Principal Park

 Iowa Cubs, International League

7/10

The crowd files in through a side gate. The gate behind home plate wasn't being used.

The park is still relatively empty with the Des Moines skyline visible over the third base side.

The field is prepared with the Iowa state capitol visible to the right of the batter's eye.

Bonus Shot: Had to get at least one photo of baseball being played. You can see the capitol lit up in the background.

I trundled into Des Moines, Iowa's largest city and state capital coming off a game the night before in Kansas City. The very hot, humid weather followed me. The Cubs had a Saturday night home game against the St. Paul Saints, who since I'd seen them around 6 years prior, had moved into the affiliated ranks, becoming the Minnesota Twins AAA affiliate.

This park opened in the early 1990s and is yet another Populous design. The Cubs have had the affiliation since before it was built. It's located in the heart of Des Moines, at the intersection of the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers. There is a front and back tier of seats, with an aisle between them, plus the concourse under the seats. It looks something like a bigger version of the several 5,000 seat Populous parks I'd been to before. There are some outfield seats, in metal bleachers in right, or a club in left, plus numerous suites. It was a somewhat smaller crowd for a Saturday night, a little over half full. The atmosphere was very standard for Triple A.

I ended up driving after the game, so did not take a ton of notes. Concession was not remarkable either way. This was likely a very top of the line park when it opened, but now it's pretty average. Still, I'm glad I got this one in. 7/10.

Linescore

2025-06-07

                                   123   456  789  RHE

St. Paul Saints(MIN)  100   031   010  660

Iowa Cubs(CHC)        000  101   010  362 

Time: 2:52  Temp: 89F  Att: 6,508 

Brent Brown Ballpark

Utah Valley Wolverines, Western Athletic Conference

6/10

The main entrance, possibly the only one, is on the third base side.

Between innings versus Grand Junction.

A walk to the center field berm produced a decent shot of the whole seating area.

I got a game in here in September 2015, making it my last of the 8 Pioneer League parks I took in. I had a bit of a rough drive in from Denver, hitting some serious construction, plus a significant jam leaving Denver on I-70. Still, I made it in the 2nd inning I think.

This is a park that does double duty, serving as the home for the Utah Valley University team in the spring and the Owlz in the summer. The park is called Brent Brown Ballpark, but the team, and my ticket stub call it "The Home of the Owlz", for some reason. Oh well. It's well laid out, a little small, but most of all, has the weirdest netting I've seen so far. The net goes all the way up, then has a diagonal net to connect it to the top of the park's roof. This is supposedly to keep foul balls from getting anywhere near spectators, but I witnessed a few exceptions. One went into the net above the first base dugout, then up and around the whole net, but then down the other side. But the scariest was a foul ball straight into the straight-edged roof, which then deflected straight down into a woman's arm. She was given the ball, which had a significant dent in it. 

The concession situation is only a little better, with standard options at a good price, but limited selection and certainly nothing unique. Of note, this park does not sell beer, as I'm pretty sure UVU is a dry campus. The previous home of the Owlz, in nearby Provo as the Provo Angels at Brigham Young University's park also featured no home games on Sundays to my knowledge as well, hence the move to Orem. I am hardly a double-fisting, 7th inning is the beer inning, drunken mess. But sometimes, I will have a beer at a baseball game. Some people will have more. Most teams make a fair chunk of cash, selling beer. But not the Owlz.

The atmosphere is very sedate, most people are baseball second types, with few really into the game. I went on a Tuesday night and only around 1,000 showed up and the park was a bit quiet and listless. There are three teams in the metro area of Salt Lake City and I think the Salt Lake Bees had a home game as well, which could explain things somewhat.

Overall, I would take off a half point each for the park, due to the netting issue and the concession, because of a lack of a selection and no beer. With this place on a prime spot of I-15, I will likely be back soon enough.

Update 2025: I ended up back here a year later, on my way to Anaheim to pick up the Blue Jays on a west coast roadtrip in 2016. It was the only park I could actually get on the way, with the Minor League playoffs nearly over. A sparsely attended game saw the Owlz take home the Pioneer league flag for the final time in Orem. The next year, the park took on the name UCCU Ballpark, after a local credit union. 

Even before minor league contraction entered the conversation, ownership were already looking to move the team to Colorado. That project fell through, but another soon took shape and 2019 was the last year for the team in Orem and in affiliated baseball. The team left for Windsor, CO, taking the name Northern Colorado Owlz.  This place is now "just" another college ballpark, so I doubt I'll be back. Still, the backdrop is one of the best I've seen anywhere. 

