Rome Braves Program Vol. 06

Rome Braves Program Vol. 06

JUNE 21-26, 2022

Braves Prospect Vaughn Grissom on a Tear Earning Player of the Week Thanks to Back-To- Back Grand Slams in Asheville Featured Story: Manager Kanekoa Texeira and Pitch- er Dylan Spain Talk About Hawaiian Life and Culture

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Hawaiian Culture in the Heart of Braves Country FEATURED STORY

8 Hickory Roster

9 Rome Braves Roster

10 Rome Braves Photo Roster

12 Group Tickets

13 Tradin’ Post Item of the Homestand

PLAY ALONG DURING THE GAME Answers revealed in the 5th inning

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2022 SCHEDULE

HOME

AWAY

Times, dates, and opponents are subject to change.

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CHARLIE MORTON BOBBLEHEAD JUNE 24

MAX FRIED BOBBLEHEAD JULY 9

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Hawaiian Culture In The Heart Of Braves Country by Justin Franklin

When you first see them, you know that Rome Braves pitcher Dylan Spain and manager Kanekoa Texeira have something about them that sets them apart. For Spain, it could be his tow- ering height. The right-handed reliever stands at a sky-scraping six foot and six inches. For Texeira, it could be his flowing locks. The Rome Braves man- ager has not cut his hair in nearly two years. As striking as their physical ap- pearances may be, it is their core val- ues that truly make them the unique and special individuals they are.

Dylan Spain and Kanekoa Texeira are both natives of the Hawaiian Islands. Spain hails from Honolulu, and Texei- ra is a native of Kula, Hawaii. Texeira made his professional debut in April of 2010 for the Seattle Mariners. Any time someone makes their major league debut, it is a big deal. But for this particular right-handed pitcher, it meant a little more. Since 1914, there have been only fifty Major League Baseball players to be born in the 50th state. So, to have to people of Hawai- ian descent on the same team is quite

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the rarity in professional baseball.

that show that you care for others and not just yourself.”

Dylan Spain was drafted by the At- lanta Braves in the tenth round of the 2021 draft. However, what separates Spain from the rest of the draft class is that prior to being drafted in 2021, Spain had not pitched since 2019. “It was a whirlwind of emotions.” Spain says. “There was a lot of time where I was thinking ‘can I really do this?’ But I got together with my uncle, my pitching coach, and my strength coach and put together a plan and stuck to that plan.” The plan has worked so far for Spain, as he has quickly moved through the Braves’ farm system. Last season, Spain progressed so well, he found himself through three levels of competition before his first full season of play. Spain sped his way through the Florida Complex League and Low-A Augusta, then ended his season in High-A Rome where he currently re- sides. So what is it that drives both Texeira and Spain to be successful? It’s the culture they were raised in. Spain says “The biggest thing we’re taught grow- ing up in Hawaii is Ohana.” Ohana is the Hawaiian word for family, and it is not just a catchy phrase to put on a t-shirt. On the Hawaiian Islands, Oha- na truly means family and is taken to heart. “It’s not just within our own family, but the people around us. Be- ing able to respect everyone that we come in contact with, that we speak with, that we see every day. In order to respect yourself you need to respect everyone around you.” Spain believes that, much like in baseball, success and respect does not have to come in grand gestures. “Holding the door for someone. Just the little things in life

Texeira is in his second season as the Rome Braves manager and he, much like Spain, has brought his heritage with him to the clubhouse. “I brought the laid back island style. The way I go about things and the way I handle business on the field and in the club- house. People always ask ‘How many kids you got?’ and I say ‘Shoot I got two girls and thirty-two boys yanno?’ Every kid we’ve got, we’re all one big family in the clubhouse.” The Hawai- ian approach to the game of baseball has paid off for Texeira, Spain, and the Rome Braves this year. Headed into their late June series with the Hicko- ry Crawdads, Rome sits at thirty-five wins and only twenty-eight losses. The Braves are also just three and a half games out of the first place spot in their division. When they’re not on the baseball field, both Spain and Texeira live your typi- cal Hawaiian lifestyle. In the offseason, Texeira goes from full-time manager to full-time dad. “I get my kids up and get them ready for school. Once their ready for school I feed them and get them out the door. My In-Laws live next door, so they help out too. My Fa- ther-In-Law will take one kid to school and I’ll take the other one to the ba- by-sitters. After that, I work around the yard. If my wife lets me go fishing, I’ll go fishing. We have a lot of deer on the island I live on, so if I don’t go fish- ing, I’ll go hunt. Just try to provide for the family.” As a full-time professional athlete, life for Spain in the offseason looks a little different than taking kids to school and yard work. Spain says that “For me, a normal day starts with

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a workout and then I’ll throw.” But you can’t keep a Hawaiian kid from the beach. “After that, I’ll go to the beach and surf or something. I mean the beach is one of the best places for your body to recover.” The game of baseball is growing in Ha- waii, and due in large part to guys like Texeira and Spain. “When I was young- er it wasn’t as big as it is now.” Tex- eira says. “We didn’t have travel ball teams growing up. But now, you have guys like Shane Victorino, Kurt Suzuki, Kolton Wong and that is really helping expand the game there.” For Spain, he has been a product of the contin- ued expansion of Hawaii baseball. “I would say that the game has grown so much in a short amount of time. From the time I graduated high school to graduating college. Within that four

