Braves shortstop Swanson surprises his mom at school

Surprise! Tuesday was Bring Your Major League Baseball Player Son to Work Day at Marietta’s West Side Elementary. Only mom wasn’t initially in on it.

Atlanta Braves slugger Dansby Swanson surprised his mother, Nancy Swanson, with a bouquet of flowers at an end-of-year celebration billed in advance only as Teacher Appreciation Day. The sly students enjoying story time in the library as a clever yet educational ruse ahead of time practiced their poker faces so she wouldn’t be wise.

“Being able to be here for this is really cool,” the Braves shortstop said. “Being able to celebrate what teachers do for us — one of them happens to be my mom.”

Nancy Swanson was overjoyed to see her busy son, whose day job has kept him a little tied up lately. They hadn’t seen each other for a couple of weeks, which is unusual for the tight-knit family.

“We’ve always watched him play ball; there’s not many games we have missed,” she said. (Road games, though, can be a little bit of a challenge.)

Although Tuesday’s event, part of a larger effort by the Braves to salute area educators, was a surprise, it wasn’t the first time Dansby’s brightened his mom’s day.

“He knows I love fresh flowers,” she said. “He’s brought them to me here before.”

Quipped her son: “I can be sweet!”

HYOSUB SHIN / HSHIN@AJC.COM Atlanta Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson surprises his mother, Nancy, with a bouquet of flowers at West Side Elementary School in Marietta on Tuesday. The end-ofyear celebration was billed in advance only vaguely as Teacher Appreciation Day.