The Augusta GreenJackets are set to return to the baseball diamond next week after more than 600 days without playing. General manager Brandon Greene spoke about how the uncertainty of last year affected the organization.
“It was pretty tough. Mid-March, we found out the MLB was getting delayed, and then just more delays and eventually the cancellation,” Greene said. “Unfortunately nobody got to play, but here we are preparing for a new season.”
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The site where the GreenJackets now play has blossomed since the team’s re-location in 2018. SRP Park has been a welcome addition to Riverside Village, and Greene mentioned the growth of the area as a boon to the playing environment.
“It’s incredible. On game day, when everything is rocking down here, people are coming early to go to the restaurants and walk around. It’s cool to see the excitement,” Greene said. “People are buying golf carts to travel down from the neighborhoods it all plays into that ‘live, work, play‘ atmosphere we’ve built here.”
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The team was in the news a few weeks ago thanks to the new affiliation with the Atlanta Braves. The team had formerly been a part of the San Francisco Giants organization for the last 15 years.
“Being a Braves affiliate and being part of the fabric of Braves country is awesome. The fans joining us this year because of that news will be welcomed with a family-friendly atmosphere,” said Greene. “We’ve done a lot of work on keeping the building safe, and we love that our ballpark is open concourse and people can see the action from any vantage point.”
Greene said that while his players are still in spring training with the Braves, but they will be down in Augusta to train for the first time this weekend.
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“Starting at home is always fun, getting to hear the first roars of the crowd,” said Greene. “A lot of players haven’t played in 600 days. By Monday or Tuesday, I can only imagine what the excitement is going to be.”
The GreenJackets start their season with a six-game home stand against the Columbia Fireflies. Tickets are available at https://www.milb.com/augusta/tickets/single-game-tickets
Tyler Strong is the Business Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at tyler@theaugustapress.com.
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