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or five year span, the amount of trav- el ball teams and tournaments that have developed has really boomed. The amount of opportunities that are available for kids there now is really headed in the right direction.” Both Spain and Texeira volunteer a little of their offseason free time as well to kids who want to get better and grow in the game. That spirit of giving back to their com- munity derives straight from the way they were raised, and the pride they have in it. “To be Hawaiian means ev-

erything to me.” Texeira says. “I mean, it’s kind of a dying race in the world. So to be Hawaiian and pass down to my kids the same culture I was raised on means the world. Just to be Hawaiian.” Spain believes that Texeira perfectly embodies the true Hawaiian spirit. “If you go there now, you don’t get to re- ally see the old Hawaiian ways. Only if you meet a guy like Tex or someone like me who’s family knows the Hawai- ian language. It’s a dying culture, the history, the language. So to keep that alive means so much.”

Ohana

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HICKORY CRAWDADS Manager: Carlos Cardoza Coaches: Ryan Tuntland, Jon Goebel, Jay Sullenger, Kawika Emsley-Pai, Derrick Decker, Andy Earp

PITCHERS

NO.

B/T L/L

HT

WT 195 215 189 231 206 170 216 160 190 170 245 185 160 165 180 199 WT 182 180 198 WT 181 170

DOB

Ahlstrom, Robby Brewer, Michael Church, Marc Dotson, Destin Englert, Mason Krauth, Nick Linarez, Jesus Manon, Eudrys Matthews, John Morel, Yohanse Mraz, Spencer Roby, Tekoah Tejada, Leury Thompson, Tyree Vanasco, Ricky

31

6' 3"

06/19/99 08/08/00 03/30/01

37

R/R 6' 5" R/R 6' 3"

16

36 44 25 40

L/L

6' 7"

11/17/99 11/01/99

S/R 6' 4" R/R 6' 3" R/R 6' 4" R/R 6' 1" R/R 6' 1" R/R 6' 0" R/R 6' 10" R/R 6' 1" R/R 6' 1" R/R 6' 4" R/R 6' 3" R/R 6' 3"

09/06/99 01/10/97 01/16/98 01/21/98 08/23/00 05/05/98 09/18/01 12/24/99 06/12/97 10/13/98 08/09/99

19 18

38 39

21

43 22

13 14

White, Owen

CATCHERS

NO.

B/T

HT

DOB

Florentino, Randy Freeman, Cody Kapers, Scott

23

L/R 5' 11" R/R 5' 10" R/R 5' 11"

07/05/00 01/05/01 11/27/96

1

8

INFIELDERS

NO.

B/T

HT

DOB

Acuna, Luisangel Chavez, Frainyer Easley, Jayce Guenther, Jake Hauver, Trevor Rodriguez, Keyber Saggese, Thomas

2 5 3

R/R 5' 10" S/R 5' 10" S/R 5' 8"

03/12/02 05/24/99 08/02/99 05/16/97 11/20/98 10/24/00 04/10/02 01/06/99

151

15

L/L

6' 4"

230 205 178 175 196 WT 170 190 193

20

L/R 6' 0" R/R 5' 10" R/R 5' 11" R/R 6' 2"

17 12

Seise, Chris

6

OUTFIELDERS Aponte, Angel Carter, Evan Zavala, Aaron

NO.

B/T

HT

DOB

24

R/R 6' 0" L/R 6' 4" L/R 6' 0"

02/03/00 08/29/02 06/23/00

11

32

8

ROME BRAVES Manager: Kanekoa Texeira Coaches: Wes McGuire, Danny Santiesteban, Bobby Moore, Jesus Aviles, Joe Powell

PITCHERS Barger, Alec De Avila, Luis

NO.

B/T

HT

WT 201 215 175 210 215 210 210 215 210 205 205 227 230 210 205

DOB

30 34 22 38 59 58 32 26 45 20 56 54 37

R/R 6' 2"

03/24/98 05/29/01 06/15/97 06/06/98 09/30/96 07/06/97 02/02/00 03/12/96 04/14/00 04/21/98 04/10/01 07/24/98 01/27/97 06/22/99 06/21/98 07/05/98

L/L

5' 9"

De La Cruz, Isrrael

S/R 5' 11"

Dodd, Dylan

L/L

6' 2"

Dum, Benjamin

L/R 6' 0" R/R 6' 1" R/R 6' 5"

Freure, R.J.

Hoffmann, Andrew McSteen, Jake Munoz, Roddery

R/L

6' 0"

R/R 6' 2" L/R 6' 3" R/R 6' 3"

Riley, Trey

Salinas, Royber Santos, Lisandro Schwab, Davis Smith, Austin

L/L L/L

6' 1" 6' 4"

12

R/R 6' 4" R/R 6' 6" R/R 6' 4"

Spain, Dylan

7

Van Buren, Malcolm

23

185

CATCHERS Tolve, Tyler Valdes, Javier

NO.

