Life 2.1

It has been my mission to visit every Major League Baseball stadium. Below are the thoughts and reviews of my travels.

July 2010

Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles Dodgers): 5

Oh Dodger Stadium. We have such a love-hate relationship. By birth, I’m a Giants fan, and was therefore raised to loathe you. Yet, when I entered, I thought, “self, this isn’t so bad. Just rip the band-aid off and go for it.“

And for about 3 innings I was all right. Then the stands started to fill up and I was surrounded by Dodger fans. Ugh. But, points for having a loyal and passionate fan base.

Bobby and Jason picked me up around 1:30 and we got caught up over a hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant near the stadium. Maybe it was the strawberry margarita talking but I went into Dodger Stadium with an open mind. After all, it’s one of the oldest stadiums left with all the rebuilding going on.

The boys and I drove into Chavez Ravine around 5:15 and parking was amazingly easy and cheap ($15 compared to $30 at Pac-Bell!) and we proceeded to Will Call, got our tickets no problem and headed up the escalator to enter.

They didn’t let fans in until closer to 5:45 but it was all right, we just stood in line and people-watched. There wasn’t much going on outside the stadium. They have massive parking lots but prohibit tailgating so that’s no fun.

Finally we entered and made our way to our seats to watch BP. We were in the RF upper reserve level, which was a decent view. I was still feeling ok about this whole Dodgers thing.
Before the game got going, we walked around the upper level breezeway and enjoyed an adult beverage, taking it all in. I did appreciate the fact that the ushers didn’t give us any grief about standing in the left field upper reserve shade prior to the game.

We made it back to our seats in time for first pitch and the area around us had really filled up with families and fans, which is another criteria earning positive points. Good family/fan atmosphere. I was thinking it was somewhere around a 7 at this point. Then the game got going and everything was still ok. The stadium had loads of snack bars at which you could buy Dodgerdogs and the lines were never too bad. I happened to be in the world’s slowest line for a bottle of water and a cup of coffee but it was definitely just my unfortunate luck, not standard.

About the 7th inning, the boys and I decided it was time to walk around and take in some sights of the yard. Only, they wouldn’t let us! It’s baseball fan segregation, I tell you! I’m not looking to swoop on people’s seats down there but God forbid I mix in with the fancy people on the lower levels. Huge point loss for this. I was not a happy camper.

So, in conclusion, the stadium gets points for its history and fan base and snack bar lines but a huge deduction for the lack of pre-game atmosphere and the no-fan-mixing policy. Crowd-control, the usher called it. Whatever. Not my fault that the Dodgers are concerned about their fanbase getting too crazy, but thanks for ruining it for the rest of us trying to appreciate the stadium. On the plus side, I got a chance to take pictures with the guys, since I didn’t have any pics with them prior to 2006. Bob, we’re gonna have to take a re-do, I didn’t realize this was blurry. Fail.

Right after I was told I was prohibited from mingling with the fancy people, I was feeling like the stadium was a 4 but in hindsight, I give it a high 5. The stadium does come complete with Vin Scully. But since fans don’t get the opportunity to fully enjoy the stadium, I can’t give it higher than that.

Thank goodness I got that one over with.

Chase Field (Arizona Diamondbacks): High 6/Low 7

Wednesday night’s excursion to Chase Field in Phoenix was positive for a couple of reasons. The first being that this was the view from my seats:

The second was that they were playing the Mets and I think we all know how I feel about the Mets third baseman. But the Stadium was a nice experience as well, despite me not getting to do much exploring outside of the gates. Upon my arrival at the plaza/entry way where Will Call tickets could be picked up, there was a bustle of activity, like any ballgame should have. Also, the Will Call Kiosks? Very convenient. There was a bar & grill-looking place across the way, which looked to be home to many pre-gaming fans. The area around the ballpark looked as though it was in the process of being developed and my driver kindly informed me that during the Suns-Lakers games, this place was a zoo. I imagine that when events are taking place at the various arenas that are just blocks away, there is a buzz of activity but I also got the impression that without those activities, there wouldn’t be much action on a random Thursday night, for instance.

I took my seat and enjoyed an adult beverage from the underground restaurant/bar that was directly below my seat and close in proximity. They had go cups, which, after living in New Orleans, I have learned to appreciate. The stadium wasn’t as full as it should have been, but then again the poor Diamondbacks are currently 19 games out of first, so I guess that might have something to do with it.

