Author: timothynrussell

The Great Ballpark Chase: It’s Time for Dodger Baseball

timothynrussell1 Comment
The views from upstairs at Dodger Stadium can be stunning.

For some ballpark chasers, they enjoy planning the entire trip. For others, it’s easier to sit back and let others do the organizing and sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.

Some people have tried it both ways and determined they prefer the easier way. That’s where the baseball bus tour companies come in. Having used Coast 2 Coast Sports Tours the last two years, I tend to agree.

So do Steve and Kim from Pennsylvania, who I met on this year’s West Coast Swing tour with Coast 2 Coast. The couple, who live in suburban Philadelphia are Phillies fans, hit the Midwest parks last year, including Minnesota, Milwaukee, and both Chicago parks.

And who can blame them for liking the charter bus better.

  • Exhibit A: Traffic in and around Los Angeles.

There’s a reason that Dodger fans arrive in the second and third innings and leave in the seventh. It’s one way to try to beat the traffic.

Just getting into the stadium can be a chore, as the driveways wind up to the parking areas. That also doesn’t help the curb appeal for the ballpark. With most stadiums, you usually get a glimpse of the park as you approach. With Dodger Stadium, you see the side of a hill.

The difficulties are to be expected, I suppose. Los Angeles is the second largest populated city in the United States. The park is also one of the oldest in the Major League Baseball.

Dodger Stadium Entrance
Former manager, Tommy Lasorda, coined the phrase “Blue Heaven on Earth” and it is featured at an entrance to Dodger Stadium.

Dodger Stadium is the third oldest stadium overall, behind Boston’s Fenway Park and Chicago’s Wrigley Field. It was built in 1962 and is the largest baseball stadium in the world, by seat capacity.

The stadium is often referred to as a pitcher’s ballpark, having seen 13 no-hitters and two perfect games. Dodger fans affectionately call it “Blue Heaven on Earth,” a phrase coined by former Dodger manager great Tommy Lasorda.

The entrance to the ballpark may be a big highlight, especially if you enter on the home plate side and the Top Deck entrance. You enter at the very top of the stadium, opening to an incredible view of the San Gabriel Mountains.

Even if you enter at the outfield entrance, it’s worth a trip to the top to enjoy the view.

Fans entering through the centerfield entrance are able to see lifesize bobbleheads as well as statues of Sandy Koufax and Jackie Robinson.

The center field entrance offers plenty to do as well, including statues of Dodger greats Sandy Koufax and Jackie Robinson. The center field plaza also features lifesize bobbleheads, the Legends of Dodger baseball display along with a sports bar and beer garden.

Two of the stadium’s most distinctive features are the wavy roof on top of each outfield pavilion. Each pavilion has a scoreboard. There is also the top of a 10-story elevator shaft that has the Dodger logo, sitting directly behind home plate.

Given its history, the Dodgers have a lot of retired numbers: Don Drysdale (53), Koufax (32), Don Sutton (20), Pee Wee Reese (1), Robinson (42), Duke Snider (4), Lasorda (2), Walter Alston (24), Roy Campanella (39), Jim Gilliam (19), Gil Hodges (14), and the most recent player Fernando Valenzuela (34). Also honored in left field are announcers Vin Scully and Jaime Jarrin.

The stadium is the last in the National League that has symmetrical dimensions. In left an right field, it is 330 feet. In medium left-center and right-center, it is 360 feet. True left-center and right-center is 375 feet. Center field is 395 feet while true center field is 400 feet.

Built in 1962, Dodger Stadium is the third oldest MLB stadium, trailing only Fenway Park and Wrigley Field.

Here is an explanation of that: The distance of center field has been marked as 395 feet since1973, but it is actually still 400 feet. The two 395-foot signs are to the left and right of dead center, but the curvature of the fence between the posted signs is not exactly radial from home plate, meaning true center field is five feet further.

Obviously, the signature food item is the Dodger Dog, which is just a hot dog with a fancy name. Nothing else really stood out in terms of edibles. It was your basic ballpark cuisine.

Dodger Dog
Anyone for a Dodger Dog?

As far as the game, we did get to see a little bit of history. Dodger catcher Will Smith smashed a two-run home run in the first inning. It was his fourth homer in four consecutive at bats, tying him for the MLB record. He was the first Dodger to accomplish the feat since first baseman Adrian Gonzalez did it back in April 2015. He is just the third MLB catcher to do it, along with Johnny Bench (1973) and Benito Santiago (1996).

The Dodger ended up beating Milwaukee, 5-3.

After Milwaukee tied the game, 3-3, after home runs by Rhys Hoskins and Christian Yelich in the fourth and eighth innings, respectively. Miguel Vargas and Shohei Ohtani both hit homers to put the Dodgers ahead for good,

Previous Installments

The Great Ballpark Chase: Oakland’s Last Call

timothynrussell2 Comments
Oakland Coliseum
Rickey Henderson Field at the Oakland Coliseum as seen from behind homeplate.

Let’s get one thing out of the way. The Oakland Coliseum ain’t pretty.

And there are several reasons behind that. It is old and it has been neglected by ownership, but it can still be an enjoyable place to watch a game.

Hear me out on this.

The Oakland Coliseum is the fifth-oldest stadium in the Major Leagues, hosting its first game in 1968. Only Boston’s Fenway Park, Chicago’s Wrigley Field, Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium, and Anaheim’s Angel Stadium are older.

While Athletics owner John Fisher has neglected the stadium as he tried to wrangle a new stadium from the city of Oakland. It doesn’t help that when the Oakland Raiders used the stadium, owner Al Davis built what is affectionately known as Mt. Davis in center field to hold more fans for football.

Mt. Davis aka the centerfield grandstands that increased capacity for Raiders’ football but blocked the view.

That monstrosity took away a gorgeous view of the California mountains and scenery.

But, while the stadium isn’t much, the game experience is much better. And that is a tribute to their fans, at least the ones that continue to attend games.

The A’s are only averaging about 6,500 fans per game, which would be the lowest for an MLB team in 45 years. During games, the fans in attendance are into the game, trying to cheer their team to a win. It can be a lively, entertaining time.

Sure, it may not be as loud as a sold out Citizens Bank Park (Philadelphia Phillies) or as electric as a Cubs-Cardinals rivalry, but it is still an exciting time.

There seem to be two factions among the fans. Those that don’t want to give another dime to a cheap, penny-pinching owner. And those that want to fight to try to keep the A’s in Oakland.

Every so often, a group of fans designate a particular game as a reverse boycott, in other words, trying to pack the stadium, to show the owner that the fans can support the team.

Clockwise from upper left, it ain’t much, but this is the sign greeting fans at the Oakland Colisuem; fans, including the Elephant mascot, sit behind homeplate; fans along the left field line; and the right field line which also showcases the extended foul territory.

You can also see fans wearing green t-shirts with the word “SELL” in yellow in ALL CAPS, as a message to Fisher to sell the team.

Those fans that do attend the games, make for a lively, fun experience, despite the fact that they are losing their team at the end of the season. You can often hear fans call the Coliseum, “Baseball’s Last Dive Bar.”

Oakland reportedly is going to play three seasons in their AAA team’s stadium in Sacramento at Sutter Health Park. The Las Vegas stadium is slated to open in 2028.

Given that fact, it seems as the franchise is kind of phoning it in for their last season in Oakland. The main team store is less than half of most team’s secondary stores. Also, many high demand items, like lapel pins and patches, have been sold out for months.

Many concession stands sit empty, especially on the second level. The third level has been closed for most of the season. They do open it for a series when a bigger crowd is expected, like when the Los Angeles Dodgers come to town. (The August 3 game against the downstate Dodgers had an attendance of 35,000 and all 200 Level concession stands were open and even one on the 300 Level.)

To be expected, the last game at the Coliseum is almost sold out (just 265 seats remain the beginning of this week). That’s not including the seats on Mt. Davis. As of now, there is no plan to sell those seats. The capacity at the Coliseum is 46,847. If they open up Mt. Davis, the capacity jumps to 56,872.

