###

Two more baseball parks in the books! This week we traveled to Atlanta and Kansas City, our 12th and 13th stadiums of the trip.

Game #12: Padres versus Braves at Truist Park in Atlanta, May 24

The Atlanta Braves did something very smart when they planned their new ballpark that opened in 2017. They also partnered with developers to create a mixed-use area with shops, dining, living and workspaces in the surrounding neighborhood near the park. The result is a dynamic complex that thrives year-round. Game days are just a bonus for what has been named The Battery. “I brag about this place all the time because there’s so much you can do,” said longtime Braves fan Maria Sanders. “You can come here three hours early, and you can pretty much fill your time with all the activities in The Battery area. Even when there is no game, this place is still packed on the weekends and the evenings because there is stuff to do. Distilleries, breweries, escape rooms.” The Braves have had strong attendance for decades because they are a regional team and they have been successful. Georgia fans are joined by those from Alabama, Arkansas, northern Florida, the Carolinas and Tennessee to cheer on the Braves. After the game we spotted license plates from Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee and Pennsylvania before we left the parking lot.

Game atmosphere: Positive

Let’s start near the end. After the eighth inning the Braves led 7-1. At this point almost nobody has left the game! More than 41,000 people have decided collectively that “beating traffic” is not more important than the game. But after the last out of the eighth inning, some start to head for the exits. In our row is a family with the husband on the aisle and the wife next to us, kids in-between. The husband asks his wife, “Do you want to leave?” The response from the wife (Kim Nicholson)?: “What? You ought to be ashamed of yourself!” I love these baseball fans!

Abba, Brahms, Village People, and Buffalo Springfield. Those were the creative choices by Matthew Kaminski, the organist for the Braves, for walk-up songs for some Padres batters. Those who know me well know I love song games – and even invented a few – so I found Kaminski’s choices entertaining. His selections: Abba’s “Fernando” for Fernando Tatis Jr., Brahms’ “Lullaby Sheet Music” for Gavin Sheets, Village People’s “Macho Man” for Manny Machado and Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” for Jake Cronenworth. I will pay homage to Kaminski by placing three Top 40 song references within this story.

The fans are enthusiastic from beginning to end. The fireworks display person gets a workout with two home runs by the Braves (Matt Olson and Ronald Acuna Jr.) an Atlanta victory and, of course, when “the bombs bursting in air” lyric hits during the national anthem. … An extended Tomahawk Chop comes into play every time the Padres change pitchers, which happened three times. … Some ballparks do a Harry Belafonte version of “Day-Oh” to try to get the crowd going. That usually falls flat, although at Angels Stadium one of the vendors followed it up with “Churr-Oh” to highlight his wares. Atlanta instead plays the Freddy Mercury version where Mercury improvises several renditions to interact with the crowd. The Atlanta crowd was completely and loudly engaged in repeating Mercury’s prompts.

This season features the premiere of a family space in the Left Field Plaza called Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Park. The former kid’s play area was renovated into new restaurant and seating spaces. “The Children’s Park space is brand new,” said Karely Avila Ledesma who works with the Braves marketing department. “There are many places to play in over 30,000 square feet. The mini baseball field and batting cages are very popular. The LED board is new, and it’s split between the mini baseball field and the live action in the stadium so parents don’t have to miss what’s going on in either game.” The rock-climbing tower from the old kid’s play area remains intact.

When designing Truist Park, the Braves used a different luxury seating strategy than many parks. They stayed away from Luxury Box Suites and instead developed entire luxury seating sections. But if you want to get a ticket in one as you pass through town, you’ll have to go to the secondary market. Buying them from the Braves involves a multi-year commitment of thousands or tens of thousands of dollars, and there is a waiting list of 10,000 people. Here are some options (prices listed are from Seat Geek for a Friday night game versus the Red Sox):

• Xfinity Club: There are about 1,300 larger, cushioned seats in this section in the 200 level behind home plate. There are also about 300 raised tables behind the seated section to enjoy your purchased food items or the complimentary popcorn, peanuts or Cracker Jacks you brought out of the Climate-controlled Xfinity lounge. Price range: $289 to $347 per ticket.

• Delta Sky Club: The Delta premium section has about 1,700 seats with access to the climate-controlled Delta Sky360 Club. The leather padded seats are behind home plate on the field level and Include food and drink - with in-seat service — with an ever-changing menu. Price range: $404 to $860 per ticket.

• The Pen: These seats are located above the Braves bullpen in right field. There are about 950 wider, breathable mesh seats in this section. There is a private space beneath the seats where you have access to complimentary ballpark classics and non-alcoholic beverages. Price range: $112 to $176 per ticket.

