A Guest Blog: By Charlie Levy of Venue Visions

I would like to first thank Jackson for having me write a guest blog for The Twelfth Man. My name is Charlie and my blog, Venue Visions, is centered around different sporting and concert venues which makes it a perfect fit for me to write about a favorite stadium of mine that I have been to that was an away game for me.

As a diehard Yankee fan, it would be really easy for me to just say that Yankee Stadium is my favorite and call it a day. Although Yankee Stadium is where I feel most at home and where I am rooting for my favorite team, it is not the coolest baseball stadium I have been to. By far one of the most unique experiences I’ve had and my favorite baseball stadium that I have been to is Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. The home of the Braves, which opened fairly recently in 2017, has one of the best atmospheres inside and outside of the stadium. Surrounding the stadium is an area called the Battery which is a $400 million entertainment district that keeps Braves Country extremely lively. With a giant Braves disco ball hanging above the district, a turf area for fans outside of the stadium to watch the game, pregame festivities, plenty of shops and restaurants, and events for Braves fans, the Battery is electric. 

I was able to go to Truist park to see the Braves play for a day game against the Marlins on July 4, 2021. Going into the bottom of the 9th inning the Braves were down 7-4 and dramatically came back to tie the game. The game went into extra innings and Max Fried, A PITCHER for the Braves, hit a pinch-hit, walk-off single to win the game in the 10th. The atmosphere was fantastic and the Braves faithful went into a frenzy. It doesn’t get much better than winning on a walk-off on the 4th of July. 

To capture the history of the franchise, Truist Park features a statue of Hank Aaron along with a Monument Garden and pieces of history scattered throughout the stadium. Seeing all of the monuments and mosaics behind the Braves which were built into the stadium was really interesting. As a franchise with a ton of history and a big fanbase, it is extremely important that the ballpark reflects that. If you think about the Yankees, the Dodgers, the Cubs, or the Red Sox for example, since their stadiums are older than Truist Park, they reflect the history behind the team. I think that the Braves did an excellent job with Truist Park as the atmosphere inside and outside of the stadium was very fun and lively while also capturing the historic elements of such a storied franchise. 

As you walk out of the stadium after a big win like I saw, you can feel the energy as the Battery has music playing and an extremely lively atmosphere. Accompanied with the amazing food options inside of the stadium, the monuments, and one of the best areas I have ever seen outside of a baseball stadium, Truist Park gets a 9.75/10 from me for baseball games. I encourage everybody, especially baseball fans, to check this stadium out at some point. It won’t disappoint. Although this was technically an away game for me, as the Braves are not my favorite team, it was the most unique and fun experience I have had at a baseball game to date. It may not have felt like home, but it gave me a modern American ballpark feel while bringing an old-school atmosphere which I was searching for. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truist_Park