Remaining tickets for the final game start at $104, probably even higher on the secondary market. Every fan in attendance at the final game will get a commemorative model of the ballpark.

The stadium is the last one to feature the bullpens in foul ground, one down each baseline. The park also features a very expansive foul territory. The distance from home plate to the backstop was initially 90 feet, but eventually reduced to 60 feet.

Here are the outfield dimensions of the park: 330 feet to left field, 388 feet to left-center, 400 feet to center field, 388 feet to right-center and 330 feet to right field.

The field itself is named after former A’s great and National Baseball Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson. There are six gates to enter the park, two are named after former pitchers Jim “Catfish” Hunter and Dennis Eckersley.

In a final nod to A’s history, the team put up a light-up “Holy Toledo” sign to pay homage to broadcaster Bill King‘s catch phrase.

Bill Martin Tribute
A tribute to manager Bill Martin along one of the councourses at Oakland Coliseum.

Along the concourses, there are also mentions of Athletics’ history, including references to Billy Ball, when Billy Martin managed the team. There are also several mentions of past players like Henderson, Eckersley, Reggie Jackson, Mark McGwire, Jose Canseco, Vida Blue, and Sal Bando.

Much like the first game on this tour in Seattle, the Baltimore Orioles provided the oppositon. Baltimore’s Albert Suarez went six strong innings, allowing just two runs on four hits with six strikeouts as the Orioles edged the Athletics, 3-2. Baltimore’s Austin Hays had an RBI double in the second inning and catcher Adley Rutschman drew a bases-loaded walk, which proved to be enough. Oakland catcher Shea Langeliers hit a solo home run in the seventh to cut the lead to one, but the A’s would get no closer. The attendance was 9,654.

Catfish Hunter Tribute
A tribute to Oakland Athletics’ National Baseball Hall of Famer Catfish Hunter along a concourse.

Previous Installments

The Great Ballpark Chase: Sleepless (no more) in Seattle

timothynrussell3 Comments
T-Mobile Park
The view from behind homeplate at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park prior to an early July game against the Baltimore Orioles.

(Contributing writer Timothy Russell returns with another set of entries in his Chasing Ballparks series. Leading off this year, Seattle’s T-Mobile Park.)

Well, it’s that time of year again – one of my favorite times – the annual baseball bus trip.

This was the third bus trip I’ve taken. The first was with Diamond Baseball Tours, while the last two were with Coast 2 Coast Sports Tours. I made a point of doing a west coast trip to check off the Oakland Coliseum, which is in its last season as the Oakland Athletics are fleeing town for Las Vegas in 2027. The A’s will likely play in Sacramento until the Vegas stadium is built.

And that leads me to probably the most important person on any of these trips. No, it’s not the tour director or the tour goers.

It’s the bus drivers.

This trip the tour was kind of broken up into two tours. The first one was a 2-day trip around Seattle. After a flight to Oakland, we got more settled into a routine.

For the Seattle leg, our bus driver was Dave, who showed up in full Fourth of July regalia and a red, white and blue hat. He delivered great bits of information about the Seattle area and also had some high-profile gigs.

During COVID, he drove NFL referees to the game and around the city. He’d park the bus in the stadium tunnel and be one of the few people allowed to stay during the game. Even the drivers who drove the players had to leave the stadium.

Clockwise from left, Coast 2 Coast Sport Tours received a shoutout on T-Mobile Park scoreboard; no trip to Seattle is complete without a visit to Pike Street’s famous Public Market Center; and the Mariner Moose celebrates the victory over Baltimore.

As far as baseball, Dave said he has never seen the Mariners win in person. Of course, he doesn’t go to many games. He prefers watching the games on TV at the end of the bar.

Then, there was Roberto, who took over for the bulk of the trip once we got to Oakland. The San Francisco native got in and out of some tough spots, maneuvering the bus around illegally parked cars in hotel parking lots and other tricky areas.

We skipped ahead slightly to mention both bus drivers, but the first ballpark we visited was Seattle’s T-Mobile Park. It’s a stadium that I had been to before, but it’s been about 15 years.

It’s a fairly accessible park, especially if you take the light rail system. As you walk up to the stadium, you see two statues. One is of Edgar Martinez, who played third base and designated hitter for the Mariners from 1987 to 2004. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019.

Ken Griffey Jr. and Edgar Martinez receive statue treatment at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park.

More prominently is the statue of Ken Griffey Jr., which is right outside the main entrance. When visiting ballparks, I enjoy looking at the statues of past players. But viewing the Griffey Jr. statue was more special.

He has always been one of my favorite players and definitely one of the more complete players to play the game. He was a 13-time All-Star with 630 home runs. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016. I don’t wear many non-Detroit Tiger jerseys, but his would be one I would consider buying for my collection.

One of the features you first notice inside the park would be the retractable roof. When closed, it does cover the entire ballpark, but it is not enclosed. It’s more like a canopy that slides over the entire playing field and stands.

T-Mobile Park
The roof at T-Mobile Park is more a sliding canopy that covers the playing field, though the stadium is never fully enclosed.

Some facts about the roof. It covers almost nine acres and has enough steel to build a 55-story skyscraper. There are three movable panels that glide on 128 wheels, powered by 96 10-horsepower electric motors. It takes about 10-20 minutes to fully open or close the roof. It can be done once during a game.

There is also a third statue inside the stadium. That one is of Mariners broadcaster Dave Niehaus. He was honored by the National Baseball Hall of Fame with the Ford C. Frick award in 2008. Niehaus broadcast 5,284 Mariners games over 34 seasons until 2010 when he died.

The statue features him sitting behind a desk with a microphone, wearing headphones. There is a scorebook in front of him, opened to the boxscore for Game 5 of the 1995 American League Division Series, when Edgar Martinez hit “The Double.” There is also an empty seat next to Niehaus for fans to pose for photos. (Hear Niehaus’ call here.)

Another feature inside the stadium is the Baseball Museum of the Pacific Northwest and the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame. It is on the main concourse, across from sections 135-141.

Members of the Mariners Hall of Fame are: Alvin Davis, Niehaus, Jay Buhner, Martinez, Randy Johnson, Dan Wilson, Lou Piniella, Griffey, Jamie Moyer, Ichiro Suzuki, and the most recent addition, Felix Hernandez.

The stadium holds 47,929 people. Dimensions of the stadium are 331 feet down the left field line, 378 to left center, 401 to center field, 381 to right-center and 326 down the right field line.

Given the heavy Asian population in the Seattle area, there are plentiful options for Asian food in the ballpark, including sushi, teriyaki, stir fries, and pad thai. There is also the standard ballpark fare, along with burritos, garlic fries, crepes, health food, seafood, and barbecue.

One of the more popular restaurants is Edgar’s Cantina, located in left field and features a heavy Latin American influence.

Also located in the left field ‘Pen area – known as the Bullpen Market – is the Mariners’ top contribution to ballpark cuisine. They sell chapulines, or toasted grasshoppers, in a chili-lime sauce. They got to be so popular that the club has to limit how many are sold each game.

They sell 312 portions each game. A portion size is three ounces and costs $9.99. The 312 is a nod to Martinez’s career .312 batting average. They are billed as high-protein content with no fat, no carbs, and are gluten free.

While I personally did not try any, a couple tour members did and said you could taste the spice more than the insects.

In the game, bus driver Dave finally did get to see the Mariners pull out a win. The Mariners used a five-run seventh inning to take a 7-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. While he wasn’t able to stay for the entire game, Dave was able to see the big seventh inning before taking off to get the bus ready to leave.

Baltimore took a 2-0 lead early, before Seattle tied it in the fifth before the big seventh inning. Seattle’s bullpen gave up just one run and two hits in the final 3 2/3 innings to seal the game, 7-3.

The left field gate at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park.

Previous Installments

The Great Ballpark Chase: Rank’em Part 3

timothynrussell4 Comments

(Editor’s Note: Much like giving the star player one final day of rest before the playoff push, we gave our regular contributor, Tim Russell, a week off and he’s coming back fresh and with three posts for your enjoyment this final week of MLB’s regular season. He gives us his rankings of the 19 MLB ballparks he’s visited in person.)