Ballpark cuisine: Positive

The heart of ballpark cuisine at Truist Park is the Outfield Marketplace, a new area this year built at the location of the old children’s play area in the right field concourse. It is a shaded area and features eight stalls, showcasing local restaurants with their take on ballpark fare. “We wanted to bring the flavors of Braves’ country to our fans,” said Avila Ledesma. Pepper’s is one of the participating businesses, a local hot dog stand that specializes in upscale hot dogs. No better place to show them off than a ballpark. Pepper’s offers four options and we sampled the Red Dawg – an all beef hot dog with turkey chili, cheddar and jack cheese, onions, garlic aioli and spicy mustard. That’s one flavorful hot dog! Another popular option is the Damn Dog! – all beef (or veggie) dog with truffle aioli, pickled jalapenos, caramelized onions and mozzarella. Other Outfield Marketplace vendors include Velvet Tacos and the Giving Kitchen. Each month at the Giving Kitchen, a local chef creates a special item to be spotlighted. This month it is a shrimp burger created by Terry Koval, the executive chef and a James Beard Award winner at the Deer and the Dove in Decatur. Proceeds from this stall benefit the Giving Kitchen, a local group that provides emergency assistance to food service workers through financial support.

The 1871 Grill in sections 113 and 141 has two new items that sound good and look fantastic: the Home Run Stack and the Pitcher’s Mound. The Home Run Stack is about eight inches high with two stacks of burgers, thick candied bacon, smoked brisket, pickled onion slaw, onion rings and barbecue sauce. The Pitcher’s Mound is crispy waffle fries covered with brisket, spicy queso, salsa verde, salsa roja and lime crema. Like I said, it sounds good and it did look amazing. Unfortunately, both fell a little flat on flavor. John Van Hoose tried the Home Run Stack. “It’s not amazing,” he said. “It’s just a lot. But I would split it with someone again.” Brittany Keown had a terse review of the Pitcher’s Mound. “It’s not soggy and it’s a little bland,” she said.

The Carvery in Section 111 comes to the rescue, offering two excellent options to ensure Truist Park gets a positive cuisine rating: Loaded Brisket Mac & Cheese Bowl, and Big League Boomstick. The Mac & Cheese Bowl is a generous serving of baked mac & cheese smothered with smoked brisket. There are a few green chilis mixed in, and the whole thing is drizzled with queso and barbecue sauce. Good to the last bite! The Big League Boomstick is actually a full meal delivered in its own carrying case. It’s not really ballpark fare but will certainly satisfy. It consists of a full rack of smoked pork spare ribs, molasses baked beans, jalapeno bacon macaroni and cheese, coleslaw and southern-style honey butter biscuits.

Club hospitality: Positive

Hammerin’ Hank. Photo: Trepiak.

How does a team provide Bob Uecker-type seats in the 300 section – the worst seats provided so far – and still get a positive rating? Southern hospitality, baby. Karely Avila Ledesma was our Braves contact, and she provided a personal tour for us of Truist Park that lasted more than an hour. On her day off. Our goal was to see and get information on the children’s play area and the Outfield Marketplace, and maybe get on the field for batting practice. All that happened and more. We also toured all the luxury seating areas and got to see a four-foot Bobblehead replica of Hank Aaron, my boyhood hero, in the Hank Aaron Terrace area. Displayed with the replica is the bat used to hit his record-breaking 715th home run. … Parking in the nearby media lot was also provided. … And the seats to the game weren’t that bad – to the left behind home plate with good sight lines. Just eight miles high. And no season ticket holders nearby to interview.

Game details: Braves win 7-1. Attendance 41,338. Time of game: 2:32.

Helpful tips: No shopping-type bags allowed, not even clear ones! Just small purses. And gallon-sized Ziplock bags. Parking is limited around the park, mostly reserved for purchasers of premium tickets. If you can find parking nearby, it will be $40. Otherwise, you’ll have a long walk after you park off site.

You don’t see that every day: After the top of the second, the scoreboard featured the “Hug Cam,” showing people around the stadium. When they see themselves, people usually oblige by hugging each other. Near the end of the segment, the camera rested on a Braves fan sitting next to a Padres fan. The Braves fan turned to hug her husband who was off camera. After the off-camera hug, the camera still rested on the Braves fan and the Padres fan. Lip readers could tell the Padres fan was saying “Ain’t no way.” The off-camera husband of the Braves fan comes into the camera view and, reaching over his wife, hugs the Padres fan.

Game #13: Reds versus Royals at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, May 28

The Royals cultivate their fans throughout Missouri and Kansas. Every year the Royals send players into elementary schools to talk to 5th graders about the team. It has a lasting impression. “I remember for me, it was Zack Greinke and Mike Sweeney who came to our class (in about 2007),” said Jake Mikesch who is from St. Joseph, Missouri. He was at the game with a group of friends from St. Joe who also went to school with Noah Cameron, the starting pitcher for the Royals in this game. “The Royals and the Kansas City Chiefs always come to the local areas around here to get the whole community involved,” he said. While the Royals have won only two World series titles - in 1985 and 2015 – the fans are super loyal because they believe the team really cares about the community.

