The Atlanta Braves announced that after the 2016 season, they will no longer occupy the grounds of Turner Field in Downtown Atlanta. Where will the move? When will they move?
The Braves are determined to improve the fan experience at the ballpark. Instead of just investing millions of dollars on repairs, as announced by John Schuerholz, the team president, the Braves would rather invest in a new stadium that will be state-of-the-art and cost less than $700 million.
The team's 20-year lease will be up in 2016, marking the 20th season the team played at Turner Field. They immediately started winning in 1997 as they continued their run of N.L. Pennants, but ultimately, they were never able to bring a championship to this stadium.
Not only will the Braves move to a new ballpark, they will be moving out of Downtown Atlanta. The Braves are hoping the move will make the team more accessible to fans. As explained by Schuerholz, the new stadium will be between two major highways that cut through Atlanta and the heart of Georgia. Fans can hop on the I-75 or the I-285 and make their way to Cobb County, where the new ballpark will be located. Currently, to get to Turner Field, fans would have to get on the I-20, is good to travel on for those going east or west while the I-75 or the I-85, which converged right before Downtown Atlanta, would also take fans to the current home of the Braves.
Now, the relocation might also be due to the lack of support the team gets from fans. When was the last time you saw Turner Field jammed when the Braves were not in the playoffs or for Opening Day?
The Braves averaged 31,465 fans per game at Turner Field. The stadium can hold 49,743 fans. Now you do the math. Wait, don't do the math, ESPN did if for everybody. That means Turner Field is only seeing fans fill up 63 percent of the stadium. 31,000 fans in a stadium is not bad, the average was the 13th highest in baseball this season, however, the Braves could probably get a smaller place, more reflective of the amount fans that show up to the games.
Cobb County is only a 30 minute drive from where Turner Field is now located. It's not too bad.
