Ticket To the Game » Petco Park

2009 Top 5 MLB Ballparks

David B — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:00:52 +0000

Everyone loves a good list, right? So here’s ours. America’s top 5 ballparks for 2009. These reviews come from our personal experiences, as well as the research we continue to pour into our first book (more on that coming soon). I’ve tried to leave the

#5 -Citizen’s Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA: A great mix of a cozy downtown park, with some of the consistently best food in the majors. As the Phillies continue to succeed on the field, I get the feeling that this park will age very gracefully. Good sightlines through, great, retro-styling, particularly along the outfield walls. The Ashburn Alley area along the centerfield concourses are like a baseball carnival during batting practice, without feeling overly kid-friendly in a way that would turn off the baseball purists.

#4 – Nationals Park, Washington, DC: I recognize this may be the most controversial of the top 5, as there have been few signature moments at Nationals Park that would have brought it into the national spotlight. I took an in-depth tour of the stadium last winter, and cam away so thoroughly impressed, that I had to include the park here. Getting a chance to sample the park from so many vantage points, I was consistently impressed with how there really isn’t a bad seat in the house. The staff we met were incredibly helpful and friendly. But, one of the things that really set Nationals Park apart, was this is the first new park that isn’t “me-too retro cool”. this is a modern park in an historical setting, and that’s a nice change of pace. As the ownership group digs its way out from under the mess MLB made of the on-field product during the Expos transition years, the crowds will come, and the park will have the energy it deserves filtering through the stands.

#3 – Wrigley Field – Chicago, IL: Man, it’s tough to put Wrigley as low as 3rd, because it is a truly awesome place to see a game. As much as I have ranked two aprks ahead of it, Wrigley is still a “bucket list” experience that doesn’t disappoint. Go sit in the bleachers for an afternoon game, drink an Old Style or three, and have a dog. Once you’ve done that, you have the baseline of the American Baseball Experience upon which you can make all further comparisons.

#2 – Petco Park, San Diego, CA: You’re in San Diego, so you’ve already got a leg up on the ballpark experience. It’s not too hot, or too cold. You’ve got a modern ballpark, but there’s a building that acts as the left field foul pole. You’ve got great food, a great downtown atmosphere.. the gaslamp district for pre and post game nightlife. It’s really a tremendous setting for a game, and the city-park feel of the concourses, including the tee-ball field and grassy berms for picnics just add to the laid back SoCal experience.

#1 – PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA. This is still America’s best place to watch a ballgame. If the team had been any good in the last 15 years, I don’t even think there’d be an argument. most of the country really didn’t experience PNC until it hosted the All-Star game, but the placement and layout really defined the aesthetic most nouveau downtown ballparks are hoping to achieve. The Clemente Bridge just frames the city perfectly in the outfield, and the in-game experience is quintessential Pittsburgh.

Honorable mentions: I know I’m going to get roasted for leaving off Fenway Park. The first year reviews of Citi Field and new Yankee Stadium were mixed, but I’m sure that history will be kind to these parks as they mature. I’m hopeful that planned renovations to Camden Yards will bring it back up the list.

Amanda from “Baseball Stadium Reviews” chimes in with her ballpark tales

Amanda — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:39:23 +0000

Hello, ballpark fans! This is Amanda Lippert of www.baseballstadiumreviews.com writing a guest blog entry. Recently, Ticket to the Game posted an entry about women who make stadium road trips, so I was asked to describe my experiences with stadium road trips. Being a Yankee fan, my first baseball game was back in 1986 at Yankee Stadium. It wasn’t until 2002 that I really got interested in visiting ballparks other than Yankee Stadium. Now, in 2009, I have visited 20 Major League Stadiums and 91 Minor League Stadiums.

Generally, when taking a stadium road trip, my rule of thumb is to attend a game every night. The day is usually dedicated to traveling to the next city for a game. Prior to last year, I did some of my road trips alone. Then last year, I met someone online through a personal ad and began dating him. After we had exchanged a few e-mails, he told me he also had an interest in baseball stadiums and also maintained a stadium website (www.ballparkreviews.com) Talk about a coincidence! After that, my stadium road trips were taken with him. This past February, we got engaged in Cooperstown and we will now be continuing our stadium journeys together, but maintaining separate websites, of course! We even occasionally take separate stadium road trips since he is a little bit further along (actually, A LOT further long) than I am as far as the number of parks visited.

Last Summer, we took a 7 day trip out to Southern California and went to 7 stadiums. One of my favorite parks out in southern California is Sam Lynn Ballpark in Bakersfield. Sam Lynn Ballpark is the only park that faces the setting sun, which means evening game times need to be moved until after the sun sets. The game I attended had 808 fans in attendance with a game time temperature of 106 degrees, which made the team name of the “Blaze” seem very appropriate. Sam Lynn Ballpark is one of those types of parks which has dedicated season ticket holders and fans that are really into the game. The fans who go to a “Blaze” game are going for one reason….to watch baseball. They aren’t going for silly on-field contests, promotions, or just to eat concessions. They are going because they have a love for minor league baseball at its purest. I have found that some minor league parks can get way too carried away with their wacky promotions and contests, thus taking the focus away from the game. These types of parks tend to have atmospheres which are not conducive to actually paying attention to the game. While these parks might be nice places for families, they are not the types of parks I would prefer to watch a game, unless I enjoy the constant barrage of sound effects, kids who can’t sit still, and annoying advertisements in between each pitch. I recently wrote an entry on these types of parks in my blog which can be accessed through my site, www.baseballstadiumreviews.com.

