The defending World Series winners have unveiled their new logo. On Thursday night, the Atlanta Braves unveiled a new year on their extensive collection of red, white, and blue pennants, exactly 156 days after winning the World Series last season.
Beyond Truist Park’s right-field wall, the pennants are fastened to a lamp pole. Each of the Braves’ four World Series victories, dating back to their tenure in Boston, is represented with a red dot.
The banner was unveiled as part of a half-hour ceremony prior to Atlanta’s season-opening 6-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday. A black sheet was lifted from the light post during the event, revealing a re*d pennant with the year “2021” emblazoned on it. A near-capacity audience yelled their pleasure as fireworks blasted up in the early-evening Georgia sky.
Manager Brian Snitker stated, “It was kind of the typical, lively vibe that we’ve grown to have here.” “There was a lot of vigour in the room.”
Snitker stated he informed one of his players before the game that he expected the atmosphere to be “a lot like the World Series.”
Two members of the Braves’ 1995 World Series-winning squad, the franchise’s previous champion, were invited onto the field shortly after the banner was unveiled. The first few notes of his old walk-up song, Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train,” drew raucous cheers before the first player’s name was announced.
Chipper Jones walked to the pitcher’s mound amid applause and gave former Braves pitcher Greg McMichael the game’s ceremonial first pitch. The trophy from last fall’s World Series victory was positioned on a podium in the infield turf immediately behind Jones.
The Braves and Reds were unveiled a few moments later. Starting pitchers and catchers jogged onto the field from the dugout, jogging down a red carpet to teammates waiting along the first-base line.
Braves third baseman Austin Riley remarked, “You had the big American flag out in centerfield, the flyover, it was packed.” “You get the shivers and the adrenaline rush. It was good to play in front of our home crowd again.”
Each Braves player wore white home uniforms with gold piping around the letters and numbers, as has become customary for defending title clubs in recent season openers. In honour of the Braves’ accomplishments last season, the “A” on their helmets was painted gold.
“I want them to have a good time with everything,” Snitker remarked. “You never know when you’ll be able to experience something like this again, so savour every moment.”
