One last trip to Turner Field

The wife and I are making the trip one last time down to Turner Field to catch the Braves play. For the past few years I've tried to make it down to catch a game at least one a season. I'd like to go more often, but a) it's a 4 hour drive, b) I don't like the heat/humidity and c) it's hard to fit a weekend away into my wife and I's schedule at times. However we decided before the season even started we would make one last trip before the team moves out to Cobb County.

This will be a bittersweet trip. When I was younger my late father and grandfather would take me to Fulton County Stadium to watch a few games during the summer months. The thought alone of those two men that I've lost still makes me a little teary eyed. Growing up I played baseball and I loved it...however when it became time for me to make that transition from coach pitch/machine pitch to little league, I got scared. My dad was my coach, on and off the field. He knew I loved the game and he knew I could do anything I set my mind to. However he also wasn't one of those pushy parents. As I stood on the field across the athletic park and watch the kids hurl the ball towards the plate...usually all over the place...I told my dad I didn't want to play anymore. My dad's reaction? "OK son, if that is what you want." To this day I kind of wished my dad was just a little pushy because like a lot of us at times I play that what if game. What if I had gotten over my fear of kids pitching and I kept playing. What if I played ball in high school? Could I have played professionally?

Even though my dad didn't push me into playing, we still got to enjoy baseball together from time to time by driving down to Atlanta. I have fond memories of sitting in the old stadium with my dad and grandfather, watching the Braves struggle against whomever they were playing that day. I also remember coming home and hanging a big David Justice poster on my bed room door my dad bought me at a game. After I got into collecting cards around 1990/1991, going to the games was that much more fun as I "knew" more about the players after reading the backs of baseball cards. I was also able to ask my grandfather to tell me more about the players he watched growing up. 

Back them living in Charlotte, NC we got to watch many of the Braves games on the old TBS cable channel...the Super Station. I can remember the worst to first season. I can remember when Chipper was called up. I can remember the heart breaking loss to the Twins in the World Series...Kirby Puckett jumping up and down in the outfield celebrating. And of course I can remember when the Braves finally won it all in 1995. This was the same time however that my grandfather's health would start to go south and 6 months later my father's health too. I lost both of these great men so close together and of course it goes without saying that I miss them both so, so much.

Today I have a new baseball buddy to go to games with, my wife. She may not watch many of the games with me on television, but she really enjoys getting out to the field and watching a game. It's been at least two seasons since the last time we made it down to Atlanta for a game and it's surreal that this will be our last time at Turner Field, but regardless of the team's record I'm excited about this weekend trip and the new memories we'll make. Soon, I hope to be able to start doing for my girls what my dad did for me and take them to a few games. After all, isn't baseball supposed to be about family?

It's funny how these last few weeks have worked out too regarding this trip. With the Braves' record let's just say it isn't hard to obtain tickets to a game, even a weekend game. We ended up getting front row tickets in the left field, I believe the section closest to the foul pole for $22 each. Because I travel so much for work I ended up having a night to redeem for a free hotel room. Then the Braves go and trade for Matt Kemp. I am so glad I'll get to sit behind Kemp and watch him play over the likes of D'Arnaud (no offense Chase!). Then of course this week the big news was that Dansby Swanson was getting called up to the majors. While it would have been cool to what Theran hurl the ball, I'll get to see Tyrell Jenkins take the mound on Saturday against the Washington Nationals. I just hope that my favorite player to hate (Bryce Harper) plays so I can boo him in person! Yes, I feel this is going to be a great weekend. All that is left to do is go buy a new Braves hat before I leave tomorrow morning and possibly pick up a pack of two of cards for the ride down. Go Braves!

Annual trip to Turner Field

Last weekend my wife and I drove down to Atlanta, GA for our annual Atlanta Braves trip.  I'd love to get down there to catch more than one game per season, but for now I'll just have to savor every minute.  The thing about Atlanta that can be trick is the weather, or the heat & humidity more specifically.  If I'm going to be sitting outside in Atlanta for 4 or so hours I'd rather it be in the Spring or in the Fall.  Going to a game in early August I knew would be a gamble, but the promo for last Friday night at the field was Zombie Night!

Initially my wife and I planned to buy the special Zombie Night ticket package.  This include being turned into a zombie by special make-up artists, an on field zombie walk plus an exclusive t-shirt and some other swag.  We ended up opting to buy tickets via Stub Hub to save some money, however it was still a blast to see so many undead fans at the field.

We opted to sit in right center field.  Last year we sat there and loved the view, plus it was fun listening to all the rednecks and drunk fans in our section heckle the right fielder (last year it was Hunter Pence).  We got tickets on row 13, which oddly enough is the front row.  Sitting right there at the wall is a lot of fun, plus we are right beside the Braves' bullpen so we can see Eddie Perez, bullpen coach (and one of the U.S.'s newest citizens!).  We also have a good view of when Craig Kimbrel comes running out of the gates to take the mound when called upon.  The Braves took on the Oakland Athletics on Friday, August 15th.  Initially I was excited to see Yoenis Cespedes play, then he was traded to the Red Sox at the trading deadline.  I really wasn't all that familiar w/ many of the A's players, but it was still fun listening to the fans heckle Josh Reddick...calling him JJ (Reddick of Duke basketball fame) and busting Coco Crisp's chops at his fielding blunders.

