UPDATE: MLB moves All-Star game out of Georgia over voting law
The Atlanta Braves estimate that Truist Park will be operating at 100 percent capacity by June and that 100,000 people will attend events as part of Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game, which the Braves will host in July.
Longtime Braves’ executive Mike Plant told Cobb County commissioners on Tuesday that the Mid-Summer Classic will be “the first global event” to be held with a full-capacity crowd since the pandemic took hold last year.
The game will be held at Truist Park on July 13.
Plant made his remarks during a commission work session. Commissioners are expected to vote Tuesday night on providing $2 million in support of the event, mostly for public safety costs.
“We believe it’s probably the first global event that will take place in North America since the pandemic,” said Plant, president and CEO of the Braves Development Company.
Commissioners initially received a memo from county Finance Director Bill Volckmann that said the county was anticipating an economic impact from the game ranging from $37 to $190 million, and expected a “robust” return to county coffers on the $2 million investment. The memo didn’t cite a source for the figures.
Plant on Tuesday said the numbers came from Major League Baseball and represented figures from the past 20 All Star games.
“I can’t tell you the methodology that was used,” Plant said. “They have their methodology, but we’re pretty confident that there will be a huge global impact here on Cobb.”
Commissioners appeared poised to approve the request. Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid said the county was looking forward to the game.
“It will be nice to have that as a pastime and enjoy Cobb County again,” Cupid said.
Commissioner JoAnn Birrell, who wore a mask decorated with Braves logos, thanked Plant for the organization’s community contributions, including a donation last year for county police to purchase a brindle colored Dutch Shepherd named Brave for their K9 unit.
“You know that dogs are my favorite,” Birrell said. “We look forward to huge success for the whole season and the All-Star Game in July and a World Series.”
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