Speaking of minor league baseball at its purest, Damaschke Field in Oneonta, NY is another park that I enjoy very much. Just like Sam Lynn Ballpark, Damaschke Field offers a relaxed atmosphere to watch a game. Instead of fans tackling each other for t-shirts being thrown into the crowd, you might actually see fans keeping score. Instead of kids jumping around on inflatables in a play area, kids are actually watching the game. Damaschke Field doesn’t even have a liquor license, that’s how pure the place is! You go there for one thing….baseball.

I tend to enjoy the parks that have some kind of distinguishing characteristic which sets them apart from the other parks I have visited. For example, Greer Stadium, home of the Nashville Sounds, has the best scoreboard ever! The guitar shaped scoreboard is definitely the most unique scoreboard I have seen in my travels. I also find it interesting to see the architecture of stadiums when other structures are assimilated into the design of the stadium. For example, the Western Metal Supply Co. building in Petco Park in San Diego and the B&O Warehouse at Camden Yards in Baltimore.

Sometimes it’s not what’s inside the ballpark that makes it a unique, but it’s what is around the park. For example, the bridges in the background of PNC Park in Pittsburgh have to be the best backdrop in Major League baseball. Also, I love the mountains in the background at The Diamond in Lake Elsinore, California and the Gateway Arch beyond the outfield wall in Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

This week, Brian and I will be heading out on a 10 day trip to visit 10 stadiums. The trips will include visits to US Cellular Field, Miller Park, Comerica Park, Wrigley Field, and a few minor league parks. Stay tuned to my website, www.baseballstadiumreviews.com for photos and reviews. I also maintain a Facebook page, so become a fan of my site using Facebook.

Thanks to Ticket to the Game for allowing me to post a guest entry!

Petco Park

kings33 — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 21:09:24 +0000

Overview:

Petco Scoreboard

Made our 1st visit out to Petco, and it’s everything that people say it is. It’s in San Diego, near the southern tail end of the newly revitalized “Gaslamp District”. Gaslamp is another word for “incredibly overpriced tourist trap restaurants, but there’s literally nothing better in downtown SD than a Jack In the Box to compete with, so what the hell?” Surprisingly, there were much better deals on food in the ballpark itself.

We entered from the 7th Ave side, which brings you in along the left field line, where you can work your way across the outfield, to our seats on the 1st base side. After you cross the the warehouse building, which is an odd experience, you’re transported to a great open concourse that almost feels like you’re not really even inside the park. There’s a wiffle ball field for the kids, a berm for blankets and overflow seating that’s about as far away from the action as the Wrigley rooftops, but provides a clear view of 90% of the field.

Food:
I made the obligatory stop at Rubio’s Fish Tacos, the signature dish at the ballpark. but far and away, the best deal to be had is the 5 for $5 stand… For $5, you get a hotdog, soda, small popcorn, small peanuts and a cookie in a small cardboard tray. The line is long, but it’s totally the best deal I’ve ever seen on ballpark food. While my travelling companions both got the 5 for $5, I almost ordered another one just for the sheer value of it.

The Friar

Gear:
Unbelievable array of gear in the fan shop, especially amazed at the amount of mustard and yellow merch that’s still available. I think they believe it’s as “retro-cool” as the Houston Astros rainbow explosion jerseys, but they’re wrong. the only thing cool about old Pads gear is the Swinging Friar.

The Game:
The Western Metals Building is an extremely cool ballpark feature, and to my knowledge, the only non-pole foul pole in the majors. It doesn’t come into play often, but it’s a beautiful feature to the park. Traversing it from the concourse is a confusing experience though. Any newcomer who ventures there is going to think they’ve made a mistake.

Park has very nice sightlines. From 1B, you get a well angled view of the batter and pitcher, and as the night sky settles in, the ball is clearly visible against the grass and the night sky. Fairly good amount of foul territory, and it’s a well documented cavern to hit out of.

LF Corner Petco Park - Western Metal Building

Atmosphere:
Seats are comfortable, although not a ton of leg and shoulder room. Aisles can tend to be fairly long, so there’s a lot of “excuse me’s” getting in and out between innings. The interior concourses don’t allow for park views when you’re in line for a beer, unless you’re out in the OF concourse. Petco is immaculately clean though, and the concourses are wide enough that even when crowded, they’re not claustrophobic.

The Verdict:
Classic new-school park. Great weather year round, and a SoCal casual attitude made this a very pleasant night at the ball game.

87/100