By Carolyn Badaracco
Crazy promotions. Outrageously oversized costumed characters. Fireworks overhead on Friday nights. Post-game field runs for kids on Sundays. And exceptional baseball too — with some up-and-comers for the Atlanta Braves in the player mix.
Minor League Baseball in Georgia is designed to draw in families and make sure everybody who attends wins.
Dave Lezotte, senior manager of PR and broadcasting for the Gwinnett Stripers — the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves located in Lawrenceville, Georgia, just on the other side of 85 from Buford near the Mall of Georgia — framed it like this: “We’re all about the fun games between innings. It’s a huge county and you have a high population here … our goal is to provide a family-friendly, affordable atmosphere.”
Gwinnett Stripers’ tickets cost $9-$12 for advance lawn seating for both kids and adults, with prices a little bit higher on weekends. And for Gwinnett County, the Stripers reportedly pay nearly $290,000 annually in stadium rent.
Beyond the business, Lezotte, a Milwaukee native from Brewers territory, has made his career in Minor League Baseball for a personal reason. It’s what he knows and loves best.
“As a teenager I ended up working at the old ballpark, Milwaukee County Stadium, and started off on their grounds crew,” Lezotte said. “That was in 2000, so this is my 26th year working in baseball.”
He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh with a journalism degree in radio, TV, film in 2005, worked in minor league ball in Clinton, Iowa, for six years, took a brief detour to sell tickets back home in Milwaukee with the Brewers for one off-season, and then landed his job in Gwinnett for the Stripers’ 2012 season.
“I oversee all the public relations for the team, and for the past six years I’ve also been the lead voice on radio and TV for the broadcast,” Lezotte added.
To give an idea of the magnitude of his PR job for the team, the Gwinnett Stripers hosts 75 home games at Gwinnett Field, plus all kinds of events during both the season and the off-season. “Everything from car shows and festivals in our parking lot to events on our field,” Lezotte said.
For the past few years, the team has hosted Big Green Egg, a ceramic grill manufacturer, and its EGGtoberfest at Gwinnett Field in October.
“And we’ll do small-scale stuff, as well, like wedding parties, proms, family reunions, corporate outings and presentations,” Lezotte said.
Film and television productions also find a home at Gwinnett Field.
“We are an Atlanta location for commercial, TV and film shoots, and that’s another way we bring in revenue when the Stripers aren’t playing here,” Lezotte confirmed.
No matter what’s going on, and potentially the most fun thing of all, the Stripers are perpetually on-call for the Braves.
As Lezotte put it, “Any time they need a player or have an injury or just a need in general, they will usually select from our roster.”
Some Stripers have even turned into star players—including Braves superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. who won the World Baseball Classic leading Venezuela in March 2026.
“He played here,” Lezotte gushed.
Following is a list of the main teams in Georgia’s prolific Minor League Baseball scene. From all reports, attending any of these teams’ games is an absolute four-bagger … for a steal.
- Augusta GreenJackets (Single-A) — actually based across the Georgia border at SRP Park in the South Carolina city of North Augusta
- Columbus Clingstones (AA) — an affiliate of the Braves in the Southern League; plays in Columbus, Georgia, at Synovus Park/Golden Park; formerly the Mississippi Braves before relocating in 2025 to Columbus
- Gwinnett Stripers (AAA) — the highest level of affiliate baseball below the major leagues; plays in Lawrenceville, Georgia, at Gwinnett Field
- Rome Emperors (High-A) — an affiliate of the Braves in the South Atlantic League; plays at AdventHealth Stadium in Rome, Georgia
- Savannah Bananas (independent professional exhibition team) – plays ball at Grayson Stadium, a Savannah, Georgia, staple of architectural significance since 1926; over the years, visiting players include Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Mickey Mantle and Jackie Robinson
Minor League Baseball Is a Home Run in the Peach State, and a Steal
By Carolyn Badaracco
Crazy promotions. Outrageously oversized costumed characters. Fireworks overhead on Friday nights. Post-game field runs for kids on Sundays. And exceptional baseball too — with some up-and-comers for the Atlanta Braves in the player mix.
Minor League Baseball in Georgia is designed to draw in families and make sure everybody who attends wins.
Dave Lezotte, senior manager of PR and broadcasting for the Gwinnett Stripers — the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves located in Lawrenceville, Georgia, just on the other side of 85 from Buford near the Mall of Georgia — framed it like this: “We’re all about the fun games between innings. It’s a huge county and you have a high population here … our goal is to provide a family-friendly, affordable atmosphere.”
Gwinnett Stripers’ tickets cost $9-$12 for advance lawn seating for both kids and adults, with prices a little bit higher on weekends. And for Gwinnett County, the Stripers reportedly pay nearly $290,000 annually in stadium rent.
Beyond the business, Lezotte, a Milwaukee native from Brewers territory, has made his career in Minor League Baseball for a personal reason. It’s what he knows and loves best.
“As a teenager I ended up working at the old ballpark, Milwaukee County Stadium, and started off on their grounds crew,” Lezotte said. “That was in 2000, so this is my 26th year working in baseball.”
He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh with a journalism degree in radio, TV, film in 2005, worked in minor league ball in Clinton, Iowa, for six years, took a brief detour to sell tickets back home in Milwaukee with the Brewers for one off-season, and then landed his job in Gwinnett for the Stripers’ 2012 season.
“I oversee all the public relations for the team, and for the past six years I’ve also been the lead voice on radio and TV for the broadcast,” Lezotte added.
To give an idea of the magnitude of his PR job for the team, the Gwinnett Stripers hosts 75 home games at Gwinnett Field, plus all kinds of events during both the season and the off-season. “Everything from car shows and festivals in our parking lot to events on our field,” Lezotte said.
For the past few years, the team has hosted Big Green Egg, a ceramic grill manufacturer, and its EGGtoberfest at Gwinnett Field in October.
“And we’ll do small-scale stuff, as well, like wedding parties, proms, family reunions, corporate outings and presentations,” Lezotte said.
Film and television productions also find a home at Gwinnett Field.
“We are an Atlanta location for commercial, TV and film shoots, and that’s another way we bring in revenue when the Stripers aren’t playing here,” Lezotte confirmed.
No matter what’s going on, and potentially the most fun thing of all, the Stripers are perpetually on-call for the Braves.
As Lezotte put it, “Any time they need a player or have an injury or just a need in general, they will usually select from our roster.”
Some Stripers have even turned into star players—including Braves superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. who won the World Baseball Classic leading Venezuela in March 2026.
“He played here,” Lezotte gushed.
Following is a list of the main teams in Georgia’s prolific Minor League Baseball scene. From all reports, attending any of these teams’ games is an absolute four-bagger … for a steal.
Carolyn Badaracco is a senior writer and editor whose work has appeared in Atlanta Business Chronicle, American City & County, Midwest Real Estate News, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, National Real Estate Investor (Wealth Management Real Estate), and the American Institute of Architects’ publications. She is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism who has called Atlanta home for 30 years.
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