Here’s the third and final installment in Tim’s series of ballpark rankings. Check out his entire series at the links below.

While these rankings are subjective, let’s keep in mind, it’s never a bad thing to be at a ballpark. Just some more than others.

#6 – T-Mobile Park home of the Seattle Mariners

  • Food and Beverage: 4. Decent food options with a strong Asian influence. Edgar’s Cantina offers toasted grasshoppers. Bonus points for offering a value menu.
  • Atmosphere: 4.5. Can be a fun atmosphere. Fans can really get into the game.
  • Neighborhood: 3. Not much around the stadium, mostly commercial type businesses, but downtown isn’t far. Take a visit to Pike Place Market or visit the original Starbucks.
  • Fans: 3.5. Fans are fun to be around and are friendly, even in other team’s jerseys.
  • Accessibility: 4. Light rail option available. It can get packed close to game time and leaving the game.
  • Seating/Sight Lines: 4. Good sight lines. Some seats are a little far from the action.
  • Panoramic View: 3.5. Hard to have a view when there is a roof covering. The roof is usually open though, so you might get a peek of downtown in the distance.
  • Scoreboard/Entertainment: 4. Get your picture taken with a statue of Seattle Hall of Fame announcer Dave Niehaus, who is famous for his grand slam call, “Get out the rye bread and mustard, grandma. It’s a grand salami.”
  • Final Score: 30.5/40.
  • Final Thoughts: Even if the roof is closed, take a jacket. The roof is just a cover that slides over the playing area. You are still exposed to the elements somewhat.

#5 – Comerica Park home of the Detroit Tigers

  • Food and beverage: 3. Being this is the home ballpark, I haven’t indulged as much as in other ballparks, since I usually eat before I go. But food options around the ballpark, as well as good options inside, help this score.
  • Atmosphere: 4.5. Maybe it’s a little bias, since it is the home park, but even in tough seasons, the atmosphere is fun.
  • Neighborhood: 3.5. The one question I always get is about safety around the park. Maybe it’s more of Detroit getting a bad rap. But the area is quite safe and there are very good restaurants and bars around for before or after the game.
  • Fans: 4. Fans are great here, especially those that come out to support the team. I lowered the score to account for empty stands when the team is faltering.
  • Accessibility: 3.5. Being close to freeways helps raise the score, but a limited number of exits can create some delays
  • Seating/Sight Lines: 4. Even upper deck seats offer a decent view of the game.
  • Panoramic View: 4.5. View of downtown makes it worthwhile.
  • Scoreboard/Entertainment: 4.5. Giant scoreboard with huge Tigers on top. What’s not to like?
  • Total Score: 31.5/40.
  • Final Thoughts: I may be slightly biased, but Comerica is one of the nicer stadiums in the league. It is under-rated. I consistently hear that from first-time visitors when they visit.

#4 – Camden Yards home of the Baltimore Orioles

  • Food and Beverage: 4.5. Good food options with Jimmy’s Seafood (crab cake egg rolls) and Boog’s BBQ.
  • Atmosphere: 4.5. Fun atmosphere, especially if the Orioles are winners.
  • Neighborhood: 3. Sections of Baltimore can be a little rough, but the ballpark area (Pickles Pub) along with the Inner Harbor and Fells Point are fun areas. Babe Ruth’s Birthplace is a short walk from the park.
  • Fans: 4. Fans are welcoming to all fans of different teams.
  • Accessibility: 4. Light rail and MARC trains help move people around. Ample parking is a short walk to the football stadium.
  • Seating/Sight Lines: 3. Seats are a little small. Some are not always oriented directly toward home plate.
  • Panoramic Views: 5. You can’t go wrong with a view of the B and O Warehouse.
  • Scoreboard/Entertainment: 4. Statues of past greats, including Cal Ripken Jr. and Earl Weaver are in left-center field. When on Eutaw Street in the park, look down for markers signifying the landing spot of each home run that has hit the street.
  • Final Score: 32/40.
  • Final Thoughts: Obviously, this is one of my favorite parks, since I have it rated so high. The view of the warehouse in right is great and Eutaw Street can be wall-to-wall people.

#3 – Fenway Park home of the Boston Red Sox

  • Food and Beverage: 3. Food outside is probably better with the street vendors, especially with the Sausage Guy on Lansdowne. This year, the fans have stooped to bringing their own ketchup, due to the switch to a sugar-free, gluten-free version.
  • Atmosphere: 5. You can’t beat the atmosphere here. The history is awesome, even if you’re just walking through.
  • Neighborhood: 4.5. Get there early and soak in the fans walking around the stadium.
  • Fans: 4.5. Dedicated fans who know the game.
  • Accessibility: 3. Parking can be a little rough, but they do have the “T” subway line, allowing you to park further away.
  • Seating/Sight Lines: 2.5. Might be the worst sight lines in the majors. If you’re down the lines in right or left field, you are likely facing center field and have to turn your head to see home plate.
  • Panoramic View: 4.5. Lots of iconic sights, including the Citgo sign over the Green Monster.
  • Scoreboard/Entertainment: 5. The Green Monster. All that needs to be said. There are other electronic scoreboards that offer more statistics, but it’s cool seeing the Monster in person.
  • Final Score: 32/40.
  • Final Thoughts: Remember, I didn’t see a game here due to rain. But I was in the stadium and got a sense of the park. And it just makes me want to go back soon to see an actual game.

#2 – PNC Park home of the Pittsburgh Pirates

  • Food and Beverage: 4. Primanti Brothers sandwiches, pierogis, and Manny Sanguillen’s barbecue are the highlights here. Manny might even be at his stand to sign autographs.
  • Atmosphere: 5. Fun atmosphere, even though the Pirates aren’t always competitve.
  • Neighborhood: 4. Ballpark is really incorporated into the downtown area.
  • Fans: 3.5. Good, dedicated fans that are vocal about Pirate ownership.
  • Accessibility: 3.5. Fairly easy to drive to and find parking. Lots of hills.
  • Seating/Sight Lines: 4. Really good sight lines, although there is an area in left field you lose sight of the field due to having to walk behind the club area.
  • Panoramic View: 5. This may be the best view in all of baseball with the Clemente Bridge in the background.
  • Scoreboard/Entertainment: 3.5. Take a walk around the outside of the stadium, looking for the four statues of past greats, including Roberto Clemente.
  • Final Score: 32.5/40.
  • Final Thoughts: Fun ballpark with a great view. You can usually find good seats at a decent price.

#1 – Petco Park home of the San Diego Padres

  • Food and Beverage: 4. Decent food inside, but better options outside.
  • Atmosphere: 5. Fun atmosphere. Fans are into the game and their mascot, The Swinging Friar, gets around the park.
  • Neighborhood: 4.5. The Gaslamp Quarter in downtown San Diego is hopping with a lot of bars and restaurants. Lola’s is a wonderful place for Mexican close to the ballpark.
  • Fans: 4. Good, knowledgeable fans that make you feel welcome.
  • Accessibility: 4. Fairly walkable area from most areas of downtown. Light rail helps move people around as well.
  • Seating/Sight Lines: 4. Most of the seats are oriented to face the home plate area.
  • Panoramic View: 5. Great view of Gallagher Park out in center field. It includes a mini-ballpark for the kids and a statue of Padre great Tony Gwynn. Bring a blanket to sit on the grassy picnic area.
  • Scoreboard/Entertainment: 4. The Padres Hall of Fame is a must visit. Gallagher Park in center field gives a nice park-like atmosphere.
  • Final Score: 34/40.
  • Final Thoughts: Not surprising that this park is No. 1. It is on the top of a lot of lists. The Western Metal Supply Company building in left field helps with the aesthetics as well. Padres Hall of Fame is a must see.

Retired Parks

There are four retired parks that I have been to. I didn’t include them in the rankings, since they are not part of the current 30.

Those stadiums are: Detroit’s Tiger Stadium, Houston’s Astrodome, Texas’ Globe Life Field, and Atlanta’s Turner Field.

