May 21—Eevn though Sam Howard grew up an Atlanta Braves fan, he intentionally avoided going to Truist Park until this weekend. Howard even declined invites for social gatherings at The Battery, the stadium's surrounding entertainment scene.
After enduring ups and downs of a baseball career that began at Cartersville High School — located less than 40 miles north of Truist Park — the Pittsburgh Pirates left-handed reliever had designs on making his first visit to the Braves' ballpark an unforgettable one.
"I said, 'I don't want to go to that stadium until I'm going to play in the stadium.