Jimmy Carter: Lifelong Braves fan

The Atlanta Braves are remembering one of their lifelong fans: former President Jimmy Carter.

"The Atlanta Braves are deeply saddened by the passing of President Jimmy Carter," the team said in a statement. "President Carter was a testament to the best America, and Georgia, can produce. He served both his country and home state with honor his entire life.

"While the world knew him as a remarkable humanitarian and peacemaker, we knew him as a dedicated Braves fan and we will miss having him in the stands cheering on his Braves. Our deepest condolences to his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren."

Carter was 42 when the Braves moved from Milwaukee to Atlanta in 1966. He became an ardent fan and was in attendance at many of the teams' historic moments.

On April 8, 1974, Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's career home run record with his 715th homer. Then-governor Carter was sitting in the front row with a gift in hand.

"I had already prepared a license plate, a Georgia license plate, HR 715, and mine and Hank’s photograph was in Encyclopedia Britannica with me handing him the tags." Carter said during a LBJ Presidential Library Civil Rights Summit in 2014, which happened to coincide with the anniversary of Aaron's historic achievement.

After Aaron's death in 2021, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter released a statement calling the Braves star "one of the greatest baseball players of all time, he has been a personal hero to us. A breaker of records and racial barriers, his remarkable legacy will continue to inspire countless athletes and admirers for generations to come."

During the 1995 World Series, Jimmy Carter threw out the first pitch in Game 6. The Braves went on to win that game, clinching their first World Series win in Atlanta.

In the years since, the Carters were often spotted at Turner Field, where they’d occasionally grace the Kiss Cam together and attended the Braves last game there before the club moved to Truist Park.

When the Atlanta Braves won the World Series in 2021, The Carter Center tweeted a photo of the Carters with a message from the former president and first lady: “We are thrilled to congratulate our beloved hometown #AtlantaBraves for winning their 3rd World Series in our lifetime!”