Atlanta Braves are moving

[bully99]

Building a new ballpark in Cobb county for the 2017 season. At the intersection of I 75 and 285.

[FISHDAWG]

?????????? link please - Turner Field is only about 10-12 yrs old

ETA - there is absolutely no room at all at that interchange

[cbrunt29]

No way

[trob115]

Try 20 years Fish. This would be awesome for the braves if true.

http://www.mdjonline.com/view/full_story_no/24025051/article-Atlanta-Braves-moving-to-Cobb-County

[HereComesTheSpiral]

Probably a wise choice, Turner Field is in a terrible part of town that no one wants to go to after dark.

[FISHDAWG]

wow - I guess I'm turning into an old dawg - I remember bidding Turner Field stadium and it didn't seem that long ago ...... been nothing in the news or talk radio, not a peep

[BHildreth3]

Great move, but damn i'm glad i dont' live by the new stadium. Will be awesome to see when completed. Looking forward to driving 20 minutes vs. 45 to go to a game.

[bully99]

The Braves have been talking about this for years. They want to get closer to their base. Middle and upper income white people. Yes the location in Atlanta has been a problem for years.

[Todd4State]

So, there will be a MLB team that has moved into a new ballpark twice since we built our grandstand? I wonder if their season ticket holders will be against it for fear of loving their prime seats?**

[messageboardsuperhero]

So, there will be a MLB team that has moved into a new ballpark twice since we built our grandstand? I wonder if their season ticket holders will be against it for fear of loving their prime seats?**

Will the Braves fans get their names back on their seats in the new stadium?***

[cbrunt29]

I wouldn't be surprised if we lose the name "braves"

[bully99]

It's time for Engie to analyze the sight lines and see if anybody will get a crick in the neck. Get to work Engie.

[The Croom Diaries]

There is no damn way this is true. The FALCONS are building a new stadium, yes, not the Braves. I would bet my paycheck this isn't true. Marietta Daily Journal is a somewhat reputable paper but sometimes these sites get links from fan sites that are writing satire and everything else. Like when cristilmethod wrote the story about Mullen taking plays from fans on the jumbotron and it got picked up on the ATL news station. They just have feeder links and it pops up.

[ckDOG]

Probably a wise idea. I've never been impressed with the atmosphere there. However, since the stadium does still adequately serve its purpose, I hope the tax payers won't get slaughtered on this one...

ETA: just realized it would be a county to county move. Slaughter away!

[messageboardsuperhero]

It's time for Engie to analyze the sight lines and see if anybody will get a crick in the neck. Get to work Engie.

Was it you or Goat who called the sightline issue a "ridiculous whine" from State fans?

I bet you wouldn't find it so ridiculous if you ever had to actually sit in the bleachers for a game like some of us.

[The Croom Diaries]

Ok, nevermind maybe. I just saw it in the AJC with a lot more info. I am baffled.

http://m.ajc.com/news/sports/baseball/braves-plan-to-build-new-stadium-in-cobb/nbpNQ/

[Todd4State]

I wouldn't be surprised if we lose the name "braves"

The team in Atlanta before the Braves were called the Crackers. Seriously for the board moderators.

[The Croom Diaries]

Yeah, it's 100% true. Being reported everywhere now. So long paycheck.

[trob115]

I expect them to keep the name "Braves". However, I think something along the lines of "choke city" would be appropriate since we can't beat anyone in the playoffs.

[ckDOG]

There is no damn way this is true. The FALCONS are building a new stadium, yes, not the Braves. I would bet my paycheck this isn't true. Marietta Daily Journal is a somewhat reputable paper but sometimes these sites get links from fan sites that are writing satire and everything else. Like when cristilmethod wrote the story about Mullen taking plays from fans on the jumbotron and it got picked up on the ATL news station. They just have feeder links and it pops up.

Unless someone hacked the braves official twitter page, sounds pretty legit.

