Atlanta - Fulton County Stadium

Atlanta, GA

Team: Atlanta Braves	Opening Day: April 12, 1966
Capacity: 51,500 (1965) 52,013 (1992)	Dimensions: Foul Lines 330 Power Alleys 385 CF 402
Surface: grass	Closing Day: October 24, 1966
Razed: August 2, 1997	Cost: $18 million
Year Built: 1965	Owners: City of Atlanta and Fulton County
Architects: Heery & Heery and Finch, Alexander, Barnes, Rothschild & Paschal (both of Atlanta)	Contractor: Thompson & Street Co. (Charlotte, NC, Atlanta, GA)

Memorable Moments:

1995 World Series Champions.
1991, 1992, 1996 National League Pennants.
1972 All Star Game.
July 14, 1968: Hank Aaron hits home run number 500.
August 28, 1971: Hank Aaron hits home run number 600.
July 21, 1973: Hank Aaron hits home run number 700.
June 30, 1978: Willie McCovey hits home run number 500.

Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, also know as the "Launching Pad", was built in 1965. Even though the minor league Atlanta Crackers called the park home for a season, it was built to lure the Milwaukee Braves to the Peach State. The park was earned its nickname because it was the park with the highest altitude, 1,050 feet, until the Colorado Rockies were formed. The high altitude allows for balls to travel longer than they usually would at a lower height. Big Victor, a large totem pole of an Indian, stood at the park in 1966. Whenever the Braves hit a home run, he would tilt his head and roll his eyes. In 1967, Chief Noc-A-Homa's Wigwam replaced Big Victor. This good luck charm, as the Braves would go on some nasty loosing streaks when it was removed, stood in the stadium until 1982. This field has awful field conditions from 1966 to 1989, as the stadium never had a full-time grounds keeper, and relied on a Atlanta municipal worker. This park saw its last game in 1996 as the facility that hosted the Olympics that year was converted into Turner Field, the new ballpark for the Braves.

Braves retired numbers are (in numerical order and the years they were retired):

3 Dale Murphy (1994)
21 Warren Spahn (1965)
35 Phil Niekro (1984)
41 Eddie Mathews (1969)
44 Hank Aaron (1977)