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bradzilla
Oct 15, 2004

It was being discussed in the N/V thread that it's a good idea to have another general stadium chat thread. If you're a regular to your local stadium, post a guide here. Be as specific as you want, just make sure to mention some details on things such as planning a trip to the ballpark, parking, tailgating, concessions, seat location, etc. Or on the other side of the coin, come here to ask questions and get advice about the same topics listed above! I will list all of the stadiums in MLB below, and as the thread goes on I will link to posts about each particular stadium. Don't be shy about doing a write-up on a stadium that has already been done, as everyone has different experiences and opinions, and it's good to know as much info as you can!

Link to the first Ballpark thread.

Advice on planning a stadium-seeing road trip

AL Central
Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins
Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers
US Cellular Field, home of the Chicago White Sox | 2 | 3
Progressive Field, home of the Cleveland Indians | 2
Kauffman Stadium, home of the Kansas City Royals

AL West
Safeco Field, home of the Seattle Mariners | 2 | 3
The Coliseum, home of the Oakland Athletics | 2 | 3
Angel Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim | 2 | 3
Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros
Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, home of the Texas Rangers | 2

AL East
Yankee Stadium, home of the New York Yankees
Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox
Oriole Park at Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles | 2 | 3 | 4
Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays
Rogers Centre, home of the Toronto Blue Jays

NL Central
Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals | 2
Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs
Great American Ballpark, home of the Cincinnati Reds
Miller Park, home of the Milwaukee Brewers
PNC Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates | 2

NL West
Dodger Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Dodgers | 2
AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants | 2 | 3 | 4
Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies | 2
Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres
Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks | 2

NL East
Citi Field, home of the New York Mets
Turner Field, home of the Atlanta Braves
Nationals Park, home of the Washington Nationals | 2
Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies
Marlins Park, home of the Miami Marlins

Feel free to correct me on any misinformation in this post as well.

bradzilla fucked around with this message at 14:19 on Aug 7, 2013

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bradzilla
Oct 15, 2004

Target Field, downtown Minneapolis, MN, home of the Minnesota Twins



Target Field was opened in 2010 and was modeled after most new stadiums these days, that is Modern-Retro style. In its 4th year, Target Field is still regarded as one of the best stadiums in baseball.

Parking: Being in the heart of downtown Minneapolis, parking is in abundance. Just don’t park in the ramps right next to the stadium unless you’re ok with waiting 20+ minutes just to get out of the ramp when you leave. There’s street and lot parking all around, and like any stadium, the parking is cheaper the farther away from the stadium.

Public Transportation: The easiest way to get to Target Field is by using the lightrail trains. They stop literally in front of the stadium. You can also catch a bus, and many restaurants/pubs around the Twin Cities offer shuttle services.

Tickets and Seating location: Let’s be honest, the Twins are loving awful why would you pay to go see them. Ok fine, Target Field is a beautiful stadium so it is definitely worth a trip. Since the stadium no longer has it’s brand-new shine, tickets are easy to come by. Stubhub is the best bet, you can usually get tickets under face value. As for seat location, I haven’t sat in a bad seat yet. I’ve sat behind the plate in the lower, mezzanine and upper deck levels including being at the very top of the stadium in the upper deck. I’ve sat on the first and third base lines in the lower deck and the outfield in the lower and upper decks. Every seat is good and you’ll be able to see what’s going on anywhere in the stadium. The only caution would be for the seats in left field, if it’s a hot summer day you are going to roast in the sun for 3+ hours. Everywhere else has some modicum of shade however. Are you silly and want to watch April baseball in Minnesota? There’s heaters placed all around the concourse to get a little relief from the weather.

Concessions: Yes, it’s going to be overpriced. Target Field has an excellent assortment of food choices, among the best in MLB. Some signature favorites include Kramarczuk sausage, the Walk-A-Taco, Tony O’s Cuban Sandwich, even the basic Schweigert Hot Dog is delicious. There is a good assortment of locally brewed beer such as Summit, Schell, Grain Belt and Leinenkugel. There’s merchandise stands throughout the stadium, with the best being the Majestic Twins Clubhouse store.

bradzilla fucked around with this message at 19:25 on Apr 22, 2013

kensei
Dec 27, 2007

He has come home, where he belongs. The Ancient Mariner returns to lead his first team to glory, forever and ever. Amen!


