Justin Barrett, owner and operator at Barrett Automotive in Cornelia, threw out the first pitch at the Atlanta Braves game Friday evening.
Barrett was given the unique opportunity via his business partnership with NAPA AutoCare. With Friday being “Napa Night” at Truist Park in Cobb County, the stars aligned perfectly for Justin.
“The pitch itself was pretty bad,” Barrett said with a laugh. “I spiked it.”
As another sellout crowd shuffled to their seats ahead of Friday’s series opener against the Baltimore Orioles, Barrett says the nerves began to kick in. “It’s a little overwhelming because you’re trying to take it all in and look around,” Barrett said. “They don’t give you much head’s up either,” he added.
Just as the players do for every Friday night home tilt, Barrett took the mound enrobed in a fiery-red Braves jersey. Justin’s hurl may not have elicited the same pop of the catcher’s mitt that, say, a Spencer Strider fastball might, but the experience was thrilling nonetheless. “Just standing on that mound was really neat,” Barrett said. “It was a great night.”
Justin and his wife Nicole established Barrett Automotive in 2009. The company boasts several highly skilled and certified technicians that offer top of the line maintenance, repairs and more to Northeast Georgians.