SE Atlanta News

Fifty high school baseball players participated in a unique experience this weekend at Truist Park. The Braves hosted their third annual Native American All-Star Baseball Showcase, where 50 top high school baseball players of Native American descent engaged in a pro-style workout on the field.

Saturday’s events included a home run derby following the workout. On Sunday, the players were divided into two 25-man teams for a seven-inning All-Star contest. The pro-style workout, conducted by the Marquis Grissom Baseball Association, provided an opportunity for players to work on fielding and take batting practice on the Braves’ home field.

Greg McMichael, who played five of his eight MLB seasons with the Braves and contributed to Atlanta's 1995 World Series title, is now the team's senior director of alumni relations & growing the game. He has been heavily involved in organizing the showcase since its inception in 2022.

“This is very unique because we’re the only ones that do it,” McMichael said. “I’m really proud of the fact that we have given 50 young men an opportunity to come and play on a big league field to get some exposure from some great coaches and mentors.”

The event featured representation from over twenty tribal affiliations across 16 states and Canada. Michael Stopp, Executive Director of the Native American Athletic Foundation, partnered with the Braves in planning and executing the event. Stopp also advises Braves president and CEO Derek Schiller on Native issues.

“The Braves have been great partners with Indian Country,” Stopp said. “This was the brainchild that came out of that working group. This is our third iteration. It gets better every year. The kids always have a great time and they learn.”

Student-athletes received Major League coaching during the showcase from five Braves alumni: Grissom, Johnny Estrada, Terry Pendleton, Terry Harper, and Jerome Walton.

“I love that, from an alumni perspective, we have guys that want to give back in that way,” McMichael said.

Stopp elaborated on how players are selected for participation: “We work with Greg and his office here at the Braves... We do a lot of marketing through Facebook [and] tribal news sources to get the word out... Then our mentor coaches go through [the applications] to determine who really are star players.”

The event also included an hour-long question-and-answer session for about ten mentor coaches with former players McMichael and Collin McHugh, former Emory University head baseball coach Mike Twardoski, and Braves scout Alan Butts.

“We try to do something just for [the mentors] because they volunteer their time... They want to see these young people get better,” McMichael said.

Stopp emphasized this aspect: “[We] have that time where he really does pay attention and invests into our mentor coaches... Maybe [they are] still going back and investing in kids for next year.”

Following Saturday's activities, student-athletes and their families gathered for lunch along with another question-and-answer session featuring former players, coaches, and scouts.

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