Panthers, Braves part of Atlanta’s bright sports future

So the inaugural Georgia State football game's 30,237 in attendance outdrew the Atlanta Braves. Big deal, right? Absolutely.

The fact is that the Braves are enjoying one of their best seasons in the last decade, both in terms of team performance and ticket sales. The Panthers, like the Braves, are enjoying an exciting time in Atlanta sports with young, talented superstars like Matt Ryan of the Falcons, Josh Smith of the Hawks and, of course, the Braves' Jason Heyward.

Several key factors, including the Braves' best home record in baseball, are playing into the Braves' sudden success in ticket sales and fan support. Without a doubt, one factor would have to be legendary Braves skipper Bobby Cox's announcement that 2010 will be his last season at the helm.

The future Hall of Famer will retire fourth on the all-time wins list with somewhere in the neighborhood of 2,500 wins and will most certainly be missed by the Braves' faithful.

But Cox isn't the only baseball legend calling it quits in 2010.

Left-handed fireballer Billy Wagner has indicated that 2010 will be his final season as well. The Braves signed the free agent prior to the 2010 season, a signing that has contributed greatly to the Braves' success as Wagner had converted 32 of 39 save opportunities before Sunday's game at Pittsburgh.

Chipper Jones, another future Hall of Famer, has mentioned the "R" word a time or two in 2010, but the aging slugger indicated after his season-ending ACL surgery that he would attempt to play again in 2011, health permitting.

With all these legends leaving, it seems that the fans would be worried about the future of their franchise. After all, who could replace a dominating reliever like Wagner?

It looks like one of the Braves' two Rookie of the Year candidates, Jonny Venters, is the frontrunner.

The left-handed Venters has proven both durable and effective in his rookie campaign. The Pikeville, Ky. native leads all rookies with an ERA of 1.77, 65 appearances, and a measly .182 batting average against. His hard sinker and lively fastball are sure to plague hitters for years to come, and Venters looks to be a lock to take the closer job next year.

While all of these names have combined to give fans plenty of motivation to come downtown and support their team, none have had the same effect as Jason Heyward.

The much ballyhooed Atlanta prospect has made the transition from the minors to the majors seamlessly and is enjoying a season that won't soon be forgotten.

With all of the hype surrounding one of the most anticipated pure hitting prospects in decades, many were worried that the pressure would get to the quiet Henry County native.

The 6-foot-5 inch, 240-pound lefthander was not fazed, however, and made that plain for the world to see when he sent a Carlos Zambrano fastball over the wall and into the bullpen to give the Braves a 6-3 lead over the Cubs in the Braves home opener back in April.

The swing was his first as a major leaguer and the Atlanta fans will be privy to many more of the homegrown phenom's feats as the years march on.

"It was the first of many career highlights for him," Chipper Jones told NBC Sports. "That was impressive, that was very impressive."

As someone fortunate enough to have been there for the rookie's first game, the atmosphere was positively electric. While Hall of Famers like Hank Aaron and Dale Murphy commented on the young superstar's instinct, physical ability, level head or plate discipline, the Braves fans were listening, and many were there to see history.

"I don't know that I've ever heard this stadium that loud," Jones said.

Like the Panthers' inaugural football game hero, Drew Little, Heyward is the pride of Henry County High School, just a few exits down I-75 from Turner Field and the Georgia Dome. With homegrown heroes like Little and Heyward, the city of Atlanta is destined to become one of the best sports towns in the nation. So the inaugural Georgia State football game's 30,237 in attendance outdrew the Atlanta Braves. Big deal, right? Absolutely.

The fact is that the Braves are enjoying one of their best seasons in the last decade, both in terms of team performance and ticket sales. The Panthers, like the Braves, are enjoying an exciting time in Atlanta sports with young, talented superstars like Matt Ryan of the Falcons, Josh Smith of the Hawks and, of course, the Braves' Jason Heyward.

Several key factors, including the Braves' best home record in baseball, are playing into the Braves' sudden success in ticket sales and fan support. Without a doubt, one factor would have to be legendary Braves skipper Bobby Cox's announcement that 2010 will be his last season at the helm.

The future Hall of Famer will retire fourth on the all-time wins list with somewhere in the neighborhood of 2,500 wins and will most certainly be missed by the Braves' faithful.

But Cox isn't the only baseball legend calling it quits in 2010.

Left-handed fireballer Billy Wagner has indicated that 2010 will be his final season as well. The Braves signed the free agent prior to the 2010 season, a signing that has contributed greatly to the Braves' success as Wagner had converted 32 of 39 save opportunities before Sunday's game at Pittsburgh.

Chipper Jones, another future Hall of Famer, has mentioned the "R" word a time or two in 2010, but the aging slugger indicated after his season-ending ACL surgery that he would attempt to play again in 2011, health permitting.

With all these legends leaving, it seems that the fans would be worried about the future of their franchise. After all, who could replace a dominating reliever like Wagner?

It looks like one of the Braves' two Rookie of the Year candidates, Jonny Venters, is the frontrunner.