September 7 — Cody Gabella

Columbus Clingstones broadcaster Jack Johnson visited with manager Cody Gabella at Synovus Park in Columbus, Georgia ahead of the final home game of the Clingstones’ inaugural season. 

Gabella discussed his first impressions of the ballpark, how much he has enjoyed the fan support in Columbus, what he has appreciated most about living in the city, a prestigious award presented to his father Jim Gabella that week, and which Miami Hurricanes football game he would most like to revisit with his kids.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Back on the Columbus Klingstones pregame show as the Klingstones end of their final scheduled home game of the year here at Sanovis Park. It's been an incredible ride, and for the first time all year, we're closing out a series in the manager's office with Cody Gabella talking about the year. Also, it's the best day of the year. We got National Football League Sunday for the first time all season starting today. So, Gabby, let's talk about the way that the year has gone here at Sinovis Park. When you first walked in here, what was your first thought?

SPEAKER_01 0:30

Yeah, um, well, we broke camp, uh, broke spring training, got to drive home for a couple days. Uh, I believe we opened up in Montgomery on the 4th, so it would have been four days prior to that. So I think it was either April 1st or March 31st. Um, but yeah, drove up here. I was actually the last one out of all the the players and uh people on the roster and uh and the coaching staff. I was actually the last one to get here because I spent some time at home uh a couple days at home with my wife and kids before heading up. But I remember kind of driving in, and uh, you know, you get a little feel for the city as you're driving, driving in, and and you know, this is my fourth year with the Braves, and each year has been at a new location. So I've had that unique experience of driving to a new city and a new facility that I have to get used to. And uh this one was probably definitely my favorite. Um, you know, first step foot in here, it was like a maze. They did a tremendous job with the place, it's huge, and and um these players are spoiled with the clubhouse and the facilities here. So it was like a maze. I had to find my way around, and it took a week or two, but then got used to it. And uh, you know, we had a first uh couple workouts um before opening day, and you know, immediately fell in love with the place and the city.

SPEAKER_00 1:47

At home this year, you've talked about it consistently throughout the season, but you've gotten a great reception from the crowd that so longingly wanted affiliated baseball back here in Columbus. That stayed throughout the entire season. Have you been impressed with how the crowd size has stayed consistent and also just the support that you received over the year? Because I know you've gotten to meet several of the fans and several of the season ticket holders over the course of the season.

SPEAKER_01 2:15

Yeah, um, no doubt. You know, obviously opening day anywhere you go, like that crowd's gonna be one of the best of the year, but um this this crowd, you know, the fans here have have kind of maintained that, and it's been great, and I know our players really appreciate it. It's obviously fun to play in front of an energetic atmosphere, which these fans here bring pretty much every night. Um, you know, you you you go to Road Cities and and you go to other Braves affiliates, which all the Braves affiliates are pretty good, and and uh, you know, I think it's a lot of Braves fans that are Clankstone fans and Green Jacket fans and Rome Emperor fans and etc. But um you go to some road games and in a Tuesday, Wednesday, you know, wherever you're at, it's it's you know there's some fans there, but it's you know you look up and you can kind of count on one hand how many people are in each section and whatever, but uh that that really was never the case here um in Columbus. Um obviously there were some bigger crowds on certain nights here, but uh you know, from opening day at home uh against Pensacola in April, like it was it was start to finish, man. Like they they showed up and and it was really fun for our our players to pr play in front of every night. And you think back to a a night like uh Cantero's Grand Slam that kind of put the game away. Uh I believe that was in May. And it they still play your call on the on the video board for our our hype video, but uh you think back to a night like that and just the the roar of the crowd, uh it doesn't feel like a true minor league game. It feels like almost a a uh you know a sporting event that uh should be on national TV at times with the the crowd noise after you know we do something positive and the and the fans kind of get on their feet and cheer.

SPEAKER_00 3:56

Living in Columbus every other week because we're on the road traveling throughout the season, what's been your favorite part of being in this town and getting to know this town? Because like you said, it's been a new experience for you every year over the last few years in the Braves organization.

