Braves inspired Chattanooga State baseball player as a child

Boucchechter scanned the stands for two of her nephews, Ari and Rami Fabian, who were hunting for signatures by the dugout during Braves’ batting practice on Sunday.

“Every game is just an experience,” Boucchechter said. “It’s a memory that I make.”

Boucchechter brought Ari Fabian, then a toddler, to a Braves game at Fulton County Stadium after moving to Atlanta in the early ’90s. A Venezuelan native, Boucchechter remembers watching the Braves as a casual fan while growing up in Orlando, Fla. Once Fabian, her eldest nephew, began taking an interest in baseball at a young age, Braves games became regular outings for the family.

“My whole life I’ve been coming to Braves games,” Fabian said. “It’s something that I love doing. Coming to the ballpark, just walking out and seeing the field every day. It reminds you how much you love the game.”

That love for the organization swelled within them when the team acquired first baseman Andrés Galarraga, a Venezuelan.

“That’s what made him love the Braves even more,” Boucchechter said of her nephew, Ari.

Now 19, Fabian is a first baseman himself, having been inspired by Galarraga’s stint in Atlanta.

“Being able to continue playing through college, it’s almost a dream come true,” said Fabian, who just signed with Chattanooga State Community College after a year at John Wood Community College in Quincy, Ill.

Fabian looked up to the Jumbotron in Turner Field as Tom Glavine wrapped up his Hall of Fame induction speech. Fabian and Boucchechter try their best not to miss home games. There was no way they’d miss Bobby Cox, Greg Maddux and Glavine earn the highest honor in the majors.