[bully99]

Hey superhero it was a joke. Must have been goat saying those things. Yes I've sat in the bleachers many times. Not a great place to watch game. Get over yourself.

[Political Hack]

been in discussion for a while but never thought it would actually happen. there's been a lot of disagreement on the commercial development that was supposed to go right next to Turner field, which probably helped push the move forward.

still... wow... going to be weird.

[smootness]

Boooom!

This is huge for the Braves. They get to actually exist in an area where they can enhance the development around the stadium, it will be in a much better area, and it will be closer to the people who come to games.

Attendance will see a huge boost during the week. It will bring in extra revenue to justify it pretty quickly. Now just get a new owner, and things will be looking dandy.

[starkvegasdawg]

I remember the last game I went to at Turner Field around 10 years ago it was "interesting" leaving the game that night. Why they ever built the stadium there to begin with is beyond me. In regards to trob115's post. We could rename the team the Atlanta Heimlichs to better reflect the team.

[engie]

I remember the last game I went to at Turner Field around 10 years ago it was "interesting" leaving the game that night. Why they ever built the stadium there to begin with is beyond me. In regards to trob115's post. We could rename the team the Atlanta Heimlichs to better reflect the team.

It was built as 80,000 seat Centennial Olympic Stadium -- then Janet Marie Smith converted it to baseball use after the 96 Olympics. Essentially, Turner Field wasn't built with baseball as the primary objective...

And, yes, this is a long interview with the woman that will play a key role in designing the new Dudy Noble Field.
http://www.bizofbaseball.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=44&Itemid=35

[Dawg61]

I expect them to keep the name "Braves". However, I think something along the lines of "choke city" would be appropriate since we can't beat anyone in the playoffs.

I was thinking the Atlanta Chippers

[EAVdog]

Attendance will not go up and they know it, which is why the stadium will be 15% smaller than the Ted (obviously playoff attendance is not a big issue). The good citizens of Cobb County are about to take it over the barrel to build a new stadium for the Braves.

There might not be a worse location in Metro Atlanta (ok, anywhere in Clayton Co.) than at the intersection of I75/I285. That intersection is probably the most congested area along 285. At least downtown you have some options to take I20 or some surface streets. Plus as it is now when teams with great travelling fans come they can fly in, marta to their hotel, and easily make it to a game. No out of town folks are going to brave renting a car and driving up I75.

This is so bad I think this is just a ransom notice to extort some more money from Fulton County/State of Georgia. Reed/Deal and the Braves are having a meeting to talk about this soon so obviously the deal is not as final as the press release sounds.

I'm going out on a limb but I think in the end Fulton County tax payers will end up dropping millions on refurbishing the Ted and the Braves stay Downtown.

[engie]

Attendance will not go up and they know it, which is why the stadium will be 15% smaller than the Ted (obviously playoff attendance is not a big issue).
They are making it smaller because Turner Field has only averaged 60% of capacity over the past decade. They want a place they can fill up and still charge a premium for seats. A new stadium in the proposed location will average over 29k fans...

Season Attendance Avg./Game Rank
1997 3,464,488 42,771 2nd
1998 3,360,860 41,492 3rd
1999 3,284,897 40,554 2nd
2000 3,234,304 39,930 4th
2001 2,823,530 34,858 6th
2002 2,603,484 32,142 8th
2003 2,401,084 29,643 7th
2004 2,327,565 28,735 10th
2005 2,521,167 31,126 10th
2006 2,550,524 31,488 9th
2007 2,745,207 33,891 10th
2008 2,532,834 31,270 10th
2009 2,373,631 29,304 10th
2010 2,510,119 30,989 9th
2011 2,372,940 29,296 8th
2012 2,420,171 29,879 8th

It's a baseball trend to go with smaller, more intimate venues.
Much like the Cardinals dropped capacity 6k at new Busch Stadium compared to Old Busch Stadium -- which had previously dropped capacity on it's own 8k in the 90s. So, essentially, their new stadium seats 14k less than their old one -- and NO ONE would argue that they have a fan support problem...

