The Braves are in a playoff race, but does anybody care?
See? Some folks were in the house Monday. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
The announced crowd at Turner Field on Monday was 25,046. I’d guessed the actual attendance as 15,000 and thought I was being kind. But no matter the number, the image was clear.
Another big baseball game in the A-T-L.
Another unpacked house.
And here I’m supposed to get all righteously indignant and say something like, “It just goes to show what a lousy sports town this is. If this game had been in Boston or Chicago or New York, you couldn’t have gotten a ticket.”
But you know what? I’m not going to say anything like that. Because I don’t really care about the folks in Boston and Chicago and New York. (And anyway, I just came from a Patriots game in Foxborough, where Gillette Stadium was officially sold out but empty seats were apparent.) Besides, this time I feel no call for indignation, righteous or otherwise.
As I tried to note last night, this is a weird sort of stretch drive. It crept up on all of us, the Braves included. It wasn’t until last week that things got interesting, and when the Braves returned home only 2 1/2 games behind Colorado they were facing some powerful mitigating circumstances.
School’s in session. The economy’s adrift. Lots of locals are still bailing out basements after last week’s rain. And let’s be honest: The Braves haven’t been flavor the month for more than a months of Sundays. Lately we’d gotten in the habit of keeping one eye — one only — on the Braves and saving our real enthusiasm for the Falcons or the Dawgs or Tech or even the Hawks.
But now the Braves are in a race we never saw coming, and we’re only just catching on. I’d imagine the crowds will increase as the week unfolds, and if the Braves keep winning I’d expect 40,000 on Friday night and that many again on Saturday afternoon. And Sunday afternoon, if the game is meaningful, could well be sold out. (The Falcons are off this week, FYI.)
And I’ve long since stopped associating raw attendance numbers with depth of fan interest. We didn’t ever tune the Braves out; we just followed them a bit less closely. These hadn’t become the dark days of the ’80s, when, as the joke went, you could leave two Braves tickets on your windshield and come back and find four. Most of us will have no trouble finding our way to the ballpark this weekend. We’ve all been there before, many times.
And even if there were only 25,000 (or 15,000) on hand Monday, it wasn’t a bored corporate gathering. These were folks who knew what was going on and who’d come to see baseball. “The crowd was into it,” Bobby Cox said afterward, and it was. It didn’t feel like just another night at the ballyard. It felt like a night at the races.
And, on another Braves-related matter: Getting way ahead of ourselves, we wonder how the playoff rotation might look. Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz? Vazquez, Jurrjens, Hanson? And what happens to Derek Lowe?
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310 comments Add your comment
Falconsforlife
September 29th, 2009
12:34 pm
Getting to the Ted is impossible for a large chunk of the fan base. Use Marta? Are you serious. Have you ever actually TAKEN Marta to a Braves game? Falcons game?
Marta is awful. Getting downtown during the week for people who don’t work downtown is impossible. Even then, if you work downtown, getting your family downtown to go to games is impossible. If the Braves are smart the next stadium will be north of the city. Anyone who argues that is delusional. They would almost certainly average 5-10k more people if the stadium was in a decent location on the northside.
Strangers waiting, up and down the boulevard
September 29th, 2009
12:34 pm
Airlift Turner Field from the “District 9″ location it sits now, drop it off at 14th Street and Peachtree Street (where the new Symphony Hall is “suppose” to go), and THEN you may see sellouts in a playoff race!!!!!! GO BRAVES!!! (and Go Brewers for the next 3 nights!!!)
DC Bravesfan
September 29th, 2009
12:34 pm
All these excuses, you act as if they don’t have these same problems in Boston, New York, Chicago, St. Louis, Denver, LA.
As for belief, look back at the last 9 post seasons, how many WS winners were the ‘Hot Wild Card team’. If they do win the WC, they’re my pick to win it all…
Tomahawk Holmes
September 29th, 2009
12:35 pm
This blog does nothing but make me angry. Reading these posts with these paper bag weak blanket statements bashing the Braves.
GO SOMEWHERE ELSE IF YOU ARE SOOOO CLUELESS TO THE REALITY OF BASEBALL – IDIOTS!
give them what they want
September 29th, 2009
12:36 pm
Give the people of Atlanta the players they grew to love in the 90’s and you’ll have your fans back. With each Hall Of Fame retirement there’s been less to cheer for. In several years when Hanson, McCann and Escobar are perennial all-stars the fans will come back.
midnite
September 29th, 2009
12:36 pm
Moving the Braves and Falcons to the Northside would probably make a huge difference in attendance. There are NO “synergies” Downtown unless you define synergy as ridiculous traffic and crime. The rude, surly cops and street punks ruin the experience around Turner and the Dome. MARTA just flat out sux. The majority of fans come from the Northside. I still, however, go to Braves, Falcons, and Hawks games.
