Braves lose NLDS 5-1 to Chicago Cubs (October 4, 2003)

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2003, Chicago Cubs, NLDS, October 4, Turner Field

October 4, 2003 wasn’t a great day for the Atlanta Braves. It couldn’t have been worse, as a matter of fact.

They were humiliated by the Cubs who win their first postseason series victory since 1908 when the franchise won the World Series.

In front of a standing-room crowd of 54,357 at Turner Field, Chicago beat the Braves in the deciding Game 5 of the NLDS, 5-1.

Season over! Yikes!

A few Game notes:

• For the eighth time in franchise history, the Braves played
  a decisive postseason game. They were 4-3 in previous Game 7s or
  Game 5s.
• Sheffield had another miserable postseason. He went
  2-for-14 against the Cubs after going 1-of-16 in a five-game loss
  to San Francisco last year.
• Former President Jimmy Carter, an
  avid Braves fan, sat in the box next to the Atlanta dugout.
• Tiger Woods, who has played golf with Smoltz, attended the game after
  winning the American Express Championship in suburban Atlanta.

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Atlanta Braves say goodbye to “The Ted”, aka Turner Field (October 2, 2016)

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Atlanta Braves, Ender Inciarte, Freddie Freeman, Julio Teheran, Turner Field

I wish I could have been there. I thought about flying. My wife suggested we drive. Maybe I’m just too old now but the prospect of a 24 hour road trip in two days was just too much. What has happened to me?

I decided not to go. I watched it on my laptop via MLB.TV.

It is the end of so much and the start of so much more. No more baseball in downtown Atlanta. It was always an adventure. How to get there. Where to park. When to leave to not get stranded.

The good news, for a really horrible season, is they leave with a win. Teheran pitched one of his finest games, going seven innings and giving up three hits, one walk and no runs. He struck out 12, tying his career high.

Freddie Freeman drove in Ender Inciarte on a first-inning sacrifice fly. That would be all that is needed. A perfect end to the history of it all.

And so it goes! A new stadium, new hopes, new dreams.

The first pitch was thrown by Atlanta Braves starter Julio Teheran to Detroit Tigers leadoff hitter Ian Kinsler at 3:13 p.m ET, with the game-time temperature at 80 degrees.

Source: Atlanta Braves say goodbye to Turner Field – CNN.com

Last game at Turner Field, moving on again …

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Atlanta Braves, Turner Field

The Braves have played in lots of stadiums. Eight to be exact.

Today will be the last game played at Turner Field.

Sad, but they are moving on. I have many fond memories of games from Turner Field. But I remember Atlanta – Fulton County Stadium as well.

Here is the list from the past:

• Turner Field (1997– 2016)
• Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium (1966–1996)
• Milwaukee County Stadium (1953–1965)
• Braves Field (1915–1952)
• Fenway Park (1914–1915)
• South End Grounds (1894–1914)
• Congress Street Grounds (1894)
• South End Grounds (1871–1894)

It had been 115 years (2010)

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1896, 2010, April 5, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, Hank Aaron, Jason Heyward, Jermaine Dye, Joe Harrington, Johnny Bates, Jordan Schafer, Lou Piniella, Opening Day, Turner Field

Jason Heyward – Opening Day 2010

Opening day is a special day for those of us who love baseball. It is a day of hope. The slate of the last season has been wiped away.

115 years is a long time. But when you are the Braves, history is on your side. As the oldest, most continuous playing team in baseball, you have lots of history.

The 16-5 romp on April 5, 2010 was the Braves’ biggest Opening Day romp in 115 years, since a 21-6 pasting of the Baltimore Orioles in 1896. On April 5, 2010, the Braves beat the Chicago Cubs 16-5 at Turner Field.

It was a great day for Jason Howard. He caught the ceremonial first pitch from Hank Aaron. For most of us, that would been enough. But not for Jason. In his first major league at-bat, he crushed a three-run homer. He also had a run-scoring single in the eight and went 2-5 for the day. The 20-year-old Heyward became the sixth Braves player to homer in his debut, the fourth to do so in his first plate appearance. Jordan Schafer also did it last season. The other Braves to homer in their first plate appearances were Joe Harrington (1895); Johnny Bates (1906) and Jermaine Dye (1996).

