Braves greats help celebrate opening of new SunTrust Park

In addition to his two-run homer, Inciarte had a leadoff infield single and scored the Braves’ first of two runs in the opening inning. “It’s the kind of ballpark that will attract not only our hard-core fans that really are the backbone of our game, but really people who may not be quite as interested [in baseball], because there are so many options here”.

Speaking of numbers: Only 10 of the Braves’ 11 retired numbers were unveiled Friday.

“I walked in and first thing I thought was, oh my god, this is home”, said Braves fan Joel Vrana who made the trip from Omaha.

It will be the first real test of the suburban park’s ability to accommodate Atlanta’s traffic.

The Braves officially left Turner Field on December 31, ending a 20-year run at the ballpark, which saw a World Series championship in 1995.

SunTrust Park officially opens with the first pitch just hours away.

And, for good measure, the first home run.

Turner Field was home to the Braves for 20 years and was able seat about 50,000 fans.

Fans flocked to the Monument Garden, featuring the new Hank Aaron statue and the extensive kids area with virtual reality and a zip line.

Zan Thompson and his wife, Peggy, drove from Hickory, N.C.to join his sister, Chandra Cherry of Roswell, for their annual opening day tailgate.

No longer in downtown Atlanta, the Braves (who technically still have an Atlanta address) now are northwest of the city.

To a degree, it already has: The Braves opened this season with a player payroll of $126.1 million, up about 45 percent from the start of last season.

ATLANTA (AP) – On a night of firsts, Ender Inciarte saved the best for last. That venue, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, is scheduled to open this summer.

It was the latest oddity in a long, odd trip for the Braves that also included stops in NY and Pittsburgh.

“This is the first sports facility meant to open simultaneously with a mixed-use element that did not need curation or maturation”, said John Schuerholz, Hall of Famer. “SunTrust Park and the surrounding Battery Atlanta will be a year-round, community gathering place for years to come”. “You know, we asked our fans to do a lot”. They were pushed back a little bit more.

Also, the squad has partnered with the MLB.com Ballpark app, which gives an overview of real-time transportation issues and the traffic app Waze to allow SunTrust Park event-goers to find the easiest routes to the stadium.

Because of the Interstate 85 collapse, Braves officials are drilling in important advice for fans.

The Braves host San Diego at 7:35 p.m.

“We approached Mizuno because they also have a partnership with the Braves and said, ‘Hey wouldn’t it be a cool idea if we could get the wood shavings or the wood bat chips from you guys so that we could age the beer on Mizuno bat chips, ‘” said Terrapin Brewmaster Brian “Spike” Buckowski.

“Time will tell, I think, how the economics work out from a (standpoint of) how much is available to the team and the franchise to help fuel future activity”.

“I think we did a pretty good job of teaming up to make sure all primary game positions are maintained”.