Mark Owens returns as Atlanta Braves’ in-game host after three-year break

“I didn’t want to leave in the first place, but the time commitment was huge,” Owens said. “I was burned out.”

Owens — an Atlanta radio vet whose resume includes work on stations such as Rock 100.5, 99X, Star 94, Q100 and 92.9/The Game — said he can handle 40 games per season instead of 81, a much easier lift with his full-time job and a family.

“The Braves are my people,” he said. “I never left, in a sense. I hosted events for the All-Star Game last year at the fan village. I do their tree lighting and a bunch of charity events.”

In fact, he has remained a Braves season-ticket holder and has enjoyed watching games as a fan from the Chop House, the stadium’s sit-down bar and restaurant beyond right field.

Credit: CON

Credit: CON

Scott Cunningham, the Braves vice president of broadcasting and fan experience, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that bringing Owens back even in a part-time capacity was a priority. “His passion and love for the game, and especially our fans, are evident, and we know Braves Country will be happy to see his familiar face when they visit Truist Park,” Cunningham said.

Said Owens: “As cheesy and cliche as it sounds, it’s good for the brand. People see me and want to talk Braves. As the Braves guy, I’m OK with that.”

Credit: RODNEY HO

Credit: RODNEY HO

The Braves parted ways with former Bull and Power radio host Jeremy “Otis” Maher, who had taken Owens’ place for three seasons.

“It was heartbreaking to have to let it go, but I hope to get another shot at it in the future,” Maher said. “Meeting so many Braves Country fans was a dream come true. … I will forever be a Braves fan and hold that experience as a top highlight of my journey in life.”

Owens, 48, has had Braves blood coursing through his veins since he was a child growing up in Smyrna, then Kennesaw. For him. the hosting job isn’t about the money, which is modest. His full-time job since 2020 has been at Impact Partnership, a financial marketing firm with other former Atlanta radio hosts, such as Star 94’s Rob Stadler and Fox 97’s Randy Cook.

He admits he’s a “homer” and could never be an impartial Braves analyst in any capacity, even when he was on the radio. “I lean on the emotions, the lifestyle of the game,” he said. “Fans know me. Fans trust me.”

Owens’ 3 favorite game promotions

The Home Depot Tool Race. Four people dressed in different tool outfits, including B-Rush (a brush) and Hammerin’ Hank (a hammer), race around the warning track. It’s one of two activities that happen every home game, along with the NAPA Cap Shuffle. The tool race is choreographed like a blend of Keystone Kops and the Marx Brothers. “I call it a nightly demolition derby,” Owens said.

Beat the Freeze, sponsored by RaceTrac. Begun in 2017, this now-legendary contest features a speedy man (currently anonymous) dressed in a turquoise spandex suit who gives a contestant a sizable head start then tries to close the gap over a span of roughly 525 feet between foul poles. “Every fan thinks they can beat the Freeze,” Owens said. “99% can’t.”

Closest to the Pin: This pregame contest features three fans hitting a golf ball from the first-base foul line. Whoever lands the ball closest to a pin in center field about 50 yards away wins a prize. “Most fans just love the chance to hit a chip shot on the field,” Owens said.