The Sports Fan Project

(This is the second in a series of submissions from The Sports Fan Project contributor, Tim Russell, who embarked on a seven baseball stadium tour earlier this summer. You’re able to see his first two installments here and here.)

“Let’s Go Braves!”

No, I did not see the Atlanta Braves play at any of the stops on my recent bus tour with Diamond Baseball Tours.

But it was a frequent theme.

That was thanks to our tour director, Zac Tucker. He is a high school teacher from the Nashville, TN area, who had taken several tours with Diamond, and had stepped up to become a group leader. It just so happens that he was also a big Atlanta Braves fan as well.

“Let’s Go Braves!”

Tucker is a baseball coach and had just taken his team to the state final. As a fan, he’s been to all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums. He’s also a University of Auburn graduate. On the tour, he brought his 11-year old daughter, Taylor, something he does once a year.

Our second stop on “The Rockies plus College World Series” tour just happened to be the Men’s College World Series. Obviously, with eight teams playing in a double-elimination bracket format, we had tickets for a specific game number, based on who had won or lost previous games.

Well, it just so happened that Auburn was scheduled to play Stanford in an elimination game. Both had been ranked in the Top 10 in the most recent rankings. The other CWS participants this year were: Arkansas, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Texas, and Texas A&M.

“Let’s Go Braves!”

And it didn’t look good for Tucker and his Tigers early. Auburn fell behind, 2-0, after the second inning. But Auburn scored six runs in the sixth and seventh. Cole Foster had the big hit, a three-run double for a 4-2 Tiger lead in the sixth. That scoring went unanswered by the Cardinal.

Tucker returned to the bus a bit hoarse, but still able to take the lead to the next stop on the tour.

But the sore throat didn’t stop Tucker from crowing about the Atlanta Braves. The tour brings fans a lot of different teams together, so it’s only natural to do a bit of boasting when your team wins.

So at each stop, after detailing where to meet or attractions around each park, he’d throw in a “Let’s Go Braves,” either at the end of the announcement or via a group text after seeing they had won that night.

But while the Braves were fairly successful during the trip, Auburn was not. Arkansas knocked out the the Tigers the following day with an 11-1 decision. Mississippi eventually was crowned the national champion.

While the stadium atmosphere isn’t quite as raucous as the former home of the CWS, Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium, it can still be quite loud. But that is one of the things that make college athletics unique – a fun, party-like atmosphere.

The NCAA looked for a replacement to Rosenblatt and TD Ameritrade Park was the result. It opened in 2011 and is used primarily for the College World Series. The Creighton Bluejays also use the park as the home field.

The Big Ten has used the stadium for its conference baseball tournament several times, including this past season.

In 2019, the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals used the stadium for a regular-season game. The Royals won, 7-3, before 25,454 people.

The field was renamed Charles Schwab Field after Charles Schwab completed a merger with TD Ameritrade, which was based in Omaha.

Part of Rosenblatt Stadium was brought to Ameritrade/Schwab. the original Hammond Organ from Rosenblatt was restored and is used today. The organist, Lambert Bartak, was not part of the deal, though. He retired in 2010 and died in 2013.

Capacity is 24,505, but can easily be expanded to 35,000. Dimensions are as follows: Left field line, 335 feet; Left-center, 375 feet; Center field: 408 feet; Right-Center, 375 feet; and right field line, 335 feet.

Sight lines are good from any point of the stadium, even in the bleacher sections in the top corners down each foul line. If it’s a sunny day, which is likely since it is summer in Omaha, you will likely bake in the upper deck.

But the concourses are fairly shady and you may be able to move around the ballpark to some shadier seats, if the game is not filled to capacity. Food options are plentiful and tasty around the ballpark. There are also plenty of souvenir vendors around the outfield concourse.

Outside the stadium, the NCAA has set up a fan zone with interactive games, as well as food tents and beer service. Parking can be tough at times, so be prepared for a possible walk. Shuttles are available, but can be tough to snag one.

It is definitely a one-of-a-kind experience, even if you don’t have a rooting interest in any of the games.