As perfectly timed as a successful pick-off throw, Tyler and Nancy Flowers ushered into the world their fourth child Thursday evening, during the Braves’ off day.
After spending the night in an uncomfortable Cobb County hospital bed, the Braves catcher was in his car the next afternoon heading for SunTrust Park.
Ready to join the lineup. “I texted in to make sure (manager Brian Snitker) had the same plan,” Flowers said on the drive in. “If he didn’t, I was going to stay at the hospital a little longer and probably show up more around game time.
“I told him I was ready to go if that was his plan. And he said, yeah.” Having caught Sean Newcomb in his first major league start Saturday — Newcomb giving up no earned runs in 6 1/3 innings — Flowers was penciled in to be there for the rookie’s second Friday against the Miami Marlins.
Madi Flowers was born at around 5 p.m. Thursday, the day after the Braves got home from a three-game trip to Washington. She has an older sister and two older brothers waiting at home.
This makes the third of Flowers’ four children who were born during the baseball season, and he has managed to be there for each occasion.
The first birth was the most challenging. Then with the Chicago White Sox, Flowers was on the road in Baltimore when he received news after playing in a night game that Mia was on the way. Teammates scrambled and arranged a 2 a.m. private jet that returned him to Chicago in time to witness the birth.
Three children later, the couple is getting much more skilled at the in-season delivery.
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