I'd say the move makes perfect sense according to this.
http://homeofthebraves.com/wp-content/uploads/heat-map.jpg

[FISHDAWG]

3 minutes from my office ... that will do wonders for an already exhausted freeway system

[Todd4State]

When Turner Field was built for the Olympics, I think it probably limited some of the things that they could do to it to convert it for baseball. The result was having too many seats. I do know that they have had issues with fans from other cities coming in droves and having a large presence during games. I saw the Cardinals play there in 2007 and was shocked to see that the crowd was approx. 20-25% Cardinals fans. The same thing happens when they play the Yankees, Cubs, Red Sox, etc. I think a lot of that is because you have a lot of people moving to Atlanta from out of town due to business and they just haven't changed their allegiances to the Braves- and probably won't.

I do know that they have had some attendance problems as well- or maybe I should say the stadium looks empty a lot on TV whether it really is or not.

As far as the Gwinnett Braves- it never made any sense whatsoever to move their AAA team there. They're struggling for attendance already, but then they introduce a competitor into their market, and a market that they already have? The only other team in MLB that I can think of that does that is the Mariners with their AAA team in Tacoma which has been there for years. That would be like the Yankees or Mets moving their AAA team to Brooklyn.

And it hurts the M-Braves because now almost every player that goes on a rehab assignment goes to Gwinnett instead of Jackson. Which means a lot fewer Chipper Jones, John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, etc. "special appearances" which help the team attendance tremendously. And then they wonder why the M-Braves attendance declines?

I hope this move means that they are going to move their AAA team (Durham?). Maybe they can sell their current AAA stadium to the Perfect Game baseball people for All-Star games and showcases.

[Political Hack]

G-Braves draw a few thousand (8-10k) for a weekend game, but the price range is bringing in a totally different customer. I'm sure it hits them a little, but the stadiums are almost an hour from each other when you account for traffic. I actually think them seeing the success of the G-Braves probably helped prompt the move.

[EAVdog]

Besides the absolute cluster hump that I75/285 is the big advantage the Downtown location has is that Downtown/Midtown have the highest density of workers. A lot of people, young professionals especially, will catch a lot of those afternoon or early evening games. Nobody is going to get in their cars and drive out I75 during Rush Hour to catch a game. And frankly if you live in Gwinnett who wants to come across the top end of the perimeter during Rush Hour either. Especially is you can just take your kids to the G-Braves for cheaper anyway. Half the population of Mississippi flows through that interchange every day. I seriously can not imagine game day traffic for a weekday game.

The more I've read I'm now almost certain that this is posturing by both sides. There is no way in hades that Cobb County is going to approve a SPLOST or increase taxes for 450 Million Dollars. They've gone to the well one too many times with the SPLOST lately. I could be wrong but I'm really not seeing this happen. In the end I think Atlanta ends up giving up 20-50 Million for renovations and Kasim Reed looks like he 'stood strong' and the Braves have a 'Change of Heart'.

This is pretty much the same game that the Falcons played, they were moving to Chamblee on the site of the old GM plant too! They only got a few hundred Million from Atlanta, but it was enough to stay.

[Todd4State]

G-Braves draw a few thousand (8-10k) for a weekend game, but the price range is bringing in a totally different customer. I'm sure it hits them a little, but the stadiums are almost an hour from each other when you account for traffic. I actually think them seeing the success of the G-Braves probably helped prompt the move.

On the season, they are drawing on average 4600 or so fans a game in Gwinnett. That's one of the lowest attendance figures in their league. The Atlanta Braves probably should take another cue from them and lower their prices on everything.

But what a waste- Gwinnett builds this nice new stadium, and now the Braves are going to move closer and to an even nicer stadium. I just can't see the Gwinnett Braves surviving.

