Seaman Stadium

Okotoks Dawgs, Western Canadian Baseball League

No Rating

The crowd files up the stairs about 30 minutes to game time.

Once you're inside, this appears to be a cut above your average summer league park.

The best shot I could get of the seating area. The press box behind home plate reminds me a lot of Orem.

I headed off for the 2 hour drive to Okotoks in August 2019, having finally decided to make a run down here. This is the best attended stadium in the 12 team Western Canadian loop, featuring summer league baseball in front of crowds that are usually in the hundreds(or under a hundred) except for here. This place reliably gets at least 2,500 a game. The town of Okotoks is only around 15 thousand, but being 20 minutes down the road from Canada's 4th largest city, Calgary, there's plenty of potential fans not far away. The team moved out here from Calgary after having to fight with the Vipers team there over home dates, eventually having to skip a season entirely. The joke ended up being on the Vipers though, as private donations, including from the Seaman family, whose name is on the park, financed this place and the fieldhouse immediately next door. It's a solid summer league set up and unlike a lot of teams in this league, they do attract some players from top Div I schools.

Even before I came here in person, I knew this was a nice park. I'd heard about crowds in excess of 5 thousand for holiday weekends, which here, would have meant fire code capacity. But when I got here, it was clear that this park could have for sure hosted a Rookie level team in the Pioneer League, never mind everything else that would have to happen. Our visit was in mid-July of 2019 for a midweek game against Medicine Hat.  There ended up being closer to 3,000 people here, which was steady, but not too busy to get anywhere. The concession items were all the usual staples, but there was nothing unique or distinctive either. The atmosphere was the best part of coming here, it wasn't overly enthusiastic, but people were generally into the game and if they weren't, they weren't into being overly noticeable either. 

I did not give the park a number rating, as I don't for summer league. Minor League contraction means that affiliated baseball is not coming here ever, which is too bad, as the park and the fan base could handle it. But, with the Pioneer League officially off on it's own now and the league's statement making reference to promoting baseball in the Western United States and Canada, it's not impossible that professional players could call this place home soon enough.

Cubs Park

Chicago Cubs (Spring Training)

9/10

A healthy crowd takes in the Cubs/Angels

This place is jaw dropping for many reasons, including the teeming mass of humanity on the outfield berms. Not a patch of grass to be had.

I hate sitting this close, or paying this much, but it was this or not going and it would've been a long flight home without at least one new park.

 This place was the only new park I got in for my 2014 Cactus League trip. The Cubs moved to Cubs Park(now "Sloan Park") for 2014 after deciding that their old digs at HoHoKam Park weren't good enough for their growing fan base in the Cactus and also seeing Salt River Fields elevating Spring Training facilities to a whole new level of amenities....and prices. But at any rate, they didn't move far, less than 4 miles as the crow drives, staying within Mesa, building a 15,000 seat stadium, the largest for Spring Training anywhere. 

Firstly, this place is expensive. Ticket prices are high, food prices are high, parking's around average, but the ingress is a disaster(more on this later). Still, I don't really rate parks based on how affordable or expensive they are, because everyone has a different view of how much things are worth anyway. At any rate, I digress....

Overall, Cubs Park is pretty impressive. It's enormous, easily comparable to a newer AAA stadium, but with major league concessions, which we hardly got into in one day, but not limited to the Turkey Burger or Pulled Pork Hot Dog as options. I watched the first game here on WGN and they had a 5 minute feature during the game on just the food, with the whole telecast coming across like a big commercial to get out to Arizona. The stadium is really well laid out architecture wise, as almost the entire seating bowl, from foul pole to foul pole is under a giant sun shade, which even as the afternoon drags on, doesn't have many gaps. Atmosphere here was largely reflective of a new park, with lots of curious onlookers, snowbirds wanting to see "the new park" and of course, legions of Cubs fans.

The only knock on this place was the fact it was just so crowded, which usually is only so much of a problem, but I anticipated crowds. I also anticipated that at a new park in its first season, things might not run so smooth. So we left the west valley super early, then got off the 202 at 1215 rolled into Mesa and hit a BRICK WALL. It took about an hour to get from the exit, into a parking spot, then from there, back to the ballpark and into our seats, meaning we were in the neighbourhood almost an hour prior to game time and still late.

If the Cubs want to have a "Premium Tier" park to match Salt River, they need to make the experience match up too. I didn't go back in 2014 or 2015, because tickets were simply not possible to get, unless at a substantial markup. Given the choice between 2 and a half hours in the car from the West Valley to Mesa and 20 minutes round trip to Goodyear for the cheapest tickets anywhere, it was not a hard call. For now, my advice is to all but the most loyal Cub fans, go once, enjoy, then stay away and wait a second, until the prices and crowds die down. One of my cardinal rules(no pun intended) of Cactus League games is to avoid the Cubs, as the crowds follow.

