Ballparks

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