[Political Hack]

they've got a great venue and survive off of cheap group sales. I think they'll survive. I'd be more worried about the A-Braves attendance than the G-Braves.

they'll never have a good weekday attendance but the weekends out there are pretty packed.

[BoomBoom]

On the season, they are drawing on average 4600 or so fans a game in Gwinnett. That's one of the lowest attendance figures in their league. The Atlanta Braves probably should take another cue from them and lower their prices on everything.

But what a waste- Gwinnett builds this nice new stadium, and now the Braves are going to move closer and to an even nicer stadium. I just can't see the Gwinnett Braves surviving.

Biloxi is available!

[Todd4State]

Biloxi is available!

There might be some kind of a domino effect related to the A-Braves and G-Braves, but I doubt it since we're talking 2017 here for the new A-Braves stadium.

The rumor is that Biloxi is going to get the Huntsville franchise (Brewers). But I still think there is a possibility that either Jacksonville (Marlins) or Birmingham (White Sox) move up to AAA and that would result in one of those two needing a AA home. A long shot is the Tennessee (Knoxville/Seiverville) franchise if they want to join the South Atlantic League- but I think that is highly unlikely.

Another team to watch as far as Biloxi is the Mets. Their AA team is in the Eastern League, but they are one of the lowest drawing teams in AA. Barry Lyons, who is a key partner in bringing a team to Biloxi, used to play for the Mets and the Mets have had franchises in the south before- as we all know about the old Jackson Mets and they had a AAA team in New Orleans, so they are not opposed at all to having a team down here. If it is indeed the Huntsville franchise that is moved, the Brewers would then have to find an Eastern League city to set up shop in- or it could trigger a crazy domino effect where affiliations are moving around all over the place. And that does happen every few years or so.

[Political Hack]

Biloxi will get a franchise but they may have to start with a double a team. I can't see a northeastern team putting a triple A team that get from the franchise in the middle of hurricane alley.

I'd target the Mets as the only potential NE team because of Barry. After that, I'd go after the TX and FL teams. the problem is that a lot of the bigger franchises have built new Triple A stadiums recently and won't be moving anytime soon.

If Biloxi is smart, they'll focus on spring training, college baseball neutral site games, high school state playoffs, camps, etc... to get their feet wet without giving up on a triple A team just because no one immediately jumps in.

[Todd4State]

Biloxi will get a franchise but they may have to start with a double a team. I can't see a northeastern team putting a triple A team that get from the franchise in the middle of hurricane alley.

I'd target the Mets as the only potential NE team because of Barry. After that, I'd go after the TX and FL teams. the problem is that a lot of the bigger franchises have built new Triple A stadiums recently and won't be moving anytime soon.

If Biloxi is smart, they'll focus on spring training, college baseball neutral site games, high school state playoffs, camps, etc... to get their feet wet without giving up on a triple A team just because no one immediately jumps in.

They are getting a AA team no question about it. They'll be in the Southern League with the M-Braves- and I can't wait because I think it could cause a rivalry like the Bandits and Sea Wolves hockey teams had back in the day. It will be good for both teams and cities.

The rumor I have heard is that the new Biloxi Stadium is going to go after the C-USA baseball tournament. The State high school baseball tournament is going to stay in Jackson. That's not to say that they won't have a high school baseball tournament, but the State Championship draws the most by far and that's the one that everyone would want. The M-Braves couldn't host both and this is a great solution for all parties. A couple of years ago the State Championships were held at Smith-Wills. This year the C-USA Tournament was held at Rice.

Back when the M-Braves first moved to Pearl, there was a rumor that the M-Braves were going to move up to AAA and be in the same division as Memphis, New Orleans, and Nashville with the idea based on "saving money for travel costs"- but I never put much stock into it. I think it would have been a disaster.

[Political Hack]

yeah. the sun herald reported the C-USA tie in as well. I think having the South State championship there would be cool.