But, don't let that take away from this place, which is still pretty impressive. Just don't plan on going too regularly, for your own sake.

Update 2021: The Cubs continue to draw well here. I haven't been to the Cactus league since a short pit stop in 2017, but did not even attempt to come back here, as ticket prices and traffic keep this one down my list. It's been 7 years now, so it should start to work its way up.

Linescore:

2014-03-25

                                123   456   789  R H E

Los Angeles(AL)     100  100  006   8 13 0

Chicago(NL)           020   010  100  4   9 1

Temp: N/A   Time: N/A    Att: 15,276

Great American Ball Park

 Cincinnati Reds (National League)

9/10

I actually quite enjoyed the outside of this place.

The Easter Bunny showed up pre-game. You can see the smokestacks in right center.

Looking back on a mostly empty seating bowl. People apparently had places to be.

I headed here from a hockey game in Nashville the night before. As of time of writing in 2021, this is my most recent, brand new MLB park. It was Easter Sunday on the 1st of April, meaning lots of things were closed, including in Kentucky on the way up and downtown once I was here. The only thing I could find that was open in the downtown was a Walgreen's. I was quite surprised to find that attendance on the first Sunday of the year looked to be pretty limited, as it was just a bit over 10 thousand, which in an MLB park, felt like nothing. The temperature was barely into the 50s, which for this area, could be considered cool, but for the first day of April, was pretty nice by my more northern standards.

I really liked this park. The lack of crowd meant it was pretty easy to go explore and after a pretty bad night for pictures a few nights prior in Atlanta, I more than made up for it here. The exterior is actually glass panels and painted steel. It's pretty staid, but compared to the bricks you see on nearly every other park, it's quite unique. The park is right between downtown Cincinnati and the Ohio River, with the headquarters of the insurance company that the park gets its name from looms large over the first base side. There's an outfield concourse with two smokestacks reminiscent of the steamboats that used to be on the river. 

The food here was not too bad, I ended up going to Skyline Chili for a chili dog. I was eyeballing Big Boy pretty hard, but a co-worker at the time who grew up here for a time said that the chili dog was required, so I did. I'm not a chili guy at all, but I did like it. Lines were not a thing due to a tiny crowd. Atmosphere was flat, but so flat that individual voices in the crowd could be heard throughout the game, which meant that some individual subplots were interesting to follow. It was more of a Triple A experience than anything.

On the whole, this is a somewhat underappreciated park, due to a pretty marginal Reds team. The facility itself, like so many others is a massive improvement over what it replaced. The food was somewhat memorable and the atmosphere for a small-market, cannon fodder organization like the Reds was pretty neat as well. I'd give a point for facility and half each for food and atmosphere, which make this a surprising 9. 

Linescore

2018-04-01

                      123   456   789   RHE

Washington    200  001   201   680

Cincinnati      000   001  022   570

Temp: 50F  Time: 2:47  Att: 10,355

Rogers Centre

Toronto Blue Jays (American League)

6/10

There really isn't a main entrance to the dome, they all kind of look like this.

Roof is closed for a September matchup against the Cubs.

Roof is very much open for this contest in 2007 against the Nationals.

 This is the place I saw my very first Major League game in 1995. We were out visiting family in Ontario, when for my birthday, I got tickets to go down to Toronto to watch the Blue Jays play the Boston Red Sox. The pitching matchup was still one of the best I've seen, Roger Clemens for the Sox and Juan Guzman for Toronto. John Olerud stole home, I got my first glimpse of Shawn Green, who I hadn't heard of at that point and we left early to catch the last train out of town as the Jays won in extras 2-1. I went back in 2007 after a trip to some parks was aborted at the last second and took in 2 games against the Nationals. In 2014, I went back for my 4th game here, against the Cubs.

The Blue Jays are my favourite team and on the old website, I gave this place I think a 7/10 on my old site, but have lowered the rating to a 6. Why? The different system places more emphasis on areas where this place is behind the rest.

The stadium itself is a very staid, concrete dome. The concourse is like most others you'd see in the Majors, but the exterior lacks much character, other than some statues on the one side. The stadium is close to the lakeshore, right in the middle of downtown Toronto, making it easy to access via subway and GO Train(for regional commuters). Sadly, this is a dome. A roof of some kind is all but mandatory in a colder climate like Toronto, but this one completely encloses the stadium when closed, making it, in my opinion, even worse than Tropicana Field when closed, as that roof at least lets some light in. This stadium does hold some sentiment with me as Canada's de facto national baseball stadium, but it's at least in the bottom 3 in terms of visual appeal. When it opened, it was the class of the league, as it was the first retractable roofed stadium to actually work properly. Now, its a little behind the times and I don't imagine it will be long before the calls to replace it begin. Still, 2016 will mark the first year without CFL football at the dome, which will mean natural grass rather than turf, which should improve the look of the park somewhat.

