matthewweaver.com | mlb ballparks

Ballpark:
Turner Field is actually the same stadium that hosted the 1996 Summer Olympics. After some major reconfiguration, the baseball-only park opened in 1997 and the outfield seats, entrance gates and food court plaza sit where the last 1/3 of the Olympic running track once stood. Turner Field's parking lot is actually the former site of old Fulton County Stadium, the Brave's former home.

Dubbed "The Chop House", after its not-so-PC tomahawk wielding fans, Turner Field has a similar feel to many of the newer ballparks in baseball. It has great sightlines, plenty of activities and diversions, plus a slightly retro look. However, there are two subtle differences...

1) Amazingly, the park does not have individual suites! All premium seating is had through the Braves Club, which runs along the middle level of the ballpark from left field to right field. There are reserved seating areas, just like loge suites, but the facilities are communal for all Club members. I bet they're regretting that since suite leases tend to be a big source of income for ball clubs.

2) The outfield wall is a nearly symmetrical arc, with just a slight straight section in right field. This is quite dull compared to the quirky dimensions of many new ballparks. In fact, one day, that may actually be considered "retro" since it is similar to the parks of the 1970's and 1980's. :)

Ultimately, Turner Field is a good park, but it just doesn't measure up to other new parks, such as Oriole Park, Coors Field, SBC Park and PNC Park. Therefore, I could not provide more than a "B" rating.

How to get there:
From downtown, follow I-75 south. From Hartsfield Airport, follow I-75 north. Since Turner Field sits right along the expressway, it is quite easy to find. The signage is excellent too. I advise parking in the old location of Fulton County Stadium, as other parking lots are expensive and a bit hard to locate. There is also a good surface lot right across the street from the first base side of the park.

City:
Atlanta is a growing and vibrant city with a cosmopolitan population that is unlike most cities in the South. The spacious convention center includes the Georgia Dome football stadium and is directly next to Olympic Park (where the bomb went off during the games) as well as CNN Center. Downtown is fairly safe and has many nightspots and restaurants.

Stuff to do while there:
Buckhead, about a 20 minute drive to the North, is the place to be. It has trendy shops and restaurants, as well as ESPNZone Atlanta...and no sports fan should miss that. I highly suggest taking the CNN tour (at CNN Center) where you see the behind the scenes workings of the world's biggest television news organization. Another popular destination is Stone Mountain, just east of Atlanta. The mountain is said to be the largest piece of granite in the United States and is carved with tributes to southern history. Other than that, there is usually enough going on downtown to keep a person occupied.

Story:
During my first trip to the park, I went alone but ended up spending time with three friendly people sitting in the same section. One guy was from Alabama and the other two were from Germany. It made the trip a lot of fun.

My second trip to Turner Field was actually not a baseball game...it was during a convention in Atlanta. The convention rented out the park for a party while the Braves were on a road trip. About 5,000 people had free roam of the club areas and the entrance plaza. It was a great way to see the parts of the park I did not see before, like the Braves Club.

Fun facts:
The site of Hank Aaron's record 715th home run is still intact in the parking lot of Turner Field. After Fulton County Stadium was demolished, the Braves installed a shrine on the exact landing spot of the home run. The parking lot was actually built around the shrine and the base lines of the old stadium were marked in brick instead of asphalt.

Turner Field is named after Turner Entertainment and CNN founder Ted Turner, also known as "The Mouth of the South."

On May 11, 1977, Turner actually managed the team for a day after giving the manager at that time - Dave Bristol - a leave of absence. The National League stopped Turner's career as manager the next day.

click photo to enlarge

Giants pitcher Felix Rodriguez
fires to Braves OF Ryan Klesko
August 7, 1999

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Matt in front of the field
from the outfield plaza
August 7, 1999

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The Braves offices at the
entrance to Turner Field
August 7, 1999

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The entrance plaza lets you
know you're at a baseball park
August 7, 1999

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Budweiser Beer Garden and Turner Beach in right field
August 7, 1999

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The Coca Cola Fun Zone sits
on top of the left field seats
August 7, 1999