Atlanta Braves superfan named PA announcer finalist

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - There’s no question that Cary Clayborn is a diehard Atlanta Braves fan.

He has collected a box full of memorabilia dating back more than 40-years.

“This is actually a Braves Illustrated yearbook from 1982,” Clayborn said.

And a couple of weeks ago his love for the team hit a high note.

He auditioned to become the next Braves PA announcer at Truist Park and was named a top 12 finalist.

“To make it to the top 12 is definitely some validation for me like I guess I’m okay at this but top 12 is no longer good enough. Ha, ha. I want to keep going for sure,” Clayborn said.

It all began for Cary at Georgia Southwestern State University where he and a bunch of college buddies started broadcasting basketball games with barely any equipment.

“There was an old van there that we were able to strip out and put equipment in and it was all analogue. My two fraternity brothers one on either side of the gym with a camera shooting the game and then a couple of us sitting in a booth up there with microphones doing play-by-play and somebody in the van manning the equipment and that’s how it started,” Clayborn said.

And just last year, Caray became the pa announcer for Buford High School’s varsity football team. An opportunity he’d been chasing for years.

“Announcing for Buford Football was a huge honor for me. I’ve been wanting to get into that press box for probably close to 10-years, but those kinds of chairs don’t come available often,” Clayborn said.

All that’s left for Cary is to fulfill his lifelong dream of becoming the next PA announcer for his beloved Atlanta Braves.

“It would be such an honor to sit in that chair for a team that I love and have loved for so long. It would be an honor,” Clayborn said.

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