Play ball!
The weather is getting warmer, but not oppressive, so it was the perfect time to catch a businessman's special (and still get in time to do the long walk from the stadium to my car and even drive home for a few minutes to change and deal with an interesting phone call).

While I was happy NU's own Mark Loretta had a big game, validating my decision to wear the 'Cat hat, the Braves fans got a minor thrill with a triple play (an around-the-horn one for good measure). This is the second time, I believe, I've seen a triple play in person. The first being Randy Velarde's unassisted one at Yankee Stadium a few years ago.

Besides the beautiful weather for a game, the Braves made a number of changes from Opening Day that really improved the fan experience. For one, they've taken a page from their former Time Warner compadres, the Hawks and Thrashers, and are now giving out free programs, about the size of a Playbill. It has just enough basic roster information so fans don't seem totally clueless about the home team, plus it was a good excuse to slip in an All-Star ballot.

You can't keep score in the program, but at least now you can buy an actual scorecard for a buck. While I have my own scorebook, it aggravated me that the only way to get a scorecard in the past was to pay $5 for the big program/yearbook thing with a scorecard on a glossy page that made it impossible to write on. Thankfully they've solved that problem, although I'm still taking my tattered book with me to the park.

Finally, the one promotion I made sure to take advantage of was the half-price concessions that's a promotion to show off some of their new food items. I suppose I'd have tried more if I had the time, but it also shows how ridiculously expensive ballpark food is but doesn't need to be. For instance, there's now a place for specialized burgers (replacing the specialized hot dog stands, I believe) -- but the regular price is $8.25, and I doubt it comes with fries. It was strange paying less than $5 for nachos and a lemonade and realizing how much I'll actually pay in the future.