Cards
A father shooting photo for his son’s first Bowman baseball card a ‘dream come true’
On Jan. 14, Topps released its 2025 Bowman Draft Baseball set. Shortstop Cody Miller, a third-round pick by the Atlanta Braves, is featured on one of the cards in the set.
A top prospect from East Tennessee State University, it is Miller’s first professional baseball card. The enormity of the development is not lost on him, or his father, Brian.
“I’m already on cloud nine, and I didn’t think I could climb any higher, but I just did,” Brian said.
The reason? The photograph of Cody used on the card was shot by his father.
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Topps posted a photo of Cody and Brian, along with a picture of the card, to help promote the release of the set.
Included in the set, randomly inserted into packs, are an additional 150 cards, individually numbered and signed by Cody.
A collector who pulled one of Cody’s autographed cards on Bowman Draft release day promptly sought out Brian and delivered the card to him personally.
“Words can’t express the gratitude we feel,” Brian posted on Instagram after meeting the collector and his sons. “Moments like this remind us that there are still genuinely good people out there.”
“All of this is a dream come true for the both of us,” Brian said in an interview with SCD. “First, to be drafted, and for it to be by the Braves. We are lifelong fans.
“It goes back to my growing up in New York state and getting all the Braves games on WTBS, back in the ‘Superstation’ days. I love Dale Murphy, I have every regular issued card of him in my collection. I’ve collected baseball cards for most of my life.”
His love for the Braves was passed on to his son.
MILLER TIME
The 2025 college baseball season was a breakout year for Cody at ETSU, where he helped lead the Buccaneers to the Southern Conference championship, conference tournament title, and a trip to the NCAA Regional at Vanderbilt. They also had a midweek win over No. 1-ranked Tennessee in Knoxville with several scouts in attendance.
Brian said they knew there was a good chance Cody would be drafted as they had contact with over 20 scouts from different teams and were told he would probably go somewhere between the fourth and six rounds on Day 2 of the draft.
“Cody’s phone rings during the third round, he answers it, talks for a moment, and then he looks at me and smiles, then tells the person on the other end, ‘Of course I will,’” Brian said.
After he hangs up, he tells his dad he was selected by the Braves.
“I’m sitting there with a big grin on my face, as well,” Brian said.
The celebration for them began a day early.
“We had invited everyone to come over on the second day of the draft, so the party got started early,” he said.
Brian is the Media Relations Director at Coker University in Hartsville, S.C., which explains how his photography figured into the equation.
“Well, I do some with the athletes at Coker,” he said. “It has always been a love of mine. I liked to shoot shots of Cody and his teammates when he was at ETSU, and also of his brother, who played at Carson-Newman University (in Jefferson City, TN) around the same time. I would come up on the weekends, shoot Cody’s games on Friday and Saturday, then hustle off and get his brother later on Saturday if the schedule worked out, then on Sunday.”
The connection with Topps came about when the card company called ETSU looking for photos of Cody. Brian had never shot photos for baseball cards before.
“Actually, they called the ETSU baseball office wanting to know if they knew anyone that would have some good pictures of Cody,” Brian said. “Because they knew of my work with the team—I was like the unofficial team photographer while he was there—they recommended me. I sent Topps some shots and they liked them, so here we are.”
Cody was one of three shortstops the Braves selected with their first three picks in the 2025 draft. I asked Brian if they thought there was a chance he would be selected by the Braves?
“No, not really, there were other teams that had talked to him more,” he said.
Cody had played in the summer wooden bat leagues for college players, first the Appalachian League, then a short stint in the famed Cape Cod League for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox right before the draft. His power numbers had jumped during his last year in college.
“I really think he opened some scout’s eyes when he homered off of Louisville pitcher Patrick Forbes in the NCAA tournament,” Brian said. Forbes was selected by the Arizona D’Backs with the 28th pick in the first round.
“He took his best fastball right out of the yard,” his dad said. “Funny thing is that Patrick’s dad and I met up later that evening. We had a good laugh about it, and we have become good friends.”
Cody started off in Low-A ball in Augusta, Ga., where he homered in his first game and was quickly moved up to High-A Rome, where he hit over .300 combined for his first pro season. The Braves played him at shortstop, but also some at third and second. This year will be his first spring training.
“The great thing about the Braves farm system is that all their teams are now located in the state of Georgia, so I will be able to follow him around, as much as I possibly can, since I live and work right over the state line in South Carolina,” Brian said.
“There are a lot of dreams coming true here,” the proud father said. “First off, getting drafted by the Braves and me getting to shoot his first baseball card for Topps. Next, I was at his first professional game in Augusta, and got to witness and photograph his first home run.
“It has been a thrill.”
So, what is next?
“If he one day makes it to the majors, and I am there to witness and shoot that moment as well,” he said.
Let’s all hope that happens. That would make a great card as well.
- Barry Blair is an author/writer who lives in Jonesborough, TN. You can reach out to him at barryblair54@gmail.com or follow him at rightfieldpress.com
