year awards presented to Freddie Freeman and Craig Kimbrel; the Luke Appling Nostalgia Award presented to former Brave and Yankee Chris Chambliss, and the Ivan Allen Jr. “Mr. Baseball” Award. The 2011 Greater Atlanta High School Player of the Year award will be presented to Brandon Leibrandt, son of Charlie Leibrandt from the 1991-1992 Braves. The Jason Varitek Scholar Athlete award will be presented to Mark Pope from Georgia Tech.
Finally, the 2012 Phil Niekro College Scholarships will be awarded to the North Georgia College and State University in Dahlonega and Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville baseball programs.
Admission is by advance reservation only, and the deadline is Monday Jan. 16. Tickets are $65 and include dinner and a well-stocked goody bag. Make reservations on the Club’s website www.braves400.org or by mailing a check to the Braves 400 Club, P.O. Box 7689, Atlanta, GA 30309. Information is available on the Web-site or by calling the Braves 400 Fan Club’s hotline, 770-416-4539, to hear a recorded message.
The Braves 400 Fan Club, the official fan club of the Atlanta Braves, was formed in 1965, a year before the Braves made their move from Milwaukee to Atlanta. The club has been an integral part of the fan base for the Atlanta Braves ever since. The club is a non-profit organization supporting baseball at all levels – awarding baseball scholarships to metro-Atlanta colleges and recognizing metro-Atlanta high school all-stars, as well as minor and major league players in the Braves organization. Club members also take major and minor league trips and hold baseball events throughout the season, including luncheons and tailgates.
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