When I first moved to Atlanta from Kentucky, in 2006, I was excited to go see some great professional teams and college teams play -- especially the Braves.
The Atlanta Braves were the team of the '90s. From that Hall of Fame pitching staff to future Hall of Famer Chipper Jones, this team had it all. The NL East was dominated by these Braves winning 14 consecutive division titles, but only winning one World Series title in 1995. Let me repeat that -- only one World Series title.
I have traveled to different ballparks around the country (16 to be exact) and Atlanta has one of the nicer ballparks in the country. Turner Field with the beautiful Atlanta skyline as a backdrop is the place to be on a summer night in the south. On the other hand, this stadium just has a different aura to it that does not place it as a true ballpark.
The first place to notice this would be in the parking lot. This parking lot looks like the parking lot of the Georgia Dome or Sanford Stadium. There are dogs on the grill and cornhole bags are flying through the air. If you stay there long enough, you can hear the Luke Bryan playlist where he sings about the same four things in every song (trucks, women, beer, and dirt roads). Sorry, Luke. Seems like every one is having a good time with a drink in hand, and ready to see the Falcons or Dawgs win.
The next sign is seen as soon as you are walking into the ballpark. When you walk in those gates off Hank Aaron Drive you are able to see beautiful girls in baseball jerseys taking pictures in front of basically anything that resembles baseball or has great lighting. Okay, this is actually a great thing about Atlanta baseball, but if you go to any other stadium more fans are already heading towards the field to catch some batting practice or to maybe get a signature from your favorite player. In Atlanta you see more people walking up to the big Coke chairs or the Chop House, but not to the field. Eventually, people go and watch the game, but in Atlanta these games are more for the experience than the actual game.
Really, a Waffle House?
One strange thing that I have seen with Atlanta is that they offer general admission tickets in the upper deck. This is something that I have never seen at any ballpark, but I will note that I've never been to a game in Miami. Is it really that hard to sell tickets to city with over five million people? Plus, the closest MLB team would be either Cincinnati or Tampa Bay, each being about eight hours away. So, it should be piece of cake to sell these tickets.
One could say that people don't buy tickets since the team is not doing well, but the Seattle Mariners haven't made the playoffs in 14 seasons, yet SafeCo Field has great attendance annually. In addition, the Cubs haven't won a World Series in 107 years, but still draw great crowds at the friendly confines every year. According to ESPN, the Braves are not selling half of the tickets for each game.
Let's talk about these great Atlanta fans for a moment. I will admit that Atlanta fans are better than New York fans because New York fans are simply the worst. Atlanta fans do generally show that great southern hospitality but there is that difference about them that does not portray true baseball fans. The identity of these true baseball fans cannot be blamed on the Atlanta fans. It can be blamed on the success and history of the team.
The Braves started out as the Boston Braves and then moved to Milwaukee for a brief stint, until finally settling down in Atlanta in 1966. But when the team moved on both occasions, it was because of dwindling fan support. Now, it looks like the same thing could be happening. Let's just hope that the Braves don't end up like the Thrashers.
Most of the time I do not have a problem with Braves fans, but on October 5, 2012 that all changed. Please watch this video if you don't remember the play.
I was actually at this game cheering for my beloved Cardinals and had to leave in the eighth inning. It really bothered me, as I was dodging beer cans being thrown at me, there was a father cursing like a sailor in front of his five year-old son. I agree that it was a terrible call, but there has to be a line drawn to have some class. The Braves were still down by three runs with one out. Were you expecting Brian McCann to hit a grand slam against a closer?
"...The Braves were far and away the most successful Major League Baseball team of the decade." This is an actual quote from the Atlanta Braves website and I will provide the link for proof. This quote is referring to the '90s, but were they really the best team of the' 90s? The Yankees won three World Series titles, and even the Toronto Blue Jays won back to back titles in '92 and '93. I believe that winning championships should be the ultimate goal and thus should be how the season was judged upon.
Come on, Atlanta, let's step it up and turn this town into a true baseball town. I'll remind you that I'm basing this off of the Braves only. I know that Georgia Tech has a great baseball program and East Cobb is a hotbed for MLB prospects. The main focus is the Braves and the elements surrounding them.
If you'd like to see why I have made this case, just visit a ballpark in the AL East or the NL Central and you will quickly notice the difference. I've been living in Cincinnati this summer, and that is a great baseball town. A knowledgeable fanbase with a great baseball atmosphere. That is just one example of the difference that Braves fans really need to see.
