By John Pierce
My baseball buddy Marshall Kerlin and I take in minor league
games on occasion when the Atlanta Braves vacate Turner Field to play on the
road.
Our most memorable trip came during Memorial Day weekend in
2009 when — from Saturday through Monday evenings — we watched A, AA, AAA and
Major League games.
Perhaps others have attended all four levels of baseball in
one weekend as well. So I’ll throw in the fact I fulfilled my temporary duties
at Vineville Baptist Church in Macon in the midst of this baseball feat.
Our stops, in order, were Atlanta, Chattanooga, Rome and
Gwinnett. The stars and schedules aligned magically.
During our stop in Rome, where both Marshall and I spent our
college days without minor league baseball in town, we checked out the
impressive history displays at the State Mutual Stadium. The story of textile
league baseball in Northwest Georgia and beyond was told.
Another exhibit focused on the long and impressive history
of the Braves. But Marshall noticed something odd.
“What’s wrong with this?” he asked, pointing to a reference
to the Braves arrival in Atlanta in 1966 — bringing major league baseball to
the South.
The display stated that the Braves had won their first game
at old Atlanta Stadium on April 12, 1966, when in fact they had lost in 13
innings to the Pittsburgh Pirates due to a two-run homer by Willie “Pop”
Stargell.
Marshall, who remembers everything that’s ever happened in
Braves history, also noted that Braves’ catcher Joe Torre hit two home runs in
the losing cause.
And Tony Cloniger pitched all 13 innings for the Braves. That
foolish decision damaged the right-hander’s career and likely led to manager
Bobby Bragan’s dismissal.
The following week I sent a note to R-Braves GM Mike Dunn,
who moved with the team from Macon in 2003, telling him of our enjoyable visit
and pointing out the error that Marshall had noted. Such a nice display of
history should be accurate, I thought.
Yet when back at the ballpark a couple of years later, I
noticed the wishful win on Opening Day 1966 remained. So I mentioned it casually
to an usher who asked me to share the information with the assistant general
manager who was standing near by.
He wanted to walk over and see the exact
place where the correction was needed. The Rome Area History Museum had created
the exhibits, he said, and would want them to be accurate. [Update: The Rome Area History Museum had no involvement with the displays according to its director.]
Returning to State Mutual Stadium in Rome this year, however, I was
surprised to see that the error — a "boot" in baseball lingo — remains. There has been no correcting of Roman
(Braves) history.
Good historians, journalists and others know that accuracy in
reporting is important even when the outcome is not what one desires.
So if you happen to attend a minor league in Rome, Ga., and read
the interesting background of the great textile leagues of Northwest Georgia as
well as the historical record of the Atlanta Braves, know that at least one
fact is, in fact, not a fact.
The truth is the Pirates won that memorable first Major
League Baseball game for the then-new Atlanta Braves. Marshall remembers all
the details. And if you don’t believe him, here’s another recollection.
However, as Braves fans remember more vividly, that early
loss to the Pirates was more than fully avenged on Oct. 14, 1992.
Just ask Barry Bonds or Andy Van Slyke — or their
slow-footed, former teammate Sid Bream.