Adding to N/V OP. Do you have the link to the old thread?

bradzilla
Oct 15, 2004

kensei posted:

Adding to N/V OP. Do you have the link to the old thread?

I don't have it, and I have no idea how to search the archives without using the dumb archive date search. So if someone could dig that up, that would be swell!

bradzilla fucked around with this message at 21:03 on Apr 18, 2013

Gorman Thomas
Jul 24, 2007
This better be a no ketchup on hotdogs zone.

kensei
Dec 27, 2007

He has come home, where he belongs. The Ancient Mariner returns to lead his first team to glory, forever and ever. Amen!


bradzilla posted:

I don't have it, and I have no idea how to search the archives without using the dumb archive date search. So if someone could dig that up, that would be swell!

I found it just last week!

http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3296105

uublog
Jul 19, 2012

"World Champions. WORLD FUCKING CHAMPIONS." - Chase Utley, October 31, 2008; Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA

THE RED MENACE posted:

This better be a no ketchup on hotdogs zone.

Are you fuckin kidding me, the gently caress do you expect me to put on a hot dog

mikeycp
Nov 24, 2010

I've changed a lot since I started hanging with Sonic, but I can't depend on him forever. I know I can do this by myself! Okay, Eggman! Bring it on!

uublog posted:

Are you fuckin kidding me, the gently caress do you expect me to put on a hot dog

Mustard, relish, and maybe onions.
That's it.

Smoking Crow
Feb 14, 2012

*laughs at u*

mikeycp posted:

Mustard, relish, and maybe onions.
That's it.

gently caress relish. Coleslaw's where it's at.

vvvv What else am I supposed to put on my pretzel? :confused:
Also, I'm sorry, but if you are over twelve years old and put catsup on a hot dog, maybe you should rethink your life choices.

Smoking Crow fucked around with this message at 21:56 on Apr 18, 2013

uublog
Jul 19, 2012

"World Champions. WORLD FUCKING CHAMPIONS." - Chase Utley, October 31, 2008; Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA

mikeycp posted:

Mustard, relish, and maybe onions.
That's it.

Ugh, mustard and relish? gently caress that gross poo poo. If it ain't pure catsup, you better go all out with like a bacon chili cheese dog or something else awful for you. I mean, mustard and relish, just... ugh. Do youse put mustard on your soft pretzel too?

Ice To Meet You
Mar 5, 2007

Nobody eats hot dogs anyway, the Bratwurst is the only acceptable stadium food.

Boxman
Sep 27, 2004

Big fan of :frog:


Here's where to get beer that isn't an AB product in Busch Stadium. You'd think Budweiser would be cheaper since, you know, you can see the factory if you're in the right seats, but the better stuff is pretty cost competitive.

I'll probably leave a full write up of the place to someone who goes to more games than me.

Boxman fucked around with this message at 03:08 on Apr 19, 2013

mikeycp
Nov 24, 2010

I've changed a lot since I started hanging with Sonic, but I can't depend on him forever. I know I can do this by myself! Okay, Eggman! Bring it on!

Smoking Crow posted:

gently caress relish. Coleslaw's where it's at.
Also, I'm sorry, but if you are over twelve years old and put catsup on a hot dog, maybe you should rethink your life choices.

I wish coleslaw was available, as I feel that it would be a worthy replacement for the relish.
Your second point is absolutely true though.

Ketchup belongs nowhere near a hot dog. Burgers, fries, sure.
Mustard is the Proper Primary Condiment for both hot dogs and soft pretzels.

Good Dog
Oct 16, 2008

Who threw this cat at me?
Clapping Larry
Bring your own drat hotdogs/sausage to the game. That way you can grill your onions and peppers and not settle for vastly inferior raw onions. Also sriracha and mustard only.


As for Angels stadium, I haven't found a bad seat yet, although I will say it is very easy to buy lovely tickets and move to better seats after the 3rd inning when most people have found their seats. Good luck if you're going to a premium game such as Yankees, Sawx, Dodgers, Cubs, or Cards though, they jack up ticket prices for these games because they'll draw a big crowd no matter what.