SPEAKER_01 4:12

Um you know, I'm I'm a big uh big food guy. I like I like good food, so finding some restaurants in town. Uh Mabella's really treated us well and they do a heck of a job. Um and you know, some other some other restaurants around town that uh you know you hear about from rovers that come in, like Greg Walker always tells me I gotta go to uh uh Animal Farm and you know got to try that and it was great. Um But you know, just uh on Sunday, you know, Sunday games when you get to get to play early and you know getting a chance to go with uh Mike Steed downtown to hang out and and sit and you know enjoy a uh a Sunday uh evening or you know, hanging out with you guys and cooking out at our apartment complex, things like that. But uh, you know, the city's been great um since I got here. And and honestly, when you asked that question, one of the first things I thought was that uh event we had with the season ticket holders and how engaged they were and just meeting people from the area and being able to sit and talk with them and you know all the kids down in the third base dugout um before games and you know asking for balls. You go to other cities and a lot of them are saying, Hey, give me a ball, give me a ball. The kids here in Columbus said, Hey, sir, can I have a ball, please? You know, you you feel the respect factor, and I guess that's just being in the south. But uh, you know, it's it's been a it's been a hell of a year, and uh, I'll forever appreciate the people here.

SPEAKER_00 5:36

Gabby, last night uh your father Jim received a very prestigious award in Florida. We recorded a video here in this office a few nights ago, and you showed me the speech that he gave at that ballpark last night. What was that moment like to see that speech? I know you so badly wish you could have been there, but just to get the video, we both knew that he was going to break down at some point in the speech, and he did. He mentioned to me when I interviewed him that he's an emotional guy and he got emotional during that speech. But watching that video, what was that moment like for you? It was great, man.

SPEAKER_01 6:09

The best thing for me was his family. Um, two of his sisters and his nieces and nephews got to be there, and it was awesome. Seeing pictures and seeing Devin and Joe, my sons being able to hang out with their cousins, great. Um, but you know, the video that I got of his speech, I like you said, we knew he was gonna he was gonna get emotional. And you know, just thinking how proud I am of him. And you know, there's no one in the game that works harder than him, and I say that like with the utmost confidence. Um he tells me all the time, I cannot wait to go to bed at night to wake up and watch a game, to get to go to a game and evaluate a kid um, you know, for the draft. And that's something that'll stick with me forever. So getting to see him make that speech, um couldn't be more proud.

SPEAKER_00 6:57

Gabby, last night Hurricanes won, they improved the 2-0. I don't know how Florida played, but we'll have to go back and check the score of that game. But for you, I want to end on this question. One of your favorite experiences as a father, as you told me, is taking your two young sons to hurricane games, just like you got to experience growing up, and now that they're back, they're back in the top ten, they're a nationally recognized brand, once again, like the brand that you grew up on. If you could go back in time to any hurricane game that you saw as a kid and take your two kids, hop in the time machine and take them to one game, what would that game be in Miami Hurricane football history?

SPEAKER_01 7:38

Well, it honestly it's a game that I didn't get to go to because I was too young. Um, but probably our last national title against Nebraska and the Rose Bowl, just cause the Rose Bowl setting, but those early 2000 Florida State wins uh were they would it would probably be one of those. Uh my cousin Dennis and my cousin Mike were in the stands for I believe the 0-2 game um where it was the wide the wide left. Um I was too young, I I didn't get to go, but I would love to be able to take them to the Orange Bowl. And you know, I love Hard Rock Stadium. Love Hard Rock Stadium. I love uh the professionalism of it. I love that there's Super Bowls played there, and we get to brag against our opponents like hey, Doe Campbell or whatever Swamp's stadium's name is, it's irrelevant. Uh they don't we play Super Bowls in our stadium, but th there was something different about the Orange Bowl, uh how loud it got. I mean Hard Rock on a game on a day like where it's Miami Notre Dame you saw last Sunday can get that way. But uh, you know, there's a shirt that uh DJ Williams made a company called Dime Life and uh it sells Miami Hurricane merchandise. There's a shirt that said the OB raised me and I gotta buy it. My cousin Mike sent it to me the other day, and I had seen it before, but you know, being that young, I only got to experience a couple games there. But uh probably if I had to could take Devin and Joe and I'd want my dad to come too. Uh probably one of those early 2000 Florida State games for sure.

SPEAKER_00 9:10

You can't go wrong at any Miami game in the Orange Bowl, no question about it. Gabby, this has been great getting to speak with you inside this office all year. Got one more ride here against the Montgomery Biscuits today. Looking forward to the game. Wish you and the team the best of luck. Appreciate it. It's been a hell of a year, man.