Claudel Washington
September 29th, 2009
12:38 pm
Brent A – you’re an idiot.
Reid in EAV
September 29th, 2009
12:38 pm
Since all the usual knee-jerk comments have come up here from the northsiders, (Waaaah, traffic! Waaaah, bad transit! Waaaah, people who don’t look like me — aka “crime”), allow me a moment to gloat. East Atlanta is a fantastic place for a Braves fan to live. I can get to a free parking spot (shhh) in Grant Park or thereabouts in just a two-minute drive from my home, then it’s a nice walk to the gate. I can watch the first inning on TV and be ticketed and seated by the bottom of the third if I decide to go all of a sudden. Then the traffic heading east toward home is nonexistent. I’m usually walking in the front door as people are still trying to escape the Gold Lot.
So for those of you driving your obnoxious SUVs to your ugly houses on cul-de-sacs dumping out to congested collector roads containing ugly character-less strip malls, then complaining about the difficulty of getting to events in the city that you decided to settle so far away from, allow me to play a moving tune on the world’s smallest violin. You made your bed. Now lie in it.
Pete
September 29th, 2009
12:41 pm
“In several years when Hanson, McCann and Escobar are perennial all-stars the fans will come back.”
McCann is already a perennial All Star.
Good Grief
September 29th, 2009
12:41 pm
Quite frankly i don’t care who’s laughing at us or whats being said about the fan turnout at this point. I couldnt write article like this or be like Joe Simpson was during last night broadcast after what some folks have suffered through the past couple of weeks. Im like this, if the Braves care so much about fan turnout and its about the fans why not invite all of the ones who were effected by flooding and now have nowhere to live out to the ballpark for free.
As has been said in this blog, if the Braves were winning and in the hunt earlier (going back to when they got swept by the REDS!) then the stadium would have continued to see a good fan turnout. If the Braves are a game back going into Friday night or tied for that matter im sure the fans will be there, but there’s just to much going on outside of entertainment and sports right now. A lot of folks have things to deal with. It wasn’t just homes affected by the flooding. There were a lot of businesses affected so we’ll see…I’ve definitely continued to watch the Braves and i’m still believing a rooting for them.
Carl
September 29th, 2009
12:43 pm
I gave up on them the day Chipper Jones blamed the fans for the team losing to St.Louis. Trust me- the braves wont go anywhere- nice run but same song and dance too little too late….
Claudel Washington
September 29th, 2009
12:46 pm
Reid – You’re the exact reason I don’t live in ATL, well that as well as crime, congestion and over priced housing. I’ve been to Cabbagetown many times on the weekend and it’s full of pierced, tattooed and dyed haired hippies. You probably HAVE to walk to the games because your car and/or flatscreen has been stolen. No one envys you. Most people that live in E. Atl could care less about sports, muchless the Braves. You are the exception.
brent a.
September 29th, 2009
12:46 pm
synergies, in general, I’m referring to the fact it is very easy to live, work, eat, and get around downtown and attend sporting events. If you are along or near a Marta line, you can also do this very easily.
The shuttle actually works quite well, or you can walk down to the stadium from the GA State station. very easy to do. Very safe during games due to the add’l security, and very good exercise.
It’s a shame that so few people seem to realize this.
sorry for those of you that live out in the boondocks, I really do. IMO, Atlanta has some of the worst, most complicated, and inconvenient suburbs of any major metro city in the US.
When I lived in town, Marta was great. Walking was easy, etc.
It’s sad that so many people live in the boonies and never come to realize just how much fan can really be had, easily and inexpensively, if they just chose to live and work in the city of Atlanta.
But hey, if you work and live up in Kennesaw, I completely understand.
Bravissimo
September 29th, 2009
12:46 pm
Ya do know that were only 4 back of the Phils, and the Rockies are only 4 1/2 behind the Dodgers. Wouldnt it be funny if the Phils didnt make it and the dodgers were the wildcard???
Ive been unemployed since April and live in South GA. Id love to go to the games but alas…
FalconsFan
September 29th, 2009
12:46 pm
Falconsforlife ,
There’s a reason stadiums around the country are built in areas that are not the best, the property is cheap. Quite a bit of land is needed for a stadium and its surrounding parking lot.. keep dreaming of a stadium in your ticky tacky little suburban neighborhood, because if one is moved there your neighborhood will soon be run down and crime ridden. (because your land is now deemed to be cheap)
SoWeGa Fanatic
September 29th, 2009
12:47 pm
200 mile drive and $200 expense. Nuff said.
