World Series ring has special meaning for Waynesville native
Oct. 26—The Atlanta Braves may be out of the World Series for this year, but Isley McClure has a special reminder of the Braves successful run last year for the title: a World Series ring.
McClure, a 2018 graduate of Tuscola High School, and the son of Karen and Steve McClure, earned the highly-coveted souvenir while a seasonal employee with the Atlanta Braves during the 2021 season, which culminated in a World Series win over the Houston Astros. He received his ring in July.
"The crazy part about it was ... I wasn't supposed to have anything to do with the 2021 season. I was supposed to work the 2020 season. But because of COVID, they didn't need any staff," he said.
McClure, who was a student at Oglethorpe University in Brookhaven, Georgia, at the time, had applied to work during the 2020 season, but COVID-19 forced Major League Baseball to reduce its schedule to an abbreviated 60-game season. Atlanta played its first game July 24 and its last Sept. 27. No staff was needed during that time.
"Suddenly, I'm back home in Waynesville during the quarantine period and the baseball season's canceled," he said.
But McClure's name was still in the Braves employee system for the 2021 season because he had already been on-boarded for the 2020 season. He got the call and started work in April. He worked as a hospitality host for the Braves' outfield premium services area, making sure people had the proper tickets to be where they were supposed to be inside the stadium. As a result, he had a bird's-eye view of the Braves' march through the season and ultimate win over the Astros.
"It was a blast. The hard part was staying even keeled during the highs and lows that come with it. You can't be losing your mind," said McClure, who graduated magna cum laude from Oglethorpe in May, with a degree in economics.
Because McClure played on Oglethorpe University's golf team, he missed a few of the Braves games that were scheduled in the spring and fall of 2021 because they coincided with his golf schedule. But he was there for most of the playoffs and the World Series.
"I worked predominantly in the chop house decks, above right field. That's the vantage point I'll remember for the rest of my life," McClure said. "That's the most rowdy section in the whole ball park. It was standing room only and tickets were $500. People were drinking like crazy. There was music and it was like a bar scene at the park."
McClure said he was honored to work that section during the series because his boss had expressed confidence in his ability to "maintain the integrity of the section."
"He said, 'I know you take your job seriously and you'll keep people out.' I was willing to manage the situation like it was supposed to be managed," McClure said.
As for the ring, which McClure said all seasonal staff received, he has worn it a few times. (It even has his last name engraved on it.) But first things first. He took his grandmother, Bobbie Jean McClure, with him to a local jewelry store to have it fitted for his finger. "I knew she'd know the ropes of the jewelry store," he said.
A World Series ring wasn't the only monumental souvenir McClure received in 2021. He was named Oglethorpe University's Male Stormy Petrel of the Year for his golf, academics and extra curricular activities, and his golf team won the Southern Athletic Association Conference championship.
While he earned his university accolades on his own, he has his mom to thank in part for the World Series ring. She's the one who urged him to apply for the seasonal job.
"Mom said I would kick myself for never experiencing what working for the Braves would be like," he said.