The other big knock on this place are the concessions. It's partially just the exchange rate, but they're expensive. I.e., 5.25 CDN for a bottle of Coke Zero that costs 2.25 at the corner store across the road. My stepbrother, a temporary Torontonian, took me and a friend who came up from London(the one in Canada) to a Vietnamese-style sub place before the game. A good call, as for 13 or 14 bucks we got what would have cost around 20-25 inside. I've seen Coke Zero as much at some NHL venues in Canada, but not in the US, even with the exchange. I still couldn't get over how expensive food was, I hardly even looked after an initial survey and don't remember any prices.

The plus is the atmosphere, which after some lean years, is picking up, especially with the Jays making their first playoff run in a generation. The game we went to, I sat in the 500 level(upper deck) for the first time. View was not too bad. There were a few die hard, some randoms, and a school trip from Brazil of some kind, which tried to bring their sort of cheering into the mix. Fans are somewhat passionate about the Jays, as they have the whole of Canada to tap into, but locals are getting more interested in recent years, as the Jays success is the opposite of most Toronto franchises.

Overall, this is an adequate stadium which should be improved by natural grass, but a lack of visual appeal combined with expensive concessions will keep it in the bottom 5 of all but the most contrarian fan's list. 6/10.

Update 2021: Despite this being my team, I haven't been back here, I prefer to watch them on the road. They did install a dirt infield in 2016, instead of the previous dirt on turf. My experiences elsewhere since my last visit just continue to show how out of date the dome now is. There have been rumblings of a replacement facility, but that's all they've really been. Any replacement will be on the lakeshore within a few kilometres from here, but I can't see that happening until the back end of this decade at least. I added the linescores, it turns out the 1st game I saw here was actually in 1995, a year earlier than I'd thought. No idea when I'll be back to Toronto.

Linescores

1996-06-12

                   123   456   789   10  11 12  R H E

Boston       002   001    000   0    0   0    3 8 0   

Toronto      000   021   000    0   0   1     4 11 0

Temp: 20C  Time: 3:47   Att: 40,171

Note: My First MLB game ever, Aged 12.

2007-06-16

                      123   456   789  R H E

Washington  010   100   010   3 7 1

Toronto         104  200   00x  7 10 0

Temp: 27C  Time: 2:32  Att: 26,342

2007-06-17

                      123   456   789  RHE

Washington    020  110    000  470

Toronto           101  000   000  240

Temp: 26C Time: 2:14  Att: 28,867

2014-09-10

                        123   456   789  R H E

Chicago(NL)   000  000   100  1  5  3  

Toronto            001 003   52X  11 13 1

Temp: 20C  Time: 3:12  Att: 19,411

SunTrust Park

 Atlanta Braves  (National League)

8/10

The actual front doors are not the main point of entry for most fans, this is as good a shot as I got.

Pre-game finishing touches are put on the field, while some of the condo buildings of The Battery are prominent in right field.

It's hard to believe, but this is the 3rd best photo I got here somehow.

I stopped here in the early part of the 2018 season having come down from Baltimore. I'd already been to a Braves home game in 2012, when I'd been to Turner Field not far from downtown Atlanta. This new ballpark, opened in 2017 about 15 miles from there, in suburban Cumberland pretty much right next to the I-75/I-285 interchange. It's a pretty impressive building, in the middle of an entirely new neighbourhood called The Battery which includes a bunch of pre/post game bars and restaurants, as well as a fair number of condo buildings, some of which have a decent view of the field. The park has a wrap around concourse, with lots more open areas in center field. There's the usual museum displays, which for this franchise, given that the Atlanta area is it's third home, are pretty interesting. 

The food was not very remarkable either way according to my 3 year old memory. The fans were interested, and present, but it was early in the season and a bit cool for Georgia, so it was only so rambunctious. I neglected to bring a jacket and with the game headed for extra innings and temperatures approaching the 50 degree mark, it was time to leave. The game, the 2nd of the season-opening series against the Phillies, ended up going 11 innings. Make no mistake, this is a fancy new ballpark with all the amenities you'd expect and the area around the stadium is a lot more active than Turner, but it's all very artificial. I feel like there's something that's lost by the team moving outside of the city centre, but it could just be me. I'm racking my brain here, but I just can't think of another major league team that plays in the suburbs. Probably the closest in terms of where it's located is Oakland, but it's surrounded by parking lots, so not a great comparison. Still, I also remember sitting in a parking lot at the old ballpark for an hour, just waiting to get out, so it's not without merit that the Braves felt the need to move.