Linescores

2015-09-01

                                                   123   456    789  RHE

Grand Junction Rockies(COL)  000  021 050  8 13  3

Orem Owlz(LAA)                      000   002 000  2 4 2

Time: 2:34 Temp: 88F Att: 1,470

2016-09-16 

                                           123   456    789  RHE

Billings Mustangs(CIN)     000  101   000   271

Orem Owlz(LAA)              000   020  10x  351 

Time: 2:13 Temp: 67F Att: 2,016

Note: Orem Wins Pioneer League Championship

Werner Park

Omaha Storm Chasers, International League

8/10

Entrance is from the third base side, so this is about the fanciest one there is.

The field is prepped for a midweek game against Scranton.

Looking in from right center field.

I rolled into the Omaha area after having seen a game in Sioux Falls the night before. This is the latest home of Kansas City's top farm club, after they moved out of Omaha itself after the iconic Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium closed in 2010. The then Omaha Royals were never totally satisfied in a ballpark built for the College World Series, so when a replacement for Rosenblatt was constructed, the Royals set out on their own, eventually building in suburban Sarpy County.

I ended up staying about 15 minutes away and driving in. The ballpark is eventually going to be at the centre of a fair bit of development, but it largely isn't done yet. Parking was not too far away, and only cost 5 dollars, which is a bit of a rarity these days. The ballpark is substantially nicer than I would have expected and compares well to a Major League spring training venue, particularly Camelback Ranch . It features a wrap around concourse with large berms. I enjoyed the park itself and would give it a plus.

The atmosphere was not quite as good however. I caught this place on a Thursday night and it was relatively empty. Without a decent number of Yankee fans cheering for their farmhands, the crowd would have been a lot smaller.  At the time, I noted a lot of sound effects, which I'm not usually a fan of. I would take off a half point.

Food was pretty standard for this level, with BBQ and Pizza as the standout options. I had a pretty decent pizza, payments were with card only. On the whole, a pretty impressive facility gives this an 8/10 overall.

Linescore

2022-08-25

                                                                       123    456  789  R H E

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders(NYY)        220    001  003  8 12 2

Omaha Storm Chasers(KC)                           000    312  100  7 10 0
Time: 3:00 Temp: 87F  Att: 4,315

Turner Field

Atlanta Braves, National League

7/10

Did not get a good shot of the outside here either. Sorry.

Batting Practice prior to game time.

I more or less crashed the gates here, I was ready I guess.

I rolled into "Hotlanta" in June 2012, after seeing an abbreviated day game in Jacksonville the night before and riding out a Tropical Depression in Lake City, FL. The interstate to Atlanta was rumoured to be closing and not wanting to take any chances, I made a dash north. The weather cleared near Valdosta and from then on it was a warm, clear, but humid day. After a trip to the Atlanta Cyclorama, I headed for Turner Field, to watch the Braves battle the Diamondbacks.

The big plus for Turner field, at least to me, is the fact that it was built to be the Olympic Stadium for the 1996 summer games, which took place here. After the games, rather than having just another white elephant in town, the stadium was partially demolished to become the new home of the Braves. The fact that anyone could show any foresight in this situation, as Atlanta already had the Georgia Dome, is kind of remarkable. But, the finished product is markedly average, with nothing too crazy standing out about it.  Egress from the parking lots across the road was disastrous, with a 20-25 thousand person crowd still turning into an hour, just to get out of the lot. People roamed the parking lots on large tricycles with coolers on them, selling water.

The atmosphere here was also nothing remarkable. Fans were mildly interested in the proceedings. On the concession side of things, I had a Chik-fil-a sandwich(or two) from a stand on the concourse, where I think the proprietors just bought them at a location and hauled them down. I don't remember a whole lot else in this regard.

The biggest shock of all regarding this place is that 2016 will be it's last season hosting the Braves. The powers that be had demanded renovations to Turner to keep the Braves around and after making no progress with a city that is already building the Falcons and a new MLS team a stadium. The Braves decided to move to the outskirts of Atlanta, 15 miles northwest of downtown. The new park is technically in suburban Smyrna, but will apparently get an Atlanta address prior to opening. The main complaints were evidently a bit of a dodgy neighbourhood and the park being about 2/3rds of a mile from any subway station. Still, the park only lasting for 19 seasons prior to closing is a bit of a letdown, especially given it's unique history. I honestly had not considered one more visit in the final year, however, if I do my cross country loop trip this summer, maybe it will have to get a stop.

Update 2023: The Braves moved on to SunTrust Park after the 16 season and I've since gone to a game there as well. This place got an extensive renovation and reopened for Football season in 2017 as Center Parc Stadium for Georgia State football. I'm glad it's still seeing use, but it's still mildly disappointing that the Braves left after only 20 years.

Linescore

2012-06-26

                         123   456  789  R H E

Arizona             001   000   000  1 8 0

Atlanta              140   000   21x  8 17 0

Time: 3:01  Temp: 88F  Att: 23,513

Chase Field

Arizona Diamondbacks, National League

9/10

Despite being here a few times, I never got a good shot of the outside.

