Gwinnett Braves End Longest Losing Streak

The string ends at 15 with a win at Coolray Field.

The Gwinnett Braves ended the longest losing streak in their history in dramatic style Sunday, with a ninth-inning comeback at Coolray Field. Felix Pie had a walk-off single to right as Gwinnett edged Charlotte, 6-5. Earlier in the ninth, Tyler Pastornicky had a double to drive in the tying run. Dusty Hughes and Buddy Carlyle worked a combined 3.1 scoreless innings in relief of Todd Redmond. Gwinnett, which had lost 15 in a row, also had lost 27 of 32 games dating to May. The G-Braves now are in fourth in the IL South, 10 games behind first-place Charlotte. The teams play again Monday (7:05 p.m.) at Coolray. Also, Monday is “Kids Eat Free” night at Coolray, where kids 12 and under will receive a voucher for a free hot dog, bag of chips and…

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UPDATE: Atlanta Braves Pitcher Arrested for DUI in Gwinnett

Christhian Martinez was booked early Monday, records show. Braves release a statement.

Updated 5:38 p.m., April 2 An Atlanta Braves relief pitcher was arrested early Monday on I-85 near Lawrenceville on a DUI charge, Gwinnett Sheriff's records show. Christhian Martinez, 30, was booked into the Gwinnett Detention Center at 4:24 a.m., and he was released on bond at 10:41. Gwinnett Police Cpl. Jake Smith told the Gwinnett Daily Post that Martinez had a blood-alcohol content of 0.130, above the legal limit of 0.080. Martinez was stopped on I-85 near Steve Reynolds Boulevard when his vehicle was spotted weaving and driving 40 mph, the Daily Post reported. He was charged with driving under the influence, failure to maintain a single lane and impeding the flow of traffic. The Braves released the following statement: "We were very …

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College Baseball Teams To Play at Coolray Field in February

The Southern Classic will run Feb. 17-19.

Baseball season will begin soon in Gwinnett as the Southern Classic, featuring four college teams, will run Friday-Sunday, Feb. 17-19 at Coolray Field in Lawrenceville. Participating will be Emory University, Oglethorpe University, LaGrange College and Piedmont College, according to a Gwinnett Braves news release. The schedule of games: Friday, February 17 1 PM: Piedmont College vs. Oglethorpe University; 4 PM: Emory University vs. LaGrange College  Saturday, February 18 1 PM: LaGrange College vs. Oglethorpe University; 4 PM:  Emory University vs. Piedmont College.  Sunday, February 19 1 PM:  LaGrange College vs. Piedmont College; 4 PM:  Emory University vs. Oglethorpe University. Tickets are on sale through the participating schools. Fans…

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Atlanta Braves To Play Exhibition Game at Coolray Field

The April 3 contest will pit the Major Leaguers against farm-system stars.

Fans of the Atlanta Braves will be able to watch the big-leaguers and some current minor-league stars at Coolray Field in Lawrenceville on Tuesday, April 3. For the first time at Coolray, fans will be able to watch established Braves stars along with Gwinnett Braves alumni like Jason Heyward, Freddie Freeman and Craig Kimbrel as they take on future stars of the Atlanta system, according to a Braves news release. The game is to begin at 7:05 p.m. Season ticket holders will be able to enter at 3:30 p.m. and will be greeted by former Atlanta Braves. Events for season ticket holders will include an on-field “meet and greet” with Braves players and prospects and a dugout Q&A session with Braves Executive Vice President and General Manager Frank…

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G-Braves Honor Bobby Cox, Millionth Fan

Teheran improves to 10-1 on season as Brundage gets 1,000th victory.

Richard and Annette Zolecki of Lawrenceville were just coming to the Gwinnett Braves game and hoping to see Bobby Cox. Little did they know they'd be a part of history, as Richard became the one millionth fan to come through the turnstiles. Zolecki was with 32 of the General Motors Executive Retirees group and offered to hand out the tickets for his friend John Hennings. But Hennings said he'd do it instead, and when Zolecki went through the turnstile, G-Braves General Manager North Johnson pulled him aside and the confetti went down. "When I was talking to the guy that I was going to relieve, I said wouldn't it be nice if someone in our group won that thing," Zolecki said. "It's just been a great night. Everybody has been friendly. I …

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Vanzetta Evans

11:22 am on Tuesday, July 19, 2011

We'll have a special Viewfinder on Thursday with photos from Bobby Cox Day and the millionth fan. Be sure to check it out!   more ›

First Person

Bringing Cooperstown Memories Back To Suwanee

North Gwinnett 12-under baseball teams complete their youth careers in Hall of Fame tournament.

