House That Hank Built
Fansided

Atlanta Braves: Powerful Story of “El Oso Blanco” Evan Gattis

By Seth Carter

ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 1: Evan Gattis #24 of the Atlanta Braves waits to bat against the Colorado Rockies at Turner Field on August 1, 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves won 11-2. (Photo by Pouya Dianat/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 1: Evan Gattis #24 of the Atlanta Braves waits to bat against the Colorado Rockies at Turner Field on August 1, 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves won 11-2. (Photo by Pouya Dianat/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 4
Next
braves
LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 30: Evan Gattis #24 of the Atlanta Braves. (Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images) /

Through the Valley

Over the next four years, Gattis stayed away from baseball. We all remember the stories about him going from being a janitor to crushing homers for the Braves in 2013, but his resume boasts so much more than janitorial services.

Below is a list of some of the professions he tried his hand in before finding his way back to baseball.

  • Car Valet
  • Ski Lift Operator, Eldorado Mountain Resort
  • Pizza Cook, Nick-N-Willy’s, Boulder, CO
  • Housekeeper, Abominable Snowmansion – This one’s funny because he looks like he could be the mascot without even dressing up in costume.
  • Machinery Operator in Garland, Texas
  • Golf Cart Attendant
  • Custodial Arts at Jan-Pro Cleaning in Plano, Texas

The job as a janitor is commemorated by Gattis himself on his twitter profile.

He was aimless, career-less, homeless, and still unhappy. He was broke and begging for food. In 2007 he hadn’t slept for about a week and was admitted to a mental hospital.

"“I wanted to kill myself for a long time.”"

He was officially diagnosed with clinical depression and anxiety. He drove to California in search of spiritual enlightenment. He discusses his journey in depth with David O’Brien in his podcast 755 is Real (Explicit Language). Whatever it was he was looking for, he must have found.

He called his dad and surprised him with two messages. One, he was in San Francisco…He was hard to keep track of back then. Two, he’s coming home.

Gattis goes into more detail with O’Brien, discussing details such as when he paid a homeless guy with a six-pack of beer to help him push-start his truck.

Gattis stopped at a Golden Corrall and called his stepbrother Drew Kendrick, who was pitching at UT-Permian Basin, a D-II college team, and told him he was ready to play baseball again. Luckily the coach recalled Gattis’ high school days and said there was a place for him on the team.

The slugger showed up after four years out of the game. He discussed in the podcast how out of shape he was when he returned. He was “dead” after running on the first day of practice and even considered quitting again.

Not only was he out of shape, but he told O’Brien that the first time he caught after his four-year absence that he was completely lost.

So let me recap, he was so out of shape he felt like he was going to die and wanted to quit. His first time catching he felt completely lost. He had essentially been a vagabond for four years…and he stepped back on the diamond that season and hit .403 with 11 homers.

So, when are they making the movie? Please discuss in the comments who should play Evan Gattis.

The Braves remembered his pedigree coming out of high school and liked what he did in college four years later. Atlanta drafted Evan Gattis in the 23rd round of the 2010 draft.

Home/Braves History