ATLANTA - The defending World Series champions officially have a new banner.
Just 156 days after the Atlanta Braves won last season's World Series, they showed off a new year on their long collection of red, white, and blue pennants on Thursday night.
The pennants are connected by a light post beyond the right field wall of Truist Park. The four red ones represent each of the Braves' World Series victories in franchise history, dating back to their time in Boston.
Thursday's banner was unveiled as part of a half-hour ceremony ahead of Atlanta's first pitch of the season in a 6-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. In the meantime, a black sheet was removed from the light post, highlighting a red pennant with the year "2021". As fireworks blazed across Georgia's skies at dusk, a near-capacity crowd cleared it.
"It was a unique, exciting atmosphere that we've had here," said Braves manager Brian Snitker. "There was a lot of energy here."
Before the game, Snitker said he told one of his players that he imagined the environment was "going to be a lot like the World Series."
Immediately after the banner was revealed, two members of the Braves' 1995 World Series winning team - the franchise's previous champions - were welcomed onto the field. Before the first player's name was announced, the first few notes of his old walk-up music, Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train" erupted into loud applause.
After Chipper Jones walked onto the pitcher's mound to applause, he threw the game's formal first pitch to former Braves pitcher Greg McMichael. Located on a podium in the infield grass just behind Jones, was the trophy from last fall's World Series victory.
Moments later, the Bahadurs and the Lals were introduced. Brave starters entered the field from the dugout, jogging on the red carpet as teammates waited along the first-base line.
"You have the big American flag in the centerfield, the flyover, it was packed," said Braves third baseman Austin Riley. "You get the chills, you get the adrenaline. Nice to be back in front of our domestic fans."
As has also become the custom for defending championship teams in recent season openers, each Brave player wore white home uniforms with gold piping around the letters and numbers. Even the "A" on the helmets of the Braves was painted gold in recognition of last season's achievement.
"I want them to enjoy everything about this," Snitker said. "You never guarantee you're going to be able to experience it again, so enjoy every second of it."