What can I say about Tiger Stadium? It’s where I saw my first game with my dad and brother. I don’t remember who played or when it was, but there are still plenty of memories of the park from other games.

I went to the Astrodome on a work assignment. I was visiting my sister in the Houston area and former Eastern Michigan University coach Terry Collins was the manager of the Astros, so I was able to get a credential to interview Collins and attend the game. It was at least 25 years ago now, so there’s not a lot I remember about the experience.

Globe Life Field is the old Texas stadium. It has replicas of Tiger Stadium’s right field stands and Yankee Stadium’s center field. I was able to visit while attending the wedding of my friend’s daughter.

And finally, Turner Field holds a special place in my heart. It was one of the last stadiums I got to visit with my brother. The stadium was closed in October 2016 and he passed just over a year later. Our visit was the final game at the stadium before the Braves moved to their current home, Truist Park. Everyone attending the game was given small vials of infield dirt, along with a commemorative ticket.

It was also the second game that season that I saw Detroit’s Justin Verlander lose, 1-0.

At that point, we started attending more minor league games as well.

Currently, I’ve been to a total of 48 ballparks, which includes the 19 current Major League stadiums.

I have two big trips left to get to 30. The west coast and a Florida, Atlanta, Texas swing. I should be able to do both on a baseball trip, one each of the next two summers. I will have to find a way to get to Toronto as well.

Really, though, the chase never ends.

Previous Installments of the Great Ballpark Chase by Tim Russell

The Great Ballpark Chase: Rank’em Part 2

timothynrussellLeave a comment

(Editor’s Note: Much like giving the star player one final day of rest before the playoff push, we gave our regular contributor, Tim Russell, a week off and he’s coming back fresh and with three posts for your enjoyment this final week of MLB’s regular season. He gives us his rankings of the 19 MLB ballparks he’s visited in person.)

Here’s the second in Tim’s series of ballpark rankings. Check out his entire series at the links below.

While these rankings are subjective, let’s keep in mind, it’s never a bad thing to be at a ballpark. Just some more than others.

#13 – Progressive Field home of the Cleveland Guardians

  • Food and Beverage: 4. Get the Discount Drug Mart club seats. It is worth the extra money, maybe $30-40 more. You get unlimited food and non-alcoholic drinks, peanuts, popcorn, and ice cream. Seats are very good down the first base line.
  • Atmosphere: 3.5. Party deck in right field is a good time. Was always a good time, hearing longtime fan John Adams beating his drum in the bleachers. Sadly, he passed away in 2023.
  • Neighborhood: 3.5. Park is downtown, so the casino and a few restaurants and bars are within walking distance.
  • Fans: 3. Fans can be a little apathetic, even if the team is doing well.
  • Accessibility: 4. Park sits right next to I-90. Pretty easy off and on. Big parking structure connected to park with entrance in left field.
  • Seating/Sight Lines: 4. Good seats all around the ballpark.
  • Panoramic View: 3. Not a great view, unless you like buildings and the Rocket Financial Arena.
  • Scoreboard/Entertainment: 4. Big scoreboard in left field, which is hard to see if you have bleacher seats. Heritage Park is nice to walk through with statues and plaques, honoring past players and teams.
  • Final Score: 29/40.
  • Final Thoughts: I’ve been here several times and it’s always a good time. Good, short getaway to see the Tigers on the road.

#12 – Wrigley Field home of the Chicago Cubs

  • Food and Beverage: 3. Nothing super special inside the ballpark, although it has been a few years since I’ve been there.
  • Atmosphere: 5. Old-time ballpark, although it has gone through massive renovations of late.
  • Neighborhood: 4.5. Wrigleyville is hopping with lots of bars and restaurants.
  • Fans: 3. Fans can be a little unruly, especially to non-Cub fans.
  • Accessibility: 3. As usual with a neighborhood park, parking is at a premium. You may have a good walk if you choose to drive. You can also take the subway or El from downtown for an easier commute.
  • Seating/Sight Lines: 3. Seating is a little cramped and there are a lot of posts that can block some part of your view during the game.
  • Panoramic View: 3.5. This has gone down since the renovations when the owners put up billboards and scoreboards to block the rooftops.
  • Scoreboard/Entertainment: 4.5. Cool looking scoreboard atop the bleacher area in center field. Always fun to watch the “W” or “L” flag raised after a game.
  • Final Score: 29.5/40.
  • Final Thoughts: While I may not be a fan of the team or its fans, the park is still fun to visit and soak in the history. It just isn’t remotely close to the charm of Fenway.

#11 – Coors Field home of the Colorado Rockies

  • Food and Beverage: 4. Rocky Mountain Oysters are available here, although I did not partake. Totchos are a tasty item, like nachos but with tater tots. For dessert, they have two types of berry kabobs.
  • Atmosphere: 3.5. Fun park to be around.
  • Neighborhood: 3. It’s in a downtown area, so there is a fair amount of non-baseball things to do, as well as good places to eat.
  • Fans: 3.5. Fans are friendly and fairly knowledgeable.
  • Accessibility: 4. For a downtown ballpark, getting to and from was fairly easy.
  • Seating/Sight Lines: 3.5. Upper levels are pretty far away from the action. Lower levels offer good seats. The Rockpile in center field offers a cheap way to see the game.
  • Panoramic View: 4.5. What’s not to like about a view of the Rocky Mountains, especially if you make the climb to the Purple Row, mile high seat level.
  • Scoreboard/Entertainment: 4. Good information on the scoreboard. Be sure to visit the Purple Row, which is exactly one mile above sea level. The higher altitude can cause problems, so take it easy.
  • Final Score: 30/40.
  • Final Thoughts: Any ballpark fan will want to visit the Ballpark Museum, across the street from Coors Field. It’s a small, private collection available for self-guided tours.

#10 – Citi Field home of the New York Mets

  • Food and Beverage: 4.5. Pastrami sandwich is one of the highlights, along with Shake Shack and others along the outfield concourse.
  • Atmosphere: 4. There is a buzz in the air most of the time around the stadium. If you lose your party, just tell them to meet you at the Shea Bridge in right-center field.
  • Neighborhood: 2.5. Not much around, except for the U.S. Open National Tennis Center (Arthur Ashe Stadium).
  • Fans: 4. Fans are more down-to-earth and fun to be around than Yankees’ fans.
  • Accessibility: 4. Like Yankee Stadium, it is quite easy to get to the stadium via the subway.
  • Seating/Sight Lines: 4. Good sight lines, even from the upper reaches.
  • Panoramic View: 3. Good view of planes landing at LaGuardia Airport, which is within a few miles.
  • Scoreboard/Entertainment: 4. The Big Apple raises and lowers with each home run. You can also see the old apple, along with Tom Seaver’s statue outside the stadium. Inside the main entrance, be sure to visit the New York Mets’ Museum.
  • Final Score: 30/40.
  • Final Thoughts: Overall, a fun stadium to visit and enjoy. Not as stuffy as it’s crosstown neighbor.

#9 – Target Field home of the Minnesota Twins

  • Food and Beverage: 3.5. You can’t go wrong with a Kramarczuk Polish Sausage or a Bub’s Gourmet Aussie Pie (sloppy joe or chicken wild rice encased in a flaky crust). Outside, be sure to try a Juicy Lucy at Matt’s.
  • Atmosphere: 4. Lots of party decks in the outfield. Fans are into the game.
  • Neighborhood: 3.5. It’s a downtown park, but there are things to do as well as places to eat.
  • Fans: 4. Fans stay involved in the game, which makes it fun to join in.
  • Accessibility: 3.5. I was on a bus tour, so I didn’t drive, but bus parking wasn’t far from the entrance. Pretty easy drive to and from.
  • Seating/Sight Lines: 3.5. One of the few stadiums that the average fan has access to almost every area of the park, including some of the inside club areas.
  • Panoramic View: 4. Good view of downtown, as well as the iconic Twins’ logo of Minnie and Paul shaking hands in center field.
  • Scoreboard/Entertainment: 4. Nice set of statues outside the stadium. Fun party deck in right field.
  • Final Score: 30/40.
  • Final Thoughts: Thankfully, I was here in summer, so I didn’t have to put on any extra layers. Park was a lot of fun. Take the pre-game tour. It’s one of the better ones in MLB.