[engie]

On the season, they are drawing on average 4600 or so fans a game in Gwinnett. That's one of the lowest attendance figures in their league. The Atlanta Braves probably should take another cue from them and lower their prices on everything.

But what a waste- Gwinnett builds this nice new stadium, and now the Braves are going to move closer and to an even nicer stadium. I just can't see the Gwinnett Braves surviving.

I'm with Todd on this...

Gwinnett seems like a terrible waste of $60 million to me and really always has...

[Political Hack]

people in Gwinnett disagree, but unless you're here to enjoy it I can see why an outsiders perspective would lead them to that conclusion.

[engie]

people in Gwinnett disagree, but unless you're here to enjoy it I can see why an outsiders perspective would lead them to that conclusion.

A $60 mil stadium that's rarely half full -- right down the road from your $400 mil stadium that's never full?

I get that a handful of residents of Gwinnett may love it. Hardly self-sustaining in-and-of itself though. Fact is -- in the 14 team International League -- Gwinnett is 12th in average attendance. That's pretty insane for what I believe to be the 2nd most expensive stadium in MiLB history(behind AutoZone)...

[Political Hack]

true. but the weekends are close to 10k despite a bad team this year. with around 350,000 coming each year they'll pull in around $7M a year even if each person only spends $20 at the park. That's a very, very conservative estimate too. Operating costs will push out their profit projections several years, but they'll be in the black pretty quickly considering the ad revenue, tickets sales, concessions, parking, merchandise, etc...

not to mention the costs savings they have for being so close to the braves front office. travel, scouting, etc...

[War Machine Dawg]

What I don't get is building an open air stadium. Why the hell would you even consider not going with a retractable roof anymore? It's the best of both worlds. Open on the many pretty days in ATL, closed when rain is projected so you avoid the 30 rainouts the Braves seem to have every season.

[The Croom Diaries]

The Braves had one rainout all year in 2013, and it was the rainiest summer in 30 years.

Gwinnett has a ton of money. Think Madison on steroids.

The Braves attendance will go way up with this move. They are creating a a 60 acre area catering to the Braves. Bars, restaurants, tailgating, quality parking, etc. They don't want to come out and say it but the people that go to Braves games are white, and the stadium is in the hood. They are moving it closer to the fans but more importantly in a safer area plus getting a brand new stadium.

I'm excited about it. I'll probably multiply my attendance to games 10 fold since its now 15 minutes away from me, and not in down town. In fact, I will now have no reason to ever go downtown again.

[Political Hack]

I'll go to more games at the new stadium.

[smootness]

None of the top stadiums in baseball have a roof of any kind.

It is a no-brainer in football; you should do without it, if possible, for baseball.

[bully99]

All of the suburbs have lots of money. That's why the Braves are moving. I've got some kinfolk in Alpharetta and their public school would put every private school in Mississippi to shame.

[messageboardsuperhero]

All of the suburbs have lots of money. That's why the Braves are moving. I've got some kinfolk in Alpharetta and their public school would put every private school in Mississippi to shame.

That's really not saying much. If you go to any MAIS school in MS outside of the ones in the Jackson area, you'll see that they are pretty shitty.

[bully99]

Well pick a private school in any state. The point is the amount of money and resources in those areas.

[FISHDAWG]

A $60 mil stadium that's rarely half full -- right down the road from your $400 mil stadium that's never full?

I get that a handful of residents of Gwinnett may love it. Hardly self-sustaining in-and-of itself though. Fact is -- in the 14 team International League -- Gwinnett is 12th in average attendance. That's pretty insane for what I believe to be the 2nd most expensive stadium in MiLB history(behind AutoZone)...

estimates for it are already @ $ 650 mil

[trob115]

Bumping this because I saw yesterday where city officials plan to demolish Turner Field once the Braves move.

[Political Hack]

Bumping this because I saw yesterday where city officials plan to demolish Turner Field once the Braves move.

outside of giving it to GaState for nothing, there's not a lot more they could do with it IMO.