The view from our seats

Of course on of the things about sitting in the outfield is the chance of catching a home run ball.  There were 4 homers in the game, but all of them were to center or left center field.  Bummer.  At least I was pretty close to a few pop flies that Jason Heyward caught.  The Braves roughed up the starting pitcher, Sonny Gray, winning the game 7-2.  Justin Upton, Evan Gattis, Freddie Freeman and Phil Gosselin all hit homers.  Gosselin's was the first of his career.

I wasn't aware of the starting pitcher until I checked my phone on the way down I-85.  When I saw it was Charlotte, NC native Alex Wood taking the mound, well that just made the day even better.  Wood pitched 6 strong innings, giving up 4 hits, 2 runs, while striking out 1 and walking 3.  Not the best numbers, but he won his 9th game of the year.  The only drawback to the big lead was not getting to see Kimbrel pitch in the 9th.  Oh well, I'll take a win over watching Kimbrel any day, especially with the way the Braves had been playing coming into the series with the A's.

Every game of the A's series had a different theme.  Saturday's theme celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Boston Braves World Series Championship.  Everything at the field had a throwback look, including the players uniforms and even the scoreboard on the jumbotron!  Peanuts and Cracker Jacks were a quarter, hot dogs were a buck.  I would have loved to stay another day for the game, especially since the Braves won again.  Sunday's theme was Father Daughter day.  I can't wait for my girls to get a little older when I can bring them with me to a ballgame.

The Braves ended up sweeping the 1st place A's that weekend.  My wife and I had a great time, but like all good things the weekend had to come to an end.  I hope to get back to Atlanta soon as the Braves only have a few years left to play at Turner Field before the team moves out to a new facility in neighboring Cobb County.

Taking in Turner Field (Braves vs. Giants)

Last weekend my wife took me to Atlanta to catch a Braves game as a combination Father's Day / Birthday gift...and what a great time it was.  We headed out from the upstate of South Carolina Saturday morning and drove down to the Doraville area just outside the city limits.  Now that I've been down there several times I'm starting to figure out the MARTA system and such.  We arrived with nearly 3 hours before the 4:05 pm first pitch, so we took our time getting to the stadium.  We passed through Underground Atlanta, but you know that place just doesn't do anything for me.  So we hopped on the bus bound for Turner Field.

Living in a NFL and NBA city, it felt really nice standing outside a baseball stadium and just taking in the sight.  I wouldn't want to live in Atlanta, but I sure do love going there from time to time.

In years past I've always been in a hurry to find my seat so I haven't had the chance to walk around the stadium like I would like to.  This time we got there with enough time to walk around, but I left the camera in the car back at the MARTA station and my cell phone's battery was on it's last leg!  So unfortunately I didn't get to take near as many pictures as I would have wanted.

Outside the stadium there are several great photo opportunities, but with the crowds the Braves draw it can be difficult snapping a pic without a ton of strangers in the frame.  Scattered out in front were little number monuments and plaques of great Braves players.

Greg Maddux

Tom Glavine

Bobby Cox

John Smoltz's number was out there, but I couldn't get a pic with all the people hanging all over his number.  I'm sure Chipper Jones will have his number out there very soon.

What stadium is complete without bronze statues out front?  Warren Spahn's statue was busy with out picture takers, so I asked Hank if he'd mind posing for a picture.  That fat guy in the orange Charlotte O's t-shirt is the same fat guy sitting here at the keyboard.  The Braves were playing the defending World Series Champion San Francisco Giants.  Wrong color t-shirt to wear that day!  I would've worn my Braves shirt, but the print on the back of the shirt is heavy and with an afternoon game in the middle of June in Atlanta I thought it may be a wee hot.

We had great seats in the outfield.  First row actually.  It's been a very long time since I've sat in the outfield. A first for me actually at Turner Field.  Last time I sat in seats similar to these, it was at the old Fulton County Stadium with my late dad and grandfather.  I couldn't have been more than 13 or 14 years old.  The seats my wife bought included access to the 755 Club upstairs.  That's the snazzy part of the park where you can walk around in the air condition and eat non-traditional ballpark food like fajitas, pasta and sushi.  There were lots of things I wanted to take pictures of, but again my phone was nearly dead by this point.

This was part of a larger two part image on the concourse wall upstairs commemorating the 1995 World Series Braves.  Love that photo of the players celebrating in a large pile!

When we walked out from the air conditioned concourse we were back around to the outfield.  I looked down over the railing and there was the Braves bullpen.  Our seats were actually one section to the right of the bullpen.

If you look down on the warning track you can see all the fathers and their kids walking around the field.  Cool Father's Day nod by the Braves.

View point from our seats.  That's B.J. Upton there in center field.  And no I didn't shave...it was the weekend.

Jason Heyward was right there in front of us.  He could hear the fans' cheers and he would turn around and acknowledge them from time to time.  When the Giants took the field Hunter Pence was in right field.  He too could hear the fan's cheers heckles, especially this guy behind us that hated Pence from his days with the Phillies.

B.J. Upton hit two home runs during the game, one of which was just a few sections over to our right.  The ball actually just cleared the top of the wall and landed in the area behind the wall and seats.  We saw the security guy go pick up the ball, but he wouldn't toss it to any of the fans.  Bummer.

Just above our section was the FOX Sports post game booth.  As we were leaving hosts Jerome Jurenovich and former Braves player, Brian Jordan were getting ready for their show.

I gotta hand it to my wife, she hit a home run with this gift (pun intended).  I missed not taking my daughters with us, but it was a blast and I'm already counting the days until I get to attend my next game.  Perhaps one day I'll get to visit another MLB ballpark.