Looking in, you can see how it looks a bit like a permanent dome.

Looking out, it's a whole different story.

Chase Field is a favourite of mine, for a lot of reasons. Right in the middle of the "Stadium District" in downtown Phoenix, right across the street from what is now the Gila River Arena, it's part of a downtown that has signs of life outside of banker's hours. There's tons of parking, right across the street from the Arena is my favourite. Light rail runs right past the venue and the freeway system for the whole area points right at downtown. I did 6 years of Cactus League baseball in the area as well, so I know it well and have lots of memories here.

This is a retractable roof ballpark with some retro-modern elements, like those dark green seats and wide open concourses with polished concrete. I did two games in here in 2011, Game 162 versus the Dodgers, where I spent most of the night watching the out of town scoreboard to see if I needed to leave for Texas or not, a 2nd Division series game against the Brewers where Paul Goldschmidt cleared the bases with a grand slam off Shaun Marcum, then a spring training game in 2013 against the Reds, and two more that September against the Blue Jays, for a total of 5 times.

For those of you that don't like domes, I have news, Phoenix has to have one. The days I went to see them play the Blue Jays, the mercury sat at 41 degrees Celsius(105 F). 41! In the middle of the summer, it can go even higher, so unless you want a repeat of the Houston Colt 45s playing in oppressive heat all season, this is the way to go. I did see a game with the roof open and it was about as good as can be, especially with the large panels along the exterior wall facing the outfield that will open up as well. I'd give it a half point as it succeeds a little better than other retractable roof parks in resembling an open air park when the roof's open.

The atmosphere here is a little above average, the game versus the Dodgers was a little quiet, as the D-Backs had already locked up the division, but the playoff atmosphere was raucous to say the least. Baseball is probably 3rd most popular around here as the Suns and especially the Cardinals are also on people's radars around Phoenix.  I'd still say the fans here are slightly above average as far as being into the game.

The big plus here is the food, there are Fatburger stands all over the park and as much as I like it, I haven't eaten at one of them yet. The pizza stand features the triple threat pizza, which might be the best pizza outside of Chicago, that I've ever had at a game. Cold stone creamery and I believe some subway rounds out the selection, which is very broad. There isn't really a food item that screams Phoenix, but a good selection of good options more than made up for it.

Overall, if you're looking for a place to cool off in the midst of a brutal Phoenix summer, look no further. A 9/10 from me.

Update 2023: I have not been here in nearly 10 years, but the layout of the park has not changed much at all. There's been nothing I've seen regarding a replacement, even as it is about to enter its 25th MLB season. It's served it's purpose well.

Linescores

2011-09-28

                             123   456  789   R H E

Los Angeles(NL)   101  201 200  7 12 0 

Arizona                 000  000  005 5 7 0

Time: 2:47  Temp: 94F(Roof Closed)  Att: 41,791

2011-10-04

                      123     456     789   RHE

Milwaukee     001   000     000    1  3 1

Arizona          201   050     000    8  11  0

Time: 3:01 Temp: 75F(Roof Closed)  Att: 48,312

Note: Game Three of Division Series

2013-03-29

                      123     456    789   RHE

Cincinnati      000   000      101  251

Arizona         000    010      000  180

Time: 2:33 Temp: 85F  Att: 14,839

2013-09-02

                      123     456    789   RHE

Toronto         020     000     002   450

Arizona        000      000     001  140

Time: 2:19  Temp: 76F(Roof Closed)  Att: 21,014

2013-09-03

                      123     456     789   R H  E

Toronto          140    010     013    10 15 2

Arizona         000    120     100    4  7  2

Time: 3:00  Temp: 77F (Roof Closed)   Att: 19,100

Sioux Falls Stadium

 Sioux Falls Canaries, American Association

8/10

A smaller crowd lingers around the entrance about 45 minutes before first pitch.

A relatively new turf field is in place here.

The relatively unique seating bowl, without many fans sitting in it just yet.

I rolled into Sioux Falls on a Wednesday night, after a night without baseball in the other Dakota. This was the first of 5 games in 5 nights for me. I ended up staying across the street, quite deliberately, so I walked over around 40 minutes before the first pitch. The ballpark is part of a sports complex, including two arenas, another stadium, a convention centre and a hotel.

The stadium is actually 1940s vintage, but was renovated in 2000. The park is a concrete grandstand with seats that has a relatively large, slightly off centre suite building as well. Attendance was announced at just over a thousand, but I think some sort of rodeo or fair was in town(I drove past it on the way in, I'm reading it may have been the State fair) so people drifted towards that. This is a pretty decent, if not unusually laid out ballpark. There is a concourse under the seats and a large aisle that wraps around the seating area, between the upper and lower boxes. There is a relatively large video board in the outfield. 

