SunTrust Park

 Atlanta Braves  (National League)

8/10

The actual front doors are not the main point of entry for most fans, this is as good a shot as I got.

Pre-game finishing touches are put on the field, while some of the condo buildings of The Battery are prominent in right field.

It's hard to believe, but this is the 3rd best photo I got here somehow.

I stopped here in the early part of the 2018 season having come down from Baltimore. I'd already been to a Braves home game in 2012, when I'd been to Turner Field not far from downtown Atlanta. This new ballpark, opened in 2017 about 15 miles from there, in suburban Cumberland pretty much right next to the I-75/I-285 interchange. It's a pretty impressive building, in the middle of an entirely new neighbourhood called The Battery which includes a bunch of pre/post game bars and restaurants, as well as a fair number of condo buildings, some of which have a decent view of the field. The park has a wrap around concourse, with lots more open areas in center field. There's the usual museum displays, which for this franchise, given that the Atlanta area is it's third home, are pretty interesting. 

The food was not very remarkable either way according to my 3 year old memory. The fans were interested, and present, but it was early in the season and a bit cool for Georgia, so it was only so rambunctious. I neglected to bring a jacket and with the game headed for extra innings and temperatures approaching the 50 degree mark, it was time to leave. The game, the 2nd of the season-opening series against the Phillies, ended up going 11 innings. Make no mistake, this is a fancy new ballpark with all the amenities you'd expect and the area around the stadium is a lot more active than Turner, but it's all very artificial. I feel like there's something that's lost by the team moving outside of the city centre, but it could just be me. I'm racking my brain here, but I just can't think of another major league team that plays in the suburbs. Probably the closest in terms of where it's located is Oakland, but it's surrounded by parking lots, so not a great comparison. Still, I also remember sitting in a parking lot at the old ballpark for an hour, just waiting to get out, so it's not without merit that the Braves felt the need to move.

I'd give this place an 8/10, as the facility is pretty impressive, regardless of where it is. Food and Atmosphere were not bad, but not notable either. This place is now branded as Truist Park, as a bank merger caused the naming rights to change hands, but I don't bother trying to keep up with corporate sponsors. I'm not too sure when the southeast will see my shadow again, but with this place at a literal crossroads, I'm sure I'll find my way back soon enough.

Linescore

2018-03-30

                       123   456   789  10 11 R H E

Philadelphia    011  011   000   0  1   5 10 0

Atlanta            002  100   010   0  0   4  9  3

Time: 4:16  Temp:62F  Att: 35,123