Former Atlanta Braves stars making a golf appearance on Hilton Head
When Jeremy Steiner got a call from the Atlanta Braves Alumni Association, he didn't have to think long about bringing a golf fundraiser to Golden Bear Golf Club.
"As a lifelong Braves fan, it was an absolute yes," said Steiner, the club's longtime general manager. "I grew up on those guys. I jumped on it and thought it would be a good idea to bring them down here."
Apparently Lowcountry baseball fans thought so, too, with more than 100 people signed up -- on a college football Saturday, no less -- to share an afternoon with such past standouts as Andruw Jones and Marquis Grissom.
Greg McMichael, Charlie Leibrandt and Chris Seelbach -- now a Hilton Head resident -- round out the lineup for a noon shotgun start. Proceeds will benefit the Braves' charitable efforts, along with The First Tee of the Lowcountry.
Dinner follows the round, with opportunities to get autographs and a formal Q&A roundtable with all five players.
"It's been a great response -- 'Oh, wow. You're bringing some big names down here,' " Steiner said. "The whole Indigo Run community got on board and helped us sponsor it. Things took off from there."
The outing is an extension of the Braves' annual alumni weekend, as the club looks to extend its outreach to its fan base outside Atlanta. McMichael, who heads the club's alumni relations, reached out to Steiner last June through one of Golden Bear's sister clubs in Atlanta.
"They said they had a good pull (of fans) from down here in Hilton Head," Steiner said. "They also support a local charity, so we sat down and talked about it. I think you're going to see a good result."
Jones was a five-time National League All-Star with the Braves, finishing second in MVP voting after a 2005 season in which he belted 51 homers and drove in 128 runs. He also was a Gold Glove outfielder for 10 consecutive years.
McMichael and Grissom were members of the Braves' 1995 World Series champions, with Grissom hitting .360 and stealing three bases as Atlanta dispatched the Cleveland Indians in six games. Leibrandt won 39 games in three seasons from 1990-92, and Seelbach made seven mound appearances in 2000-01.
"They got a good group together for us," Steiner said.
Seelbach, now in real estate, also assists with the baseball team at Hilton Head Island High. Several Seahawks players will be at Golden Bear to help with tournament operations.
This story was originally published September 24, 2015 at 6:56 PM with the headline "Former Atlanta Braves stars making a golf appearance on Hilton Head."