As I lowered my beer into my cupholder, I look up two rows in front of me and see none other than my college team’s centerfielder, who I haven’t seen in a few years. Total pleasant surprise since Matty was one of the guys at UCSD who always made me feel like a part of the club. *Side story, one time, during practice, our left-handed hitting catcher was taking BP and I was sitting Zack Morris style in a chair along the first baseline, watching and charting. I was a ways a way from the field but staying loose since Jeff had some pop and sure enough, he sent a screaming rod right at me. I hopped up quick but it still tagged me in the leg or foot somewhere as I was getting out of the way. The next day, it was Matty who had taken my chair and set up the L-screen and orange cones around it. It was a good one.

So back to the ball park…The inside feel of the ballpark is similar to the newer stadiums in that it’s got big, open breezeways, which I have always appreciated. As you walk around the inside, you never lose sight of the action and there are no real field-blocking walls or club seats ahem, CitiField, behind the plate. They have a pool in right-centerfield which is neat and they offer a good selection of ballpark food.

For being a relatively new team, they do try and honor those players of their history, but they also do a nice job of honoring their current club members, with a big wall mural of any D-Back who has ever been selected to an All-Star game. They also have former player races, which are hilarious, since Mark Grace has yet to win one. Randy Johnson, Matt Williams and Luis Gonzalez have all by-passed Gracie in a spin-off of the sausage races of Milwaukee.

I forgot my New York Times’ Food Guide but apparently the can’t miss item in AZ was garlic fries from Gordon Biersch so I’m ok with bypassing those.

The game was low-scoring, which wasn’t as exciting but it did go 14 innings (all of which, I saw) but the D-Backs have it tough. As it was explained to me, Phoenix is such a transplant city, most of the people who live there already have team affiliations that aren’t the Diamondbacks, which may explain why they have awesome out of town scoreboards, so the people that go to the game can still keep up with their hometown teams. Whatever the reason, they are large and very visible, which is worth some points in the ranking system.

Overall, I would definitely go back and give the stadium a solid 6, maybe a 7. They get points for the open feel of the stadium with a solid scoreboard and jumbo-tron but are also saddled with a loss of points for the fact that their fan base isn’t the die-hard base (yet) and the bit of a warehouse-feel the stadium has when the roof is closed as it was when I visited. On the plus side, that roof kept out 110-degree heat. It’s a trade off.

July, 2009

Citi Field (New York Mets): 8.5

Today was an exciting day. Today, ladies and gentleman, I continued my baseball stadium expedition and visited Citi Field, home to the New York Mets and, more importantly, David Wright. Who is awesome, in case you didn’t know.

Jersey J and I took the subway (obvi) and were greeted by this site:

As we walked made our way to the gates, the outside area of Citi Field was a buzz of activity. Including this crowd-pleasing moment:

We went to pick up our tickets at will call at about 12:30ish. We met a friendly usher kid, who told us about the kiosks they set up for will call internet sales.

**THIS IS A HUGE TIP AND EARNED CITI FIELD POINTS IN OUR SCORING SYSTEM**

Because it’s a new stadium, the lines to pick up tickets/get in looked horrendous. BUT instead of waiting to pick up tickets at will call in the traditional sense, the usher told us to go to these kiosks (think self check-in at the airport) and slide the credit card used to purchase and it will print your tickets and away we went. Score yes.

So we get into the field and per baseball stadium tour tradition, snapped first pitch from the very enjoyable “open-air” concourse.

Never will one feel claustrophobic in the concourse. Never is one’s view of the field really obstructed while walking around the yard unless it’s by a moderately overweight man, guzzling beer and wearing some form of sleeveless shirt and a backwards hat. I’m just sayin. And even then, just kept moving, there is room elsewhere. One downfall might be that, while they have great site lines throughout the ballpark, if you’re trying to get directly behind home plate, the view is obstructed by the Ebbet’s Club Suites, where the fancy people watch the game. Bummer.

We arrived at our seats in left field, about 20 yards away from Gary Sheffield. The left field and the left side of center field seats are partially covered, thus keeping the hot Queens summer sun off of us for the majority of the game. The sections weren’t excessively deep, making movement up and down the stairs easy. Even the last row wasn’t terribly far removed from the field. The only foreseeable downfall to our seat was that, because we were so close to the field, any sort of ball hit with warning track power to straightaway center field was a blind spot to us.

