Charlie Culberson, the Braves’ 26th man, makes season debut

There was nothing special about a Friday night game in June, but pregame, Charlie Culberson was taking his time. He’d finished taking batting practice, but as his teammates headed down the tunnel to the clubhouse, Culberson lingered.

He started on the opposite side of home plate, closer to the opposing dugout, and reached over the partition into fans watching the Braves warm up. He started signing. And he smiled. And he signed. And he signed some more. He took photos and took his time, never said no to a request, and slowly made his way towards his own dugout. In all, he signed for nearly a half hour.

Culberson is the 26th man on the Braves’ 26-man roster. He may not be the star fans pay to see, but he might as well have been, signing for as many fans as he could. When he left, it was less because he was done, but instead, because it was 5:29 p.m. and he had a pregame meeting at 5:30.

“Honestly, I cherish those moments with the fans during batting practice, before the game, after games,” Culberson said. “... They make us feel good. They’re supporting us. It’s the least that I can do.

“I’m not going to say give back because I don’t think it’s giving back,” Culberson said. “I think it’s just doing the right thing.”

Culberson has been on the Braves’ roster for much of the season, but he hadn’t appeared in a game until Sunday. Statistically, he’s the least important player for the Braves. In the clubhouse and the community, he’s as important as any.

In his season debut, he pinch-hit in the last inning of an 8-1 loss. Fans roared as if he was a star. They cheered just as loud moments later when, in peak Culberson style, his hustle turned a slow infield chopper into a base hit.

“Honestly, (it) felt kind of like a debut again,” Culberson said. “… The crowd was great. A little ovation, I heard them, I felt them. I know that they were pretty excited for me to sneak out a hit.”

Moments like Sunday can be few and far between for Culberson, even as part of a career with no shortage of big moments. In his first stint with the Braves in 2018, Culberson earned the nickname “Charlie Clutch” for a pair of early-season walk-off homers. His biggest moment came in 2016 while playing for the Dodgers, when another walk-off home run clinched the division title and sent legendary broadcaster Vin Scully into retirement.

Despite this, even an infield single at the end of a blowout means a lot to him.

“It was a blast for me, honestly,” Culberson said.

Culberson’s role for the Braves can’t be quantified. There’s no stat for encouragement, no metric that accounts for availability and attitude. His teammates see it, even if it’s largely invisible to the Truist Park faithful.

“I think everybody knows what kind of person he is,” pitcher Michael Soroka said. “... When he goes out there, he’s going to give you everything he’s got. When he’s in here (the clubhouse), he’s going to be the amazing person he’s always been.”

“He’s here to support the guys,” fellow utility man Kevin Pillar said. “He’s in a tough situation as far as getting playing time on the field, but I think he understands the role and he’s here to help the guys in whatever capacity he can. I enjoy our conversations on the bench. We both push each other to not get stagnant.”

Braves’ backups are responsible for putting the team first, giving starters iPads so they can watch their at-bats, looking for opposing pitchers’ tendencies, or anything else the team could need. Through all that, they need to stay ready to play.

“I think that’s what makes this clubhouse extremely special from a lot of places I’ve been in,” Pillar said. “The focus is on trying to win today, whether you’re in the lineup or not.”

Culberson never complains about his lack of play time. He understands his role, showing up to the ballpark every day even if he never shows up in the box score.

“He’s the perfect guy for what we need him to do,” manager Brian Snitker said. “In that room (the clubhouse), he’s big. He’s a big presence. He garners a lot of respect and admiration out of everybody that wears one of these uniforms. We all know what he brings and the quality of person he is. It’s good to have him around.”

For Culberson, every day is special. He was born in Rome, went to Calhoun High School and grew up a Braves fan. He lives in Marietta year-round. Some players may fall into cliche when they say they treasure every moment and love playing for a team, but Culberson really means it.

“There’s not many people that can say that they get a chance to put on the big league uniform,” Culberson said. “The Braves have given me another chance to do that for them. It’s special for me because it’s home, and I have a lot of fond memories of playing here.”

Culberson knows his role is largely off the field. He prepares to play, but knows where he stands.

“I’m excited when I get to come to the park, and even if it is just to practice and stay ready, it’s not a bad gig,” Culberson said. “I get to see the best team in baseball play every single day, and I feel like I’m a little part of that.”