B/T

HT

WT

DOB

55

L/R 6' 1" R/R 5' 10"

200 205

07/16/00 11/19/98

16

INFIELDERS Bunnell, Cade

NO.

B/T

HT

WT 190 210 220

DOB

4

L/R 6' 0" R/R 6' 3" L/R 6' 3" R/R 6' 3" R/R 6' 0" R/R 6' 2"

05/14/97 01/05/01 03/06/99 02/19/00 10/23/98 03/15/98

Grissom, Vaughn

15

Horne, Bryson

9

Malloy, Justyn-Henry

24

212

Philip, Beau

8

200 204

Stephens, Landon

18

OUTFIELDERS Campbell, Drew

NO.

B/T L/L

HT

WT 180 215

DOB

11

5' 11"

11/10/97

Carter, Willie

14

R/R 6' 0"

04/08/97 11/23/99 06/01/98

Robinson, Christian

25

L/L

6' 2"

211

Pearson, Jacob

19

L/R 6' 1"

185

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ROME BRAVES COACHES

13

28

1

Wes McGuire Pitching Coach

Danny Santiesteban Hitting Coach

Bobby Moore Assistant Coach

50

Kanekoa Texeira Manager

Jesus Aviles Athletic Trainer

Joe Powell Strength + Conditioning

Angel Piva Clubhouse Manager

ROME BRAVES ROSTER as of 06/21/22

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7

8

9

Drew Campbell Outfielder 11

Cade Bunnell Infielder

Dylan Spain Pitcher

Beau Philip Infielder

Bryson Horne Infielder

10

ROME BRAVES ROSTER as of 06/21/22

12

14

15

16

18

Austin Smith Pitcher

Willie Carter Outfielder

Vaughn Grissom Infielder

Javier Valdes Pitcher

Landon Stephens Pitcher

19

20

22

23

24

Jacob Pearson Outfielder

Trey Riley Pitcher

Isrrael De La Cruz Pitcher

Malcolm Van Buren Pitcher

Justyn-Henry Malloy Outfielder

25

26

30

32

34

Christian Robinson Outfielder

Jake McSteen Pitcher

Alec Barger Pitcher

Andrew Hoffmann Pitcher

Luis De Avila Pitcher

37

38

45

54

55

Davis Schwab Pitcher

Dylan Dodd Pitcher

Roddery Muñoz Pitcher

Lisandro Santos Pitcher

Tyler Tolve Catcher

56

58

59

Royber Salinas Pitcher

R.J. Fruere Pitcher

Ben Dum Pitcher

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GROUP TICKETS

308

307 306

Pressbox

310 309

305

304 Jumbo Suite

311

Boardroom Suite

Terrace

314

301

201

200 202

203

204

206

205

208

207

100 102

210

101

209

103

104

106

105

Gate 6

108

t

107

gou

Du

ay

110

Aw

109

112

Bubba’s BBQ Barn

111

113

Marina

115

117

Picnic Pavilion

Kids Zone

Suzuki Showcase

The Terrace

Suites

The newly renovated Terrace is set to debut for the 2022 season. The Terrace is the most exclusive area at the stadium. Terrace parties include a 90-minute pre-game buffet inside a climate-controlled area with full bar service available. The Terrace also offers your guests one of the best views in the stadium.

An evening in a Rome Braves luxury suite is the perfect way to watch the Rome Braves at AdventHealth Stadium. In fact, a luxury suite is much more than a night of exciting ac- tion-packed entertainment. It’s Rome’s most exclusive opportunity to entertain your clients, employees, family and friends.

Picnics

Parade of Champions

Perfect for large company outings, Picnics in- clude a 90-minute pre-game buffet and a re- served Box Level ticket for each guest. Unique compared to other group areas, there’s no limit on how big your party may be.

Any group reaching one of three reward tiers will be invited to parade around the warning track during pre-game festivities and the Rome Braves will make a donation per the reward program back to your organization.

Suzuki Showcase

Birthday Parties

A covered private party area in Right Field is the perfect place to celebrate little league team parties or birthday parties! With picnic table seating and a grassy-berm area, it’s the perfect area for all to play. Reserve your date today and let the children celebrate.

Celebrate your birthday with the Rome Braves! Enjoy the game with three reserved picnic ta- bles, cake, and the opportunity to eat it too! We’ll even get the entire crowd to sing happy birthday on your special day. National Anthem Packages Does your choir, class, or church group want to perform the national anthem? Groups of 50 or more will receive a discount when booking through our group line!

Picnics

Perfect for large groups who don’t need the amenities of a group area. Discounts are based on how many tickets are purchased.

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15% OFF THIS HOMESTAND ONLY

MV SPORTS SUNPRO LONGSLEEVE

The newly renovated Terrace is set to debut for the 2022 season. The Terrace is the most exclusive area at the stadium. Terrace parties include a 90-minute pre-game buffet inside a climate-controlled area with full bar service available. The Terrace also offers your guests one of the best views in the stadium.