You can park on the north end of Rampart street, and it has free street parking if you're on the Anaheim end of it. You have to get to the stadium fairly early or all the spots will be gone, generally by 5:30pm for a 7:05 start. If you're south of the sign in this picture, you'll get ticketed for parking in the city of Orange. Theres a green line that designates the city limits that isn't in the google maps picture. Its like a 10 minute walk up the street and through the parking lot to get to the main gate. http://goo.gl/maps/RXMXP

Detroit_Dogg
Feb 2, 2008
Aaron Rodgers is gay and lame and oh please cum in me Aaron PLEASE I NEED IT OH STAFFORD YOUR COCK IS NOT WORTHY ONLY THE GAYEST RODGERS PRICK CAN SATISFY MY DESPERATE THROAT
Comerica Park has Coney Dogs (Ooooh Coney_Dogg, good username) and that is far superior to all of your hot whatevers and bratwhats.

zakharov
Nov 30, 2002

:kimchi: Tater Love :kimchi:
Yankee Stadium III
Bronx, NY



Getting There

Do not even think of driving your car unless you are a crazy person and like traffic and $40 parking charges. Three subway lines go there - take one. It's about a 30 minutes ride from midtown.

Getting In

The cheap tickets are regularly sold out from the official site, but you can get into many games for quite cheap these days. I have gone to midweek games for $5 off StubHub. I haven't used the TicketExchange thing that's new this year but I suspect it's similar.

When you get off the train, don't be a fool and get in the first line you see. Keep walking around the stadium until you get to a short line. You can only bring in small bags. Sealed bottles and food are allowed in, a whole bunch of stuff is not for exceedingly stupid reasons. If your bag is too big or you have an evil no good laptop, you'll have to check at for a ludicrous fee at Stan's across the street.

If you didn't bring a water bottle to fill up inside the stadium, buy one for $1 from the dudes with coolers.

Monument Park is cool, but you have to get to the park basically when gates open to have a chance of getting in.

Seating

Unless you are a very wealthy person or know someone who is, you'll probably be sitting on the 300/400 level. Do NOT spend money on Terrace seats. This is the front portion of the upper deck and is not worth the spike in cost over the Grandstand. Rows 8 and higher in the grandstand are under the upper deck overhang for weather protection. I usually aim for sections 417-421, near home plate in the Grandstand, but all the seats are pretty good.

Concessions

Largely awful. The big ticket item is the steak sandwich, which retails for a cool $16. Welcome to New York. The hot dogs are mediocre, the garlic fries are alright. The barbecue sandwich is dry and tasteless. Beers range from $8-12. Really, just bring your own food and you'll be a lot happier.

During The Game

The Yankees wrote their script for in-game entertainment about 20 years ago and basically haven't changed it since then. Expect zany entertainment like "Who's that Baby Bomber," people doing a jigsaw puzzle for some reason, trivia, and the GREAT NEW YORK SUBWAY RACE!!! The grounds crew does the YMCA , and you'll be obliged to stand for God Bless America in the 7th.

Conclusion

Yankee Stadium III is a fine ballpark, not an exceptional one. It's a good place to see a game, and you can get in for much less than advertised. Unfortunately you still have to watch Jayson Nix when you're there but that's another story.

BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006

zakharov posted:

The grounds crew does the YMCA

This owns, for the record.

ElwoodCuse
Jan 11, 2004

we're puttin' the band back together

Chilly McFreeze posted:

Nobody eats hot dogs anyway, the Bratwurst is the only acceptable stadium food.

It was a Jeopardy answer once that Miller Park is the only MLB stadium where "hot dog" is not the #1 selling concession item (it's bratwurst)

punched my v-card at camp
Sep 4, 2008

Broken and smokin' where the infrared deer plunge in the digital snake

Detroit_Dogg posted:

Comerica Park has Coney Dogs (Ooooh Coney_Dogg, good username) and that is far superior to all of your hot whatevers and bratwhats.

Comerica is rad because you can get a Coney Dog and wash it down with Bells Two-Hearted.

