SunTrust Park vs. Turner Field: An Obstructed Look
Ever since the Falcons made the Super Bowl run and Matt Ryan won MVP of the league in 2016, there hasn't been a divide among Atlanta fans anymore with Vick and Matt Ryan as pretty much all agreed Vick helped get the Falcons into football relevance while Ryan got the Falcons into being a threat year in and year out.
But another divide took over between Atlanta fans: not about players but about ballparks. I won't go into the massive details with Turner Field and SunTrust Park and why the Braves wanted to leave Turner Field for SunTrust Park because honestly, the Braves front office changes their story on what seems like on a daily basis (first it was the location, then it was to be closer to the "true home base," then it was the "make it a great experience," then it was to keep up with the modern amenities, etc.) I think the whole country, not just Braves fans, was stunned that the Braves pulled the trigger on a new ballpark when the other one would just barely hit 20 years old.
The main reason I think that there is a divide, even more than Turner Field wasn't old or obsolete by any means, is HOW the Braves went about the new park. And I don't think anybody is really arguing on what the Braves did while not criminal by any means but had a fraudulent feel to it, agreeing with county officials and not even putting a referendum up for a vote (because of a loophole on getting things done) as the Braves pretty much got the Cobb County voters to foot the bill on the new park. So nobody I think is arguing on that, but the divide is that a lot of people feel either irate or screwed about what happened while other are going "meh, that's how businesses go." And in my eyes, the ultimate reason why the Braves moved out of Turner Field was to avoid having to pay for maintenance upgrades at the Ted while now they are avoiding a lot of having to pay for the new park as well. So....in other words.........money.
I have friends on both sides of the fence with this. They go "I will still see and support the Braves and a new park was needed" or "nope, I won't invest in a dime for that new park."
As for me? I didn't see the need of a new park and still don't. After being 23 of MLB's ballparks (some now parking lots), Turner Field wasn't going to win any awards for Ballpark of the Year. But it was a fine ballpark that had its flaws (but so do all parks) but it gave you baseball. Yes, nothing really stood out about the place, but nothing was terrible. And it wasn't obsolete at all. With that said, after being at two ballgames at the new SunTrust Park, I like it, but much like Turner Field, it is a fine ballpark. It isn't the benchmark for what new ballparks should be and not God's gift to baseball parks (like Chip Caray and Joe Simpson keep making it out to be-though to be fair, they know the divide of the city and want to get fans to come to the ballpark; more on that later).
In the sense of the field conditions, the parks are vastly different as SunTrust Park is already known as launching pad and the numbers show it. The home run totals this point of the season has doubled than at Turner Field (though you do have to factor in the Braves fielded a minor league team last year as opposed to this year with quality veterans now like Matt Kemp and Brandon Phillips). So you have that and also from a "distinguishable" perspective, the new park does look unique, and I really do like it. So I have no gripes on that front.
The one key divide about the place has been the location. It isn't in downtown Atlanta anymore. I've heard positives and negatives about that part and I cannot say I pick a side, though I guess I'd prefer the Braves to be in downtown (albeit in a nicer spot than where it was). But the location of the new park has been famously known for having some of the worst traffic gridlock in the Atlanta area for years and far worse than where Turner Field was located. Now, if you're coming from the north off 75 or east from 285, it is probably an epic disaster. If you're coming from the west, you are actually sitting pretty as I haven't encountered any traffic hassles in my two trips. But you do have to plan accordingly for parking as if you don't have a permit, you're going to have some problems. At Turner Field, if you didn't want Braves parking, you could park a good distance away in a sketchy area and hope your car will be there each time (and to be fair, I never had an issue there either). So I guess it depends on who you are and what your preference is, though I think it is neither an upgrade or a downgrade though you do have to get a pass in advance to make life easier.
