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L >?miiiw And t DWAYNE McLEMORE Sports i ; The home of the Braves has a lot more fun to visit. The door to Tbmer Field, the; of the major league ballparks, c this season. Both residents, the / Braves, and visitors, the fans received the new home with high Built first to house the 1996 Si Olvmric names, the nval-shaned si held more than 80,000 fans. A ' Braves seized the opportunity tl facility offered, converting it to a dh shaped, 50,000-seat ballpark. Architects were given the di to design the Olympic facility baseball in mind. The outsidi resembles the small, intimate < of old-time baseball parks, witl trusses, arches and masonry ad< the park's style. More than halfway throuj season, the Braves are attracting' ' plus for its home games, a mori 20 percent increase from last si And the team on pace to attrac million visitors, according to the 1 media relations department. The Braves shut the door t< old home, Atlanta-Fulton Ci Stadium, after the 1996 World 1 The new facility was officially ] "Turner Field" in December, IS recognition of Braves owner Tfed 1 And the first regular season hom< ' was held April 4,1997 again Chicago Cubs. Braves catcher Javy Lope Turner Field is the beginning of era for the team and the fans. The new field is a new*atma for the players and the fans," hi "It's much prettier. The fans are e and we're all having fun." Take a stroll around Turner the "new" home of the Braves, a a iook at an tne tacinty nas to * The fans' amenities. Th facility makes you want to get early and stay late. Scouts Alley, one of the more p fen areas, is a plaza filled with inte games and exhibits that are ere* teach about the art of baseball sa The games range from your t; arcade games all the way to a batting cage where fans can faa favorite Atlanta Braves pitcher. Atlanta resident Chris McNe ' all smiles after hitting two horn off Braves pitcher John Smoltz. "I got him twice," McNeil s, usually do better off (Greg) Ma< One of the more interesting a nf Qnnnfa Allnxr oro fVio 900 enr ui uvuubijxuivj ux v wxxv iJuu ovt. reports of past and present major players. It is unique to see wh experts originally thought of S( baseball's greats. . If video games aren't your you can head down to the Chop I one example of the Braves' improv of concessions choices. < k ? * he (new i Editor gotten ^ _ swot 'pened 1. V I I ^ Atlanta , have praise. lilHMHMHMHBHl WM8ai ?... P'BHr : ) their aunty aeries " 8IU buy last-second tickets out narnpfj ty, which features steel trusses, 196, in [toner. The Chop House sits above rigl } game field, and offers on-site smoked barbea st the along with table service. This two-lev pub can sure beat the usual hot dc z said and peanuts. a new Fans can also visit Coca-Col SkyField above left field, or they ca 3phere head down to the Ivan Allen, Jr. l D Ayr 1 TT-.il 17 e saiu. oiavea museum aiiu nau 01 r tune, xcited, only the third of its kind in baseball. Memorabilia includes Hank Aaron's Field, 715th home run ball and bat. nd get hi the final configuration, there i offer, will be 8,700 parking spaces, which e new is about 3,400 more than at / there AFCS. There is also 59 private / luxury suites, compared to / opular 33 at the old facility, ractive And women will / ited to have access to 75 / luting, percent more / yrpical bathroom / video stalls, a j their plus for those who ;il was spend too much eruns time at the Chop \. House. N. aid. "I The players' A Idux." amenities. What / / ispects would a new home ^ luting be like if the Hie new fie league residents weren't much pn at the happy? ime of Of course, the new home is nicer taste, for the players as iouse, well. The ement clubhouse and luxury end of it for the players is mut SPORTS VI d ) Home 01 VV)I / i vH b "" * ' jy ^ ' '* I sM V" vi ^ ^ ROBERT 1 side the Atlanta Braves' new home Turner Field. T arches and masonry, giving it the feel and look of it better, according to Braves clubhouse i le shortstop Jeff Blauser. The clu el "The weight room is bigger, the lockers arra >g training room is bigger and the several teh watch as th a TUa onr a A 1UC 9CC n XX seat in the 1 / \. fans are they wen Forexai first and 45 feet i v Spectah \. abov \ tt Id Is a new atmosphere for the players and the fans. I ettier. The fans are excited, and we're all having fan. Javy Lopez Atlanta Braves catcher W h V same choice the Bra with natural gn Blauser sai< new field took n y t 'The playing i !U4 1 . l| 5 j identical to the I ^ ; grass and a hare The center i f | away from hom wall is 380 feet a1 concerns was wh said. "And I've t pitching here." TI10 food* ( cheap. But have; park where it is! options on where of concession stan Here is a sai (OGERS Special to The Gamecock ^ield prices: he outside of the facUi- 12-ounce be ' an old-time ballpark. #LarSe soda, Jumbo hot i PeDDeroni i s cozier," he said. Boiled pear bhouse also features 44 you buy them ft nged in a circle, along with The histor jvisions for the players to while to reach th Ley prepare for games. surrounds AFCS its. There isn't really a bad home of the Bra louse at Turner Field. And Some of that closer to the games than such as Dave Ji j at AFCS. Game Six of the 1 nple, the distance between propelled the Bra third bases to the dugouts Championship s was 100 feet. Fans are only Most notabl; away at the new park. Babe Ruth's hom )rs are also only eight inches knocking a 1-0 pi e the playing field, rather April 8,1974 for lan eight feet at AFCS. Aaron's last afc-bi Augusta resident was a homer, s. Keith Ballard said he Demolition ol N. has been to at least this fall, and an 20 games this field will be marl \ season, and he provide a per \ 1 " X h Memorial pi; V/ i& i the pavement w / at as well as in are / the game. AFCShistory, si /. 1 sat Aaron's 715th h< / just about Braves first t / everywhere possible saidpartofhim ?tTuT?TFl6ld; "Fulton Coue he said. leant McGriffsaid.'I complain about the XDissiiA]siml Its views. The verdict Tickets Braves is a hit, v range in pnee from and the visitors. $30 (dugout level) "They did a to $1 (skyline). designing the sfc | ^ The fans closer to the field. The Braves "It seems like e stayed with the come see us plaj : of carpet as in AFCS, going fun for us as we' ives iSS. i getting used to the o time at all. surface itself is basically old place, with short ** I, fast infield," he said. Held wall is 401 feet e plate. The left field way, and the right field ie is pleased with the g schemes of the field, field because of the opez said. "For me, I better." dne, one of the biggest at the pitcher's mound 1 is perfect," Glavine^ >een real comfortable )K, so the food isn't you ever been to a ball ? 1 does give you many ! to spend your money, )p House and a variety ds around every comer, mple of some Turner >er, $4.50 , $3.50 dog, $4.25 rizza, $4.50 tuts, $3.25 (only $1 if om the kids outside) j. It's going to take a ie level of history that ~ i, which had been the ves since April, 1966. Vtist/vrv isn't nlri at nil ustice's home run in L995 World Series that ves to their first World ince 1957. y, Hank Aaron broke e run record at AFCS, itch out of the park on No. 715. And fittingly, it as a Brave at AFCS f AFCS will take place^ outline of the playing ked on the parking lot manent monument... aques will be set into here the bases were, as of key moments in uch as the location of jmer. >aseman Fred McGriff is still at AFCS. ity Stadium was nice," am sure the players do." . The new home of the nth both the residentsgreat job in terms of idium and getting the ! action," Glavine said, veryone is excited to /, and if s been a lot of 11."