A LOOK BACK AT THE 2019 SEASON ATLANTA BRAVES GAMEDAY 2 National Anthem during the home opener against the Chicago Cubs on April 1, 2019. TheATLANTA Braves BRAVES won 8-0. GAMEDAY 3 Ronald Acuña Jr. hits a home run during game 1 of the series against the Florida Marlins on April 5, 2019. The Braves won 4-0. BB&T and SunTrust are now Truist Together for better truist.com Truist Bank, Member FDIC. © 2020 Truist Financial Corporation. Truist, BB&T, SunTrust, the Truist logo and Truist Purple are service marks of Truist Financial Corporation. ATLANTA BRAVES GAMEDAY Dansby Swanson during game 3 of the series against the Philadelphia Phillies on June 16, 2019. Braves won, 15-1. 5 BY KARA ZOELLNER FOR THE A BRAVES BASEBALL has a storied history of bringing people together to foster a sense of belonging for many individuals. Fandom has been passed down FREDDIEFREEMAN through generations and sparked through new friendships. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from because if you are tied to the Braves, you are “For the A.” The “A” unites us and brings fans together to experience the pure joy of Braves baseball. The “A” is Atlanta. It’s Braves Country. It’s Hank Aaron hitting his 715th home run. It’s the dogpile on the mound after winning the World Series in 1995. It’s Acuña’s grand slam during his first postseason. It’s your dad taking you to your first game. It’s going on a date with your future partner. It’s piling into a car with the family and making that annual summer trip to see your team. The “A” is high fiving a total stranger just because you both rep the “A”. The “A” is a bond that unites Braves fans. Being a Braves fan means creating memories that can last a lifetime, as shown by season ticket holders and A-List Members, Brandon and Bonnie Cunningham. Brandon and Bonnie, and their two children, have a special connection to the Braves as the pair went on their first date at the ballpark. “We’ve grown as a family with the Braves,” said Brandon. “Baseball is something we’ve always come back to,” continued his wife, Bonnie. As the Cunninghams look back, they remember more than just the score of the game. They recall and cherish the quality time they have been able to spend together as a family. “There are so many things and memories that come along RONALDACUÑAJR with being Braves fans besides whatever the actual game is. Baseball is a part of our family. Being a Braves fan is a feeling; more than anything else, it’s the feeling of being a part of the Braves family.” According to the Braves marketing team, “For the A” was derived from the same familial sense of belonging many Braves fans have experienced throughout the seasons. 6 ATLANTA BRAVES GAMEDAY ATLANTA BRAVES GAMEDAY 7 FOR THE A “I have always had a love and passion for up through the injuries and slumps, is “As we talked about our campaign for this year, it was baseball,” stated Mary Williamson, who amazing. I think all the players feel that important to us to find something that represents all our became a fast fan of the Braves after same sense of passion, and they all want key audiences and stakeholders and wasn’t moving to Atlanta in the late 1980s. “For the same thing, to win a World Series, something you see on the field but weren’t able me, being a fan means having a sense of and that is what we as fans want too.” to identify with as a fan,” said Brad Meriwether, community. ‘For the A’ is about everyone coming together to support the team director of marketing for the Atlanta Braves. “The Braves Country experiences pure one thing we kept coming back to, and the thing that and to support Atlanta.” exhilaration, joy, heartbreak, anger, unifies every group, was the ‘A’ on our hat. Our players defiance and redemption under the wear it, our staffers