North Forsyth High School

In the club

Ferguson, Smith earn Braves 400 honors

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Two local talents were recently honored with a trip to Turner Field and entry into a pretty exclusive club.

The Braves 400 Fan Club held its annual High School All-Star lunch June 3, honoring 19 outstanding high school players.

Among the players selected as all-stars were West Forsyth’s Tommy Ferguson and North Forsyth’s Chris Smith, both of whom recently graduated high school.

The players were hosted at the 755 Club, an event suite honoring Hank Aaron at Turner Field.

Atlanta Braves executive vice president and general manager Frank Wren spoke during the event.

According to a recap on the Braves 400 Fan Club Web site, Wren spoke about the passion required to pursue a baseball career, relating his career as a minor league player and eventual move to the front office.

“I was very excited. It’s a great honor to be named one of the top players in Georgia,” said Smith, who hit .392 with four home runs and 26 RBI for North in his senior season.

Ferguson (.410, 32 hits, 23 runs scored as a senior) shared that excitement.

“It was awesome. Just getting to see Frank Wren, that was pretty cool. And then just getting to experience it with my family, that was pretty awesome for me,” said Ferguson.

Unlike most Atlanta kids, Smith hasn’t grown up rooting for the Braves as his top team.

“I’ve been a Cubs fan my while life. I’ve always watched the Braves, but ... I used to be a big fan of Sammy Sosa,” said Smith. He added that he’d gained a little more affection for the Atlanta club after the selection.

The Braves 400 Fan Club is a nonprofit organization formed in 1965, the year before the Braves relocated to Atlanta from Milwaukee.

The name initially referred to the club’s goal of recruiting 400 members, and now represents the rare achievement of hitting .400 for a season.

The club’s all-star selections are based on nominations from high school coaches and picked by a selection committee.

Players picked are regarded by fan club members as having the potential to advance to major league careers. Former fan club all-stars include Braves catcher Brian McCann and former Brave Jeff Francoeur.