Six years ago I visited each of California’s Major League Baseball Parks in five days. From San Francisco to San Diego, I made a stop at each to determine which was the best.
Since then, I have been back to each park and little changed my opinion about what works – and what fails – at each venue.
The ballparks were rated on a 10-point scale in the following categories: Seating, concessions, parking/traffic, fan friendliness, kid factor and area ambiance. Almost every concourse was walked before and during the games. Nearly every accessible section was viewed. Ushers and concessionaires were polled along the way.
Let’s revisit my tour through the California parks as we hope that one day a wrecking ball hits Oakland – er, Overstock.com – Coliseum.
No. 1: AT&T Park
Part 1: AT&T Park
Final Score: 50 (out of 60)
The Particulars
Where: San Francisco. Home Team: Giants.
Year Opened: 2000. Capacity: 41,503.
HOW IT SCORES
SEATING (9): I’m still looking for a bad seat. Next time, bypass the expensive field-level seats and buy an upper-deck/club-level seat. You’ll still be close to the action but with an added view of the Bay. The consistent sellouts have resumed thanks to the World Series championship and tickets continue to be pricey. Look for the best bargains at StubHub.com;that’s where season ticket-holders sell their extras.
CONCESSIONS (8): Great variety, with everything from Panda Express to Sheboygan Bratwursts. However, no one should leave without spending $6 for the garlic fries. As for souvenirs, the hot ones are the Tim Lincecum hair hat, the Brian Wilson beard and the Pablo Sandoval “Panda” hat. Check out the Build-A-Bear store beyond centerfield for a sure-fire hit.
PARKING/TRAFFIC (6): This is the only bad part of coming to SBC, especially if you live in the Sacramento area. Plan ahead for traffic on the Bay Bridge. Then, worry about the construction that forces you to go through downtown and get on I-280 to reach the park. On-site parking is ample but expensive. The best bet to take light rail or BART to the ballpark.
FAN FRIENDLINESS: (9): Get this – the place has “Express Restrooms” for men … and women? The concourses are wide and easy to maneuver. There are helpful maps against the stadium walls at every section to help you navigate. Plus, there are nearly as many concessions in the upper deck as the rest of the park.
One negative: It’s hard to read out-of-town scores on the angled right-field wall.
KID FACTOR (9): Few ballparks can boast the Fan Lot, which includes the “Little Giants Park” (a mini field, complete with a JumboTRON). The best part of this outfield area is taking a slide down the Coke bottle. There also are many interactive games – including an arcade – that cater to kids of all ages.
THE AREA (9): Only Baltimore’s Camden Yards can rival it for surrounding scenery. To the east is McCovey Cove; to the north are cruise ships and active piers; and to the west is downtown shopping. The area comes alive at night, with bars and restaurants within walking distance. The only downside is the Borders books across the street is closed.
ABOUT THE SCORE: No wonder it’s already called the best of the new ballparks. AT&T is barely the best in the state, if you can reach it by gametime.
ONLINE: www.sfgiants.com.
NO. 2 PETCO PARK
Final score: 49 (out of 60)
The Particulars
Where: San Diego. Home Team: Padres.
Year Opened: 2004. Capacity: 42,445.
HOW IT SCORES
SEATING (8): First, there are some bad seats in the house, but you have to search for them. Nearly every seat is angled toward home plate, but for fans far back in the lower level, it’s tough to see fly balls because of the second deck. There are many cool seats, such as the ones built into the brick third-base light standard or those atop the historic Western Metal Supply Co. building, reminiscent of seats beyond left field at Wrigley Field. There’s also a single row in the right-field corner, Section 329. Unfortunately, the upper deck is too steep, much like Qualcomm Park was for baseball.
CONCESSIONS (7): On first blush, the array of food looks generic, but look closely at the signs to find some treats. For instance, there are Rubio’s fish taco stands in the main concourse and the outfield. And few other ballparks can boast soy-based hot dogs and hamburgers. But the opposite of soy is meat, which can be found at Randy Jones’ BBQ stand in the outfield.