wear it, our fans wear it. It’s how the “It has been a long offseason for me with “A”. The Braves compete, put in work, community identifies as Braves fans. We felt there was no baseball,” continued Mary. “This year sacrifice and play relentlessly for every something powerful in the ‘A.’” we have some great talent, and to see the way the players interact with one win for the “A”. It’s who we are… because we’re all “For the A.” “The ‘A’ has been timeless,” continued Brad. “It has withstood another, the way they pick each other the test of time. As the game of baseball has changed, as × Atlanta has changed, as our organization has changed, the ‘A’ FOR THE ICONS, has been constant.” THE GAME CHANGERS, THE PATH PAVERS. Longtime season ticket holder, David Baderstecher, has been connected to the Braves for most of his life. His FOR THE ARTISTS, father took him to his first Braves game at Atlanta-Fulton THE CULTURE SHAPERS, County Stadium in April of 1966, following the Braves’ THE MOLD BREAKERS. move from Milwaukee. As a kid, David recalls being in awe of the Major League stadium and the pride the team brought to the city of Atlanta. FOR THE SOUTH, THE FLAGS THAT WE WAVE, “I love the way the Braves represent the city and how the THIS COUNTRY OF BRAVES. players represent themselves on the field,” said David. “When I think of what ‘For the A’ means to me, I look back at all the AND FOR THIS TEAM. great players who have played for the Braves since the team FOR OUR LOVE OF THIS GAME. arrived in Atlanta in 1966… and how much it meant to me, and FOR THE PRIDE IN OUR NAME. the people in the South. It was a really big deal to bring this caliber of team to the city.” WE CHEER, WE FIGHT, WE PLAY As the city of Atlanta embraced the Braves’ arrival, a sense of community blossomed. OZZIEALBIES 8 ATLANTA BRAVES GAMEDAY ATLANTA BRAVES GAMEDAY 9 Word Search Puzzle 3/23/20, 11:13 AM Y A R Z P Y D J P K E I Z Z O E J H K O M G J M N L T S I E X S I F L S V Q N C I F A Y B A A B Q G L F L X O F S N A S C C N H S H M Y C H I P P E R R U M H L N I U Y I F N E B S C V A N L R T A Z I P H C K L F V C E A V Z U I E W T H Z A H J A P C Q S W O R L M T M H L Z Q E I T R U I S T P A R K F L O I A N D X U A T R K Y T Y K C C L L H R N R F U X H K F P S J F G W Q J G O N T N Z V A W Y H B B W W S F K Q T K I A V R O N I R T S V A H G T I E R E P O O L B Y R X R C U V S O Q J T X U V O Y Q B Q G W A D O T Z E T J T V A R U E A R W S U Z U A S R Z B D B O S M Y S Z A Y P A T Y V W Z H C A O M A O C E D V A R R B B I W K W W N L G Q P L Q Z E P Q T A W Z L W V T K M L L R P H I S K L X K V Q G O S A B T X Q C E E F H Y A T T P D K A J L R Q I J U B Y C H T S N Y J L Z Y L F Q E H E Crossword Puzzle AARONAARON BRAVES HOT DOG ACUNAACUNAJR JR CHIPPER OZZIE ATLANTA ATLANTABASEBALL FOR THE A PLAY BALL BASEBALLBLOOPER FREEMAN TRUIST PARK BRAVES BLOOPERCHIPPER HOMERUN FORTHEA FREEMAN HANK HOMERUN 1 HOTDOG OZZIE 2 PLAYBALL TRUISTPARK 3 4 Created by Puzzlemaker at DiscoveryEducation.com 5 Down: Across: 1. The Triple-A Affiliate of the Braves 2. What is Freddie Freeman's jersey number 2. Who was the Braves 2000 Rookie of the Year 4. Where do the Braves play Spring Training 3. Who plays Shortstop for the Braves 5. Where is Ronald Acuña Jr. from Down: Across: 10 ATLANTA BRAVES GAMEDAY 1. THE TRIPLE-A AFFILIATE OF THE BRAVES? 2. WHAT IS FEDDIEATLANTA FREEMAN'S BRAVES GAMEDAY JERSEY 11 2. WHO WAS THE BRAVES 2000 ROOKIE OF NUMBER? THE YEAR? 4. WHERE DO THE BRAVES PLAY SPRING 3. WHO PLAYS SHORTSTOP FOR THE BRAVES? TRAINING? 5. WHERE IS RONALD ACUNA FROM? http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/code/BuildWordSearch.asp Page 1 of 1 ® Build your own custom worksheet at education.com/worksheet-generator © 2007 - 2020 Education.com Fans Power Atlanta Forward.