Major League Baseball batboys and ballgirls don’t get much media attention but Paul Bodi Jr. is the exception.
He was working down the right-field line for the Braves in the final out of the 1995 World Series and joined the Braves on-field celebration. Four years earlier during the worst-to-first season, he was mistaken as Elton John during the downtown team parade.
“I had met Elton at one of the games and I was on the fire truck and my parents were watching on TV and one of the newscasters had a closeup of me and said I was Elton John,’’ said Bodi. “They came back about five minutes later and corrected it and said I was one of the batboys. But my parents got such a big kick out of that.’’
Bodi, now working for Technical Innovation in Norcross, was with the Braves from 1991-97. In ’95, he was 21 and traveled with the team for the three World Series games in Cleveland. He has since transferred many of the great games from that era from video tape to DVD.
Q: What was your job in ’95?
A: I did a lot of things but during the games, I worked down the right-field line and I remember that season sitting in that chair thinking every inning was starting with two outs with the pitching that we had. In '91 and '92, we were so close but everyone just felt different in '95, like everyone knew that was going to be the season.
Q: What were you doing on the final out of the ’95 World Series?
A: I was standing up protecting the catcher (Eddie Perez) in the bullpen because we had guys warming up. I remember seeing Carlos Baerga hitting that ball to Marquis (Grissom) in center field. I sprinted as fast as I could to the mound. But I was very careful because in the division series, Ryan Klesko had jumped on my back and it was a little painful. I didn't want players jumping on me so I was sort of dancing around and that is what you see in the video. I still watch that a lot. It never gets old.
Q: Did you get a ring from that season?
A: No, only the full-timers got rings. But they took all of us to Cleveland for the games and that was a real reward. They gave us a couple of watches one year but I am not sure where they are.
Q: In ’95, which players did you become close with?
A: It was all the bullpen guys like Pedro Borbon and Brad Clontz. And I really like Ned Yost, who was our bullpen coach and a big NASCAR fan. I remember Ned bringing in Dale Earnhardt Sr. and I got to meet him. And, of course, I met Elton.
