“You can’t write a better script than that.”
Mac was at the 2009 Hot Stove Gathering in Rome last night and was the first inductee to be inducted into the Rome Braves Hometown Hero Hall of Fame, even though he’s not really from Rome. The Rome Braves retired his number, #17, last night as well. Mac was the starting catcher for the Rome Braves in their inagural season in 2003. That same year Rome won the South Atlantic League Championship.
“I can’t say how excited I was when Mike Dunn called and told me about this,” McCann told the fans that gathered for the benefit event.
“When I came and I was 19-years-old, I didn’t really know what to expect. The fans in Rome and the city just kind of took us all in.”
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“We reminisce about that season,” McCann said. “Winning a championship up here in the first season in a new stadium that just opened … it was surreal. You can’t write a better script than that.”
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McCann got a little surprise when a video highlighting Rome’s championship season and his own career with the Atlanta organization was shown prior to his award presentation.“The first time I put a uniform on here in my first full season, I was just trying to compete at this level,” McCann said.
“The Braves have a way with developing baseball players. I never imagined I’d be sitting here today as a three-time All-Star.”
As I was searching for some pictures from this event, I came across this video of part of Mac’s “acceptance speech”. He looks so thrilled and happy, lol. I don’t believe he likes too much recognition and I know he’d rather not be the center of everything, as is pretty much common knowledge. But he has every reason to be excited because he really deserves every bit of recognition that he’s gotten for his career so far. Hopefully he has many more successful years ahead of him.
He looks good, but could have worn a tie and buttoned his jacket, as Lauren usually suggests on her blog for many of the current and former Braves’ attire. But at least he did attempt to dress for the occasion.
