Atlanta rolls out Southern hospitality to baseball world for All-Star Week

Since the Braves opened Truist Park and The Battery Atlanta in 2017, this was the crown-jewel event they’d been targeting. The area has already hosted numerous sports and entertainment events over the years, most notably the 2021 World Series.

“(All-Star Week) is the type of event that I think will bring the best out of not just the ballpark, but The Battery and the surrounding area,” Braves president and CEO Derek Schiller told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “In a lot of ways, when we were coming up with ideas and the planning for Truist Park and The Battery, this type of event — and specifically the All-Star Week — was on our radar.

“It was something that we were hoping we could host because we thought it’d be the best opportunity to showcase the vision of having this mixed-use development and all it could be. There’s a great deal of pride we have now that it’s all come to fruition. We’re all excited about what’s to come here in the coming days.”

While the NBA and NFL struggle to find the best utilization of their All-Star/Pro Bowl events, MLB’s Midsummer Classic has remained a sacred part of the sport. And the league gives each hosting city some level of freedom to incorporate a “local” flair to the event.

Cobb County will be hosting the Home Run derby, HBCU Swingman Classic, celebrity softball game, MLB draft (at the Coca-Cola Roxy) and All-Star Game in the coming days, along with numerous other events and presentations for attendees, which largely includes the festivities at the All-Star Village at the Cobb Galleria.

Additionally, the Home Run Derby X will be hosted at Georgia Tech, and the MLB All-Star 4.4 Miler — that’s 4.4 in honor of late Hall of Famer and civil rights activist Hank Aaron, who wore No. 44 — will be held Sunday and start at Center Parc Stadium (formerly Turner Field, where the 2000 All-Star Game was held).

“Atlanta is an incredible baseball market,” said Jeremiah Yolkut, senior vice president, global events for MLB. “You have a rich history, a proud recognition of excellence in baseball, excellence in community and excellence in bringing people fun and entertainment in all parts of the season.

“As one of our most passionate fan bases in the league, we’re incredibly proud to bring the All-Star Game here. Not just for the folks in Braves Country, but for all the fans from around the world who will be watching on TV or coming into this market and paying attention to baseball in what’s now become a week of celebration around the Midsummer Classic.”

The Braves will have two player representatives for the All-Star Game in outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. and first baseman Matt Olson, an Atlanta native. Ace lefty Chris Sale also was selected to the team but will miss the game because of injury.

Acuña, who missed Tuesday’s game with back soreness, will participate in the Home Run Derby and start for the National League in right field if healthy. The Braves have never had a derby winner. Olson, meanwhile, will become the first Georgia-born major leaguer to represent the Braves at an All-Star Game hosted in Atlanta.

“We get the chance to hopefully see Ronald and Matt do their thing among the league’s best,” Schiller said. “We’ll be cheering for them extra special and hard. It’d be a magical moment if a Braves player does something in an already special game and put a cherry on top of this very fun event for everybody.”

Some of the local emphasis will be reflected in the stadium food offerings, which includes items such as the Don’t Call It “Hotlanta” Chicken Sandwich, the Southern Nachos, the Bless Your Heart Dog, Peach Cobbler Nachos and more items that Delaware North and Patina Group concocted with a focus on Southern flavor.

The team also has unveiled its first All-Star Legacy project in the Braves Haven sensory space at Truist Park, which is designed for fans with neurodivergent and sensory needs. It’s on the Lexus Level behind Section 218 and will remain part of Truist Park moving forward.

All-Star Week marks the latest marquee event for Atlanta, which hosted the college football national championship in January, the Sweet 16 of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament in March and the FIFA Club World Cup this summer.

Atlanta continues to be one of the key cities in this country’s sports fabric.

“The Olympics set the stage in ’96 for — ‘Hey, Atlanta is a place that can host these mega events,’” Schiller said. “Atlanta has done a really good job of hosting a variety of sports and entertainment events. It’s almost like this rhythm that Atlanta has doing these. And there’s a Southern hospitality to it. When we talked with Major League Baseball about All-Star Week, for instance, one of the things they remark about is how friendly and welcoming everyone is here in Atlanta and how easy it is to deal with people.

“That’s become the brand of Atlanta. I’m proud of that brand, and we lean into it. We try to make that our brand, too. The airport is one of the top-notch airports in the world. Getting around, in our case, it’ll be easy for people getting around from All-Star Village to The Battery to the ballpark and back. Everything is accessible. Those are things Atlanta does really well.”