The food here was relatively standard, but I ended up ordering a borderline healthy chicken wrap from a place in the left field corner and it was one of the best things I ate on this trip. The guy taking orders noticed my Stockton Ports hat(a giveaway item from my first time there) and asked if I'd come from Sioux City. I told him what I was doing and he asked which parks I'd like the best and listed Spokane, Pittsburgh and Albuquerque for sure, as well as a few others. I had to list them again for the guy making the food then the wrap was made to order for me(no avocado), was a good experience.

The atmosphere for the game was a bit flat, but it wasn't for lack of trying, just a lack of people on a Wednesday night with the State fair in town. Overall, good concession would bump this one up to a solid 8/10. I'd consider coming here again, but with a few other options within a few hours, it may be a little while.

Linescore

                                        123    456   789   R H E

Sioux City X-Plorers         111    102   001  7 12 1

Sioux Falls Canaries         000   010   100   2  6  0

Time: 3:13   Temp: 80F   Att: 1,108

Raley Field

Sacramento River Cats, Pacific Coast League

7/10

It does have a decent facade though....

Opening night in 2019 versus Tacoma.

A better camera meant a much clearer shot across the field in 2019.

Firstly, indulge me,this is another ballpark that seemingly everyone likes, BUT me. It will be added to the growing list of candidates for "California Retreads" a journey of redemption starring low rated parks in Fresno, Visalia and Rancho Cucamonga. That could even come to fruition this summer. At any rate...

We rolled into town on a Saturday night after I had spent the day as designated driver for my ladyfriend, who took in some wine tasting in the Napa Valley and apparently, so did everyone else. Fireworks night saw the ballpark at 1,500 over capacity as just under 16,000 took in the Rivercats, then an Oakland affiliate, take on Oklahoma City, who were then with Houston.

This ballpark is considered relatively successful, in the early 2000s, the Vancouver Canadians, the last of three Canadian teams in the PCL, moved south, to bring the league back to a market it has even more history in, Sacramento. Attendance is usually the best in the entire league as Sacramento is such a sports town, having gone to great length to save the NBA Kings a few years ago.

Still, I really didn't like this park for a few reasons. Firstly, the large crowd made parking a bit of a chore, plus lines for everything, including food, were awful. Lines for everything stretched to at least 20 people, which made getting something to eat difficult. The "gentleman" sitting next to me insisted on throwing peanuts with someone in his group, when I asked them to be careful, this was apparently  an invitation to be a knob for the rest of the game. Still, that could have happened anywhere. The team was wearing R2-D2 themed Star Wars jerseys, plus it was fireworks night. This led to the atmosphere having little to nothing to do with the game, which was frustrating.

The only thing that wasn't a minus about this one was the park itself, which seemed quite serviceable and had a relatively decent layout, the concourse was quite wide and it has a nice entrance and decent seats/sightlines.

Still, an issue with food service and a pretty awful atmosphere hurt the score badly. I think I caught it on a bad night and as of right now, I'm headed back next month to take in a pre-season tuneup between the Rivercats and Giants. I can't imagine the score staying so low.

Update 2023: The preseason game against the Giants sold out in no time, but I did make it back here later. Five years after my first visist, in 2019, we were on our spring roadtrip and it just so happened that we'd be in town for opening night. We went over there and after being given other people's tickets in addition to our own, then giving the other tickets back, we headed inside to watch the River Cats, now affiliated with San Francisco, take on the Tacoma Rainiers. This was the first game, of the first year of metal detectors in the high minors, so ingress was a bit slow, but with a crowd literally half the size of my first trip here(which was actually over capacity), there was room to spread out. 

Firstly, the park really presented as the jewel it is. It's a large, modern facility with a decent backdrop of the "Ziggurat" and the Tower Bridge. It was easily a cut above other parks at this level in the past, but now, with a few more newer ones visited, it's right about the standard. The food was not too bad, but somewhat expensive if memory serves. The atmosphere was not bad for the very first day, it was a little annoying, but nothing close to my previous trip here. On the whole, I'd probably give a half point for facility, which would still bump this place up to a 7. I'm glad I got back here to see it again in the end.

For 2020, this place took on a different sponsor and is now known as "Sutter Health Park".

Linescores

2014-08-16                                      123   456   789   R H E

Oklahoma City RedHawks(HOU)    110  000   005  7 11 0

Sacramento River Cats(OAK)          200  000   000   2 3 1 

Time: 2:57 Temp: 89F Att: 15,618

2019-04-04                             123   456   789  10  11   R H E

Tacoma Rainiers(SEA)           000   200   010   0    1     4 10 1

Sacramento River Cats(SF)    000  001   002   0    2     5 13 0

Time: 4:00 Temp: 62F  Att: 8,820