FalconsFan
September 29th, 2009
12:47 pm
Does anyone know how long construction is going to be taking place this weekend on the downtown connector? Construction has been a major deterrent for many Braves fans this season. (and last)
Johnny
September 29th, 2009
12:48 pm
If you want to build interest, dont publish stories about five reasons the Braves wont make the playoffs……Believe folks.
Recruit1
September 29th, 2009
12:48 pm
Atlanta is just not a sports town…..too many relocated folks from the North who still feel a connection with their team(s) that they have rooted for in the past…example: I have lived in ATL for 25 years, but remain a St. Louis Cardinals fan….as a kid listened to a broadcast team of Harry Caray and Jack Buck….sticks with you….
paul
September 29th, 2009
12:49 pm
how bout if the braves really want us in there, they REALLY bring down ticket prices…. The braves, like every other franchise gouge it’s fans into submission. We are suppose to keep giving no matter what… How bout do something more on their end beside printing a sign!!!!!!
Melanie Oudin
September 29th, 2009
12:49 pm
Braves Fans. COME ON!!!!
Good Grief
September 29th, 2009
12:50 pm
Also a point about the stadium location. “Crime” is such a weak excuse and for that matter traffic is too. So they say, “lets put the stadium on the north side”. Where at exactly? The new stadium would still end up in Atlanta, not Gwinnett, so either way if you live north of Atlanta you’ll end up having to drive south. If they put a stadium on the north side of town there be just as much traffic and folks on the south side would then make the same complaints
Atl Hawk
September 29th, 2009
12:50 pm
I agree with Irwin….nicely put I never thought of it that way. But besides that the thruth remains…we gave up and started looking toward next season. It was all of a sudden and people did not prepare for this. We were getting the grills ready for FLA and PHI this season man! Despite how people get to Turner is not going to be a problem. Traffic or no traffic we show up late anyway. On a season that was already done in our minds, you damn right nobody’s showing up. But now, oh but now if we get a least within 1 game of the Rocks,,Espn Fox and SportsSouth will be in ATL….Believe we will be there and tickets want be available.
brent a.
September 29th, 2009
12:51 pm
Yes, Inman Park and Candler Park are just chock full of tattoeed, pierced hippies. And terrible places to live!
Falconsforlife
September 29th, 2009
12:52 pm
Reid- and we all see how well East Atlantans support the team. Most of you can’t afford tickets I assume.
FalconsFan- Yes I know that’s a reason, but it doesn’t mean moving a stadium to a decent area would automatically run the area down. The Falcons are looking at the old GM plant in Doraville for their next stadium. Now the traffic in that area is awful, but the potential for life around the stadium is much better than it is at the Dome. The Braves could almost certainly pick something either inside the perimeter on the northside, or just outside of it, and more people would show up. There is no denying this fact. The current placement of the Ted is terrible. Getting to it via Marta is a ridiculous pain, and the area around the stadium is the absolute worst.
Just Sayin'
September 29th, 2009
12:52 pm
Like many others have stated, pricing is a big concern. Times are tough financially for most. Millions of people are without jobs. Many have lost their homes to foreclosure, and many others are on the verge of losing their homes too. Health care is bleeding wallets dry. The stock market depleted the retirement savings of most and many would rather sock away those few extra dollars for retirement in lieu of attending some baseball game that they can watch on television.
Most major sports associations are struggling. They are even having problems selling out professional football stadiums. If you have the money and would like to go to the game, then go. Leave the others alone and let them decide for themselves. Just because they choose to watch the game on television doesn’t make them any less of a fan than you.
Go Braves!
Ross
September 29th, 2009
12:52 pm
More on getting to the park – for reasons only they fathom, MARTA make it almost impossible to get to the stadium. It would be a simple matter to run a bus straight from the Peachtree Center MARTA station to the stadium front door – instead, one must go to the hell that is 5 Points, march through a level of filthy purgation to reach underground Atlanta, traipse across a wasteland of kitschy junk stores and restaurants to the loading zone for the existing shuttle, then wait one’s turn in a long line to get crammed onto a shuttle with a surly, unhelpful MARTA drone as driver. So let’s add it up:
Leave work, 4:30 PM
Arrive home in Gwinnett and collect family, 5:30 PM – if lucky
Park at Doraville MARTA – 6:15 PM
Wait 15 minutes for train – 6:30 PM
Ride to 5 points – 7:00 PM
March through purgatory to insults from the bums – 7:10 PM
Wait in line for shuttle (nowhere to sit) – 7:25 PM
Ride to park through traffic – 7:50 PM
Arrive at seats – 8:10 PM
Total time – 3 hours + just to see the first pitch
On the way home, one must march back through the disgusting filth of the corridor from Underground to 5 Points, then try to figure out in the dank must of that hole which train goes north – then repeat the entire process for getting home – by 11:30 PM.
