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Turner Field: A Monument of Past Greatness, Present Horrors

By Jonathan Savitske

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Turner Field has been the home of the Atlanta Braves since the 1997 season.

The stadium has seen its fair share of historic campaigns and iconic moments in the history of the franchise. The outfield is adorned with plaques commemorating the Braves rise to prominence, and perpetual dominance over the last two and a half decades.

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It is a monument to the most prolific streak in modern sports history, recognizing 14 consecutive division titles and two wild card appearances. The names of Hank Aaron, Phil Niekro, Dale Murphy, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz and Chipper Jones are emblazoned across the structure of the stadium. With all this history and pageantry in one place, Turner Field should consistently be a place of happiness, where fans can come together to cheer on their team, regardless of its state.

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    • Sadly, the 2015 Atlanta Braves are burning Turner Field in effigy.  On Tuesday, for the first time this season, I was able to witness firsthand what it is like to take in a ballgame at Turner Field, and I was greatly disappointed. I was disappointed not only because of the Atlanta Braves futility at the plate, or the incompetence of their bullpen: I was disappointed in the experience afforded to the fans of the team, who despite the club’s struggles, pay for admission to stand with their team.

    Turner Field can currently be best described as a tomb, inhabited by a dying club with fans whose only recourse is to grieve over their beloved team. While journeying around Turner Field, one cannot help but notice the plethora of empty blue seats that remain vacant. Concession lines are non-existent while pricing remains conspicuously unchanged. The Braves team store is promoting a 50 percent off sale, encouraging fans to buy team apparel during a year when there is not much of a reason to cheer.

    The few fans that patronize the game have become cynical, disparaging the team’s on-field management and the ineptitude of its players, instead of fervently supporting the club during this difficult stretch. Can you blame them? The Braves have lost 14 out of their last 15 games, and have only won 12 games since the All-Star break. I spoke with a season ticket holder since 1978, who stated that he has not seen the team or the fan-base in such disarray since the early 1980’s. There is no spirit; there is no pageantry; there is no tangible feeling of passion for this team.

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    I understand the current state of the Braves. I truly do. But when the organization is unable to compensate its fans for the failures of the product they put on the field, it is inexcusable. If the Atlanta Braves wanted to cajole its fans to accept the current vision for the club, a new marketing strategy must be employed: one that caters to the experience at Turner Field in spite of the team’s growing pains.

    As aforementioned, concession prices remain static from year’s past. Fans will still have to pay an exorbitant amount of their money to eat or to buy a beverage. Ticket prices have not changed. No special promotions exist that attempt to increase attendance for home games. Nothing exists to make Braves fans want to come out to Turner Field.

    As a fan of the game of baseball, I care just as much about the experience at the ballpark as I do about the team’s performance. One of my personal hobbies is to watch games at other ballparks, regardless of the teams that are playing. Just this summer, I saw the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Though the Rockies are in a similar position as the Braves, the Rockies upper management finds a way to pack Coors Field night after night. Concessions are cheap, and fans are happy to take in a game at the ballpark.

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    The same should apply to Turner Field. Turner Field is home to such memories and accomplishments over the course of its history that the experience should stand on its own against the Braves’ obvious futility this season. Though Turner Field is such an iconic place, the Braves need to find a way to attract its fans to fill the stands. Dollar beers? More bobbleheads? Free jerseys? Why not?

    With attendance significantly dropping this season, and with SunTrust Park on the horizon, it is clear the Braves no longer care about Turner Field. This is greatly unjust to the fans of the team, who have cheered for the club year in and year out. It’s also not fair to the players, who go out every home game to play in front of an empty stadium. Get it together, Braves, and do your fans right.

    Next: Kolby Allard: The Next Tom Glavine?

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