Braves Alumni Play Major Part In Plans For All-Star Week Events

The Atlanta Braves are turning the All-Star Game into a week-long Old Timers Game.

Former heroes Chipper Jones, Andruw Jones, and Andres Galarraga – representing the team’s three Atlanta ballparks – will throw out first pitches before the big event, the 95th All-Star Game, on July 15.

Before that, Chipper will manage the National League prospects in the annual Futures Game, while former Brave Marquis Grissom manages the American League team in the seven-inning game, scheduled for July 12.

There’s even a family tie across league lines as Grissom’s son, Nationals right-handed pitching prospect Marquis Grissom Jr., will play his father with the NL squad.

A roster of former Atlanta heroes – including two-time Most Valuable Player Dale Murphy and one-time All-Star catcher Javy Lopez – will also participate.

Three Home Cities

The Braves have called three cities home and hosted All-Star games in each of them: at Braves Field, Boston, in 1936; Milwaukee County Stadium in 1955; Atlanta Fulton County Stadium in 1972; Turner Field in 2000; and now Truist Park.

Galarraga, a free agent slugger who starred at Fulton County Stadium, will represent that ballpark when he throws out his first pitch Tuesday.

Andruw Jones, a World Series star with the 1996 Braves at Turner Field, will honor that former Olympic stadium with his first pitch.

And Chipper Jones, a former National League batting champ and MVP whose playing career ended in 2012, will represent Truist, where he served as a part-time batting coach for the team.

Andruw’s Bid

Along with FOX broadcaster John Smoltz, who will be covering the game, Chipper played his way to Cooperstown with the Braves. Andruw Jones, who won 10 consecutive Gold Gloves, is arguably the leading contender for the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026.

Aaron Tribute

The late Hank Aaron, who spent all but two of his 23 major-league seasons with the Braves, will also be honored at the All-Star Game, where a special in-game tribute is planned. The career home run king for 33 years and a post-retirement civil rights advocate, Aaron is the subject of an extensive current exhibition at the Atlanta History Center. A book talk about his life is scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday.

Braves manager Brian Snitker, once fired by Aaron as a minor-league catcher who couldn’t hit, is a coach for the 2025 National League All-Stars under Dave Roberts, manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Snitker is completing his 49th consecutive season in the Braves organization.

Other Activities

In addition to the All-Star Game, a baseball staple since 1933, the week of related festivities includes the Futures Game, a celebrity softball game, the major-league amateur draft, the nationally-televised Home Run Derby, Play Ball ballpark village (formerly Fan Fest), and the HMCU Swingman Classic, often described as an All-Star Game for black baseball.

Atlanta city and tourism officials expect a $50-$100 million financial windfall for local businesses, including hotels, restaurants, and entertainment venues as well as airlines and transportation entities. Atlanta Hartsfield International is the busiest airport in the world though not as large as Denver’s.

Originally scheduled for Truist Park in 2021, the game was moved to Denver’s Coors Field by Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred after Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a voting rights law Manfred, Roberts, and other baseball leaders believed to be restrictive. The Commissioner later reconsidered and reinstated Atlanta, thus helping a city with a population that is 51 per cent black.