#8 – Busch Stadium home of the St. Louis Cardinals

  • Food and Beverage: 3. Barbecue is the way to go here, usually with the brisket nachos.
  • Atmosphere: 4.5. Electric atmosphere, especially if the Cardinals are doing well. Ballpark Village just outside the center field gates is the place to be before and after the game.
  • Neighborhood: 4.5. Ballpark Village is across the street and downtown is a few blocks away.
  • Fans: 3.5. Cardinals’ fans know their stuff and are fairly friendly, just not to Cubs fans.
  • Accessibility: 3.5. Close to freeways. Parking can be a little tougher, but is available.
  • Seating/Sight Lines: 3. Even in the right field bleachers, the seats are comfortable and easy steps to climb.
  • Panoramic View: 4.5. Great view, looking out from center field of the Gateway Arch and downtown.
  • Scoreboard/Entertainment: 4. Ballpark Village is the place to be before the game. The Cardinals Hall of Fame is one of the best. Lots of statues of past greats around the stadium.
  • Final Score: 30.5/40.
  • Final Thoughts: If you visit, do it on a Cardinals-Cubs series. Fairly intense action, but usually good baseball.

#7 – Great American Ballpark home of the Cincinnati Reds

  • Food and Beverage: 3. Skyline Chili is prevalent here. It’s not bad, but it’s more spaghetti sauce, than chili.
  • Atmosphere: 4. When your scoreboard has the look of an old steamboat, you know you’re going to have some fun.
  • Neighborhood: 3.5. It’s a downtown area. Montgomery Inn Barbecue is one place to visit after the game. Or take a walk across the bridge into Newport, KY, for more options.
  • Fans: 3.5. Pretty decent fans. Fairly loyal despite past down times.
  • Accessibility 4. Best bet is to park in Kentucky and walk across the bridge.
  • Seating/Sight Lines: 4. Good sight lines throughout. The stadium feels smaller, so you seem closer to the action.
  • Panoramic View: 4.5. Good view of the Ohio River and boats passing during the game.
  • Scoreboard/Entertainment: 4. The Reds Museum is probably the best in the league. Fun statues of past greats, including a sliding Pete Rose.
  • Final Score: 30.5/40.
  • Final Thoughts: Pretty easy drive coming from the Detroit area. Enough things to do to make the trip a nice weekend getaway.

Check back on Friday for Part 3.

Previous Installments of the Great Ballpark Chase by Tim Russell

The Great Ballpark Chase: Rank’em Part 1

timothynrussell1 Comment

(Editor’s Note: Much like giving the star player one final day of rest before the playoff push, we gave our regular contributor, Tim Russell, a week off and he’s coming back fresh and with three posts for your enjoyment this final week of MLB’s regular season. He gives us his rankings of the 19 MLB ballparks he’s visited in person.)

Well, another summer of chasing ballparks as come and gone.

This year, I didn’t add as many new parks to the total, but it was the big three, so to speak. Yankee Stadium, Citi Field and, of course, Fenway Park.

So I figured I had enough ballparks to do an actual ranking. Without an actual ranking system, I had a couple favorites that I really enjoyed. And for the most part, they held true through the rankings. I thought PNC Park in Pittsburgh might be No. 1, but when I added the rankings together, that didn’t hold.

I rated the parks on eight criteria: food and beverage, atmosphere, neighborhood, fans, accessibility, seating and sight lines, panoramic view, and scoreboard/entertainment.

Some of the criteria is self-explanatory. Others like neighborhood reflects the surrounding area around the park, including stuff to do, eat or see. Accessibility relates to how easy it was to get to the park. I may not have got food at every park, but I did peruse the offerings.

Next year’s trip is already being planned. It likely will include the west coast, in an effort to knock out the Oakland Coliseum, since the A’s may be moving soon. I only rated the 19 parks that I have been to, so there could be some movement after visiting the final 11.

While these rankings are subjective, let’s keep in mind, it’s never a bad thing to be at a ballpark. Just some more than others.

#19 – Guaranteed Rate Field home of the Chicago White Sox

  • Food and Beverage: 4. Food is good. You can get an Italian beef or a Chicago-style hot dog.
  • Atmosphere: 2. Not a horrible atmosphere to watch a game, but more like a workman-like feel. Watch the game and go home.
  • Neighborhood: 2. Not a dangerous neighborhood, but the South Side does have some rough spots. Not much to see or do in the immediate ballpark area.
  • Fans: 2.5. Fans can be a little rough at times. Usually if you buy a 500-level ticket, you are restricted to that level and can’t roam the park.
  • Accessibility: 4. The El train can get you there from downtown. Parking is plentiful and ballpark is right off the freeway.
  • Seating/Sight Lines: 2. Upper levels are quite steep. Decent sight lines even though you are high in the air. Lower level is the place to be though.
  • Panoramic View: 3. If you go to the 500 level, you can get some scenic shots overlooking downtown.
  • Scoreboard/Entertainment: 3. Center field party area has a couple poles that can block parts of the scoreboard. Walk the outfield concourse, which features statues and an old working shower from Comiskey Park locker room.
  • Final Score: 24.5/40.
  • Final Thoughts: Not a horrible ballpark, but nothing to get really excited about either. The city is great to roam around in before or after the game, so spend a weekend there.

#18 – Yankee Stadium home of the New York Yankees

  • Food and Beverage: 3. Food options are good. Whether you go for the 99 Judge Burger or Nathan’s Famous hot dogs, Bobby Flay’s Bobby’s Burgers or a Lobel’s steak sandwich, you can eat fairly well here.
  • Atmosphere: 2. I never got to visit the original Yankee Stadium, but this seems like a carbon copy of it, without the charm.
  • Neighborhood: 2. The neighborhood is safe, but is fairly non-descript as a destination. Very few places to eat just outside the ballpark.
  • Fans: 3. A lot of fans may be living on past glories. The Legends seats behind home plate are rarely filled to capacity, leaving a void.
  • Accessibility: 5. This is one place the stadium excels. With the subway (No. 4 line), and the D and B lines, it’s quite easy to get to the ballpark.
  • Seating/Sight Lines: 3. Padded seats throughout the park is a nice perk.
  • Panoramic View: 3. You can see the subway line passing through in right field. No real view of anything but buildings, though.
  • Scoreboard/Entertainment: 3.5. Scoreboard offers good information, but not a lot of other entertainment options.
  • Final Score: 24.5/40.
  • Final Thoughts: Some of the areas of the park have tight concourses. The stadium feels more like an updated version of the old stadium, rather than a brand-new park.

#17 – Nationals Park home of the Washington Nationals

  • Food and Beverage: 3. Ben’s Chili Bowl has a stand inside the stadium. Fairly standard options otherwise.
  • Atmosphere: 3.5. This felt like a more low-key atmosphere both times I was here.
  • Neighborhood: 3. The neighborhood is developing rapidly around the ballpark. Options have multiplied between my visits.
  • Fans: 3. Fans are knowledgeable, but not as welcoming as other parks.
  • Accessibility: 3.5. D.C. traffic is fairly bad, but it’s not too difficult to get out of the park. Subways help as well.
  • Seating/Sight Lines: 3. Good sight lines, even from the upper deck regions.
  • Panoramic View: 4. You can see the U.S. Capitol building over the left field fence.
  • Scoreboard/Entertainment: 4. The President’s Race is something to look forward to after the fourth inning.
  • Final Score: 26.5/40.
  • Final Thoughts: It’s a fairly non-descript ballpark, your basic ballpark. The only thing that really standouts as something to see is the President’s Race. But being close to D.C. makes up for that.

