Friends Don’t Let Friends Watch the Atlanta Braves Alone
We take a look at an online Atlanta Braves’ community by talking with its founder, Gregory Harp.
After covering the Atlanta Braves’ offseason moves from every which angle, today we take a small break from Josh Donaldson and Marcell Ozuna and focus on a community of fans united by their love of the Braves.
Nobody likes to watch the Atlanta Braves alone. Last year, I moved to a land far away to embark on a new career. I left my friends and fellow Braves’ fans behind and found myself in a tiny town in the middle of Amish country and unfortunately, the Amish aren’t big on MLB.TV.
I was not familiar with Facebook groups, but someone suggested I check it out. I found a community of fans who loved the Braves just as I did. There was always a conversation going on about the lineup or our bullpen.
Anytime you need to talk Braves’ baseball, you know where to turn. For me, it was the group on Facebook called “Tomahawk Talk.”
It was the Braves that brought me in, but the passion of the group that keeps you coming back.
They lift each other up when someone needs lifting, support each other’s charitable causes, and mourn with one another. This is all under the banner of the tomahawk.
The group even has former players and certain mascots who will occasionally drop in and say “hello” or “like” a post.
The creator of the group, Gregory Harp, sat down (I suppose he could have been standing) with me to talk “Tomahawk Talk” and what your fan experience might be missing.
*I’ll post my questions in bold and his responses below.
Tomahawk Take Meets Tomahawk Talk – The Interview
Why did you start the group?
I started this group as a way to really connect deeply with our fan base. I had tried several other groups and there was something lacking there. I noticed lots of the fans that I had made friends with were searching deep for ideas. I wanted a family environment and this group has definitely provided that.
What do you like the most about the 11,000+ Braves’ fans you have together at Tomahawk Talk?
I love the way the fans in Tomahawk Talk always seem to pull together. Whenever we raise money for a charitable cause we always get lots of support. Whenever we have someone in need of prayers or good vibes we have people who really reach out to each other. The alumni players in the group have also been great, many of them sending messages/autographs to autistic children, telling servicemen “happy birthday” in their personal inbox, it has been great!
I’ve noticed several former players pop up from time to time. The group really tries to respect their privacy so I won’t name them. Did you approach them? Have you received any feedback about things they enjoy about the community of Braves’ fans in Tomahawk Talk’s Facebook Group?
I actually needed a platform to separate my group from others. I will also leave the players’ names a mystery to respect their privacy. I decided that having some alumni players in the group to interact with would really make things glow.
I actually approached an alumni player and he immediately joined and immediately sent me a friend request. He then invited some players and then I began recruiting them from there. I still interact with a couple of them daily.
They really love the group. Many of them have gotten their children to join us, and one is even an administrator in the group. It’s great to see a notification with a “like” or “comment” from a former big leaguer.
Part 2
What does the group mean to you?
This group has become a big part of me. Words can barely express the love I have for this group. I have made so many friendships and seen so many great things. It’s great that we have such a good family-oriented group but it goes beyond baseball. The help that this group has been able to give has touched so many lives.
What differentiates Tomahawk Talk from other Braves’ fan groups on Facebook?
We are different in several ways. We have a heavy loaded admin/moderator staff to help keep things clean and fun. We try to keep it family-friendly so that our alumni players and families of players can enjoy the group with us. We have a lot of great charity events during the regular season. There’s a different culture in Tomahawk Talk. The alumni in this group really help set it apart as well
Who is your all-time favorite player and why
My all-time favorite player would have to be John Smoltz. I will never get 1991 World Series game 7 out of my head. Smoltz pitched with such intensity that night. I tip my cap to Jack Morris for his performance that night as well. I loved Glavine and Maddux but I loved watching John pitch. There was a lot of intensity with Smoltz.
Who is your favorite current player and why?
My favorite current player would have to be Ronald Acuña Jr. There’s nothing more fun to me than watching this kid play. He looks like he is having the time of his life when he’s out on the diamond. This kid can also “baseball” very well. It will be fun to see what he does in the years to come!
Part 3
Thoughts on the work Alex Anthopoulos has done since taking over?
I believe Anthopoulos has done a great job. The recent additions of Felix Hernandez and Marcell Ozuna are very exciting. The additions he made to our bullpen last season were golden!! Also adding Cole Hamels and Will Smith was great! I believe he has done a wonderful job of building a winning team.
Should we have given Donaldson what he wanted?
This one is a slippery slope, but I believe he made the right choice, given he was able to sign Ozuna. Our hot corner will definitely miss Donaldson’s defense but I believe the chances of success are just as high without him.
How important is it for the Braves to make Freddie Freeman a Brave for life?
I believe that it should be a high priority. He has been the love of this fan base for many years now. Braves fans are different than other fans. We grew to love our humble Hall of Fame third baseman Chipper Jones over the years, so having a guy with as much talent as Freddie wanting to stay with us would keep that feeling alive.
What are your expectations for the Braves’ upcoming season?
I believe we are built to compete. We have shown a lot of success over the last two seasons. I believe that some of our young talents will take a step forward this season. I expect the division to be a tougher fight, as other teams have gotten a little better and wiser. I think it will be a fight to the end but I believe our Braves will be playing baseball in October.
Part 4
Who will be the ace?
I believe our ace will be Mike Soroka. This young kid has showed he is every bit as good as promised. I have grown away from the old superstition of “sophomore slump” and believe that he actually improves over last season.
Who will sacrifice playing time in OF after Ozuna signing?
Unfortunately, I believe it will be Nick Markakis, which I hate to even say. Nick has been an iron horse for us. I believe Markakis will still get a good bit of playing time as well though.
Do you like the Ozuna signing?
I really like the signing! I actually had hoped we would’ve dealt with Miami for him years ago when he was available via trade. I have noticed he has been on a lot of Braves fans Twitter and Instagram posts, showing a lot of love to Braves fans already.
Who will step up at third?
Given Anthopoulos goes with who we currently have available, I believe Camargo will be our go-to guy at third base. This may sound a little far fetched, but there is a young guy in our minor league system, Braden Shewmake. I watched Shewmake throughout last season and I believe he definitely has a future on the big club. It would be interesting to try him out at third base, maybe in the minor leagues and throughout spring training, just to see how it would go.
Anything else you’d like to add?
I follow Tomahawk Take on Facebook and would like to say it’s a very good follow for me. Great articles!! I’ve seen a lot of the content shared in Tomahawk Talk.
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That’s it for Greg! If you haven’t joined a community of Braves’ fans like Tomahawk Talk then I encourage you to find one. Maybe even give Greg’s group a try. It definitely enhances the experience of being a Braves fan.