Fansided

Ranking the best in-game experiences for each MLB team

By Joshua Sadlock

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 29 : Freeze races during game one of the 2019 Major League Baseball London Series between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees on June 29, 2019 at West Ham London Stadium in London, England. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 29 : Freeze races during game one of the 2019 Major League Baseball London Series between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees on June 29, 2019 at West Ham London Stadium in London, England. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 29 : Freeze races during game one of the 2019 Major League Baseball London Series between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees on June 29, 2019 at West Ham London Stadium in London, England. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 29 : Freeze races during game one of the 2019 Major League Baseball London Series between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees on June 29, 2019 at West Ham London Stadium in London, England. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) /

Atlanta Braves: Race the Freeze

Much like its predecessor, Turner Field, the Atlanta Braves new home, SunTrust Park is a largely characterless place to watch a baseball game. Sure, it’s nice enough and still has that new ballpark smell, but there isn’t really anything special going on. The Braves moved from a perfectly fine home within the city limits to a perfectly fine home 10 miles outside of the city in the more affluent suburbs. SunTrust Park is known for having some of the best in-stadium WiFi in the league, though, so there’s that.

Thankfully, the Braves left their mildly racist and offensive trademark tomahawk chop behind when they moved to the new stadium. That did leave a void, however, in the overall fan experience that just can’t be filled by another gallon of Coca Cola and a Chick-fil-A sandwich. Enter: The Freeze.

While it may have originally been intended to be a one-off stunt, The Freeze has become a permanent fixture at Braves games. A member of the grounds crew, Nigel Talton, dons a bodysuit and goggles and races fans around the warning track. Talton is a semi-elite sprinter on the track, so he gives the fans a large head start and almost always wins. The results have frequently been hilarious and a few fans have even pulled off a win.

There just aren’t many things more entertaining than watching a liquored-up dude in cargo shorts whose athletic career peaked in middle school try to hold off The Freeze in a footrace. In almost every race, there is a moment where a look of panic grips the face of the racer as he realizes he is about to be caught. You just know every single guy in the park under the age of 30 thinks he could take The Freeze if he only got a chance.

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