Home › News › Mar 2017

Atlanta Braves Bring Franchise History to Life in SunTrust Park with Monument Garden, Additional Memorabilia throughout Ballpark

Staff Report From Metro Atlanta CEO

Friday, March 31st, 2017

In celebration of the Atlanta Braves' rich history, an expansive area called Monument Garden will be located in SunTrust Park that spotlights the team's accomplishments, decorated alumni and franchise roots. Monument Garden will feature interactive exhibits as well as commemorative displays, and will be anchored by the new statue of Braves legend Hank Aaron. Outside of Monument Garden, fans will be able to take in additional memorabilia and tributes located in various areas of the ballpark.
 
"The historical displays in Monument Garden and the rest of the ballpark represent our journey and our legacy as an organization - they represent the roots, the people, and the moments that have made Braves Country proud over the years. Building this history into the very foundation of our new home gives us and our fans the chance to acknowledge and honor these milestones as we look ahead to our bright future," said Braves Vice Chairman John Schuerholz. 
 
Monument Garden will be located on the Lower Level concourse behind home plate and accessible to all ticket holders. In addition to the new statue of Hank Aaron at the heart of Monument Garden, a baseball bat sculpture that recognizes Aaron's 755 career home runs will live adjacent to his statue. The columns in Monument Garden will also feature graphics of Hank Aaron, as well as other Braves Hall of Fame Members.
 
Displays and exhibits in Monument Garden include:

  • Hank Aaron Statue: Commissioned by world-renowned and Atlanta-based artist Ross Rossin, the statue will show the moment of impact between bat and ball on Aaron's record-breaking 715th home run.
  • 755 Sculpture: A sculpture made up of 755 baseball bats in the shape of the number 755 will live across from the Hank Aaron statue in Monument Garden. 
  • Braves Hall of Fame: Established in 1999 to honor players, managers, coaches and other individuals who have made an exceptional contribution to the organization. The 31 Braves Hall of Famers will be immortalized in Monument Garden with plaques. 
  • Braves in Cooperstown: A bat or glove will represent each of the 55* Braves who have been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. *Note: This includes Braves Vice Chairman John Schuerholz who will be inducted in July 2017.
  • Retired Numbers: The Braves have retired 11 jersey numbers and those numbers will be incorporated into a water feature at SunTrust Park. An interactive exhibit will also allow fans to learn more about each of the Braves legends whose numbers have been retired.
  • History of Braves Jerseys: The Braves have worn more than 25 different styles of jerseys since the franchise was born in 1871, and this new area will chronicle the evolution of the team's iconic look.
  • Braves Honors and Awards: This section features reproductions of Greg Maddux's 1995 Cy Young Award, Hank Aaron's 1957 MVP Award, Dale Murphy's 1982 Silver Slugger Award, Andruw Jones' 2005 Gold Glove Award and David Justice's 1990 Rookie of the Year Award, along with a list of all the winners of these awards in franchise history.
  • Braves Timeline: Fans will get a chance to visually experience Braves history with images from each decade.
  • Origin of Braves Name: A look at the many different names the Braves have been called since the organization's inception in Boston, beginning with the Red Stockings. 
  • Memorable Braves Moments: Artifacts from thrilling and historic moments in franchise history, along with their respective audio calls, will include Sid Bream's slide home in Game 7 of the 1992 NLCS and Marquis Grissom's final out in the 1995 World Series.

In addition to the displays in Monument Garden, all fans will be able to view a variety of other tributes to the team's history, including the 1995 World Series trophy, jersey displays, National Baseball Hall of Fame plaques and more located around the ballpark. Additionally, the Braves' 35 pennants will find their home in SunTrust Park on the light poles in the outfield.
 
Club areas and group spaces in SunTrust Park will also include commemorative features. These areas will showcase everything from artifacts to awards to photos and will be accessible for fans with tickets to those areas or on a SunTrust Park Tour.
 
The best way for fans to see the artifacts, tributes and displays located in all areas of the ballpark is to take a SunTrust Park Tour. SunTrust Park Tours start on Opening Day, April 14, 2017, and will run year-round. SunTrust Park Tours are on sale now at www.Braves.com/tours.

Additional SunTrust Park displays: 
PUBLIC AREAS
Seating Bowl:

  • Each end seat filigree throughout SunTrust Park will feature Hank Aaron's famous swing silhouette.
  • The Braves' 35 pennants will live on the light poles in the outfield. 

Champions Suites:

  • The 1995 World Series trophy will be on display in the Champions Suites, but visible through glass from Monument Garden.
  • The Champions Suites will be home to five replica rings, including four NLCS rings from the Braves' victories in 1991, 1992, 1996 and 1999 and the World Series ring from 1995. There will also be five miniature NLCS trophies from the Braves' NLCS victories in 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996 and 1999. These are all visible through glass to the public in Monument Garden.

Elevator banks:

  • Braves jerseys from Boston, Milwaukee and Atlanta will be framed and on display in elevator banks throughout SunTrust Park.

Guest Services Aisle 111:

  • With the addition of John Schuerholz in 2017, the Braves will have 55 members in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. An acrylic plaque for each of these members can be found at Guest Services located at Aisle 111.

PRIVATE/TICKETED AREAS
Delta SKY360 Club:

  • The Delta SKY360 Club will feature reproductions of Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, and MVP Awards in recognition of all Braves players who have won these awards.

Player Tunnel:

  • The tunnel from the Clubhouse to the field will feature reproductions of a Gold Glove Award and Silver Slugger Award along with a list of all Braves players who have won each award in the franchise history.

SunTrust Club:

  • The SunTrust Club will be decorated with a variety of historical Braves photos from over the years, as well as a display of bats that belonged to Braves greats and a collection of baseballs signed by Braves Hall of Fame members.

INFINITI Club:

  • There will be a series of displays located in the INFINITI Club that pay tribute to Braves managers, Braves Cy Young Award winners, Braves Rookie of the Year Award winners and Braves no hitters. Additionally, the INFINITI Club will feature wood panels with images of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz and Bobby Cox branded into the wood. 

Press Box:

  • A display of artifacts from the greatest Braves broadcasters, Pete van Wieren, Skip Caray and Ernie Johnson, will be located in the place they called home - the press box. This area will also feature Sports Illustrated covers that Braves players have been on.

Konica Minolta Conference Center:

  • A display in the Konica Minolta Conference Center recognizing the "Homes of the Braves" will include photographs and information from each of the six ballparks the Braves have played in.

Braves Clubhouse:

  • In the Clubhouse, Braves players and guests on tour will be able to view a reproduction of both Tom Glavine's 1991 Silver Slugger Award and Greg Maddux's 1995 Gold Glove Award. The Clubhouse also houses tributes to Braves Cy Young Award winners, Braves MVP Award winners, the Braves' 14 straight division titles, and all Braves retired numbers.

Hank Aaron Terrace:

  • The Hank Aaron Terrace will be home to the bat and ball from Hank Aaron's record-breaking 715th home run. In addition, the terrace will feature a display of 715 bat knobs, each inscribed with the date, homer count and opponent recognizing all 715 of the king's home runs. The Hank Aaron Terrace will be decorated with images of Hank Aaron on the walls and pillars.