As we continue to a a growing distraction from myself and baseball given the way life has grown over the years it doesn't seem to ever be fully leaving me. I regularly meet people who are interested in the stadium quest and I regularly find myself day dreaming about going back to places that I have already been because of memories made. In 2024 I went to exactly TWO baseball games.
#1 was a visit to a NEW PARK! Not a new team, but a new park for me. I had a trip to Alpharetta, GA for work and my team decided one of our evening activities was to be a base ball game. To my delight your Chicago Cubs were playing those Atlanta Braves and it was quite the happy accident.
So we left Alpharetta around 5:30 PM to travel to this Park and it's Atlanta, I get it...But we traveled a total of about 20 miles and it took us ONE time hour. Whatever. We then parked in what we thought was a pretty legit parking location as it cost $50 American dollars. We then discovered it was a 1 mile walk to the field. I don't mind the walk, but fro $50 I would have expected something better at that price point. After submitting my expense report for parking we hiked the mile over the business complexes and freeway and entered a pretty excellent modern game day experience. Plenty of bars and restaurants sounding the field and little transition from that to actually entering the stadium. That was unique.
Inside the park was chalked full of all the modern eminities. They has a 'Sandlot' experience for kids to play and to prey on the memories of aging GenX demographic. There was an also a kids climbing wall for some reason. Anyway, Busy place for a random Wednesday night in May, think it was nearly a sell out. There was also a rather impression Braves history/hall of fame walk through underneath the concourse. Chipper Jones, you say...We sat middle level just behind home plate. Great seats. Very loud, but what isn't these days.
The Game? Well I can tell you Chris Sale Pitched. Ronald Acuna had very brightly colored sox and that the cubs lost. Overall I thought this stadium was fantastic, but I am not sure I would want it to be MY home stadium as the logistics of getting to and fro would be too much for me to go to many games. As if I go to a lot of games any more.
#2 was more run of the mill ALTHOUGH, it was the 1st game me and Joe ever went to by ourselves. So that was awesome. Chad wasn't going to use his legends clubs sits because he had recently fathered another child. So we got his seats last minute and went. All I remember is that the Twins played the Brewers, Joey got lemonade, and we left early. I think it was probably the least amount of time and money I'd ever spent at a baseball game in my adult life. Keep in mind this was the Summer of unemployment for me so everything was a little bit of a strange time, but hey, me and Joey IN THE BOOKS!