There is a special magic to 12-year-old baseball. It’s the pinnacle of a childhood game that captures the transition from the innocence of youth to adolescence. It’s the basis of our national pastime wrapped in a set of emotions, experiences, and memories. This is a game that’s bigger than any player, any coach, and any fan. Youth baseball captures our hearts for a time and leaves permanent impressions that become part of the fabric of our being. Twenty two boys from the Suwanee area joined with 102 other teams representing 26 states and Canada last week at Cooperstown, N.Y., to participate in a moment of sport and friendship. Both teams finished with two wins and four losses in the six-game pool play and both lost their opening-round …

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Suwanee Players Live the Cooperstown Dream

As Collins Hill 12U Green finishes play, the North Gwinnett 12U Black and and 12U Red teams start the Hall of Fame tourney in New York.

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -- The Cooperstown experience for the Collins Hill 12U Green of Suwanee may be over, but it’s not something they’ll soon forget. The Eagles, coached by Ted Kallgren, went 3-3 in pool play, which set them as the No. 52 (out of 104) seed in the single-elimination tournament. In the tournament, the Eagles advanced with victories over the Minooka Indians (IL) and Treasure Coast Lightning (FL) before falling to the Mizuno Edge (FL).   The Eagles participated in Week Four of the Cooperstown Dreams tournament that runs throughout the summer. The eventual champion of Week Four was the East Cobb Titans (GA). The Titans won 5-2 in the championship game against the Clifton Park Knights (NY). Week Five of the tournament features both…

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Suwanee's Garvin Drafted by Tampa Bay Rays

The former Wesleyan star is taken 37th overall in compensatory round out of Vanderbilt.

SECAUCUS, N.Y. – Suwanee native Grayson Garvin was selected with the 59th pick in this year’s Major League Baseball draft by the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night. Garvin, a junior at Vanderbilt University, played his high school ball at Wesleyan, where he was a two-time Region Player of the Year, an All-American selection and holds the school records for career innings pitched, strikeouts, wins, complete games and career ERA. He was also drafted in the 45th round by the Houston Astros in 2008, but chose to pitch at Vanderbilt instead. Garvin was also the second Commodore player taken on the first night of the draft, joining teammate Sonny Gray, who went 18th overall to Oakland. After a strong summer in the Cape Cod League, Garvin was …

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Suwanee to Cooperstown Trip Draws Closer

Local families make travel and lodging plans for their summer trip to the Baseball Hall Of Fame.

Note: This is the fifth article in a series about taking a youth baseball team to Cooperstown, N.Y.,  for a weeklong summer tournament.  Previous articles covered an overview of the Cooperstown experience, fundraising, the legal/medical forms , and trading pins. The Suwanee teams attending this year are:  It's 943 miles from Suwanee to Cooperstown, N.Y. That’s about 15 1/2 hours of driving time. At $4 a gallon, that’s about $160 in fuel one-way for a gas hungry SUV or minivan getting 24 miles per gallon. So let’s talk road trip. Think back to your college days when you couldn't wait to hit the road with your friends and enjoy new places and good company. OK, so maybe you're not 21 again and you’re not headed to a Florida beach, but upstate…

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Cooperstown Dreams: the Parent/Camper Kit

Suwanee youth baseball teams have to deal with fine print for a trip to the Baseball Hall Of Fame.

Note: This is the third article in a series about taking a youth baseball team to Cooperstown, N.Y.,  for a weeklong summer tournament.  The first article gave an overview of the Cooperstown experience and listed four 12U Suwanee-based teams that are making the trip this summer. The second article discussed how the teams are handling fundraising to offset trip expenses.  The Suwanee teams attending this year are: Preparation is a big component of a Cooperstown trip. As with most youth camps and activities, the Cooperstown Dreams Park experience has its share of required paperwork. There are three forms that make up what the park calls the "parent/camper kit." Each participating child is required to turn in all three forms to their team …

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