COBB COUNTY, Ga. — As the clock winds down to Major League Baseball’s “Opening Day”, the Atlanta Braves plans to return fans to the stands is beginning to take some shape.
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The Cobb County Board of Commissioners held a meeting Tuesday night to go through the finances revolving around The Battery, Truist Park and the surrounding area.
During the discussion, Mike Plant, president and CEO of the Braves Development Company, explained to commissioners what the team has in store for the coming months.
Plant said the team will open the baseball stadium to roughly 30% of fans to start the season. Plant added they hope to increase that to 50% capacity in May and if everything goes well and medical guidance indicates it is safe, full capacity in June.
He made clear what the Braves and MLB plan for the 2021 All-Star game at Truist Park in July.
“We believe it will be probably the first ‘Global event’ in North America that will take place with a full crowd,” Plant said.
Plant explained to commissioners the difference between a regular season matchup and the world-wide audience an event such as the All-Star game, noting that MLB expects up to 2,000 out of town credentialed media to attend the game.
That number, he added, does not include fans.
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The game is scheduled for Tuesday July 13 at Truist Park with a weekend full of events for both players and fans.
All-Star events will kick off on Sunday with MLB’s amateur player draft and celebrity softball games. The nationally broadcast “Home Run Derby” will be on Monday and first pitch for Tuesday’s game will be roughly 8 p.m.
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It’s symbolically the halfway point in the baseball season which kicks off with Opening Day on April 1. The Braves begin the season that day in Philadelphia with April 9 being the home opener also against the Phillies.
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