#16 – Citizens Bank Park home of the Philadelphia Phillies

  • Food and Beverage: 4. Chickie and Pete’s Crab Fries and Federal Donuts and Chicken are two strong options. Ashburn’s Alley in center field has more selection.
  • Atmosphere: 4. Good crowd makes for a nice atmosphere.
  • Neighborhood: 3. All three major Philadelphia stadiums are located in the same area. Xfinity Live is a nice bar complex.
  • Fans: 3. Phillies’ fans get somewhat of a bad rap. I wore my Tiger jersey and had no problems at all. It might be different if it were the Eagles though.
  • Accessibility: 3. Subway is a good option, but highway access is fairly easy to get to. Easy parking area.
  • Seating/Sight Lines: 3. Seating is good with good leg room. Pretty good sight lines as well.
  • Panoramic View: 3. Stadium is away from the downtown area, so not much to see.
  • Scoreboard/Entertainment: 4. There is big, neon bell in right-center field that lights up and moves during home runs and victory celebrations.
  • Final Score: 27/40.
  • Final Thoughts: Take a day and see some of the history in Center City area. Independence Hall, Constitution Center, U.S. Mint, Reading Terminal Market, and even the Liberty Bell make for a fun, interesting day.

#15 – American Family Field home of the Milwaukee Brewers

  • Food and Beverage: 3.5.
  • Atmosphere: 4. Party atmosphere. Get here early and walk around the tailgaters, who might even give you a brat or two.
  • Neighborhood: 2.5. Not much around the stadium itself. There are a few bars a few miles away. Downtown is a little further.
  • Fans: 4.5. Great fans, who will share a beer or brat with you before or after the game.
  • Accessibility: 4. Easy parking lot and fairly easy to get out of, if you know what you’re doing.
  • Seating/Sight Lines: 3.5. Sight lines are good, even at the top of the stadium, where Bob Uecker has a statue.
  • Panoramic View: 2.5. View is ok, even if the roof is closed. Windows let you see out and sun come in.
  • Scoreboard/Entertainment: 4.5. Bernie Brewer slides down his chalet in left field during every home run. The Selig Experience, dedicated to former owner and MLB commissioner Bud Selig, is something to see before the game. And, of course, we have to mention the racing sausages.
  • Final Score: 29/40.
  • Final Thoughts: I was lucky enough to see a game there with the roof open. Probably a whole different vibe with a closed roof. But either way, a fun park to attend.

#14 – Kauffman Stadium home of the Kansas City Royals

  • Food and Beverage: 4. Brisket nachos are really good here. Obviously, lots of barbecue places in Kansas City.
  • Atmosphere: 4. Fun atmosphere with the waterfalls.
  • Neighborhood: 2. Not a whole lot around the two stadiums (Arrowhead Stadium is next door). Just parking lots and a few hotels across the freeway.
  • Fans: 3.5. Fans are alright here.
  • Accessibility: 4.5. Located right off the highway, so easy 15–20-minute drive back to downtown.
  • Seating/Sight Lines: 3. Roomy seats and not really a bad seat in the park.
  • Panoramic View: 4.5. The waterfalls are fun to walk around, although they have made more club areas out there.
  • Scoreboard/Entertainment: 3.5. Big scoreboard with a crown on top is can’t miss. The Royals Hall of Fame is well done and some welcome relief from the heat. The kids’ area in left field has more entertainment options.
  • Final Score: 29/40.
  • Final Thoughts: A good place to visit, but do it soon as there is talk of moving to a downtown stadium. Ownership wants an entertainment district like in several other newer parks.

Check back on Wednesday for Part 2.

Previous Installments of the Great Ballpark Chase by Tim Russell

The Great Ballpark Chase: A Moment of Silence

timothynrussell1 Comment
One World Trade Center
One World Trade Center in New York City.

It’s been said that every generation has an event or series of events that you’re immediately able to recall where you were when it occurred.

For Baby boomers, it’s the President John F. Kennedy assassination; for Generation X, it’s probably when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after takeoff.

But there is one event that transcends. It requires just three numbers: 9-1-1. The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City that shut down the country and killed 2,997.

During my recent baseball trip with Coast 2 Coast Sports Tours this summer, I had a chance to visit the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in Manhattan.

I wasn’t sure I wanted to visit the Memorial and relive that horrible tragedy. But I am glad I decided to go into the museum. It’s quite well done and respectful of everything.

On that fateful day, I do remember where I was. It might be a little easier than most. We had just taken my dad to the hospital the evening of Sept. 10. After successful angioplasty surgery, we left for home to get some sleep.

The next day, on the way back to the hospital, we stopped for gas. I heard a brief item on the radio, that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. I thought it might have been a private jet or something like that.

I didn’t think much of it during the short ride to the hospital. But when we got there, you could tell something was up. There was increased security and you had to show ID to access patient rooms.

It wasn’t until we got up to my dad’s room in the cardiac care unit that we started to piece things together. My dad was sitting in a chair, watching the TV.  Honestly, it almost felt like it was a movie.

Since his room wasn’t far from the nurses’ station it was not uncommon that day for both doctors and nurses to pop in to see what was happening.

The most noticeable thing you see as you approach the Memorial site are the reflecting pools. Each are about an acre in size and are the largest man-made waterfalls in North America. Surrounding the pools are granite boundaries listing each victim’s name from all three attack sites. The pools are built in the footprint of the North and South towers.

Reflecting Pool
A reflecting pool at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum.

The Memorial includes material evidence, first-person testimony, and historical records, along with the ongoing repercussions of the attacks. There are more than 10,000 artifacts in the collection, but only about 10 percent are on display at any given time.

Obviously, it is still considered a place of reverence, so it is quite subdued and solemn.

As you enter the Memorial and start to descend below ground, the first thing you see are two tridents, from the facade of the North Tower. Both are about 80-feet tall and weigh about 50 tons. They are known as tridents, because of the three-prong tops.

A pair of North Tower tridents greet vistitors as they descend into the Memorial.

Some of the other highlights inside the museum include the survivor stairs. It was originally an outdoor flight of stairs and two escalators, which connected Vesey Street to the WTC’s Austin J. Tobin Plaza. During the attacks, the stairs served as an escape route for evacuees from 5 World Trade Center, a nine-floor building next to the Twin Towers.

After the collapse of the towers, it included 37 steps, a fragment of the terrazzo paving from the Tobin Plaza, space for the escalators and reverence an entrance to the Cortlandt Street station for the No. 1 subway line. Steps sixteen and seventeen were basically demolished by debris as well as the chrome railings.

Some of the artifacts and sights at the National September 11Memorial and Museum include, clockwise from upper left, a fire engine that was damaged when the towers collapsed, first responders tagged this piling, steel girders from Floors 93-96, the survivor stairs, and a quote by Virgil greets guests upon entering.

There are also memorial sites at the other two September 11, 2001, attack sites. The Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville, PA, site commemorates the thwarted hijacking of Flight 93, which was believed to be targeted for the U.S. Capitol building. Forty passengers fought the hijackers and forced the plane to crash land in an open field in the Pennsylvania countryside.

I have visited this memorial, but before the visitors’ center was completed. It is as moving as the New York memorial, although quite smaller in scope. It is still a great place to pay your respects and reflect on the events.

The other memorial I have not visited. That is at the Pentagon Building in Arlington, VA, The 9/11 Pentagon Memorial captures the moment (9:37 a.m.) when Flight 77 was flown into the building. Each of the 184 passengers have a memorial unit. Each unit is a cantilevered bench, a lighted pool of flowing water, and has the passengers name inscribed.

There are several other memorials to the attacks around the country. My alma mater, Eastern Michigan University, has a beam and memorial on campus. Michigan Memorial Cemetery in Flat Rock, MI, has a section devoted to the attacks. There is also a memorial at the Michigan Capitol Building in Lansing.

Officials decided it was important to rebuild the World Trade Center landmark. While it was being built, it was called Freedom Tower, but has now become officially known as One World Trade Center.

The tower had a planned height of 1,776 feet, which is significant in U.S. History. The Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776. By comparison, the original North Tower was 1,368 feet tall while the South Tower was 1,362 feet tall.

So even with the rebuilding, where does that leave us now?

It’s been two decades now since the attacks. To think that there are some adults out there that weren’t born when the attacks occurred is pretty wild.

