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7 memorable moments in Turner Field history

Rich Addicks / Major League Baseball / Getty

With the Atlanta Braves set to move into SunTrust Park beginning in 2017, the club will wave goodbye to Turner Field in the process, biding adieu to the stadium after a historic 19-year run as the Braves' home.

The stadium, which was originally built as Centennial Olympic Stadium to house the 1996 Summer Olympics, hosted the National League Division Series 11 times, NL Championship Series four times, one World Series, the first NL wild-card game in baseball history, and the 2000 All-Star game during its almost 20 years as the Braves' domain.

A number of magical moments have occurred within the building, and here are some of the best in its history.

Michael Tucker hits 1st HR at Turner Field

On Apr. 4, 1997, Turner Field hosted its first home opener when the Braves welcomed the visiting Chicago Cubs. With the game notched at zeroes in the third inning, outfielder Michael Tucker put his name in the record books when he belted a deep home run off Cubs starter Kevin Foster to deep right field for the first home run in the ball park's history.

The "walk" off in '99

The last time the Braves made it to a World Series was in 1999, and Kenny Rogers will always be remembered for helping them get there. Rogers, pitching in relief for the New York Mets with the bases loaded in the 11th inning of Game 6 of the NLCS, walked Andruw Jones to give Atlanta a walk-off victory in one of the stranger moments in Turner Field history.

Host of the 2000 All-Star Game

Turner Field hosted the Midsummer Classic in 2000, and Braves third baseman Chipper Jones gave the fans in attendance one hell of a show. Jones was a perfect 3-for-3 at the dish, including a game-tying home run off James Baldwin, which literally set off fireworks inside the stadium, while electrifying the home town crowd, despite an eventual 6-3 loss by the NL hosts.

Randy Johnson tosses perfect game

On May. 18, 2004, the Braves played victim to dominant left-hander Randy Johnson, who pitched the 17th perfect game in baseball history when he struck out 13 Braves at Turner Field. The perfecto was the first in Arizona Diamondbacks history, and remains as the franchise's only one to this day.

Bobby Cox has his number retired

Turner Field was the stage for one of the most emotional retirements in franchise history on Aug. 12, 2011 when former Braves manager Bobby Cox had his number retired. The four-time manager of the year was responsible for bringing two World Series titles and more than 2,500 wins to Atlanta during his long tenure with the club. Cox was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014.

Controversial 2012 NL wild-card game

During the inaugural "play-in" game between the NL's two wild-card teams in 2012, Turner Field was home to controversy after a fly ball off the bat of Andrelton Simmons created havoc. With the St. Louis Cardinals on top of the Braves 6-3 in the eighth inning, Simmons' fly ball landed between Pete Kozma and Matt Holliday, loading the bases with one out until umpires called the infield fly rule on the play. The bad call led to the field being littered with garbage, the game being delayed for 19 minutes, and eventually being played under protest by Atlanta. It also spoiled the final game of Chipper Jones' career.

Atlanta says goodbye to Chipper

June. 28, 2013 was a hard day for Braves fans everywhere, as Chipper Jones - one of the greatest players in franchise history - officially said farewell when his number was retired. Jones spent his entire 19-year career in the bigs playing for Atlanta, becoming one of the greatest switch-hitters in baseball history, while also helping them win a World Series in 1995.

(Videos courtesy: MLB.com)

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