Play Ball!

For my dad's birthday (can you believe it?! Just 23 and already getting white hair! :) your secret's safe with me, Dad) my family came to Atlanta and surprised him with awesome tickets to a Braves game. For those of you not baseball-savvy, the Braves have been suffering a rather pathetic season this year, so the stands weren't exactly packed for the Baltimore Orioles game. We were privileged to sit in the tenth and third rows by 1st base--amazing! I definitely snapped photos of the new pitcher, James, along with Francoeur and Jones.

The game proceeded rather uneventfully, with the exception of one ridiculous oversight by the Braves coach: a back-to-back homerun for the Orioles! Unheard-of. Highly-anticipated pitcher James allowed one batter to hit a homer, and the coach actually left James in, consequently giving the next Oriole a satisfying out-of-the-park. Tsk tsk. However, the Braves ultimately triumphed and our family had a delightful time exploring the unhealthy yet delicious cuisine: pizza, cotton candy, Coca-Cola, hot dogs, even peach-barbecue sandwiches (actually quite funny--just a barbecue sandwich with a peach slice on top).

Afterwards followed a dynamic fireworks show accompanied by vintage seventies music, presumably celebrating the Fourth of July, but possibly also in honor of my dad. :) God's fireworks, gigantic bolts of lightning, followed shortly after and we made our escape.

The game was amazing, but it 's somewhat incredible to me how ingrained the Braves are in Atlanta culture. (See listing of all Atlanta Braves affiliate radio stations, over one hundred) There are radio stations devoted to the games and recent stats, an actual Braves magazine that seems to be in every establishment, and constant speculation on the season and player performance. I enjoy it quite a bit, though I've never really followed much baseball beyond my brothers' short-lived careers in Little League.

Their home diamond, Turner Field, attracts families, tailgaters, diehard Braves fans, tourists, couples--the tickets are anywhere from $1 (really! you just won't see so well :) ) to expensive VIP seating. It seems the Braves are one of the many ways Atlantans manage to keep their vast, sprawling city connected.

Back to the abbreviated Idiot's Guide to Atlanta