COLUMN: An unexpected Macon connection at a Braves game

With an unassuming paper bag in my hand and a baseball game unfolding in front of me, I considered the possibilities.

On the field, there was not much left to the imagination. The Atlanta Braves were, much to my satisfaction, smearing the Cleveland Guardians in a game that would eventually end in an 11-5 win. While baseball is always intriguing no matter the score, there wasn’t much tension left on the diamond, be it on infield dirt or outfield grass.

The tension was inside my paper bag instead.

In the bag was a baseball. I purchased it from the Atlanta Braves at one of their many memorabilia stores inside the ballpark for the crisp price of $45. The bin I plucked that brown bag from promised that this baseball had either been used in a Major League Baseball game or autographed by a Braves player — you had to rip open the paper bag to find out.

There was a barrel holding probably more than 100 of these sack-lunch-style baseballs in one of the stadium shops. It put into perspective the sheer, insane number of baseballs they go through in an MLB game. Nearly every foul ball, pitch in the dirt or ball in play gets discarded. I suppose this is what happens to many of them: They get authenticated and sold in some way.

I wondered if the ball could have been thrown by that night’s starter, Braves ace and future Hall-of-Famer Chris Sale. Maybe it was a double off the bat of first baseman Matt Olson, or a fly ball caught by a leaping Ronald Acuna Jr. out in right field.

So, with the Braves polishing off a blowout and Bob Costas not far from my seats — the legendary announcer eventually filmed a field spot for NBC right next to our section — I tore the paper bag open. 

For all my thoughts of netting a ball that was thrown, caught or hit by a superstar, what I got was even better.

The baseball had a nice dirt-stain on it, one I learned was from a foul ball once I typed in the code that was printed on a holographic sticker between the baseball’s stitches. Plugging the code into MLB’s website pulled up the details of what the ball saw in its day of MLB service.

As it turns out, the ball was thrown by none other than former FPD and Mercer pitcher Austin Cox in a game.

I know it’s cliche, but I have to say it: What are the odds?

I won’t actually get into calculating that — I don’t think any Melody readers want to see my woeful math skills on display — but I’m guessing they’re pretty long.

It was an awesome moment. Austin Cox played in the same little league as me at Vine-Ingle (though we played several years apart). He played at FPD before he pitched for Mercer, my alma mater, though he was drafted by the Kansas City Royals before I got to school there. Heck, I interviewed Cox for a feature last year.

According to the MLB notes attached to the ball, it was used on Aug. 5, 2025. The Braves were facing the Milwaukee Brewers, who had the best record in the majors at the time, and eventually lost 7-2 in a blowout.

It was already 5-1 when Cox entered the game in the top of the seventh and threw two pitches — with the baseball now in my possession — to former MVP Christian Yelich. The Milwaukee outfielder took a slider for a ball, then fouled off a curveball.

And that was that. Just two pitches, both breaking balls, and this sphere of mud and leather was out of commission, soon to be authenticated and placed in a paper bag for me to find months later.

I’ll probably think more about those two pitches than anyone ever will — and now you’re thinking of them too, hopefully.

I’ll add one last note: Cox might have fallen off the radar for some fans since he no longer plays for the Braves, but he’s still pitching. He currently plays for the Yokohama Bay Stars in Japan. He’s thrown 9 innings so far this year and allowed three earned runs while striking out seven batters. Funny enough, Cox also has four plate appearances. (He’s struck out three times.)

There’s not much I love more than Macon getting represented on the biggest stage, and now I’ve got a piece of history to remind me of Cox’s career.