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Photos: Last hours of Turner Field and big-league baseball in Atlanta

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Lights dim on The Ted as franchise uproots to the ‘burbs

By Josh Green
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Fans chopping at Turner Field in Atlanta.
Chopping’s last hurrah in Summerhill.
Photos: Josh Green, Curbed Atlanta

Sunday night marked the end of an era for the City of Atlanta: The last pitch was hurled at Turner Field, fans chopped one final time, and Braves icon Hank Aaron helped dig out home plate and deliver it in a pimped-out minibus to Cobb County’s SunTrust Park, which he declared officially open for baseball.

Maybe the franchise’s suburban shift will be a win-win. Maybe Georgia State University will transform The Ted and its seas of parking lots into the dynamic mixed-use utopia planners have envisioned. Maybe traffic and parking concerns in Cobb have been overblown.

It’s nonetheless a little surreal to know that Major League Baseball in intown Atlanta is now officially a thing of the past — after 50 years.

The Braves’ final game at Turner Field (a win!) provided an opportunity for this latest installment of Visual Journeys. After 20 years of baseball magic, heartbreak, and brouhaha, the facility remains a rather beautiful place — one that will hopefully find a noble and more constantly useful purpose in the future.

Two Bit the Drill overcame years of being a hard-luck loser to win the final Home Depot Tool Race at Turner Field.
So long, Chop House.
SunTrust Park can’t offer skyline views like this. Architecturally speaking, this side of downtown changed surprisingly little in the 20 years The Ted was in operation.
The Kiss Cam catches President Jimmy Carter and wife Rosalynn on Sunday evening.
The Braves concluded their Turner Field tenure on a high note, winning 1-0 over the Detroit Tigers. Afterwards, the real home-run king, Hank Aaron, tossed the ceremonial last pitch and helped extract home plate, which was delivered during the ceremonies to SunTrust Park.
The final pitch.
The cavalcade leading home plate (in bus) and Hank Aaron off to Cobb County.
Heartfelt words from legendary Braves skipper Bobby Cox.
Braves super-fans from states reached by Turner Broadcasting were invited to do this.
Ceremonies concluded with fireworks, confetti blasts, and one final chop.
Fans trickle out of The Ted’s arched entryways following closing ceremonies.
Au revoir, home plate, and au revoir, Bravos.
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755 Hank Aaron Drive SE, Atlanta, GA 30315 404 522 7630 Visit Website

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