PARKING/TRAFFIC (8): The park is built next to a historic district. It’s not hard to reach, with Interstate 5 about one mile away. And there are numerous multi-leveled parking garages and lots around the park. But why drive when light rail takes you one block from the park for one-third of the price?
FAN FRIENDLINESS: (9): Escalators are at every corner of the park, taking customers to all three concourses. While looking for food, on the lower level, you don’t have to return to your seat because there’s plenty of patio seating on the outside of the concourse.
KID FACTOR (8): This is the only stadium with its own grass seating just like at a spring-training park. Beyond right-center field is “Park at the Park,” where you can bring a blanket to watch the game – albeit 600 feet away – for $5 per person, making it easy to manage the kids when they don’t want to stay seated. And, of course, there’s the beach seating in behind center field.
THE AREA (8): From your seat, you can see downtown – too bad it’s not a pretty downtown. From the concourse, you can see the incredible Coronado Bridge and the convention center – too bad the light-rail yard and towering parking garages obscure the other views. The Gaslamp Quarter, full of nightlife, is just a few blocks north, and it’s getting more vibrant each year.
ABOUT THE SCORE: This stadium rivals AT&T Park and comes up short in only a few ways. It blends area architecture with historic landmarks and, surprisingly, a park in the park.
ONLINE: www.padres.com.
NO. 3 ANGEL STADIUM
Final score: 46 (out of 60)
The Particulars
Where: Anaheim. Home Team: Angels.
Year Opened: 1966 (completely renovated in 1998). Capacity: 45,050.
HOW IT SCORES
SEATING (8): The renovation took away the football seating – remember, the Rams used to play here – and gave almost every section a good view of the field. Two trouble spots are in the right-field corner, where about 50 seats can see only about half the field, and Section 249, the furthest one toward center field (meaning you’d better bring binoculars). The best bargain is the left-field family zone, where you also can watch pitchers warm up in the two-tiered bullpen.
CONCESSIONS (6): Would you believe the hot souvenir is still the Rally Monkey? As for food, there were surprisingly few specialty stands. That’s why Courtyard BBQ, next to the main entrance, is so unique. Try the grilled corn on the cob.
PARKING/TRAFFIC (9): This is where Angel Stadium is among the best. It’s right next to Highway 57 and within two miles of Highway 22. Interstate 5 isn’t far to the west. The park is surrounded on three sides by parking lots, which still had spaces open for a packed weekend game.
FAN FRIENDLINESS: (8): Big-screen scoreboards behind both left and right field mean nobody cranes their necks for a pitch count. The escalators to the upper deck are convenient, and ramps are seemingly around every corner. It seems the friendliest ushers in the state work here, including some who still wipe off your seat in the upper deck.
KID FACTOR (7): The Perfect Game Pavilion, while not offering the cool factor of AT&T, does have a lot for the kids along the outfield walkway. Batting cages, T-ball and a baseline-speed competition will keep youngsters happy. Plus, the Pavilion has a kids food stand and a kids shop.
THE AREA (8): You can see Disneyland from the upper deck. The park is just north of The Block, which is one of California’s trendiest outdoor malls. If you like California Adventure in the morning and Angels in the evening, this could be heaven.
ABOUT THE SCORE: Disney might have sold the rights to the park about 10 years ago, but it feels as clean as Epcot Center. Even the ramps are spotless.
ONLINE: www.angelsbaseball.com.
NO. 4 DODGER STADIUM
Final Score: 40 (out of 60)
Particulars
Where: Los Angeles. Home Team: Dodgers.
Year Opened: 1962 (renovated in 2000 and 2003). Capacity: 56,000.
HOW IT SCORES
SEATING (9): In much the same way it’s hard to fault the seating at Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park, there’s not much wrong with the views here. There really isn’t a bad seat, unless you count the ones way under the decks, which obstruct fly balls. Lower-level seats can be pricey. This is how all ballparks should be configured.
