With the Braves slowly back on the rise, the married couple that originally gifted Snitbear, the Braves’ newest good luck charm, are astounded with how much popularity the stuffed bear has gotten in the past few weeks.
Doris and Jim Bender have been long-time Braves fans since Day One. Literally. Jim Bender attended the first Atlanta-era Braves game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1966. The Benders truly have been there through it all, including some of the most historic moments. They were even in the stands in Atlanta Stadium when Hank Aaron hit his famous 715th home run in 1974.
Doris said, “If somebody would have enlarged that photo (of Aaron’s home run), you could probably see us. We were that close to where the ball was.”
After consecutive Braves losses earlier this season, the couple felt they needed to help make a change for their team. Doris’ mother, Amalie, is an avid bingo player and has made a tradition of trying to win stuffed animals to give to Doris and her kids.
One day, Jim Bender picked out a stuffed bear from the pile of Doris’ stuffed animals, saying “I want this bear.”
When Doris asked her husband what he was doing, he said, “The Braves aren’t doing very good this year, so I am going to send this little bear to the manager.”
Agreeing with her husband’s action, Doris decided to even put a note with the bear before sending it off to the Braves.
The note said, “If you could please put this bear in the dugout for good luck next to big bear (designated hitter Marcell Ozuna), and hopefully this bear will give you good luck.”
After hitting his 20th home run of the season against the Tampa Bay Rays, Ozuna was handed “Snitbear” as a gift from Braves manager Brian Snitker.
While sitting at home watching the Braves live, Doris and Jim immediately recognized the stuffed bear they mailed days before it was on television.
Doris said, “We were watching TV, and I said there’s big bear (Ozuna) right there in front of little bear!”
They couldn’t believe the small action they did has now become viral. As now when the Braves are doing well, Snitbear is shown live on television casting its good luck charm to the team, bringing joy to all players and fans.
In the 13 games since Snitbear’s arrival, the Braves have an 8-5 record. Whether it’s because of the bear, the offense has been exceptional in the last two weeks. Third baseman Austin Riley has hit six of his nine homers this season and Ozuna has been continuing to make strides with a huge double to extend the lead against the Pirates on Friday night.
Doris said, “It’s on the computer, on the TV, it’s everywhere and I even told my husband, can you believe what you caused?”
The players have been accessorizing the bear, taking pictures of it, and celebrating with it. Whether Snitbear is in Atlanta or on the road, his charm has allowed for more wins with maybe even more to come.
One small action can create a lasting impact, and the Benders feel like they have “won the lottery.”
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