A called third strike on the outside corner and that was it, the final out ever recorded at Turner Field. The Braves won, 1-0. Even though we finished the season with a record of 68 wins and 93 losses, you never would’ve known it when the last out was called. As the stands erupted, all 51,000 of the attendees standing and cheering, and as the players high-fived each other, all with big grins on their faces, I never would’ve imagined I would be cheering that loudly for a team that didn’t make the playoffs. It was an incredible feeling and a memorable sight to see.
I think I speak for all Braves fans when I say that Turner Field wasn’t just another ballpark; it was home. For many of us it was the place where you experienced your first big league game. It was the place where you fell in love with America’s Pastime. It was the place where you participated in your first Tomahawk Chop and felt the excitement run through your veins when Smoltz came out to ‘Thunderstruck’ in the 9th inning to close out the game. It was the place that we saw players grow into stars right before our eyes as they made incredible plays night after night. It was the place where you rooted on your favorite player and jumped up and down whenever you finally made it onto the big screen. It was a place where we all came together for so many years to cheer on our favorite team.
As I walked into the ballpark for one final time I couldn’t help but get emotional. I had spent my entire childhood and adulthood going to Braves games at The Ted. You look around at the statues of Hank Aaron and Phil Niekro, the bricks that make up the whole stadium, the Hank Aaron 715 homerun ball that you can spot from a mile away and the sign that says, ‘Welcome to Braves Country,’ and you feel at home. As we walked through the gates and pass the Plaza where they were doing their game day ceremonies, there it sat, the legendary Turner Field. The blue and red ‘Welcome to Turner Field’ banner hanging above home plate as the players took batting practice. The green grass and the freshly dragged dirt looking perfect for one last time. Then the thousands of people, all dressed in player’s jerseys that ranged from the newcomer Dansby Swanson, to the legend, Hank Aaron, all walking around and taking it all in. We walked around the ballpark as well, making sure to take it all in one last time too, and I couldn’t help but reflect on all of the memories I had experienced here. From getting to experience seeing some of the greats like Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz pitch, I also got to witness Andruw Jones and Chipper grow into Atlanta Braves legends. I’ve seen a lot. Its memories like these that make it so hard to say goodbye to The Ted. Like many of you, I was watching whenever we clinched our 14th division title in a row. I was watching when Jeff Francouer and Jason Heyward belted homeruns over the outfield wall in their very first major league at-bats, and I was there when Dansby made his first major league start this year and picked up his very first major league hit.
Watching the pregame ceremony where all of the greats were brought back out onto the field one last time is something I’ll never forget. Getting to see the Big Three (Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz) all walk out together one more time from centerfield is, in my mind, one of the coolest moments in Braves history. And as they transported home plate from Turner Field to SunTrust Park, you could feel the sense of ‘this is it’ fill the stadium. As we watched the big screen, as it filled with highlight videos from the years, and listened to speeches given from the Braves executives, you had people smiling, laughing, and even some crying.
There are not many teams that could fill a stadium with a record like the Braves this season for their last game. There aren’t many teams that in the last 30 games, where they won 20 out of the 30, gave fans something to look forward to in the years coming. It’s the end of an era at Turner Field. One that was filled with 9 Division Titles, an All-Star game, the first ever Wild-Card game, and a stadium that hosted the 1999 World Series.
They say as one door closes, another one opens. SunTrust Park, I’m sure, will bring us some of the same great experiences we made at Turner Field. They’ll be amazing plays, homeruns, and hopefully, Division Titles and World Series games. As I left the ballpark on Sunday night, I turned around one last time to look at the place I had grew up going to Braves games at and had called home for so many years. And as I walked out of the gates I took one last photo and took it all in for the very last time. So thanks for all the memories Turner Field. Without you, baseball would just be another sport.