Bobby Cox
Nov 3, 2006


College Slice
More on Yankee Stadium - the Nathan's in the field level food court gives a MOUNTAIN of fries for either 6 or 7 bucks (absurd anywhere else but as far as I can tell one of the best values there). I think I tried to order that in the upper levels once and got something much smaller.

It's also accessible on the Metro North now but I think that's more relevant for tri-staters. It's pretty convenient.

The best part of that dumb jigsaw puzzle contest is watching people struggle to open the box every. time.

edit: and thanks for making the thread, looking forward to reading local perspectives.

Bobby Cox fucked around with this message at 04:27 on Apr 19, 2013

riht
Dec 13, 2004

i knew u were trouble when u tossed int
Oriole Park at Camden Yards



Getting there
Honestly, I'm not that sure about parking, but I've heard there are some cheapish garages a few blocks away, and no, contrary to popular belief, you probably won't get shot/stabbed while walking there. I generally take the light rail from where I live a little further uptown and it works well. It's like $3 max for a round trip.

Tickets
Getting into an O's game with a decent seat is neither expensive nor difficult. I think the most expensive seats in the house (behind home plate) are under $75. Personally, I like sitting in the right field bleachers (Eutaw Street Bleachers, sections 90, 92, 94, 96, 98) and all of my friends seem to like that area as well. For $19, you're in the lower level, and in some cases, really close to the field.

This afternoon, I bought 4 tickets for tonight's 7:05 O's/Rays game and got front-row aisle seats in right-center field (section 92) for about $22 a piece after ticket fees. Some of you may be more selective or have different preferences, but finding an affordable ticket is really never an issue outside of maybe Yankees or Red Sox games.

Food
In addition to your usual ballpark staples, Camden Yards also serves many Old Bay and/or crab items. Crab and mac & cheese topped hot dogs, Maryland crab soup, crab cakes, crab dip topped waffle fries, Old Bay sausages, Old Bay sausage in a pretzel roll topped with Old Bay crab dip, Old Bay chips, Old Bay fries.. yeah, you get the idea. This year, they've opened a few more stands with vegetarian (the TAKO-Korean stand) and gluten-free options (gluten-free rolls upon request at some places, gluten-free pizza, etc). Sealed plastic bottles and food area allowed in as well.


A hot dog topped with pulled pork topped with a slab of maple-syrup dipped bacon. Goon paradise.


Other
Give yourself some time to walk around the park if it's your first time here. Walking down Eutaw St. inside the stadium is neat and it really is a beautiful park from all angles.

Benne
Sep 2, 2011

STOP DOING HEROIN
I'm heading to Safeco Field for the first time this season in a couple weeks. Seattle goons, is the new Edgar's restaurant worth checking out?

I would ask about the latest beer prices but I'm paying money to watch the M's in person so I'll be shitfaced anyway :v:

Benne fucked around with this message at 08:46 on Apr 19, 2013

Harlock
Jan 15, 2006

Tap "A" to drink!!!

riht posted:

Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Thanks for this. I'm going to be in Baltimore this weekend and thinking about trying to catch the Sunday matinee.

Troy Queef
Jan 12, 2013




Busch Stadium, home of the 11-Time Champion St Louis Cardinals



Getting there: It's located right smack in the middle of downtown St Louis, so it's not hard to get there by any stretch. Parking is plentiful by the stadium, with prices pretty much stabilizing around the $10-15 range. If you're cheap and/or of age, two casinos (Lumiere Place in Laclede's Landing and the Casino Queen in Illinois) have free parking as well as free shuttles to the game. A ton of bars/restaurants near the park or in Soulard have busses as well, but often times they make you either pay for parking or have a drink/food minimum. As far as public transit goes, Metro trains stop across the street from the third-base gate, and if you live on the Illinois side there's a bus service from the St Clair Square mall in Fairview Heights to the game that's advertised a lot.