Around the 5th inning, we decided to get some lunch. We opted for a pulled pork sandwich at Blue Smoke (yes Mom, I ate pork. Mostly because it wasn’t in tenderloin form. Just to clarify.) The sandwich was served with a side of pickle slices and points for these pickles being Clausen pickles because those are the only kind I like. It was served on a good bun and it also scored with us because it wasn’t over-sauced. Jersey J was pleased with the Carolina-style BBQ, which is more vinegar based than a Texas-style, which is saucier (read: much easier to eat in public while balancing it on your lap). Minus half a point because Citi Field is a Pepsi ballpark and I’m a coca-cola kinda gal. But the sierra mist wasn’t horrible.

They seemingly had plenty of other solid food options, with the Shake Shack (premo burger joint in NYC) next to Blue Smoke but the line was so flippin long, we weren’t patient enough for that. They literally had a Disney-style line weaving in front of the stand. We also enjoyed Carvel ice cream, which definitely tasted better served in the Mets helmet. Two helmets are now in my purse. The soft-serve reminded me of Swensen’s bubble gum ice cream, sans gumballs. I enjoyed every bit of it, except the drops that went down the front of my shirt. I’m not exactly sure how long I walked around in my blue tank top with white drops of ice cream down the front but a kind-hearted older lady (who, bless her heart, wanted a cup of coffee on our 85+ degree day) made me feel better about myself when she told me a story about how she always spilled on herself. Even when the employees in her (work) kitchen gave her an apron, she still managed to drop sauce down the front of her, under the apron.

This would bring me to discuss the atmosphere. It was lively, friendly and a good time was being had by all. Definitely a place where you can bring the family. It reminded me of Pac Bell in the sense of the mix of people, only these folks were all united in various Mets jerseys. The whole stadium feel had a good vibe. Especially when they broke into collective cheers calling for the Apple (which neglected to pop up a second time in the 7th inning after Fernando Tatis hit the second Mets HR in the inning.)

Take a gander at the failed HR apple

They also had just enough concourse activities (like the dunk tank–awesome idea) to make the stadium a fun place without taking away from the fact that one is there to watch a baseball game. The open-air styled concourse totally adds to the good atmosphere.

Also earning points would be the scoreboard/jumbo-tron is also nice. They essentially have two– one in left center and one in right center so that the people in the outfield can see at least one of them. Huge plus. Citi Field also gets points for posting out of town scores and their minor league teams’ scores. Since I didn’t have a computer with me, I appreciated knowing that the Brooklyn-Staten Island game was still 0-0 in the 3rd.

Overall, this is one of my new favorite stadiums. I’m talking a top 5 ranking. And not just because DWright had two hits and a RBI. Although that was pretty awesome too.

August, 2008

Detroit, Cleveland, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Kansas City, Field of The Dreams, and Milwaukee

Comerica Park (Detroit Tigers): 7.5

I flew into Detroit and took in a Tigers game on a Friday night. Let’s just say that the bar was set pretty high for the first night. Our tickets were club level, in an area that warranted a hand stamp, where we were in the first row on the 3B side. Did I mention the buffet? Because it rocked. Upon receiving my handstamp (a tiger claw, no less) I found the most extensive array of baseball food ever. There were quality brats, hotdogs and the like…a large crockpot of chili and cheese and fruit platters and desserts, oh were there desserts! It was a ridiculous spread. A ridiculously delicious spread. There were things like mushroom couscous, freshly rolled sushi and ratatouille, which isn’t just Disney movie! these rather gourmet items went away in the 5th inning, only to be replaced by pizzas. It was a baseball fan’s dream meal. I opted for chili cheese nachos. This was only because the New York Times’ recommended gyro didn’t excite me. (The NYT recently wrote up what not to miss when dining at all the major league yards. They also included what to avoid and the article has since become my dining bible.) And did I mention the free beverages?

Bet you wish you were here.

Following the fireworks show post-Orioles’-victory-slash-Tigers’-loss, it was back to the hotel because we had an early wake up call in order to make it to the Motown Hall of Fame Museum and make a 3:55 first pitch in Cleveland.

Motown was of course, preceded by a visit to the old Tiger’s Stadium, which I can’t believe they are just tearing down. I hope they put a sign up or something commemorating the site. For crapsakes, Ty Cobb and Hank Greenberg played there! Someone memorialize it!

My final rating for Comerica is a 7.5; the outside rocked, with lots of greats photo ops, the atmosphere inside was pretty good and it had some good walking around feel, but it’s lacking that truly classic element, a là Fenway or Wrigley so it can’t be closer to the top.

