From Congress to Clingstones: Brian Jack calls plays in DC and Columbus

Over the course of the team’s inaugural season, Jack has taken in games from behind home plate, mingled with fans and, yes, provided color commentary on the team’s radio and TV networks.

A diehard Braves fan and political protege of Donald Trump, Jack cut his teeth helping the president win the White House in 2016 and reclaim it last year. Jack joined Trump on the ballot in 2024, winning a GOP-leaning district that stretches from Columbus to Atlanta’s suburbs.

Now, when he’s not navigating the halls of Congress, the Peachtree City resident delights in joining the broadcast, breaking down curveballs and prospects with the intensity he brings to policy debates.

Credit: U.S. Rep. Brian Jack's office.

Credit: U.S. Rep. Brian Jack's office.

Jack’s baseball devotion isn’t just a pastime. He recently chaired a bipartisan U.S. House hearing on the economic and civic impact of minor league teams, complete with appearances by team mascots from across the country.

Even HBO’s “Last Week Tonight” took note. Host John Oliver snarked at Clingstone mascot Fuzzy the Peach, whom he described as “a giant peach who looks like he’s been sniffing glue sticks” sandwiched in a cramped hearing room.

“Spare a thought,” Oliver added, “for the people seated directly behind them.”

‘Centers of energy’

Jack sees Columbus as a model for what minor league baseball can bring to a community.

A $50 million city-financed overhaul updated the century-old Golden Park, bringing professional baseball back to Columbus for the first time in 17 years. The new park has drawn more than 100,000 fans and put the Clingstones on the cusp of setting a local attendance record.

The stadium was electric on Friday night, with thousands of fans packing the stands, exploring peach-colored jerseys and Fred Flintstone-esque ties at the merch shop and lining up at concession stands like Bullpen Burger Co.

Among them was Mayor Skip Henderson, who briefly deliberated whether to oust a wayward fan from his seat. (Like any savvy elected official, he let it slide.)

“These stadiums are the centers of energy in most of these communities,” said Pat Battle, who heads a company that owns the Clingstones and 43 other minor league teams.

Jack, who played high school baseball at Woodward Academy, takes his fandom seriously. His offices in Washington and Newnan are filled with Clingstones memorabilia. He tracks the Braves farm system religiously, rattles off scouting reports with ease and speaks of players with a sense of awe.

“If you talk about the experience of minor league baseball, it requires such grit and determination,” he said on air. “If you really want to see the stars of tomorrow, go to your minor league ballparks today.”

Jack’s emergence in Congress — former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich predicted the 37-year-old will soon be a major player in the chamber — comes at a politically charged moment for the sport.

Four years ago, Trump called for a boycott of Major League Baseball after the league yanked the All-Star Game from Georgia in protest of the state’s new voting law. This week, the All-Star Game returns to Atlanta — a reversal that Republicans tout as vindication.

Jack steered clear of taking a victory lap on the air. But he leaned into the broader meaning of Tuesday’s showcase in Georgia as a “special event for all of baseball” as he traded insights with Jack Johnson, the team’s play-by-play announcer.

The two have built a strong broadcast rapport. Jack knows when to speak, when to pause and when to cut short his analysis on the state of the Braves farm system for a call to the bullpen or a commercial break.

Johnson sometimes heightens the political banter, calling Jack the “Cal Ripken Jr. of Congress” for not yet missing a U.S. House vote.

“Republican or Democrat, everybody loves sports,” the congressman said. “Americans are looking for opportunities to bond. Politics today is full of division, but if you look at successful legislation, it’s often built on camaraderie.”

As the game headed into the ninth inning, Johnson noted Jack’s undefeated streak in the booth was in jeopardy. The Clingstones had won every game Jack helped call — until now.

They trailed the Pensacola Blue Wahoos 8–1. Braves shortstop prospect Cal Conley led off the bottom of the ninth with a single, but the rally quickly fizzled.

Jack took it in stride, thanking fans for tuning in and urging them to reach out to him in person. As he exited the stadium, he reflected on the energy and connection the ballpark brings to West Georgia.

“It’s what’s special about this game,” he said. “It’s something that unites us — an experience everyone can enjoy.”