Braves lore is full of great stories about Ted, few better than when he begrudgingly participated in an ostrich race before a game. He didn’t think it was beneath him, according to then-Braves marketing and promotions director Bob Hope, but felt the fans expected to see him actually ride the ostrich, not be pulled in a cart by the flightless bird.
Now, finally, we have photographic proof.
Here’s an excerpt from Hope’s priceless book, “We Could’ve Finished Last Without You”:
*When asked at a Chamber of Commerce breakfast what he was going to do about the crime problems in the stadium parking lot, he said he would run buses from the stadium to the north side of town during games, let the thieves steal from the more affluent neighborhoods, then get them back on the buses and head back home after the games.