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Trustmark Park & the Mississippi Braves

Official Review by Nathan Deal, Stadium Journey Regional Correspondent

Baseball in Pearl, Mississippi doesn't go back too far, but in the short time the Braves have been in the Magnolia state, they've made some great memories on the diamond.

The days of this Class AA affiliate of the Atlanta Braves began in 1966, when the Braves played in Austin, Texas for two years. Afterwards, they moved to Shreveport, Louisiana, where they only played for three seasons. In 1971, the club moved to Savannah, Georgia, where they spent a good 12 seasons. In 1984 they moved to Greenville, South Carolina, where they spent 21 years as the Greenville Braves. The stadium there was in poor condition, and the team could not reach a deal with the city to build a new stadium, so they relocated to Pearl, Mississippi, a suburb of Jackson.

In 2005, the team's first season in Mississippi, the Braves opened Trustmark Park, a stadium that can seat nearly 7,500 fans. The park has seen the Braves win the 2008 Southern League championship as well as a college baseball game between the state's two SEC powers, Ole Miss and Mississippi State.

The Braves might have finally found a good home. They have a nice stadium, a great community and a supportive area behind them now. Don't look for this team to leave Pearl anytime soon.

Food & Beverage    5

Generally, the food at ballparks all tastes the same. It's generic and, while not bad, it's not particularly delicious.

Well, the Mississippi Braves didn't get the memo. The food, while it had expected stadium prices, was actually rather good. The nachos were fresher than just about any ballpark I've ever been to, the burgers were delicious and the French fries tasted good as well. I wasn't expecting much, but I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food served at the concession stands, which were all over the stadium. The prices at this stadium are average and very comparable to other minor league ball parks, but at Trustmark, the cost is actually worth the food.

Atmosphere    4

When I pulled up to the stadium, I saw many people wearing their Braves gear and showing their Mississippi pride. As I walked in the gate the (rather ridiculous-looking but fun nonetheless) mascot was posing for pictures with kids next to a play area that included a bouncy-house, a slide and more. The team shop is also right at the entrance, and it was always filled with people buying new Braves gear to show their "fandom."

All over the stadium you see Braves flags and Mississippi logos. One particularly-special area is the Wall of Fame, which shows notable players who suited up for the club, including Tommy Hanson, Yunel Escobar, Brian McCann and Jason Heyward. The stadium stressed pride and history, and it does a good job of both.

Neighborhood    5

Trustmark Park was very easy to get to. It isn't particularly difficult to find, and even on crowded nights, the neighborhood makes it so that traffic isn't bad at all.

There aren't any particularly special restaurants in the area. You have the regulars like Waffle House and Shoney's. However, there is a gigantic (and rather unique-looking) movie theater near the stadium, so catching a movie after the game is incredibly easy. There are plenty of hotels in the area, and if that isn't enough to convince you this is a great location for the stadium, this might be: There's a Bass Pro Shop right across the street from the stadium.

Mississippi's most populous city, Jackson, is very close to Pearl, so anything you can't do in this neighborhood you can do there.

Fans    3

The only thing about Trustmark Park that didn't impress me was the fans. Some fans were very passionate and were energetic the entire game. The crowd as a whole, however, seemed to drift in and out, and sometimes it took a hilarious skit by the mascot to pump some life back into the fans.

Of course, it was a scorching hot night, so you can't hold their lack of energy totally against them. A staff member told me the crowd size on this night was below average for the park. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, but from my experience, the crowd was pretty average, a little above average at best. It was still a decent-sized crowd, and like I stated, there were some pretty passionate Braves supporters.

Access    5

Access surely isn't an issue at Trustmark Park. The aisles are wide and easy to walk through even if people are lined up in their seats. The concourse is humongous and gives fans plenty of room to get to where they are trying to go.

One area that surprised me was the restrooms. They were not only nice, they were also roomy, which you usually don't see in any public venue, let alone a baseball stadium. The stadium also features the Alltel Picnic Pavilion, 22 large luxury suites that can seat 16-20 fans, and two merchandise shops. In a nutshell, the stadium is roomy. It's not a complicated park, and it lets you comfortably watch a baseball game.

Return on Investment    4

The Braves charge average prices but pay you back with an above-average baseball experience. The food was warm, tasty and certainly worth the price, the stadium is far superior to many of its minor league counterparts and the employees were very friendly. Pearl, Mississippi obviously loves its baseball, and its stadium is a testament to the team's commitment to excellence.

Extras    0

While this is an overall good baseball experience, there is nothing extraordinary that would warrant additional points.

extras

Jackson is also the home to the Mississippi Hall of Fame and Sports Museum, just off I-55 at exit 98B. I didn't have time to stop, but the website looks great.

by j-macj | Aug 12, 2012 07:57 PM

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