Broadcaster thrilled to share booth with heroes

This story was excerpted from Mark Bowman’s Braves Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Brandon Gaudin landed his dream job in February, when he was hired to serve as the Braves’ play-by-play announcer for Bally Sports South and Bally Sports Southeast. The lifelong Braves fan took time before Wednesday’s game against the Padres to discuss his experience thus far.

MLB.com: How would you describe your first three weeks on the job?

Gaudin: I knew it would be great, but it’s even better with the start the Braves have had. I had heard that not only the production staff but the guys on the team and all of the other external people were awesome, and that’s been the case. Everybody has been incredibly kind. So, it’s been about as good of an experience as I could have hoped it would be.

MLB.com: Is this what you envisioned as you developed this dream while growing up watching Braves games in Evansville, Ind.?

Gaudin: There have been three key moments: the first Spring Training game, Opening Day in D.C. and the home opener. I felt a chill up my spine before each of those games. Each of those games felt like a first in a different way and I was just flooded with memories from my childhood and how much this means to me. My family, we all grew up watching the Braves in the 1990s. So, sitting in the booth, I was thinking of my family and knowing how cool it was to be able to share this with them.

MLB.com: Have you had a chance to talk to Tom Glavine, who will be your broadcast partner for some games this year?

Gaudin: I haven’t talked to him, other than text messages. But I’m really looking forward to working with him during this weekend’s Astros series. I hear he’s a lot of fun. Watching him from afar, I haven’t really been able to see the full personality I’ve heard about. I think the dynamic of having one of my childhood idols in the booth with Frenchy (Jeff Francoeur) and I will be a tremendous amount of fun.

MLB.com: Have you met any of the other Braves of yesteryear?

Gaudin: It’s been great to get to know Eddie Perez and Walt Weiss (two members of Atlanta’s coaching staff) because they were guys I loved to watch growing up. We were talking during Tuesday’s broadcast about the 1998 Braves because the 1998 Padres were being honored that night. I remember after the Padres beat the Braves in the NLCS that year, I locked myself in my room at my childhood home because I was so distraught the Braves lost after winning 106 games that year.

There have already been so many times this year where I remember the Braves matching up against a certain team as a kid. It just makes me smile and appreciate this journey even more.