Tickets: Even if you buy from the box office, they're cheap and actually plentiful. Barring big rivalry games (Cubs, Royals, more and more the Reds) or days where there's a giveaway item everyone wants (like bobbleheads, replica title rings, or the recent Stan Musial harmonicas) bleacher seats can be had on StubHub for ~$10, especially if you buy closer to the day if you plan on going. Plus, if you sign up to the team newsletter they do "Dynamic Deals of the Week", where they sell tickets for upcoming series at a massive discount, which are usually but not always in an all-inclusive area (and by all-inclusive, we're talking not only food and soda but also beer and, if you're in the Champions Club, mixed drinks). Personally, I like waiting and buying seats in the Redbird Club, which is the 2nd level in the infield. Usually, you can get these online for roughly $20-25, and that gets you a great view plus access to an air-conditioned area, which if you've been in St Louis in the summer can be a godsend. However, if you get a cheaper seat don't be afraid to move down: basically any area that isn't the Redbird Club or the green seats behind the plate is accessible, and nine times out of ten your usher will be an old dude that remembers doing the same thing when he was your age and will let you slide.

Food: Bog-standard ballpark fare, although they're adding quite a bit to it this year. Hot dogs are Hunter and thus only okay, thus the smart people seek out the Hebrew National stands or get a much better bratwurst. If you head to the Soulard neighborhood near the park, though, there's a number of great bar-b-q places, including Bogart's and Capitalist Pig, and over by the A-B brewery there's Gus' Pretzels which is cheap and very, very good (bring your foldin' money if you go there, as they don't take credit/debit cards). Plus, you can bring in food/non-alcoholic drinks in plastic bags or soft coolers. As mentioned upthread, you can get actual good, local beer at the park if you know where to look.

Other: Go early, head to the third-base gate and check out the statue of Stan Musial. Then walk a little bit down the street (towards Lake DeWitt, which they're finally building poo poo on) and see all the other monuments of guys like Gibson, Brock, Rogers Hornsby and Jack Buck. It's kind of an opera-house atmosphere inside the park: most other fans are friendly and know their poo poo about the game, if a little too fond of the sacrifice bunt and short white middle-infielders. As far as entertainment goes, the team has adopted the idea that you're there to watch a baseball game first and foremost, and as such it's mostly the Cap Dance, trivia, the occasional dance contest or Fredbird the mascot launching t-shirts into the crowd in between innings. in all, it's a drat fine park: a bit too overpriced, but perfect for a city that likes its beer cold and its baseball not hosed about with.

seiferguy
Jun 9, 2005

FLAWED
INTUITION



Toilet Rascal

Benne posted:

I'm heading to Safeco Field for the first time this season in a couple weeks. Seattle goons, is the new Edgar's restaurant worth checking out?

I would ask about the latest beer prices but I'm paying money to watch the M's in person so I'll be shitfaced anyway :v:

I've been to Safeco twice this year and have yet to check out Edgar's. It always looks packed from where I'm at though.

If you get to the game early (2 hours prior to start I think?), beers in The Pen are half price. It's also the only place you can get mixed drinks if you're into that kind of thing.

I can do a writeup on Safeco if no one beats me to it, though.

Mr.AARP
Apr 20, 2010

I was born after Kurt Cobain died. Now you feel old.

Good Dog posted:


As for Angels stadium, I haven't found a bad seat yet, although I will say it is very easy to buy lovely tickets and move to better seats after the 3rd inning when most people have found their seats. Good luck if you're going to a premium game such as Yankees, Sawx, Dodgers, Cubs, or Cards though, they jack up ticket prices for these games because they'll draw a big crowd no matter what.


Just watch out for the ushers who are literally about to stroke out at any moment they're so old.

http://www.halosheaven.com/2013/4/10/4210114/ushers-abusing-their-power-at-angel-stadium

Bird in a Blender
Nov 17, 2005

It's amazing what they can do with computers these days.

I'll do Wrigley Field, I'm sure a lot of people can add to this.



Driving There:
Oh, you want to actually get to Wrigley Field? Well don't drive because traffic will suck. Wrigley is about 3 miles east of the Kennedy (I-90/94) Expressway and 1/2 a mile west of Lake Shore Drive. If you're getting off the Kennedy, I advise taking Irving Park. Addison is a parking lot for miles from the Kennedy to the ballpark, Irving Park is at least two lanes each way so that eases things. From LSD, get off at Belmont and sit in a lot of traffic. There is very little official parking. You will likely need to park in a random lot along Addison or Clark St, parking generally runs $40, also make sure it is an "easy-out" lot. Some people will let you park in their home garages, you'll see them standing along the street with cardboard signs. Never done it, but this is probably a good option if you plan to only go to the game and then leave. There is also a remote parking lot at Devry at Belmont and Campbell, with a shuttle to the game. This shuttle doesn't run for that long after the game and you will have to wait in line with the other people after the game. If you can, take public transportation.

