BUCKET LIST UPDATE No. 286: Watch a Braves game at Turner Field

Despite the fact that I was a very average player, I have always loved baseball. To me, it’s the greatest sport of all, and I never get tired of watching it and reading about it. Geographically, the Atlanta Braves is the closest Major League team to where I’ve lived for most of my life, but, for whatever reason, I’ve never seen them play, in person, at their current home stadium, Turner Field.

Growing up, the best that I can remember, I watched three or four Braves games at the old Fulton County Stadium, which closed in 1996. The Braves started playing at Turner Field the following year, and despite having watch Major League games in other stadiums elsewhere across the country, I’d never seen the Braves play at Turner Field. For that reason, I put a trip to see the Braves play at Turner Field on my “bucket list” several years ago, and finally got the chance to see a game there on Friday night.

On Friday night, my family and I got the chance to watch the Braves play the Miami Marlins, and we definitely got our money’s worth. The game, which started around 7:30 p.m., went into extra innings and didn’t end until the 12^th inning, a little before midnight. Unfortunately, the Braves couldn’t pull it out, losing, 7-5.

This game included more than a few players that I’ve always wanted to watch in person, including future Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki. Ichiro came in late in the game to pinch hit and got walked on five pitches. Other big time players in the game included Freddy Freeman, Nick Markakis, Jeff Francoeur, Martin Prado and Giancarlo Stanton (another potential Hall of Famer). Players on both teams combined to hit four home runs during the game, so there was more than a little excitement.

Friday night also happened to be Star Wars night at Turner Field, a promotional event in which fans were encouraged to come dressed as their favorite Star Wars character. I would venture to guess that a few thousand people came dressed in costume, and before the game they paraded around the entire playing field. Prior to the game, lots of folks were just inside the stadium gates, taking pictures with the folks in the more elaborate costumes.

Also, after every Friday night home game at Turner Field, the Braves put on an elaborate fireworks show for the crowd. Since last Friday night was Star Wars Night, the fireworks were set to the tune of songs from the Star Wars movies, which was pretty cool. The show also seemed fitting since the Fourth of July was just a few days away.

As things go, we picked a good time to watch a Braves game at Turner Field because this season is the last season that they’ll play there. Starting next season, the Braves will begin playing their home games at the new SunTrust Park, which is currently under construction in Cobb County, Ga. In fact, after Friday night’s game, the Braves have only 36 home games left to play at Turner Field.

In the end, how many of you have watched a Braves game at Turner Field? What did you think about it? Let us know in the comments section below.