“It was something of an embarrassing loss. Never did I anticipate we’d give up 16 runs on opening day, not in my wildest dreams.” ~~Cubs manager Lou Piniella

And so, it was a historic opening day in 2010. And the Braves continue on. Read the game recap here.

Coming back late (April 7, 2010)

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2010, April 5, April 7, Chicago Cubs, Chipper Jones, John Grabow, Troy Glaus, Turner Field

After the Braves completed their convincing Opening Day win on April 5, 2010, Chipper Jones challenged the Atlanta fans to continue bringing energy to the ballpark.

Two days later, the veteran third baseman electrified the faithful with a homer that proved he still had the ability to thrive in clutch situations. It also said the Braves could come back late in the game. While it wasn’t a walk off home, it came late when they were behind. Very important.

Chipper interrupted a pitching-dominated affair with a two-run, eighth-inning homer that allowed the Braves to overcome Troy Glaus‘ woes and claim a 3-2 win over the Cubs at Turner Field. “You could definitely feel the wind go out of their sails,” Jones said in reference to the reaction he felt from the Cubs after he directed left-handed reliever John Grabow‘s changeup over the left-center-field wall.

What can I do? 18 years in the making! (April 7, 2010)

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2010, April 17, Atlanta Braves, No Hitter, Turner Field, Ubaldo Jimenez

Colorado Rockies

The Colorado Rockies finally got a no hitter on April 17, 2010. It was 18 long seasons to get there. Unfortunately, it was against the Atlanta Braves at home. Ubaldo Jimenez bowed his head and raised his arms in fittingly quiet celebration, as joyful noise broke out around him at the end. Jimenez always had been a quiet, regal sort who lets his fastball, which often reaches triple digits and rarely travels at less than 96 mph, causes others to shout. And shout they did, after he completed the first no-hitter in the Rockies‘ 18-year history, a 4-0 victory over the Braves at Turner Field.

“Before the ninth, I was like, ‘What can I do? I’m going to ask God to give me strength to keep going,‘ ” Jimenez said. “Keep pounding the strike zone, make them swing the bat, and it could probably happen. “It was a long way to get to the ninth inning”

Jason Heyward’s fourth inning blast (April 15, 2012)

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2012, April 15, Atlanta Braves, Jackie Robinson, Jason Heyward, Milwaukee Brewers, Turner Field

Jason Heyward of the Atlanta Braves hits a fourth inning home run against the Milwaukee Brewers at Turner Field on April 15, 2012 in Atlanta, Georgia.

All uniformed team members are wearing jersey number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day.

New phenom on opening day (April 5, 2010)

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2010, April 5, Atlanta Braves, Carlos Zambrano, Chipper Jones, Jason Heyward, Turner Field

Jason Heyward – Opening Day 2010

Jason Heyward had a great Spring Training in 2010. Lots of promise but he had not played in the Big Leagues yet. Jason Heyward’s legend grew even larger on April 5, 2010 when the Braves phenom drilled a three-run homer on the first swing of his Major League career. After looking at two fastballs from Carlos Zambrano, Heyward mashed a 2-0 sinker deep into the Braves bullpen beyond the right-center field wall for a three-run homer. The 20-year-old made his way around the bases to the sound of a thunderous applause provided by a sold-out crowd at Turner Field. As Heyward made his way back to the dugout after providing his club a 6-3 lead, he was greeted by Chipper Jones, who stretched his arms out and gave the young outfielder a hug.

Heyward, was drafted out of suburban Atlanta’s Henry County High School with the 14th overall selection in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, had the hometown faithful stirring as he made his way to the plate. Before slugging his monstrous home run he was serenaded with boisterous chants of “Jason Heyward.” After becoming the sixth player in Atlanta history and just the 11th player in Braves franchise history to homer in his Major League debut, Heyward took his position and found the fans beyond the right-field wall applauding him even louder than they had when he took the field to start the game.