Public Transportation: Luckily, the CTA Red Line stops 1 block away from Wrigley. Unluckily, this will be jammed with other Cubs fans and commuters angry that they have to share their already crowded ride home with said Cubs fans. Another alternative is to take the Brown Line, and get off at Belmont, or Southport stops and walk a little further. There are Belmont, Addison and Irving Park buses running east/west. I advise not taking Addison because it will be packed and will also have to deal with the lovely Addison traffic. North/South take Clark, Halsted, or Ashland.

Tickets: Now that the Cubs really suck, you can actually get tickets at the ballpark before the game. There are also a lot of brokers (legal scalpers) outside Wrigley that you can also buy tickets from. Some have actual storefronts or trailers a block away from the park. Inside the stadium, the outfield is almost all bleachers except in right field. Bleacher tickets are general admission, so if you want to sit up front get there when the gates open, two hours before game time. If the Cubs get good again, or if they're playing the White Sox or Cardinals, then make sure to get there at least an hour before game time to make sure you get a seat. If you show up late and the bleachers are packed, you will stand. Also make sure someone stays to save your seats during the game.

Wrigley has notorious columns blocking your view. In the 200 section these generally start in row 6 (it goes further back when you get into the outfield), so try not to get something in row 7 or 8 right along the aisle because you could end up with a column directly in front of you. Upper deck the columns are in the first row of the 500's. Pricing wise, the Cubs are pretty expensive. Cheapest are $20 to sit in the 500's in the outfield, $100+ to sit behind home plate. Bleachers are $45, personally I like the Upper Box tickets for $40, you're guaranteed a good view, without a stupidly high cost. Try not to sit past row 20 in the 200's, the upper deck starts towering over you, cutting off your view of the outfield and scoreboard.

Food: Food isn't great at Wrigley. They have the standby hotdogs, pretzels, etc. In the middle of the upper deck is a pretty good food area, with dogs, pizza, sausages and better beer. The field level seats have various concession stands ringing the stadium, so take your pick. Lots of vendors will come around, beer vendors will sell Bud and Old Style (get Old Style). "Better" beers can be had at some select stands around the stadium. I don't find it to be worth it to make the trip. Not sure what beer prices are this year, last year I think it was $7 or $7.50 for a 16 oz Old Style.

Other: Seeing the Cubs, especially right now, is more about the before and after the game. Wrigleyville is stocked with bars and restaurants immediately outside the stadium. I prefer Goose Island along Clark St. for food and beer. It's a brewpub that will have beers only available there. Fan favorites are Cubby Bear, Bernies, and Murphy's Bleachers. If you don't particularly care about your beer or food, then just pick a place and go, although I think Slugger's is particularly lovely. Other than that, enjoy seeing a game in one of the few old-time ballparks.

Bird in a Blender fucked around with this message at 04:06 on Apr 20, 2013

R.D. Mangles
Jan 10, 2004


People here poo poo on Wrigley because it's a gross old dump, but it's also one of my favorite places on the face of the earth and an amazing place to watch a whole lot of terrible baseball.

Don't waste your money on any food in the ballpark unless you're buying an overpriced kosher chicago dog.

Bird in a Blender
Nov 17, 2005

It's amazing what they can do with computers these days.

Yeah, I try to do my eating before the game. If you are running short on time, I suggest Bacci's Pizza because you can get a giant slice of pizza, and a pop for like $6. Plus, you can be in and out of there in about 10 minutes, if you eat quickly, so it works if you're in a hurry. The pizza isn't great, but it's acceptable, cheap, and quick.

I try to hit a few new parks every year, and I'm down to 9 teams I haven't seen at home. Trying to get to a Mets game later this year, so someone post about Citi Field please. I just went to Petco last weekend, I thought it was a good stadium, and had some unique features to it. Got a fish taco, it was alright, the veggie dog was actually good for ballpark standards.

