Bill's Journal Entry #3

Turner Field

Date: May 26, 2002

Location:  Atlanta, Georgia

Opponent: Cincinnati Reds

Travel companion: None 

Link to my photos: http://cards.webshots.com/cp-31058320-QlqX-album/39440596nScALt 

Game Result: A longball game that the Braves led throughout, that really wasn't as close as its 7-5 final score, as the Reds scored twice with two down in the ninth. There were five homers in the game -- 3 by the Braves, two by the Reds. Greg Maddux pitched 5-2/3 innings for the win, while Chris Reitsma pitched well for the Reds, giving up only one earned run (plus four unearned), getting the loss.

Stadium Summary: For most stadiums that have (or have had) more than one use (such as football and baseball), it is glaringly apparent that the design was made to accommodate both -- and usually ends up working well for neither. Turner is a definite exception. This stadium was built to hold the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1996 Olympics, as well as the track and field events. Once the Olympics were done, they tore up the north end of the stadium and built new stands and a scoreboard, to make it a baseball-only stadium for the Braves. They did, however, leave the outline of where the Olympic Stadium wall once stood, which acts to enclose a very nice entry area that is also a pre-game activity area. In this center field venue, they have bands performing, mascot appearances and several other activities, especially aimed at kids and family. In fact, this is one of the most family friendly stadiums I've been to -- yet it manages to maintain a definite feel of a classic baseball park. I think it will go a long way toward turning Atlanta’s youth into the baseball customers of tomorrow. I especially like the variety of artwork just outside the stadium in left-center field, including statues of several Braves greats, and a row of approximately six-foot-diameter baseballs painted by each of the major league teams a couple years ago to help celebrate the All-Star game held at Turner. And it’s always nice to see things like the Olympic cauldron, even if it has been moved a ways from the stadium. The biggest negative comment that I have has more to do with the Atlanta climate than the stadium itself. Georgia summers (particularly West Georgia summers) can be brutally hot and humid, and in this stadium, the fans and players are really at the mercy of the heat. 

Best way to see cheap baseball: When I was first scheduling my baseball trip, I was not planning to visit Atlanta. I had been there in 2000, and thought that this summer I would just visit the stadiums that I had not previously visited. However, when I was trying to schedule my airline flights to Houston and Dallas, the best fare I could find was on AirTran Airlines, through their hub in Atlanta. So I was able to schedule an intentionally long layover there, stick my luggage in a locker, and go to the game. MARTA, Atlanta’s mass transit train system, will take you from the airport to Five Points Station, near downtown Atlanta, for $1.75. If you get a transfer from MARTA, you can then take a free shuttle bus from Five Points to Turner Field. (Although if time allows, spend some time before or after the game at Atlanta Underground or the “World of Coke” museum near Five Points.) A couple of hours prior to each game, Turner Field sells some of its most distant, nosebleed seats for $1 each, one per person (to prevent them from being scalped), cash only. In effect, these are general admission tickets. I managed to get one of them, and spend half of the game in the lower deck straight behind home plate, and the rest of the game a little ways down the third base line. Another ticket on MARTA, and I was back at the airport. Total cost for ticket and transportation: $4.50. 

Best thing to have a kid do in the stadium: Read the starting lineups of both teams over the PA system. I'm not sure if it was for every game this year, or just the one I happen to be at, but the Braves had a youngster (I'm guessing nine years old) read the starting lineups prior to the game. The boy they had was really getting into it, using his best booming voice and trying to come up with clever nicknames for all the Braves players. "For the Braves, playing left field, Chipper ‘Don't call me Andruw’ JONES! For the Braves, playing center field, Andruw ‘Don’t call me Chipper’ JONES!" Even the players on the field were getting a kick out of it. 

Beginning to notice a trend: This was my third game, and for the third straight time, the home team hit a home run. I wonder if we can continue this streak?

Stadium Grade: B+  A well designed stadium, that is a lot of fun for families and die-hard baseball fans alike.

Overall Grade of my experience at the game: B  I only wish I could have spent more time at the stadium and in Atlanta … and I wish it had been a slightly more competitive game.

-- Bill Verkuilen    biggbill@hotmail.com

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