A dream I have always had is to visit all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums. While the sport has been losing interest nationally, and many people are wowed by the glare of high-soaring dunks and
Frogger-like kickoff returns, baseball remains sacred to me. There is nothing like going to a baseball game with your dad, having your dad coach your little league team, playing endless hours of catch together, and smelling the aroma of Icy-Hot on your dad's sore shoulder after he just threw you a hundred balls of batting practice. Nor can anything compare to the sweet smell of freshly cut grass, peanuts, and hot dogs, the taste of an ice cold root beer in the hot sun, or the chills I feel whenever I walk in to a ballpark.
The past ten days of mine were spent on a Carthage College sports journalism trip. Our "homework" (I use quotations because homework can't be fun, can it?) consisted of going to all five MLB ballparks in the state of California, and writing pregame stories and post-game recaps for the games we attended. I was blessed with an incredible opportunity to add five more parks to my list that previously only included Wrigley Field, Miller Park (Milwaukee), and Busch Stadium (St. Louis).
Visiting ballparks is more than just watching baseball to me. It is going in and experiencing something, like how one might experience a concert. It's like going to a restaurant. When you check out a popular restaurant, you try their house special, right? If you aren't from Chicago, and you're having Portillo's for a one-time meal, you're going to get their Italian beef, correct?
It's no different visiting ballparks. Ballparks are entertainment venues, and food is a critical part of that entertainment. So at every stop I made, I did my research on what the ballpark's house special was, in terms of food. The result? Delicious food and exciting baseball in wondrous battle arenas. So sit back, and grab your favorite drink as I take you through my rankings of California's Major League ballparks.
5. O.co Coliseum (Oakland)
It should not be a big surprise that the O.co Coliseum is at the bottom of my rankings to those that follow baseball closely. Shared with the Oakland Raiders, the Coliseum consistently ranks at the bottom in major league facilities, best epitomized by the stadium's consistent sewage problems (I will say no more). When you get off the BART (Bay Area Transit) and walk to the stadium, you will walk across a bridge that looks like that of a prison yard's. The stadium is old and junky. While some older stadiums are beautiful, the Coliseum's concrete walls are not pretty. With all that said, it is still a fun place to go to catch a baseball game. While attendance has not been great, the fans are younger and youthful, full of life. This sets it up for a fun atmosphere, and a crowd that screams its rally cry "Let's go Oakland!" Also, the signature food item here is the pork ribs, served with potato salad; both of which were sublime.
4. Angel Stadium (Anaheim)
I cannot believe that Angel Stadium is the fourth-best of these ballparks! That is a sign of how good these ballparks really are. Angel Stadium is also an older park, however to someone that is foreign to baseball, they might not have any idea. Angel Stadium is a unique experience. I was glad that the Angels fell behind in the game I went to, so that I would get to see the team's iconic "Rally Monkey," with humorous graphics on the megatron in right field. In left-center, there is a magnificent stack of artificial rocks, and when home runs are hit by the home team, a geyser shoots out! This section looks like it could be home to an orangutan or a baboon. Kind of random, but fun and different! Points for having something new. As for food, all over the internet I was reading that the house special is the "Halo Dog," a mouth-watering hot dog topped with bacon and pico de gallo. I dreamed of this hot dog in the week leading up to this stop. After arriving to the ballpark, my friend and I spent a solid half hour searching for the Halo Dog, only to find out that the hot dog of our dreams had been taken off the menu. On our way back to our seats, we spotted a hot dog stand. I saw that there were different hot dogs, one of which included bacon in its recipe while another included pico. I asked to get them put together, but was told they were not allowed to do that. However, after a little bit of smooth-talkin', the woman secretly slipped me a cup full of pico and a cup full of bacon to make a Halo Dog for myself. The verdict? Unbelievable. Do whatever you can to get them to give you pico and bacon and top it yourself while you sit back and enjoy nine innings of excellent baseball in a larger-than-life stadium.
3. Petco Park (San Diego)
Petco Park is unique on this list, in the sense that it is the only ballpark that I got to go to twice. With a free day in San Diego, a couple of my friends and I decided to enjoy an extra day of baseball. Petco was clearly the least populated among the five stadiums, and likely has the cheapest ticket prices. But do not let that indicate anything negative about this beautiful ballpark. As you take the escalators up to the higher levels, you have a breathtaking view of the wonderful city of San Diego- my favorite of the cities to visit. There is a great view of the city's skyline. Also in right-center, there is a big sandbox for children to play in. Petco also has the best food that I ate among the ballparks. If you ever go, order their tacos (I got chicken) and Baked Bear ice cream sandwiches. The ice cream sandwich I had was birthday cake ice cream sandwiched between two delicious M&M cookies. Shyeah, it's good.
2. Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles)
While Dodger Stadium is the most inconvenient ballpark to get to (there is no public transit and traffic is hellacious), once you walk in and find your seat, you will know that it is worth it. Up on a hill, Dodger Stadium has the most unique location of any park I have ever been to. As you sit in your seat and look out in to the outfield, you will see beautiful hills in the background. I like the fact that it isn't in the middle of the city. It reminds me of Cooperstown, the location of the Hall of Fame and the middle-of-nowhere town that loves baseball more than any other. It is a reminder of the simple life and a reflective spot to think about all of the greats that have donned the Dodger uniform long before my time. The house special is a "Nacho Helmet", a helmet filled with meat, jalapenos, cheeses, sour cream, and beans on top of a big stack of tortilla chips, all in a plastic Dodger helmet that can fit your head. Split it between a couple of friends and enjoy a baseball experience unlike any other.
1. AT&T Park (San Francisco)
AT&T had to be the ballpark I was most excited for, and it did not disappoint. The food options are exquisite. One of my buddies cannot eat gluten, which is a struggle for him to find food at times, but AT&T does an excellent job of catering to those people, providing gluten-free options. The food I had was money. I enjoyed a bacon-wrapped hot dog, and the house special: garlic fries- the best garlic fries I have had in my life at that. Looking out from the upperdeck, you will see that AT&T is a masterpiece. It utilizes the bay perfectly, having a harbor just behind centerfield. Fans can sit in kayaks in rightfield and watch the game, hoping for a "splash-hit" that they can claim as a souvenir, not a rarity in the Barry Bonds era. The stadium's architecture is topnotch. While it has a newness to it, with a gigantic artificial coke bottle and baseball glove in leftfield, it also includes old-fashioned bleachers for fans to sit in in the outfield. If you look out in to left, you will see the Bay Bridge. You will see boats coming and going throughout the bay. You will enjoy singing your heart out with the San Francisco natives to "Lights" by Journey, a song that was written and peformed by the legendary classic rock band from San Fran, singing about the city that they love. This ballpark has it all.
So that's my list. Hopefully one day I will have a list of all 30 parks! I'm curious to hear what you guys have to say. Have you been to any of these parks? What did you think? Do you agree with my rankings? Why or why not? Comment below and let me know! Thank you for reading and stay tuned!
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