Commonly referred to as the ‘Home of the Braves’ in honor of it’s tenants, Turner Field hosted it’s inaugural Atlanta Braves game in April 1997. With the capability to seat more than 50,000 fans, spectators regularly pack themselves into this facility featuring a combination of vintage baseball styling and modern amenities. Speaking of amenities, Turner Field offers constant game updates via the Atlanta BravesVision video board, the PlazaVision board and more than 500 television monitors throughout. Inside the ballpark, spectators are invited to do the tomahawk chop in conjunction the 27ft. neon tomahawk, which resides atop the video board.

The playing surface at Turner Field is created with the use of prescription athletic turf, which features a drainage system and hybrid Bermuda grass. The facility features three different seating levels, which includes the Field level, Lexus level and upper level. The Lexus level offers 58 private suites and Turner Field’s exclusive membership club known as the 755 Club. The upper level features a spectacular view of downtown Atlanta and the Field level gives spectators a close view of the action on the field.

One of the most notable, and historical, events held at Turner Field include the 1996 Summer Olympics. The Atlanta Braves Museum and Hall of Fame, which is located on the grounds of Turner Field, offers additional information on the history of the facility and the ballclub. In addition, it showcases more than 500 Atlanta Braves artifacts dating back to 1871. Open yearround, the Atlanta Braves Museum and Hall of Fame is among the most popular stops for tourists and sports fans. For those who participate in the Turner Field tours, a visit to a luxury suite, the press box, broadcast booth, dugout, Scouts Alley, the clubhouse locker room and The Plaza are typically on the list of scheduled stops.

Tooner Field, which is a special children’s area of Turner Field, is presented by Cartoon Network and is a new $3.4 million project featuring cartoon-themed baseball decor. Measuring over 13,000 sq. ft., Tooner Field allows youngsters to challenge their skills in a fun way and while enjoying one of the newest additions to Turner Field.

From young and old to small and tall, Turner Field offers something for every fan. Although most come to enjoy an exciting game of baseball, touring the museum or watching the little ones enjoy an afternoon at Tooner Field is a terrific way to spend some time before the game starts. The great American game of baseball is no longer just an ordinary day at the ballpark. Today, it’s a host of activities leading up to the big event that is sure to be a fun-filled day for everyone.

Collectors who wish to request an autograph from any one of the players on the Atlanta Braves roster should send their letter and a SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope) to:

Player’s Name
c/o Atlanta Braves
755 Hank Aaron Drive
Atlanta, GA 30315

Fans requesting an autograph should limit their request to two items per letter. Popular items to have signed include photos, index or trading cards, baseballs, etc. Patience is key when requesting autographs through the mail, but the best time to reach an athlete is often during the off-season.

Read the latest Atlanta Braves news, Fantasy Baseball news and all other baseball news on http://www.sportsnews24h.com/Baseball/

The Cincinnati Reds showed glimpses of becoming a good team in 2005. They brought big bats to the plate but they suffered from lack of quality pitching all season. In other words, they were the perfect overs team. The average total at home was just over 11 runs per game and the average on the road was barely under 10 at 9.9 runs per game. Consider playing overs on the Reds at home in 2006.

These Reds didn’t get along with the road at all as they were just 31-50 last season. It is yet to be determined on exactly how this season will play out as the Reds dealt away 2-time All-star Sean Casey who has hit over .300 in 5 of his last 7 seasons and has accrued 1125 hits in 1081 games in his career. They gained left handed starter Dave Williams from the Pirates. It hardly looks like a fair trade as Williams is just 17-26 in his career and was just a 10-game winner a season ago. Obviously, Cincinnati is building for the future and it doesn’t look like the future will be any time soon.

Aaron Harang leads this weak starting staff and he has been shaky at best. The team did trade for Dave Williams and Bronson Arroyo, and I do expect Arroyo to do a lot better in this division than he did in the toughest hitting division in baseball. The Reds haven’t gotten a solid feel for how their bullpen will shake out, and we are looking most likely at a bullpen by committee.

With Casey off to Pittsburgh, Adam Dunn, a converted left fielder, will likely return to first base. I expect shortstop sensation Felipe Lopez to pick up some of the slack for Casey by building off of last year’s All-star season in which he led all NL shortstops in homers and RBI’s. Lopez hit .291 last season , but I expect him to hit over .300 this year. Even without Casey the Reds should once again be powerful offensive lineup, but they didn’t do enough with their pitching situation to contend in the NL Central. Maybe one of the most powerful teams in the bigs, with Dunn being good for 40, and Griffey good for over 35 home runs. It’s going to be tough to tell who will make a move to make up for the losses of Casey and Willy Mo Pena, but if Griffey can stay healthy then this lineup will be difficult to face.

The Reds are a tough team to get a solid feel for betting wise and whenever we feel like putting some of our action on this team it brings back memories of Pete Rose and his shady days of managing this ball club. Let’s hope that everyone is more successful this season in placing wagers on the Reds than this former great player was.

This article was written by Jimmy Boyd. Pick up his Free Baseball Picks here.