SirPhoebos
Dec 10, 2007

WELL THAT JUST HAPPENED!

I was at a Cubs game last week and have my own place to recommend for before/after game: Baby Ray's BBQ. They have a great selection of beer and a big rib-smoker. Their baby back ribs are as good as any I have had in Chicago.

GoatSeeGuy
Dec 26, 2003

What if Jerome Walton made me a champion?


R.D. Mangles posted:

People here poo poo on Wrigley because it's a gross old dump, but it's also one of my favorite places on the face of the earth and an amazing place to watch a whole lot of terrible baseball.

Don't waste your money on any food in the ballpark unless you're buying an overpriced kosher chicago dog.

The foot longs from the red carts (Upper Deck walkways, and there's one behind home plate) with the grilled onions are the best at Wrigley.

AsInHowe
Jan 11, 2007

red winged angel
I'll write up Comerica Park tomorrow. I've been there enough times to do it justice.

Deathlove
Feb 20, 2003

Pillbug
And Super-Pretzel. Super-Pretzel is always the best at Wrigley. Because Super-Pretzel.

Every year I say I'm done with Wrigley and most years I mean it but man it's been a while I need to get back.

Scrotos
Sep 8, 2003


:gonk:

R.D. Mangles posted:

People here poo poo on Wrigley because it's a gross old dump, but it's also one of my favorite places on the face of the earth and an amazing place to watch a whole lot of terrible baseball.

Don't waste your money on any food in the ballpark unless you're buying an overpriced kosher chicago dog.

Wrigley is a god drat dump. There are some nice seats, with nice viewing angles but it is still a dump. Go to a game at PNC or Miller Park and then tell me that Wrigley is a good place to watch a game.

unsanitary
Dec 14, 2007

don't sweat the technique
Wrigley is a dump, but it's no U.S. Cellular Field.

R.D. Mangles
Jan 10, 2004


Scrotos posted:

Wrigley is a god drat dump. There are some nice seats, with nice viewing angles but it is still a dump. Go to a game at PNC or Miller Park and then tell me that Wrigley is a good place to watch a game.

I'm not disputing that Wrigley's a dump but it's my dump and I love it and also I'm dumb and sentimental about old-timiness. Wrigley's also the best park because you might get to take a piece of it home with you as a souvenir when it falls on your head.

seiferguy
Jun 9, 2005

FLAWED
INTUITION



Toilet Rascal
Hopefully Wrigley won't be a giant dump after they pour $500 million in renovations into it.

Bird in a Blender
Nov 17, 2005

It's amazing what they can do with computers these days.

Most of those renovations are happening around Wrigley, not to the actual park itself. So it will be a dump, surrounded by a new glitzy hotel and parking garage!

JediGandalf
Sep 3, 2004

I have just the top prospect YOU are looking for. Whaddya say, boss? What will it take for ME to get YOU to give up your outfielders?
Petco Park! Home of what will probably be the 70-92 (if that) San Diego Padres!



Stadium: Petco Park has been regarded as one of the more pleasant ballparks in MLB. Note, this is not a recent depiction of the stadium. There are some changes such as a new out-of-town scoreboard and fence modification. The concourses are very nice and offer nice views of the field from standing room. Stadium barely cracks 50% of capacity in attendance unless we are playing Giants/Dodgers and then it becomes pretty much a road game in terms of the fans present. If the stadium isn't packed, fans are able to basically go any level in the stadium. If the stadium is pretty full, the Toyota Terrace section is only available for those who have tickets in there. This is also the same level as the press box and suites. Odd numbered sections are 1B side and even numbered are 3B side. The visitor bullpen used to be on the 1B side but the Padres moved that next to the Padres bullpen. The Western Metal Supply building is a registered San Diego historical landmark and serves as a part of stadium itself. The team store is located on the ground floor and there is a bar on the top floor. The bar called the Hall of Fame Bar has outdoor seating that has two groups. First group can stay there until the 3rd inning, the second from 4th to the end of the game. The Park in the Park is basically what it is, a park! More so this park is actually open to the public during the day when the Padres are on the road (or offseason)! Where the bleachers are, there is a sand pit for the little ones to frolic and be merry. Also, later on in the season, there will be a sand sculpture.