CONCESSIONS (7): The stadium hosts some very different souvenir stands, such as “Art of the Game,” which sells autographed prints for thousands of dollars. While the food variety is average, you can’t go 500 feet in the concourse without getting close to a Dodger Dog, which is a pretty good foot-long pup.
PARKING/TRAFFIC (7): The park is the best in this category and possibly the majors, but it also has a reputation now for having some of the worst experiences in the parking lots. In light of the Giants fan being beaten on Opening Day, security has been heightened. It still seems pretty dangerous walking to your car at night. That said, the stadium can be reached via three different highways and it has 16,000 parking spots on 21 terraced lots.
FAN FRIENDLINESS: (6): Walking in during batting practice, the park has an aura that takes you back a couple decades. There’s not much flashy, but it has a very comfortable feeling. However, be ready for one of oddest seating figurations in baseball. A row on the field level, for instance, is designated by aisles and consists of seats 1-4 in front of seats 5-8, which causes confusion every game. Also, considering it was renovated twice in the past decade, an awful lot of seats could use a paint job – or replacing. Remember, you’re pretty locked into the level in which you enter – ramps are few, and the six different levels are heavily monitored.
KID FACTOR (3): The best the Dodgers can do here is offer free tickets to kids 3 and under if they sit on a parent’s lap? But the park does lead the league in restroom baby-changing tables.
THE AREA (7): The view from the stadium is stunning – looking toward the outfield, you see the hills surrounding Chavez Ravine, and looking backward from the top of the stadium, you can see downtown L.A. But Chavez Ravine isn’t as need as it used to be.
ABOUT THE SCORE: It truly is one of America’s great ballparks. However, it could use some improvements, mostly to become more kid-friendly and a safer pre-game and post-game experience.
ONLINE: www.dodgers.com.
NO. 5 OVERSTOCK.COM COLISEUM
Final score: 33 (out of 60)
The Particulars
Where: Oakland. Home Team: A’s.
Year Opened: 1966 (renovated in 1995-96). Capacity: 45,177.
HOW IT SCORES
SEATING (5): The good news: All of the seats face the field. The bad news: They are far away from the field because the Coliseum is one of the last multipurpose parks. The renovation for football in 1996, when suites and seats were erected in center field for the NFL’s Raiders to create what is known Mount Davis, has blocked the view of the hills.
CONCESSIONS (7): Give the A’s credit. Few other ballparks give booths to small businesses such as Your Black Muslim Bakery Inc. The park also has one of the better varieties of beers, including Blue Moon, Sierra Nevada and Pyramid. And don’t forget a stop at the Saag sausage stand, which features six different types of wieners.
PARKING/TRAFFIC (6): On-site parking is plentiful. The coliseum has two main entrances – both off Interstate 880. Getting into the parking lot can be a hassle with few defined lanes, and getting out is even worse, as thousands of cars vie to squeeze through the main gate. No wonder fans park across the highway in private lots and walk to the stadium. This is one of the few baseball parks where tailgating is an art form. Take a minute to walk around before the game smell the food and see fans playing catch.
FAN FRIENDLINESS: (6): There’s a lot of theories that the A’s aren’t putting any effort into the Coliseum because they want to leave it so badly. They do offer a large number of discount nights and frequent fireworks nights. Little things, such as blaring music in the lower concourse – the same music is at a whisper in the club concourse – and its gray dreariness, hurt the park.
KID FACTOR (7): The Stomper Fun Zone, which has pitching games and batting cages next to coin-operated animal rides and a playground, gives parents somewhere to go when the kids become bored. The A’s also have a pretty good kids ID program. But it’s hard to lift kids’ spirits surrounded by the dreary concrete.
THE AREA (2): The stadium is situated among light industrial complexes and has a run-down feeling. The closest structure that could be called an entertainment complex is the airport, located a few miles away. Night is no time to be in this neighborhood.
ABOUT THE SCORE: Easily the worst stadium in the state, and it rivals Tampa Bay as worst in the majors. While some ushers have defended the Coliseum, there is little doubt that A’s owner Lew Wolff has a good reason to want a new stadium.
ONLINE: www.oaklandathletics.com.