Progressive Field (Cleveland Indians): 5

Cleveland was at 3:55 first pitch and it was warm. Luckily the NYT recommends the Strickland’s Frozen Custard vanilla cone as the “can’t miss” at Progressive Field.

Cleveland’s yard left a little to be desired. We ranked it about a 5. There wasn’t much to the outside and it wasn’t the best walking around park. And though it doesn’t weigh into the rankings at all, I did highly enjoy having my picture taken with Torii Hunter:

Great American Ball Park (Cincinnati Reds): High 7/Low 8

I don’t know why I did it, but I definitely wore a green shirt to a Reds game. Hmm… Cincinnati was our first day game–the Reds were taking on the St. Louis Cardinals at 1:15 at Great American Ballpark. Both teams’ dominant color was red; making my green shirt choice more puzzling.

So before I get any further, I have to give a shout out to KK Delight for recommending Skyline Chili. What we didn’t know beforehand was that, was that the NYT had recommended something called a cheese coney. Cheese coneys freakin’ rock. It’s a Colleen-sized chili dog, but with Skyline Chili! The best of both worlds! I had me one of those and it was delicious!

So back to the yard. Cincinnati was by far the leading stadium on the trip to that point (ahead of Detroit and Cleveland). First of all, I was all jacked up because our tickets were (almost) directly behind homeplate, just a hair to the third base side. I was right in line with Albert Pujols when he stood in the on deck circle. And good news, his thighs are still as big as my torso. And I may be short, but I’m disproportionate as well.

The outside entry wasn’t as grandeur as I might have hoped, (I think they may have had only one entrance?) It wasn’t the type of ballpark where you walk all the way around. But once in the ballpark, they had plenty of space to walk around. And bonus points for the aforementioned space being wiiiiiiide. No dodging other people or strollers or what have you. The signage inside was also very cool. Throwback concession signs added to the atmosphere.

Then they have a large mock boat in center field with seats and viewing areas. Way cool.

They have the Red Head Club for little kids and before the game, they had nine kids each take the field, after announcing them on the PA system and showing them on the jumbo tron, and when the Reds came out, they signed a ball for the kid at their position then the kids ran off. It was adorable.

We walked around a bit during the game and the only bad seat, that I could figure, was in right field, because your view of left field action was obscured by the Pepsi Power Stacks, which blew after a homerun. That’s kinda a bummer. But the view behind the outfield was amazing. Right on the river, the backdrop was incredible.

And did I mention how friendly the ushers were?

The Reds won the game, which was also out first victory of the trip. So in conclusion, I would give Cincy’s yard a high 7 or low 8.

Busch Stadium (St. Louis Cardinals): Low 8

From Cincinnati, it was onto St. Louis. It was a 7:05 start on Wednesday night and the Cards were playing the Pirates. We walked over from the hotel and this is what I saw first:

And of course, we all know I’m a sucker for historical baseball memorabilia and the like so I naturally had to have my picture taken with the statues of the Hall of Famers.

I like Rogers Hornsby, for reasons other than he is one of the greatest right-handed hitters to have played the game, because this was his take on the game:

“Any ballplayer that don’t sign autographs for little kids ain’t an American. He’s a communist.”

“I don’t want to play golf. When I hit a ball, I want someone else to go chase it.”

Once inside, the view from our seats was pretty dang spectacular. Check out this view towards left-center field.

And did I mention that it rained in St. Louis while at the game? It was more like a heavy mist, but everyone scattered nonetheless. They were clearly not gamers.

I would give St. Louis a low 8 overall. The atmosphere was pretty good (especially for a Wednesday night game) and they definitely got bonus points for shutting down the concession stands during the playing of the National Anthem, which I thought was cool. Of course, I already had my food so… But the field was beautiful, it had a great view of the Arch, the food was decent (although I didn’t try the bratzel, which was the “can’t miss” on the NYT list. Something about a brat wrapped in pretzel dough seemed a bit heavy for me. Like an oversized pig-in-a-blanket.) And the deciding factor in the point scale was whether or not I would want to play ball there if I were a major league player and the answer was a definitive yes.

Kansas City followed St. Louis but it currently received an INC because it was under construction and was an ugly concrete mess while I was there. I could have gone to the Oakland Coliseum for a similar experience.

The Field of Dreams (Dyersville, Iowa): Priceless

Upon departing from KC, we wound our way to the Field of the Dreams–now THAT is livin’!

It was quite possibly the highlight of the trip and one of the most fun days of my life. I played in a pick up ballgame at the Field of Dreams movie site in Dyersville, Iowa. On the same freakin’ field where they filmed the movie. It was absolutely incredible—damn near a religious experience.