Location: Petco Park is situated in the downtown area of San Diego in an area known as East Village. Minor trivia, this area was absolutely ghetto before the stadium was built. No one went here. This is where it is now.

Tickets: Because the baseball team has been perpetually bad, the tickets are pretty cheap. However, the Padres thought it was wise to implement dynamic pricing. None of the fans like it. Anyway, nosebleeds will run you about $15 where as where I sit for 41 games which is 9 rows up from the 1st base is $49.25 (section 115, field plaza). Most expensive which is the 100-109 sections which are ~$70-80. The general admission tickets (what we call Park Passes) are usually $10-12. Again, the price changes depending on the team visiting. When the Yankees come to San Diego in August, expect some pricey tickets.

Driving There: Don't bother. Parking downtown sucks and it is an average $15 to park in lots. After 6 PM street parking is free until 8 AM the next morning. So if you get plastered in the gaslamp, wake your rear end up otherwise it's a $52.50 parking ticket. If you MUST drive downtown, I found the parking structure on 6th and Market to be not bad and on the cheaper side. The 163 freeway leads right into 10th Ave which takes you straight to the East Village Gate. Generally the farther you are away from the stadium the cheaper and better chance of finding street parking. Also, San Diego makes use of the wonderful system known as Car 2 Go. They're basically electric-powered Smart fourtwos which you can rent on demand. The city has designated parking spots just for these cars. I make use of it extensively. If you are going to a game with someone who has a membership, parking will be a lot easier.

Public Transportation: What we laughably call a public transportation system, does have decent means to get you to the stadium. If you are coming from anywhere in the north on the Metrolink or Amtrak, or just anywhere in North County, you can get a ticket on the Coaster which runs all the way down to Santa Fe station. NCTD has promos for a round trip for as high as $12. The closer you are to your destination, the cheaper. Once you are in the city proper, the Trolley green line will take you to the Gaslamp Station which is steps away from Petco Park. A common practice for people to do to avoid the a) hassle and b) the exorbitant parking costs downtown is to park at Old Town Transit Station and then take the green line down.

Food: More and more local restaurants are appearing at Petco Park. A local chain called Wings-N-Things is one of my favorite places to eat is now in Petco Park. Phil's BBQ, another local chain highly praised by San Diegans is located at the Park in the Park. Pricing obviously has the "ballpark" markup but you can get a decent meal from Wings-N-Things for $9. Their breadsticks are AWESOME. The Pier is located on the Toyota Terrace level right next to the Western Metal Supply building. It has a pretty decent view of the field but it's a bit far away. This used to be a sushi place but they have changed it to serve Mexican. However, if you want cheaper Mexican that's much, much better, Lolita's By the Park on 10th and Park Blvd is drat good AND you can bring the food in.

Beer: San Diego is very well know for its craft beer community and the Padres have made great strides in embracing this community. Local brewery Ballast Point has a "beer garden" located next to the Western Metal Supply building. Beer prices are about what you expect in a stadium. Much more expensive than the places around. But $10.75 for 20 oz of Sculpin IPA, not exactly terrible. A pint of Sculpin usually runs $5-7 at most bars anyway. Karl Strauss is another local brewery found in the stadium. There are obviously your three macrobreweries (Miller, Coors, Budweiser) but for $2-3 more, you can get MUCH better beer.

If any of you goons want to come to Petco Park and watch Everth Cabrera hilariously badly play shortstop some based ball, I am a half season ticket holder and can get discounts on pretty much any location in the stadium minus the bleachers. I never buy online because MLB loves to nickel and dime me to death (seriously, it blows).

e: Adding some more info.

JediGandalf fucked around with this message at 17:07 on Apr 24, 2013

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Good Dog
Oct 16, 2008

Who threw this cat at me?
Clapping Larry
We drove down from Orange County and thus had to park in the garages near the stadium. It took like 3 hours to get out of the drat thing due to only have a single 1 lane ramp for 5 levels to go down. Luckily the gaslamp is loving amazing fun and we just walked around and had dinner while we waited, but there was still a line and wait to get out 3 hours after the game had ended. Petco Park is absolutely gorgeous though.

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