And while it evokes a sense of patriotism throughout the country, it also sparked questions of civil liberties. Some of those continue today.

Without getting too political, those questions have created a division that has yet to be solved, by either party.

In a way, the fires of 9-11 continue to burn.

Previous Installments of the Great Ballpark Chase by Tim Russell

The Great Ballpark Chase: Birds of a Feather

timothynrussell4 Comments

The main entrance and scoreboard at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

For some baseball chasers, you just can’t get enough travel.

That seems to be the case with Dave, who I first met on last year’s tour with Diamond Baseball Tours. This year, he was on the Hall of Fame Tour with Coast 2 Coast Sports Tours. It was one of four tours he went on this year.

In fact, Dave, who is a retired Cleveland Guardian fan, was taking another tour as the Coast 2 Coast one ended. He was doing the West Coast Swing with Diamond, but Dave doesn’t like to fly. So, about a week after returning home from the Hall of Fame tour, he hopped on a train cross country, ending up in Las Vegas, where the Diamond tour started.

He’s also made several trips to Comerica Park, PNC Park, and Target Field throughout the year.

While some chasers will just go to each stadium once, others will revisit sometimes two or three times.

That’s how it was with me and Oriole Park at Camden Yards (that’s the official name, but most people just call it Camden Yards or OPACY). The final game of the Hall of Fame tour was my second visit to Camden and I wouldn’t hesitate to go back again. It is one of my favorite parks.

It helps that the Orioles are fielding a very good team now, but it’s also just a great atmosphere to watch a game. And a great view with the old B&O Warehouse overlooking the field. It also holds a special place in my heart, because it was one of the parks I got to see with my brother. If you remember, he passed away unexpectedly six years ago.

The Baltimore & Ohio Warehouse looms beyond the outfield wall at Camden Yards.

On to the stadium, which was opened in April 6, 1992.

The most striking feature is that warehouse, which is located on Eutaw Street and runs directly through the ballpark. Obviously, it is closed to vehicles now. During game days, the street is closed to the public, but on non-game days, you can stroll from one side to the other, but there is no access to the stadium.

The floors of the warehouse contain offices, service spaces, and a private club.

Many home runs land on Eutaw Street; 122 and counting, to be exact. And each one is given a special circular plaque, with the players name and date. Lasers and cameras are used to pinpoint exact placement. Former Detroit Tiger catcher Mickey Tettleton was the first one to hit the street on April 20, 1992.

No one has hit the warehouse on the fly during an actual game yet. Seattle’s Ken Griffey Jr. did it once during batting practice of 1993 Home Run Derby during the All-Star Game festivities. There is a plaque on the wall, marking the moment.

The Ken Griffey Jr. plaque commemorates his hitting the Warehouse on the fly.

Eutaw Street is the place to be in Camden Yards. The Orioles team store is located inside the warehouse on the ground floor. Boog’s Barbecue outdoor stand is out in center field. Boog Powell was an Orioles’ first baseman from 1961 to 1974. You can also see the Orioles Hall of Fame.

Inside the stadium, you will find Legends Park, with six statues of former Oriole greats. They included Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson, outfielder Frank Robinson, pitcher Jim Palmer, first baseman Eddie Murray, shortstop Cal Ripken Jr., and manager Earl Weaver in a picnic grove in left field.

Statues of Baltimore Orioles’ Hall of Famers, clockwise from upper left, Brooks Robinson, Cal Ripken Jr., Earl Weaver, Eddie Murray, Jim Palmer, and Frank Robinson.

There is also a statue dedicated to Babe Ruth, called Babe’s Dream, located just outside the park on Eutaw Street. Ruth was born in Baltimore, raised in an orphanage there and played for the Orioles, who were a minor league team at the time. His birthplace is within walking distance of Camden Yards and can be visited as the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum. It’s about a block or two from the left field stands. Ruth’s parents’ home was located about where second base is.

Back inside the stadium, there are two orange seats, marking the home runs by Ripken Jr. and Murray. The one in right center field marks Murray’s 500th home run. The one in left field marks Ripken’s 278th home run, which broke Chicago Cubs’ Ernie Banks record for home runs by a shortstop.

When Camden was built in 1992, it inspired the retro-classic trend for new construction, instead of the cookie cutter, multi-purpose stadiums that had been popular.

Some of the retro-classic parks include Denver’s Coors Field (1995), San Francisco’s Oracle Park (2000), Detroit’s Comerica Park (2000), Pittsburgh’s PNC Park (2001), Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park (2004), St. Louis’ Busch Stadium III (2006), New York Mets’ Citi Field (2009), and Yankee Stadium (2009).

Renovations made in 2022 raised the left field wall from seven feet to about 13 feet. It was also moved back 26 ½ feet, which eliminated the first 10 rows of outfield bleacher seats. That first major renovation lowered the capacity to 44,970.

The area where the fences were moved back in leftfield following the 2022 renovations.

Current dimensions are as follows: left field line (333 feet), straight away left (384 feet), left-center field (398 feet), deep left center (410 feet), center field (400 feet), right-center (373 feet), and right field line (318 feet).

Food options are plentiful in Camden. Baltimore is known for its crab and crab cakes, so of course that is prevalent in the menu. Some of the highlights include the Yard Dog, which is three hot dogs stacked in a footlong bun, topped with creamy crab dip, and Old Bay-seasoned potato sticks. The crab pretzel boule is a soft-baked pretzel boule, dipped in garlic butter and stuffed with Maryland-style crab dip, cheddar cheese, and Old Bay seasoning.

One of the more popular concession stands is Jimmy’s Famous Seafood. There are several locations throughout the city, but the Camden Yards location features crab cake egg rolls, crab cake sandwich, and crabby fries.

  • GAME RESULT: Seattle scored early and often off Baltimore starter Kyle Gibson, who gave up five runs on seven hits in just three innings. The Mariners got home runs from Tom Murphy and Teoscar Hernandez. Seattle tacked on seven runs in the eighth inning to slam the door shut and win, 13-1. Mariner pitcher Logan Gilbert threw seven strong innings, allowing just one run on two hits with five strikeouts. Anthony Santander had the lone run for the Orioles with a home run in the seventh. The game started with an hour and 40-minute rain delay, which I suppose is fitting since the tour started with a rain out in Boston. There was also rain in Washington, D.C., but it did not delay the game.

Previous Installments of the Great Ballpark Chase by Tim Russell

The Great Ballpark Chase: Yankee Dandy

timothynrussell3 Comments

Perhaps one of the most-photographed ballparks in all the land, New York’s Yankee Stadium. From upper left, centerfield message board, the Great Hall, looking out from behind homeplate, looking in from centerfield, and the exterior upon approach.

Most people take a baseball trip to experience the ballparks, make memories, and enjoy some travel.

It’s just an added bonus when the schedules align and you can see your favorite team as well.

The schedules did just that for some Seattle fans on the “Hall of Fame Baseball Tour” with Coast 2 Coast Sports Tours in June. It took until almost the end of the tour, but they would get to see the Mariners in back-to-back games.

And it was worth the wait for them. They would see Seattle in Yankee Stadium and then follow them to Baltimore’s Camden Yards the following night.

Teri and Jeff, a husband and wife team married for 33 years, recently retired and decided to start travelling. Teri still works part-time for the Mariners, manning a security station in the ballpark.

The couple live on many acres of land on the outskirts of Seattle. They recently had a celebration of life for their John Deere tractor, which needed replacing.

Eric and Thomas, a father-son combination, also came to the tour from the Vancouver area. They had a whirlwind beginning to the tour, not arriving into Boston until 11 p.m.

But all four enjoyed the Mariners’ scoring 23 runs in two games. Seattle beat the Yankees, 10-2 and the Orioles, 13-1.

Yankee Stadium opened in 2009, as a replacement for the original stadium, which opened in 1923. It was often called, “The House that Ruth Built.”

The new stadium was designed to evoke memories of the old stadium. It has been praised for its amenities, but criticized for high ticket prices. The lower bowl behind home plate is called The Legends Club with prices as high as $510. Seats are often empty in that area, due to the high cost, leading to an embarrassing situation for the Yankees.

