The 100-plus tattoos that cover Steve Disney’s body tell the stories of his life — of family, faith, redemption and, featured on his right leg, a chapter dedicated to the Atlanta Braves.
Disney doesn’t know exactly how many Braves tattoos wrap that leg. He guesses somewhere in the ballpark of 30. But he’s certain he’ll step up to the plate — err, tattoo chair — for more red and blue ink soon. That’s because the 65-year-old Johns Creek resident has become obsessed with tattoos since he got his first at age 60.
But before Disney recounts his tattoos, he needs to unfurl his lifelong love of the Braves.
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
When the Milwaukee Braves became the Atlanta Braves in 1966, Disney was 8 years old. His family of four lived in Marietta, and the trips to the Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, where the Braves played till 1996, became a treat.
“We drove into the big city, and it felt like an adventure, a vacation. It wasn’t something we could do all the time,” said Disney. “Tickets were a dollar or so for kids. Sometimes we’d go as a family. Sometimes it was just me, my dad and big brother, or it was a Little League outing. I was wearing my Little League uniform in my first picture taken at a Braves game.”
Disney, an athletic kid who was pretty good at baseball and loved collecting baseball cards, was captivated by the major league games. His memories are vivid and action-packed, none more so than when he witnessed Hank Aaron’s 500th home run on July 14, 1968. There was an uproar, a celebration — and a 10-year-old Disney with stars in his eyes.
Credit: Courtesy of Steve Disney
Credit: Courtesy of Steve Disney
“Back then, there were probably 12 players who had hit that many homers. It was a huge deal,” said Disney. “They handed out business cards at the game with a picture of Aaron. It said, ‘I was there when Hank hit his 500th home run.’ I wrote on the back of it: ‘To Steve, From Hank’ and signed his name. I went to school and told everyone I got Hank Aaron’s autograph.”
Disney’s love for the Braves continued as he grew older. He continued to attend a handful of games each season. He watched games religiously on TBS, kept up with the team in the sports section and was thrilled when ESPN’s “SportsCenter” came onto the scene in 1979, so he could follow the Braves there, too.
Aside from watching hall of famer Phil Niekro, one of his all-time favorites, Disney said the 1980s weren’t an exhilarating decade for the Braves. He could get a game ticket for a few bucks and nab a seat by the dugout because fans were sparse. During this lull for his team, Disney was dealing with struggles of his own.
Credit: Courtesy of Steve Disney
Credit: Courtesy of Steve Disney
“I was a big-time partier back in the day — cocaine, booze, all of that. I ran around Atlanta doing all kinds of crazy stuff,” said Disney, now a poker tournament director. “Eventually, I was at the end of my line. I called my dad and told him I had a problem. He said it was about time I admitted it. I quit it all on March 11, 1986. I went to rehab and an outpatient program, meetings for Cocaine Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous. I built my sobriety day by day.”
Sobriety changed everything.
“I made all new friends because I didn’t have the same kind of fun as my old friends anymore. I was proud I got sober before both my parents passed away,” he said. “My life became more focused. I probably watched more baseball than ever around that time. Then came the ’90s and we really started getting good. That’s when I became a fanatic.”
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
John Smoltz, Mark Glavine and Greg Maddux led a resurgence for the Braves. Disney cheered on the team when it won the pennant in 1991.
“The city went nuts,” said Disney, who owns an impressive collection of Braves shirts and hats. “The buzz in the city was something else.”
Chipper Jones, another favorite of Disney’s, joined the Braves in 1993. And then the team won the World Series in 1995.
Exciting as baseball was for Disney, life got even better when he became the father to three in the late 1990s, two boys and a girl.
“As they grew up, I became a baseball dad, taking them to Braves games like my dad did with me,” said Disney, fondly. “You know, I never caught a foul ball, but my son caught two at Turner Field. I was proud and pissed off at the same time.”
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Disney refers to his kids as his “Disney World.” Austin, Morgan and Connor, all in their mid- to late-20s now, are the greatest gifts in his life, he said.
In 2018, after years of begging, Connor, who was 20 at the time, talked his dad into getting a tattoo with him.
“I’d held him off for a long time, telling him my generation only had tattoos if they were in the military, jail or a biker gang,” said Disney with a guffaw. “He was relentless though, and I finally gave in. I was a little nervous. I asked a lot of questions. I watched Connor go first and took pictures. He got a Bible verse on his arm. I got a tattoo on my left forearm. I chose my kids’ names with an infinity symbol. I’m proud of it. I felt like a cool 60-year-old dad. After that one, I told David, the tattoo artist, I’d be back.”
True to his word, Disney returned the following week and added “My Life” above the kids’ names and “My Disney World” beneath.
“I get lots of looks and stares, but I don’t mind. I actually like it. They’re conversation starters,” said Disney. “The funniest thing I’ve heard is ‘Why’d you wait till you were almost dead to get them?’”
His response: “I have one life to live, and I’m going to enjoy it.”
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Disney began visiting David Witucki at Pür Ink Tattoo and Piercings in Johns Creek about every other week.
“My original tattoos were in regard to my family and my recovery, which I wear like a flag,” said Disney. “At first, I aimed for the whole ‘business in the front, party in the back’ deal, where just my left arm would be decorated, and I’d keep the right one clean. But I got addicted to the art of tattooing. It hurts at times, but it’s peaceful to sit in that chair. It’s an escape. I enjoy telling my story this way. It’s nothing crazy important to anyone else, but it is to me.”
Disney’s left leg is covered in with characters from “Toy Story,” his kids’ favorite movie from childhood. He has quotes related to his sobriety and a nod to Virginia Tech football in honor of his dad, who was a big fan of the Hokies. And, of course, there’s his Braves leg.
Disney’s dozens of Braves tattoos include new and nostalgic Braves logos, tomahawks, hall of famer numbers and silhouettes of Hank Aaron and Chipper Jones. The Braves won the World Series in October 2021, and the next month Disney had an image of the trophy added to his collection. Then he was thrown a curveball.
“I was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in November 2021,” said Disney before his voice breaks. “I didn’t tell my kids immediately. I didn’t want to ruin their holidays. No surgery could be done, but I started chemo and radiation. I stopped getting tattoos because it’s not good for your immune system.”
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Though he still has issues with his esophagus and continues to get chemo infusions every few weeks, Disney is cancer free. Just as his son repeatedly asked him to get tattooed for years, Disney repeatedly asked his oncologist when he could return to the tattoo chair. Permission was granted in May. The first tattoo he got upon his return was a big “A” logo for the Braves and the words “2021 champions.”
When asked what his next Braves ink will be, Disney doesn’t hesitate.
“I think I’ll add guys like Austin Riley, Ozzie Albies and Matt Olson, and hopefully another championship trophy.”