We arrived around 11am and I was already in awe upon pulling up. After doing a quick look around, we grabbed our gloves and played catch in the outside. I caught fly balls in the outfield of the Field of Dreams diamond. Are you kidding me? I can totally cross that one off my list of things to do before I die. The one thing that was immediately apparent was how much I suck now. It’s pretty much the most horrifying thing ever. I can’t even throw well anymore! When I first picked up the ball, I threw like a girl. A girl?!?! I could barely even hit ‘em in the chest. Ugh, simply disgusting. The good news is that I can still catch a fly ball or two.

There was, however, a little incident in which I accidentally smooshed the corn stalks. Like pretty much ripped it out of the ground when I fell going deep for a fly ball over my head (pretty much I ran into the wall with zero regard for my own personal safety—ha!) Check out these sequential shots. Awesome. Simply awesome.

Then the magic happened. We just started a pick up game. I don’t even know how it happened really. Someone wanted to hit, so we all started shagging and before you know it, we’re playing. Incredible. It was the most awesome thing ever. Little boys and men and even another woman at one point (and thank goodness she didn’t throw like a girl!)

As a side note, I was on deck when she was hitting and her son, about 5 or 6 years old, was standing next to me watching her hit (and hit well). I looked at the boy and said “geez, you’re mom sure is good!” He turned and looked me and said solemnly, “I know. She played t-ball.”

It might have been the best answer ever.

It was an absolutely incredible day. A pick-up game at the Field of Dreams. I can’t even put it into words. It felt so incredible to run around on the field and the weather was a perfect balance of sun and breeze and you have fans watching and…… I could go on forever about how amazing it was. Go. Immediately if not sooner.

Miller Park (Milwaukee Brewers): High 8

Saturday night (post Field of Dreams euphoria) we headed to Milwaukee for a Brewers game. I had been looking forward to this park the most and it didn’t disappoint. Tickets were sold out for the Saturday night game (as it should be) and right when we pulled into the parking lot you could feel the baseball vibe. It could have been the wonderful smell of the charcoal grills going that set the tone but immediately on entry, the atmosphere was set. These fans know how to watch a game. They are all in their colors and rooting and cheering…it was as baseball on a Saturday should be.

And of course, they had the Miller Park Sausages running around before the game.

And while we found tickets outside the stadium that weren’t being used, they were in the last row of the loge section and were covered so you couldn’t see the outfield jumbotron which seriously bummed me out. I would have to give Miller Park a high 8. The atmosphere is really what sets the tone for me. The only thing keeping it from a 9 is that obstructed view in the loge level where our tickets were. Luckily, we swooped in on some seats that were unoccupied. These seats were on the same level but in the first row and ended up being probably the best seats of the entire trip. I was on the first base side of homeplate but even with the dish, in line with the 3B line.

Can you say phenomenal??

And of course, the traditional racing of the sausages in the middle of the 6th inning:

July, 2007

New Comiskey Park (Chicago White Sox): 6

I will always refer to the White Sox home as Comiskey not US Celluar Field, just like Candlestick is not Monster Park or whatever else they may think to call it. That field is fabulous. We had awesome seats on the first base side of the dish and we were in the shade which I have learned is a plus out here in the Midwest.

I totally stood in the old batter’s box and pretended to hit. I have no shame.

New Comiskey has quite the selection of food and Jersey J enjoyed a helmet sundae while I had a Tollhouse cookie icecream sandwhich. This followed the hotdogs and sodas (or pop, as I have learned it is called here). There is just something about the green of the outfield grass against the brown dirt of the infield that I just adore. Another highlight of the game was the 11-year old who sat two rows in front of us and who also happened to be the one who sang the National Anthem and God Bless America in the 7th inning. This kid was absolutely phenomenal. He is 11 and gave me goosebumps. Despite the fact that the White Sox lost 4-1 to Toronto, it was a decent park. I give it a 6. The inside was beautiful and they get points for keeping the old Comiskey homeplate in the parking lot, but there isn’t much to the outside. The environment was average and the food was decent.

Which brings me to tonight’s adventure which is Wrigley Field.