It is any wonder people will not go to the park? It’s impossible. The old stadium up to the 80s could be accessed from any direction – the widening of the connector cut off all simple access to the stadium zone for any reason, including but not limited to ball games. This isn’t rocket science – it’s stupidity on the part of the people who run these things.
davidputty
September 29th, 2009
12:52 pm
I wondered how long it would take, in the midst of an amazing comeback, for some writer to start harping on the attendance. Atlanta isn’t New York where 40K people will wander into a venue just because the lights were turned on. Atlanta has always counted on fans from outlying areas to bulk up the crowds. And in case you missed it, Mark, the there is a recession on and the ticket prices are outrageous. But why couldn’t your main focus be on how the Braves have played and the chase for a playoff spot? It’s like some of you writers can’t stand it; you’ll find the negative in anything.
Jason
September 29th, 2009
12:52 pm
I proud to say I was there to support the team last night, and there is no reason we can get a 50,000 stadium filled with over 5,000,000 people in this town. I don’t think there is any excuse, because in other towns, people don’t have them. My Dad and uncle came from Chicago 30 years ago and adopted the Braves. They can not understand why people are so ignorant to sports in this town. And don’t give me this nonsense about how half the people here are from other places. There are plenty of people in this town who call the Braves their favorite team. I’m so ashamed when my friends from other cities harass me about our team’s support. 50,000/5,000,000 = 1% of this city at the ballgame.
Jason
September 29th, 2009
12:52 pm
I am a true Braves fan and I watch them on tv every chance I get, and just because the stadium is located in the hood and the people that pay to see the games are not in this location does not mean they do not have true fans. It is just a recession and people cannot afford to attend or have their things stolen while at a game.
I will be in attendance this weekend, however!
TN Jeff
September 29th, 2009
12:54 pm
I’m a die hard distant (geographically) fan. BUT, I want the crowds to stay away because the Braves have consistently CHOKED when under pressure. Have the crowd there in recent years has not produced a winning atmosphere for the home team but just the opposite. Curious as to the numbers on High Attendance and actual record????????????????
Angus
September 29th, 2009
12:54 pm
Stub hub has a slew of tix available for less than $10 – some as low as $0.70 each. Parking was $5 in the gypsy lots last night.
UGASlobberknocker
September 29th, 2009
12:55 pm
This isnt a shock,,in fact, outside of a half dizen cities, it is happening everywhere..this was a weeknight/school night in late September ..against the 2nd most glamorous team in the league (behind Wash)..someone we play what seems to be 40 times a yr…if I havent purchased those tix way ahead of time no way Im going..and if I wanted to walk up and buy tix..i would wait til this weekend to a/see if we were still in it and b/get in on the fan appreciation stuff. Thats the way most people feel. I went to 10-12 games this yr and love to go..but a team of wild horses coiuldnt drag me there last night. That doesnt make me a bad fan, just a cost conscious one.
Tim
September 29th, 2009
12:56 pm
I have been watching this team from the beginning of this year and I am excited and rooting them on. I have never lost hope that this was a team to cheer for.
Allan
September 29th, 2009
12:56 pm
Atlantans stopped showing up for playoff games because they had no confidence the Braves could get it done when it counts. The no-shows were proven correct. A clear pattern of post-season failure had emerged, with the Braves organization all the while denying that anything was wrong. I still root for the Braves and attend three to five games a season, but I have not made an emotional investment in the team since 1999, when they were completely humiliated by the Yankees in the World Series. Yes, the Yankees were a better team, but the Braves showed a near total lack of fight and therefore achieved the level of embarrassment they apparently feared they would.
As for the other 12 post-season failures since 1991, most of them involved the Braves losing to a less-talented team.
A team does not have to be loaded from top to bottom to win it all. Several teams over the years have won World Series with less than the Braves had every year from 1991 through 2005. Give me one post-season of the Braves rising to the occasion, of digging deep inside themselves to get it done. Until then, I remain a non-believer. I refuse to be teased.
Wulfsgirl
September 29th, 2009
12:56 pm
I am a die-hard Braves fan! I am dying to go to a game. I hope to make it out to the field on Friday night. I have never given up on them. I keep on watching. I BELIEVE!!
