Remembering Charlie Culberson’s time with the Atlanta Braves

Whether you call him Charlie Culberson, Charlie Clutch, or even Dansby Swanson, it’s hard to forget the man who did it all for the Braves.

It doesn’t matter if it was making key plays in the outfield, taking the mound to close out a game, forcing double plays in the infield, or even being on the depth chart as an emergency catcher, you could always count on Charlie Culberson to make something happen for the Atlanta Braves.

Here’s a timeline featuring just a few memorable moments of Charlie’s time with the Braves.

Charlie was brought to the Braves in the trade that sent Matt Kemp back to a California team. As a refresher, here’s how the trade went down:

Culberson started off the 2018 season rough, hitting just .111 in March and April. However, an injury to Ronald Acuña Jr. gave Culberson the chance to prove himself. And boy, did he ever.

Culberson posted a .316 batting average in the month of May to go along with an .876 OPS. The beginning of the rise of “Charlie Clutch” started in one of the last games of the month, hitting a pinch-hit walk-off home run to give the Braves a win over a division rival.

Just six days later, he did it again.

While continuing to provide offensively for the Braves when they needed it most, the utility man made headlines when he took the mound and pitched for an inning to close out an 11-5 loss to the Colorado Rockies.

In 2018, Charlie finished batting .270, racking up 12 HR and 45 RBI. He was especially productive in the middle of the season, boasting a .313 batting average from May to August.

Charlie agreed to come back to Atlanta on a one-year, $1.395 million contract for the 2019 season.

Charlie continued to produce highlights at the start of the season, batting .363 from the start of March till the end of May. He also provided some key defensive plays, like this one:

Charlie and Dansby’s similar appearance also drew some attention in Culberson’s seasons with the Braves. The Braves announced a “Swanberson” bobble head giveaway, which combined the faces and bodies of the two players onto one bobblehead.

Unfortunately, his 2019 season was cut short after he was struck in the face by a pitch from Fernando Rodney in a game against the Washington Nationals on September 14th.

While his 2019 campaign was not as strong as his previous year’s, he was still able to post a .259 average while contributing five home runs and 20 RBI.

Charlie’s 2020 regular season had just seven plate appearances, earning one hit. Culberson was able to provide some production in the postseason, going 2-for-3 against his former team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, in the NLCS.

Culberson left the Braves in free agency, signing with the Texas Rangers on a minor league deal. After one year with the Rangers, he is now a free agent.

A fan favorite to many, Charlie’s versatility has yet to be forgotten to many in Braves Country.

What’s your favorite memory of Charlie Culberson with the Atlanta Braves? Let us know in the comments.