“I was born into a family of Royals fans,” said Cassandra Bushell. “I went to the victory parade in a stroller in 1985 when I was 1 year old. Then in 2015 I went to that parade, coming full circle by bringing to it one of my kids in a stroller. Our life is so busy, it’s nice to have an activity where we can come and hang out.” Cassandra and her husband Aaron have four children. “We’re all sports fans,” she said. “Our kids know the game, and they’re really watching. It’s not about having popcorn; they’re here for the game. It’s fun to have a shared experience with our kids.”

Game atmosphere: Positive

“There’s plenty to do in the outer outfield area,” said Mikesch. “There is a bar and a restaurant, and all the activities for kids. As you know, Royals baseball hasn’t been great over the years, so it’s not always about watching good baseball. It’s just a fun park to come to the game, see a lot and have a lot of things to do.” The children’s area is dubbed the Outfield Experience and includes a mini golf course, a carousel, batting cages, a pitching challenge, and a mini field for kids under 48 inches tall.

Royals fans appreciate good baseball – whether it’s by the Royals or their opponents. The club takes more of a “no frills” approach to the in-game entertainment. There are a couple of hyped activities such as the hot dog race (see details below), but mostly it’s just the wandering cameramen putting the fans on the big screen between innings. It also allows the Royals to showcase their water fountain that lines most of the outfield. Colored lights add to the beauty. … A lot of the fans stick around after the game for the post-game interview on the field that is also shown on the Royals broadcast of the game. From beginning to end, the Royals fans are engaged in the action.

We’re getting used to seeing some sort of mascot race at the games. Here it was between three people in hot dog costumes. The difference in Kansas City is the camera gives a close-up of each person inside each costume before the race so you can see their faces.

Ballpark cuisine: Positive

It is mostly standard ballpark fare at Kaufmann Stadium, with a few exceptions. There are two local barbecue vendors to choose from: Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que and Smoak Craft Barbecue. We tried the Z-Man Sandwich at Joe’s. It’s slow-smoked beef brisket, smoked provolone cheese, topped with two onion rings, on a toasted Kaiser roll. Before we give you our review, here’s a conversation I had about the Z-Man with Carter Kline, just before he took his first bite. “It’s supposed to be just as good as the sandwich at the actual Joe’s restaurant,” he said, then he took a bite. “Is it as good as the restaurant?” I asked. “I don’t know. I’ve never had it at the restaurant. But I saw a guy on YouTube talk about it, and he gave it a 10 out of 10.”

We give it an 8 out of 10. When I got my Z-man, my first thought was “Is that all there is?” It was tasty with a nice smoky flavor, but it was small. A jumbo slider, really, with two big onion rings on top. The other BBQ option, Smoak Craft Barbecue, does not hold back on the portions. Consider its Pitmaster Platter: Half a pound of brisket, half a pound of hickory-pulled pork, half a pound of jumbo brisket sausage, hickory-pit beans, cheesy corn, white bread, Chef J House BBQ sauce, gold sauce, pickles and picked red onion. If we had come with a few friends, we would have tried this. They also offer brisket sandwiches and the sides a la carte. I asked Cassandra Bushell which BBQ joint she would choose between the two, and she said neither - the best barbecue in Kansas City in her opinion – Gates Barbecue - is not even represented at the game. Our recommendation at the ballpark is Smoak Craft.

Another sandwich option is Vinnie’s Italian Beef Pasqwich: shaved Italian beef topped with two slices of Provolone cheese, bacon, and hash brown patties, with Giardiniera aioli on a brioche bun. There is also the opportunity to try cheesy corn at several vendors. (We didn’t.) One vendor piqued our interest with the offer of Crab Fries. After further investigation, no crab. Just fries. They justified the “crab” title because the fries had creole seasoning.

Club hospitality: Neutral

Tickets and parking were provided. However, tickets were in the 300 level of the stadium. While that did not give us access to season ticket holders to interview, we were happy with who sat next to us (the Bushell family). Parking was supposed to be nearby in a reserved lot but the parking attendant did not like the size of our vehicle and sent us to the other side of the adjacent football stadium to park. Hey, we needed go get in our steps, anyway.

Game details: Royals win 3-2. Attendance 15,430. Time of game: 2:26.

Helpful tips: The gates do not open until one hour before first pitch for games Monday through Thursday, so don’t plan on seeing much of batting practice. (We generally get there 90 minutes early in order to walk the stadium to review food vendors.) It’s okay to bring in sealed bottled waters. See-through plastic bags are okay, too, along with normal-sized purses. Parking is $40 or $30 and plentiful around the dual-stadium complex.

You don’t see that every day: In the bottom of the fourth inning, Maikel Garcia scored from first base for the Royals on a single by Drew Waters. What makes this play even more surprising is the hit by Waters was on a 2-2 pitch with one out, so Garcia had no reason to be off-and-running on the pitch.

###

Tom Trepiak is the former sports information director at Humboldt State and a member of the Cal Poly Humboldt Athletics Hall of Fame.