Braves host 44 Classic, featuring top high school talent from Southeast

ATLANTA -- It’s been a historic summer for the Braves and youth baseball.

The organization celebrated the Atlanta RBI 18U team winning the Nike RBI Senior World Series for the first time since 1998, while welcoming in other youth baseball players to Truist Park for the Native American Showcase.

Last weekend capped off the festivities with their seventh annual 44 Classic, a tribute to Hank Aaron, showcasing diverse high school baseball talent across the Southeast region of the United States.

Seventy-four student athletes played in two games at Truist Park in front of college coaches, professional scouts and a small but rowdy local crowd on Sunday. They were separated by grade classification: 30 freshmen and sophomores in the Junior Division, and 44 juniors and seniors in the Senior Division.

More than 80 percent of them were from the metro-Atlanta area.

“They call Atlanta the mecca of baseball,” said Marquis Grissom, an Atlanta native and member of the Braves 1995 World Series team.

“Hank Aaron put Atlanta on the map, he was a guy who always thought about creating an opportunity for others. And us having this 44 Classic event … we’re creating that opportunity for these kids to get the exposure they need, the coaching that they need, and to provide them with an opportunity to get that scholarship to go to college.”

Grissom played outfield for the Braves from 1995-96 and coached in the 44 Classic since its inception in 2019. He was joined by other former MLB players such as Jerome Walton and Lou Collier through the Marquis Grissom Baseball Association.

Players approached Grissom one-by-one to introduce themselves and ask questions as he raved about the youth baseball talent in Georgia.

Two of the biggest names to compete in this year’s classic were Class of 2027 Redan High School star infielder and Memphis commit Kendall Turner and 2028 shortstop/outfielder Darryl “DJ” Jones from Lawrenceville, Ga. Turner was one of 11 players committed entering the weekend, while Jones batted leadoff for the opposing team.

Additionally, the duo played together on the RBI 18U team. But even after capturing those everlasting moments on a major stage, Turner and Jones felt that there weren’t many experiences that could top this weekend.

“It feels special hitting on the same fields as some of the greats that did it, just feeling like I have a shot to do it as well,” Turner said. “We’re one of the best states to play baseball in, having Power 4 guys, mid-major guys. Everybody’s here, bettering their craft, learning from one another.”

Turner’s response epitomizes Braves senior director of alumni relations & growing the game Greg McMichael’s goal of developing players from their own backyard.

McMichael was a relief pitcher for Atlanta from 1993-96 and Grissom’s teammate on the World Series team. He detailed that players selected for the 44 Classic came from either their fall development, RBI programs or scouting department.

The Braves initially scheduled a pro-style workout for the student athletes on Saturday, including a home run derby for Senior Division players, but it was cancelled due to inclement weather.

“We give these kids a chance to be out here,” McMichael said. "To see what it’s like to sit in the big league dugout, what it's like to stretch and be able to hit and play a game on a big league field -- because you never know when that spark may just say, ‘Man, this is what I want to do. Michael Harris II came out of here, why can’t I do it?’ And just that little bit of confidence goes a long way.”

McMichael worked for the Braves when Aaron was still an executive for the franchise, getting to know him on a personal level and having him on his podcast.

Although players in the Classic couldn’t experience Aaron’s professionalism off the field, McMichael believes these types of events help them tell Aaron’s story -- a guide to the standard of excellence, opportunity and impact he strove for.

And as the game evolves, Grissom views weekends like these as the perfect opportunity to learn, develop and take metro-Atlanta baseball to the next level.

“For the African American kids, all of us don’t have those funds to get on that circuit or to go to a showcase to get the metrics,” Grissom said. “If we continue to cultivate that and get that information to those guys, it would be better for not only the city of Atlanta, but better for the game.”