Shady Kraft
September 29th, 2009
12:56 pm
Mark. To quote a very good song, “Im not superstitious”, later ripped off By LED ZEP in the form of Trampled Underfoot, but, when I quit watching the Braves, they go on a tear!! So Id rather not watch and them win but…where’s the fun in that? I just dont want them to lose because of me. Im very unselfish when it comes to these Braves. p.s. If your Frank Wren, and forgive me if you’ve already written about this, ( I just had a cleanup on aisle 5) we need at least one bat and we have are stacked with arms. Who do you deal next year? It’s between Vasquez and Hudson right? What are your thoughts? Thanks.
Falconsforlife
September 29th, 2009
12:56 pm
I’d be happy fi it just had rail access. It’s currently impossible to get to the stadium via Marta. Yes having it on the northside would be nice, but it probably won’t happen. Just move it to a spot that you can get to via rails and the attendance will increase.
UGASlobberknocker
September 29th, 2009
12:57 pm
brent a…bad idea…why would the Braves offer free tickets to people who likely wouldnt spend any money at the concessions..that is why you give away free tix.
GT Falcon
September 29th, 2009
12:58 pm
The only weeknight I can make games is Thursday nights. Very hard to make a game on a monday night. I’ll be watching on TV though. If they win tonight and Wednesday I’ll def be there Friday night. Go Bravos!!
Ryan
September 29th, 2009
12:58 pm
Move the stadium to Buckhead – next to a train station – and it would be sold out every night.
Woo Hoo
September 29th, 2009
12:59 pm
Just saw on yahoo that the catch made by colorado last sunday to end the game wasn’t a catch. this is why replay is needed for certain instances like this in baseball. this is huge
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/About-that-Clint-Barmes-catch-on-Sunday-Was-?urn=mlb,192799
The Nerve
September 29th, 2009
12:59 pm
They need to do something to make baseball something other than the hideous BORE that it is. Let the players take the bats with them while they round the bases…make it one strike and one ball…something….anything to make it exciting.
Plus….it’s football season. They should have ended baseball on Labor Day.
Joshua
September 29th, 2009
1:00 pm
For the record, I saw this coming and having been defending my belief the Braves were going to the post season for some time on all kinds of internet forums.
Joey
September 29th, 2009
1:01 pm
As I recall is was the AJC, including Bradley, that wrote the Braves off about two weeks ago. These sports “Journalist” moved on to UGA and Falcon football.
ynot
September 29th, 2009
1:02 pm
Atlanta’s not a bad sports town. It’s a good sports town. You can go to games any time you want. Tickets are available for all teams.
T-Mama
September 29th, 2009
1:03 pm
I’ve been a Braves fan my whole life, so HELL YES, Mark Bradley, I care! I love following my Braves’ bid for the wild card spot, regardless of its outcome. But I also have to be realistic about my finances. We save for and buy all our tickets in March before spring training has barely gotten underway – when it’s too soon for anybody rooting for any team to be thinking about October – because I know I won’t (and I don’t) have the money later. Who’s got spare cash to merely be a seatfiller? I’m sorry that my Bravos can’t actually hear me rooting them on from my living room (like I have my entire life), but that’s all I can do right now – and the beer is a sh8tload cheaper, lemme tell ya.
AlternateReality
September 29th, 2009
1:06 pm
It seems that several times during their long run of success, the Braves coasted to a division title and then were beaten in the playoffs by an inferior team that got hot at the right time (Marlins, Padres, Astros in their last trip). In fact, the Marlins were never the best team in baseball, but they won 2 WS championships.
Maybe this year we’re that team.
DirtyDawg
September 29th, 2009
1:07 pm
brent a had a great idea…give the tickets away and make it up with $7 beers, $12 Chik-filet strips/fries/cokes and $4 peanuts…by the way, that family of four for $30 bucks is BS. First of all the weekend crowds haven’t been bad…Atlanta’s singles are finding out that it’s fun again at the old ball-park, so they come out and drink and holler…but ‘families’ have school during the week and the out-of-towners aren’t coming during the week either.
Face it, they only started making a race of it a week or two ago, give us a chance to get used to the idea…and again, I’ll buy a ticket for every one you buy, Mark.
Too expensive
September 29th, 2009
1:07 pm
If they want people at their games, they should cut the price of beers in half, hire some people that aren’t AWFUL at customer service and did I say cut the price of beers in half? I’m not paying $7.50 for a 16 ounce beer anywhere and i’m not going to a game without drinking beer. DO YOU SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS?