Braves Untold - African Americans

LeRoy Robert “Satchel” Paige was known as a showman at heart and legendary pitcher, from his years in the Negro and Major Leagues. Paige received the nickname “Satchel” from his work toting bags at a train station in Alabama, where the name would carry on being distinctive in his baseball legacy. He would begin his career in 1926 playing for the Chattanooga Black Lookouts. Following his two years in Tennessee, he journeyed throughout the Negro Leagues playing in Birmingham, Baltimore, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Kansas City, and Puerto Rico, to name a few.

During the 1940s, Paige returned to Kansas City and was advanced from barnstorming team, the Kansas City Travelers, to Negro American League team, the Kansas City Monarchs. He would become a 4x Negro League All-Star with the club and Negro World Series champion in 1942. Due to the integration of baseball, Paige became the oldest man to debut in the major leagues at age 42 and two days for the Cleveland Indians. In his post playing career, he signed with the Atlanta Braves as a pitching coach/pitcher for the 1968-1969 season.

Braves Untold Moment of Confidence: Paige was the first player to have played in the Negro Leagues and to pitch in a Major Leagues World Series in 1948.

James "Red" Moore was known as a prominent member of the Atlanta Black Crackers in Atlanta's history of black baseball from 1935 through 1948. A native of the city, James played five seasons with the Atlanta Black Crackers prior to the integration of black athletes into the Major Leagues. He would also spend his time playing for the Newark Eagles and Baltimore Elite Giants, where he was the roommate to Roy Campanella.

During his Negro League career, James declared for the military draft and served from 1942 to 1945. He would pick up his baseball career following World War II into what would become the final year for the Atlanta Black Crackers. In an on-and-off career of 13 years, he was recognized as one of the league's premier first basemen and a defensive wizard, posting a career .280 batting average.

Braves Untold Moment of Confidence: In the 1938 season, James led the Atlanta Black Crackers to a second-half league championship. In 2006, he was inducted into the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame.

Greg Goodwin, the founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Mentoring Viable Prospects, works to provides opportunities for young athletes in Atlanta to pursue a college education. Greg received his bachelor's and master's degrees from Tennessee State University and would later utilize his education for youth development as a coach at Redan High School for 30 years. During his time as an educator, he spent 20 years as a Professional Baseball Scout for the Florida Marlins and Los Angeles Dodgers.

From an educational administrator, to coach and Athletic Director at the third-largest school district in Georgia, he served more than 100,000 students. In 12 seasons as a baseball coach at Redan High School, his career included a win/loss record of 228-96, four Coach of the Year awards, and produced dozens of scholarship baseball and softball players, 18 professional baseball draftees, and two Major League players. In 2000, Greg became the first African American and youngest baseball coach inducted into the Georgia Dugout Club Hall of Fame.

Braves Untold Moment of Confidence: Greg received the "For the Love of the Game" award from the Georgia Professional Baseball Scouts Association for a lifetime of service to baseball and the community.

Sandra Brown-Hall is an administrator and coach with the Browns Mill Civic and Athletic Association (BCAA), a non-profit that provides over 500 boys and girls the opportunity to play baseball and softball in Dekalb County Georgia. Sandra's love for the game of softball began at a young age at a recreation center in Decatur, Georgia. The recreation center sparked her passion for creating co-ed opportunities for the youth.

The BCAA strives to develop youth athletes through a commitment to sportsmanship and teaching the love for baseball and softball. Sandra's role as a coach is centered around development and awareness, that helps provide African American girls with what a future in baseball and softball look like. Since its inception, the BCAA softball team has won the MLB Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) World Series from 2001 - 2007, and again in 2013.

Braves Untold Moment of Confidence: For the Browns Mill Civic and Athletic Association, every girl that has participated in the program for four years or more have continued to play softball and have received a scholarship to a college or university.

Marvin Pruitt was the first of only two baseball coaches to win over 500 baseball games in Dekalb County. Known most notably for his career at Redan High School, Marvin coached the Raiders to 13 playoff appearances in 14 seasons, including the 2013 Class 4A state championship and two Final Four appearances in 2003 and 2010.

He was also known for his quiet strength and big smile. As a coach, he expected his players to play with same passion he had for the game of baseball. Pruitt's passion for baseball was rooted in advocating for the continuance of baseball in the lives of African Americans. Redan High School, Marvin coached the Raiders to 13 playoff appearances in 14 seasons, including the 2013 Class 4A state championship. In his commitment to black baseball, the 2013 state championship team he coached was the first all-black team from metro-Atlanta to do so.

Braves Untold Moment of Confidence: Marvin finished as DeKalb County's winningest coach in history at 447-252-4 with stops at Lakeside, Stephenson, Southwest DeKalb and Redan high schools. His stint as a head coach in Rocksdale County add to his career total of 510-333-6.

Two-time All-Star and Atlanta, Georgia native, Marquis Grissom had a 17 year-long career in professional baseball and included a 1995 World Series Championships with the Atlanta Braves. Marquis was drafted out of Florida A&M University to the Montreal Expos, where he would win his first of four consecutive Gold Gloves. Following the 1994 season, the club traded him to the Atlanta Braves. As his career continued, Marquis won the American League Championship Series (ALCS) MVP award in 1997 and was recognized for his spirit and leadership in 2003 with the Willie Mac Award. Marquis retired from Major League Baseball in 2006 and shifted his focus to building a baseball program in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia - The Marquis Grissom Baseball Association (MGBA).

The Marquis Grissom Baseball Association works to provide youth and underserved communities the opportunity to play baseball. The organization sponsors youth travel baseball teams in the Metro Atlanta area with teams between the ages of 7 to 18. The MGBA provides coaching, mentoring, college placement assistance, tutorial services, and scholarship assistance, having groomed countless players that have been drafted. In 2019, MGBA teamed up with the City of South Fulton to take over Welcome All Park, a park that Marquis grew up playing at, to provide youth in the area with the opportunity to develop in the game of baseball year-round.

Braves Untold Moment of Confidence: The association has served over 1,600 players for more than ten years, providing scholarships to its players and universities. Additionally, 98 percent of program alumni have received scholarships from colleges and universities.