The one thing about the ballpark that I think I was disappointed the most was the seating. My first game I sat in the 400 level and I felt farther away than when I was at Turner Field in the 400 level, plus the railing actually obstructed the view a bit from home plate. I think you have more overhang issues at SunTrust than Turner Field because of how "unique" it is. In some spots you can't see the scoreboard because of it or you miss the fly balls far more than at the Ted. Sightlines are a mixed bag as you miss some of the field in certin places. And the seats aren't overly comfortable either as I have gotten a sore butt each time out while at Turner Field I didn't have too much of a problem with it.
In regards to the scoreboard, I will show you a few pictures of the ballparks and compare.
Ticky-tack perhaps, but it seems like there is a few more things going on with the scoreboard at Turner Field that make it more interesting and it is larger than the one at SunTrust Park, where the numbers aren't as much nor is it as crisp and neat as opposed to the one at the Ted, which is still hands down the best scoreboard for a baseball park. I overheard fans and one of my best friends say that the scoreboard at the new place felt a bit underwhelming. I am also going to throw the out-of-town scoreboard at both places too.
If you prefer more detail to the out-of-town board, then SunTrust had it (at least the first time I as there), but as you can tell, not all the scores are up at once. Now, the last time I went the Braves used a large fraction of it to add on to what Turner Field USED to have on the board (such as what they did in each inning), and there was NO detail to the games from it after that. It just had the score and out.....and not all the games were displayed. Epic fail. But hey, at least Delta still sponsors the Braves out-of-town scoreboard! Or whatever is left of the out-of-town board. And we have to make sure the Lottery, Kroger, and Harrah's get nearly the same size of the board too!
From the inside, the rest of the ballpark does not really change over from Turner Field. Some good, some bad. Of course the massive difference and why the Braves front office guys like to brag is that now they can rival Chicago's Wrigleyville and St. Louis's Ballpark Village is the Battery, a place of restaurants, condos, and shops all around the ballpark. It does look upscale and very nice (though still under construction), but it feels compared to the authenticity of Wrigleyville and what comes off as fitting to its surroundings well in St. Louis (I will find out in a few weeks as I am seeing a Cardinals game at Busch), it comes off as a bit too "yuppy" and "commercialized."
Again, I get it. Sponsors, yadda yadda yadda. But it doesn't have that baseball-ish vibe that makes you feel like you're at a baseball game or in a baseball area. It feels like you're at a resort town somewhat and while it is nice, it doesn't really have the vibe. And I also know it wants to attract the casual baseball fan and others, but why can't it just be "baseball?"
One major problem so far with the new park is they haven't drawn well so far and have not really outdrawn the last few years at the Ted when the Braves were very bad. I know the management will go "when everything is built and opened, things will be great and fans will come out!" Yeah, to the stores. It is either they have misjudged their "home base" or fans are hesitant on coming out to the park with the traffic, parking, or prices. Or people aren't too fond of the place already.
While it seems like I have completely dumped on this place, let me say this: it IS a nice park. If you know what you're doing in terms of parking and where to sit at the park, you can have a great time and being near the area, I do plan on going to a good bit of the games still because I do love baseball and yes, I DO LIKE the park. But is it a major upgrade from Turner Field? Is it a ballpark that will revolutionize all future ballparks? Is it going to be the best ballpark in the bigs? Heck no! Somebody said to me recently when he went to the new park to watch the Braves, it felt like it was Turner Field 2.0 as a lot of the things bore resemblance to the predecessor (Chophouse, Kids play in LF, Delaware North running the concessions, PA announcer, organist, etc.) aside from the actual field of play.
Will I call it Turner Field 2.0? Not quite but I can see why some have. But the Braves were aiming to be on the same level as ballparks of Pittsburgh, San Francisco, St. Louis, and Chicago. And with everything happened on how the place got to be built and some fans feeling underwhelmed about the place, this could be a huge misfire. But time will tell on that.
-Fan in the Obstructed Seat (probably in the 400 Level at SunTrust Park)
