Attendance at SunTrust Park is up 38% from the same point last year at Turner Field, and that is the “largest increase by any MLB team this season, as would be expected for a new stadium,” according to Tim Tucker of the ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION. The other 14 MLB teams that have opened new stadiums since ‘00 “posted an average attendance increase” of 28% in their first full season in their new home. The Braves have averaged 30,109 fans per game this season, an “increase of 8,230 per game from an average of 21,879 in last season’s first 22 games.” They currently rank 12th among the 30 MLB teams in home attendance, “compared with 25th at this point last season and 22nd at the end of last season.” Braves President of Business Derek Schiller said, “It’s a strong opening. Overall, we feel good about where we are going into June.” However, SunTrust Park has been "almost half-empty for some weeknight games.” The Braves have “averaged 37,825 fans for Friday-Saturday-Sunday games and 24,767 for Monday-through-Thursday games.” SunTrust Park “generally has gotten positive reviews from baseball fans, as well as from media outlets, despite some operational bobbles typical of new venues.” But fans’ complaints have “included the narrow concourses that can become overly congested, the long lines at concession stands that sometimes contribute to clogging the concourses and the distance from some parking lots to the stadium.” Meanwhile, the ballpark’s configuration has “swung the advantage back toward hitters.” Fifty-five home runs have been hit in the first 22 games at SunTrust Park, “an average of 2.5 home runs per game.” That is up 54% from the 1.62 home runs per game hit last season at Turner Field (130 in 80 games). SunTrust’s 2.5-home-runs-per-game average is “slightly above the 2.38 average” for all NL ballparks this season (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 6/3).