Wrigley Field (Chicago Cubs): 10

It.is.awesome. Point in case:

Wrigley is totally old school. You can’t really compare it to any other ballpark for that reason. We arrived for a 6:05 game (hooray ESPN Monday Night Baseball) at 4:30 and hit up a few of the local watering holes. One place had hotdogs for $2.00 which had to be the best deal in town. I had a hotdog there because, really, where else would I find such a steal of a deal for food? Then we hit up another place for an “iced tea” (a polite euphemism I learned during my UCSD days) and then proceeded to take a ton of photos outside Wrigley. Wrigleyville is like no other. We approached the yard from what would have been right field and proceeded around the outfield wall. As we were walking, fans lined the streets outside of left field and attempted somewhat successfully to catch homerun balls from batting practice, which I thought was fantastic. Can’t do that in San Francisco…

Following batting practice, we headed into Wrigley and took a few shots from behind homeplate before it got too crowded to do it. Our seats happened to be in the second to last section of right field before you really aren’t in the park anymore. Did I mention that they were upper deck? Or that those were the best available tickets about a month ago? And that the Cubs were playing the Phillies which I wouldn’t have thought would be something special, but apparently it was a popular game.

So Jersey J and I head to our seats while Ansel Adams continued his quest to get the perfect lighting for his shots. It was then that we realize just where our seats are. Yet, we don’t mind because we are inside Wrigley Field. But then we get hungry again. So down we go on a mission to get another hoitdog I’m bulking up for football season and realize that the only place to get food is behind the dish on the lower level. It was a good thing that I had brought my hiking boots. So we finally get our food then head back to our seats and take in the game. Which rocks. Even if the Cubs did lose 4-1. Wrigley Field definitely gets a 10. This is the standard by which all ballparks should be ranked. The outside environment is awesome, the field has history, the colors are even blue and red for crapsakes! I remember eating a decent hotdog, seeing the ivy…I liked Wrigley. In case you couldn’t tell.

At one time or another

PacBell Park (San Francisco Giants): 8

Not only is this my home turf, but they have Kruk and Kuip which totally boosts them. The atmosphere is always pretty good, but parking sucks. The outside has some good photo ops with the Willie Mays Plaza and the selection of food is vast. However, I’m over garlic fries. It also has the unique features with Bay being on the other side of the right field wall and seats known as ‘the pit’ which are near the on-deck circle. I have sat in those, so that boosts the score. I know other parks have this seating and you too can have your score boosted by sending me tickets for the aforementioned seats.

Oakland Coliseum (Oakland A’s): 4

I’m not an A’s fan. I’m sorry. Points for the tailgating that can take place but it’s all concrete and boring. Points for Dollar Dog Wedneday, being able to get David Cone’s autograph and having Joe Oliver give us his batting gloves when the Yankees were in town. Demerits for no atmosphere and having to drive to Oakland to go there.

Petco Park (San Diego Padres): 7

I like the look of the new park and the unique left field wall but there’s an awful lot of steel and industrial feel to it that seems contradictory to SD’s beachy lifestyle. And it’s has a short porch, which is great if you’re a hitter. But they do have a grassy area with a huge jumbo tron which creates a cool
vibe. The food is also decent so points for that.

Old Yankee Stadium (New York Yankees): 9

There is something about the historical aspect that adds points. They have Monument Park so bonus for commemorating that. It’s also old-style intimate, where you feel like you’re on top of the action. Maybe that was just my seat up by the left field foul pole on the upper deck, careful not to look down for fear of falling over the edge.

Fenway Park (Boston Red Sox): 9

Same as above but my experience was a bit tainted by having to sit under the jumbo-tron, unable to see replays.

Camden Yards (Baltimore Orioles): 7.5

I saw Cal Ripkin play there, so that’s worth some bonus points. But as I recall, the outside was industrial and not quite the atmosphere I was going for. It was like they took this beautfiul park and put it in the middle of the old, defunct warehouse disctrict.

RFK Stadium (former home of the Washington Nationals): 4

It was a football stadium first and foremost. And the Nationals weren’t (aren’t?) very good which translates to little atmosphere.

Turner Field (Atlanta Braves): 7

Even though they bulldozed Fulton County Stadium and Turner was built in 1997, they kept wall over which Hank Aaron hit his 715th homer in the parking lot, so points for keeping history. The ballpark is very family-friendly, which I give points for, because going to the yard should be a family affair, I say. There was plenty of photo ops outside and the inside was conducive to walking around, thus getting points in the atmosphere category.

Shea Stadium (New York Mets): 6

This is the place where I first learned the literal meaning of ‘box seats’ and I wasn’t terribly thrilled by that. Because it’s a New York park, it obviously has atmosphere, creating by the fans and of course, they have a hot third baseman, so clearly that deserves bonus points.