The reactions are still coming in, but it’s clear that MLB had a huge hit on their hands last night at Ft. Bragg and the Braves were thrilled just to be there.
The idea of taking a major league game ‘on the road’ to a non-traditional place has finally happened. This was the brainchild of MLB Chief Operating Officer Tony Petitti and blossomed into last night’s game at Ft. Bragg, NC.
It’s not a new idea – heck, we took a tongue-in-cheek look at some alternate venues for MLB games way back at the end of 2014 – but I cannot imagine things having gone a lot better (save for one party crasher), for having an idea is one thing: making it happen is a whole ‘nother thing.
But with the success of last night’s efforts… gotta do this again. The next stop? How about the Naval Base in San Diego? It’s not the largest one around, but (a) big enough; (b) located on the West Coast; and (c) Better in terms of logistics than places like Honolulu.
The Series
Here are the links to our entire Ft. Bragg stories:
- Part 1 – the Idea
- Part 2 – the Logistics
- Part 3 – the Event
- Part 4 – A soldier’s view
- Part 5 – the Recap
The Game
Lots of praise from those attending and those participating:
No other stadium can top this. RT @jakefehling: Goosebumps. #MLBFtBragg #Merica @mlb @braves @marlins pic.twitter.com/z62FnHHlZ1
— Nate Touchberry (@NTouchberry725) July 4, 2016
Comm. Manfred: "blown away by overall appeal of facility." He and Tony Clark praise work of @cookmurray. "He is fantastic," Clark said.
— John Manuel (@johnmanuelNC) July 3, 2016
(As we noted last week, Murray Cook of Brightview was responsible for creating the field out of… well, nothing really. His work received universal applause from the players.)
Thank you @FtBraggNC and @82ndABNDiv - it was an absolute honor. #MLBFortBragg pic.twitter.com/FpPEeIKm3c
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) July 4, 2016
Thankful to be a part of the #MLBFortBragg game. Thx to all who worked for months to make it possible and thx to all who serve! @Braves
— Dale Murphy (@DaleMurphy3) July 4, 2016
#MLBFortBragg We live in the greatest nation... all bc of the soldiers and their families that sacrifice so much. pic.twitter.com/QKpxmtwrNm
— Jeff Francoeur (@JeffFrancoeur) July 4, 2016
https://twitter.com/Marlins/status/749807728873340928
Even the lighting for the ball field was amazing – lit up better than most every stadium anywhere
https://twitter.com/Braves/status/749771599834910720
With all that, I can’t stop without re-posting the Black Hawk Flyover… from the airborne perspective. One of the best parts of this view is being able to see everything that was built or brought in for the game. Seriously impressive. Enjoy.
Next: Yeah, the Box Score... it's Coming