Concourses are fairly wide, although in some areas of the park, namely out in center field by Monument Park, it seemed a little tight to move around. One nice touch in the stadium is that every seat is padded with its own drink holder.

The capacity of the stadium is 50,287, which is less than the originals 56,886. Many players have commented it is much easier to play at the new stadium, since it seems much quieter than the original.

The fences measure 318 feet to left field, 399 to left-center, 408 to center field, 385 to right-center and 314 to right field.

Similar to the old stadium, the roof features a replica of the frieze, which was a trademark. A frieze is a broad horizontal band of sculpted or painted decoration. Also, similar to the old stadium, the wall beyond the bleacher seats is cut out to reveal the four subway trains as they pass by.

The flags on top of the roof are also arranged in order of the standings. All 30 teams are represented and the flags are adjusted each day as needed.

The stadium does feature one of the more distinct seating areas, the Judge’s Chambers. It is named after Yankee outfielder Aaron Judge and modeled after a courtroom with faux wood finishes.

The Judge's Chambers' seats
The Judge’s Chambers in right centerfield.

Opened in 2017, it only holds 18 seats in section 105, which is in right-center field, where Judge is stationed on defense. But you can’t buy a seat here.

The Yankees choose the fans for each game. They may give tickets to local community organizations, hospitals, or charities along with area Little Leagues.

Judge is very prominent, both in the lineup and physically. The 6-foot-7, 282-pound player is one of the top players in the league, who wears No. 99. So it’s not surprising that Judge has made his mark in other areas of the stadium, namely the concession stand.

The 99 Burger may be one of the top concession choices in the stadium. It features two four-ounce American Wagyu beef patties, American cheese, dill pickles, caramelized onions, and secret sauce on a brioche bun. You can get lettuce and tomato by request.

But get there quickly, they only sell 99 burgers, at a hefty $19.99 cost. They are only available in section 223, which is closest to Gate 4.

There are two main attractions at the ballpark. Both will have long lines to visit, so be ready to head there as soon as your ticket is scanned.

The first is Monument Park, out in center field. This is a carryover from old Yankee Stadium and highlights 37 former Yankee greats, 22 of whom have had their numbers retired. The main monument in the park is a red granite block, featuring manager Miller Huggins, players Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, and Joe DiMaggio, and owner George Steinbrenner.

Various views of Yankee Stadium’s Monument Park.

It closes 45 minutes before first pitch. Admission is free, but space is limited and lines begin soon after the gates open.

The Yankee Museum is also free and is open until the end of the eighth inning. It is located on the main stadium level, adjacent to section 210.

One of the most prized exhibits is Thurman Munson‘s locker. Munson was a catcher from 1969-1979 until his death. Munson was so beloved by Steinbrenner that his number was immediately retired. His locker was also sealed off and donated to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, but it now resides in the Yankee Museum.

A look inside the Yankee Museum, Thurman Munson’s locker and some of the jerseys and records.

Another feature in the Museum is the Yankee baseball wall. It has 870 autographed baseballs, or about 55 percent of the players, managers, coaches, and broadcasters in the team’s history. At both ends of the wall, there are statues of pitcher Don Larsen and catcher Yogi Berra, exactly 60 feet, six inches apart. Larsen threw the only perfect game in World Series history, Game 5 of the 1956 World Series. The top row of the wall emulates the trajectory of Larsen’s final pitch in that World Series.

Previous Installments of the Great Ballpark Chase by Tim Russell

The Great Ballpark Chase: National Treasure

timothynrussell1 Comment
Nationals Main Gate
The main gate at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.

Well, I finally got to finish what I started.

Back in 2016, during the beginnings of the Great Ballpark Chase, my brother and I spent a week in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. The Detroit Tigers were in the area for a week and we decided to set up shop as well.

We based ourselves in Baltimore, but went into D.C. several times. The only problem was that the MARC commuter train stops running before the Nationals game would end. The only other option was catching the last Amtrak back into Baltimore, which left at 10 p.m.

It was Max Scherzer‘s first season after leaving the Tigers via free agency. As luck would have it, Scherzer was slated to pitch. The only problem was he pitched too well, striking out 20 as the Nats beat the Tigers, 3-2. Unfortunately, to catch that last Amtrak, my brother and I had to leave in the fifth inning, So, I always joked, we saw about 14 of his 20 strikeouts.

So, it was with great pleasure when I saw that we’d be visiting Nationals Park on Coast 2 Coast Sports Tours’ Hall of Fame Tour in June.

But for a while, there was at least the threat of another failed attempt with rain in the air for most of the day. Luckily, it held off for most of the game, although the last inning or so was played in a downpour. Washington ended up with a 3-0 victory over St. Louis.

Nationals Park, which opened in 2008, can feel a bit bland at times, kind of like being in a drugstore. Although that might be fitting, since the teams’ logo does look almost exactly like drugstore Walgreens. It’s so similar people will joke that it’s Team Walgreens playing at the park.

Nats and Walgreens Logos
A discerning eye will be able to tell the difference between the Nationals logo and that of Walgreens.

The stadium dimensions are 337 feet to left field, 377 to left-center, 402 field to center field, 370 to right-center and 335 to right field. The park seats 41,339.

Other features of the stadium include statues of Walter Johnson, who was part of the original Washington Senators team. Frank Howard was a member of the expansion Washington Senators and Josh Gibson was a member of the Washington Grays in the Negro Leagues.

One of the biggest attractions is the Presidents Race, which is run in the middle of the fourth inning. It features likenesses of former presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abe Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt. William Howard Taft, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover have also been a part of the festivities, but have since been “retired” to Florida and the Nationals’ spring training complex in West Palm Beach.

The author’s view of the Presidents’ Race at Nationals Park.

Roosevelt, or Teddy as he is nicknamed, has famously not fared well in the races. In fact, he had a winless streak for almost seven seasons. He finally won his first game after the Nats had qualified for the playoffs for the first time. But in further seasons, Teddy has become the lovable loser.

The Nationals are also one of the few stadiums that offers a bullpen cart to bring relief pitchers into the game. It rarely gets used, though, as pitchers prefer to jog into the game. That doesn’t stop the bullpen car from making a tour around the stadium, though.

Bullpen Cart
Seldom used for its intended purpose, the Nationals’ Bullpen Cart still takes the occasional lap around the park.

Once a staple in the 1970s and 80s, the bullpen cart seems to be making a slight comeback. In addition to Washington, the Arizona Diamondbacks have started using one.

Obviously, being in D.C. lends itself to lots of great sightseeing opportunities.

My personal favorite on the National Mall is the Korean War Veterans Memorial. It’s likely because my dad was a veteran of the Korean War. I never got a chance to take him to see the Memorial, but I’ve seen it twice and did bring it to him through pictures.

I’ve only seen it during the day, although I have heard and read it’s very striking and moving at night. It’s quite well done and you feel the soldier statues are actually moving through a rice paddy.

A few of the memorials to take in while in Washington, D.C. From upper left, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the MLK Monument, and the FDR Memorial.

Another favorite is the National Air and Space Museum. The main museum on the Mall is wonderful, but the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia is just as cool. It features the space shuttle Discovery, a Blackbird SR-71, and a Concorde.

Although, my all-time favorite site is probably one that doesn’t exist anymore, the Newseum. It was located just off the mall and featured artifacts related to journalism and newspapers. I have heard they were trying to reopen in a smaller location elsewhere, but not sure if that ever happened.

A fine place to eat is Ben’s Chili Bowl. The original is located 1213 U Street NW, and is about to celebrate 65 years in business on August 22. A second location is on H Street in D.C. as well as outposts at Ronald Reagan National Airport, the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, and Nationals Park.

Ben’s Chili Bowl is a D.C. institution.

A half smoke is a grilled hot dog, served on a warm, steamed bun with mustard, onions, and their own spicy chili sauce. So, it’s basically a chili dog, but still a staple to try when in D.C.

Previous Installments of the Great Ballpark Chase by Tim Russell