I'd give this place an 8/10, as the facility is pretty impressive, regardless of where it is. Food and Atmosphere were not bad, but not notable either. This place is now branded as Truist Park, as a bank merger caused the naming rights to change hands, but I don't bother trying to keep up with corporate sponsors. I'm not too sure when the southeast will see my shadow again, but with this place at a literal crossroads, I'm sure I'll find my way back soon enough.

Linescore

2018-03-30

                       123   456   789  10 11 R H E

Philadelphia    011  011   000   0  1   5 10 0

Atlanta            002  100   010   0  0   4  9  3

Time: 4:16  Temp:62F  Att: 35,123

Isotopes Park

Albuquerque Isotopes (Pacific Coast League)

10/10

The crowds file in for a Saturday Night Fireworks game v. Colorado Springs.

A very nice night was the scene for this PCL matchup. Check out the small hill way out there in Center Field.

The seating bowl has only just begun to fill up, as most people are still coming in, or waiting for food.

I first rolled into Albuquerque in 2015, after a long drive from the Salt Lake City area, having seen a game in Ogden the night before. This place opened in 2003, after the old Albuquerque Sports Stadium was knocked down after the PCL's Albuquerque Dukes moved north to Portland. This park sprung up and the Calgary Cannons moved here to become the Albuquerque Isotopes, as a homage to The Simpsons, when the hometown Springfield Isotopes threaten a move to Albuquerque.

The park is located on an intersection with features the University of New Mexico's Football stadium on one corner and their basketball arena "The Pit" (which features the name of local pizza chain)across the street. You can park in the University's lot for 5 dollars, which is what most people seemed to do. It's built in a southwestern sort of style, with lots of different colours on the exterior. There is a large lower bowl, with a fair number of club seats and a large berm. There is an elevated portion in the very deep center field, with goes to 428 feet. I thought this was a unique design, with the larger than average field owing its existence to the hot, dry climate for baseball here. There is a large upper deck that wouldn't be out of place as the middle level at a major league game, as far as design goes.

The concessions are pretty impressive, with lots of southwestern dishes that I couldn't get anywhere near. Green chiles and beans were in everything I think. I settled on the hot dog cart, as it was slightly less crazy. My neighbours had a donut about the size of a small pizza, which was modelled after the stereotypical Simpsons donut. There seemed to be a good mix of southwestern and baseball favourites and the lines were very long, which given the game not selling out, I took as a sign of quality.

The atmosphere here was incredible as well. A close game saw the Isotopes lose the lead in the later innings, only to come back and get a few hits out of the bottom 3 of their order, with the winner being driven into the left field gap to bring in 2 runs. The crowd went home happy, or those that left when I did, as it was fireworks night. The park has numerous tie ins with The Simpsons, including the aforementioned donut, as well as large decals of characters from the show on doors around the stadium and some life sized statues of them for people to have their picture taken with.

Overall, the facility, concessions and atmosphere here are amazing and I rate it all very highly. The only thing I'm not sure about is when I'll be back, as it's not on the way to anything I plan on doing for awhile, hopefully, it isn't too long.

Update 2021: I still really enjoyed my game here, hard to beleive it was over 5 years ago. Albuquerque was a shoo-in to survive the reduction in minor league teams, as this place is still amazing. They're still affiliated with Colorado. The prospect who hit the game winner? Trevor Story, who went 2 for 5 and would make the Rockies out of Spring Training the following year. The only reason I haven't been here since is that it's not on the way to much else, but with a trip to Texas being my main baseball priority in '21 or '22, Isotopes Park might make it onto the list. 

I will adjust the league on the post and the label, once the minor leagues receive their new names.

Linescore

2015-08-29          

                                          123    456   789  R H E

Colorado Springs(MIL)      010   010    030  5 8 1

Albuquerque(COL)            100   111    002  6 11 2

Temp: 84F  Time: 2:43  Att: 14,299  

Oriole Park at Camden Yards

8/10

Baltimore Orioles (American League)

These guys had a redbrick façade before it was cool.

Rolling out the orange carpet on the first day of the season.

The crowds file in with to watch the O's and Twins.

I headed over to Balitmore first thing in the morning on a Thursday in late March 2018, after catching a hockey game in D.C. the night before. I'd used a few hockey stops to fill in the few empty nights between spring training ending and Opening day. For me this meant seeing a Minnesota team that would miss the playoffs after finishing 2nd in the Central, versus a pretty bad Oriole team that would win 47 games. This was my first game ever in Maryland, so my first game here as well.

The ballpark is in downtown Baltimore, only a little ways off I-95. The neighbourhood has some restaurants and such, but overall, is a bit gritty. But that was just filler until the gates opened. I was very interested to see this place, as it's opening in the early 90's marked a big shift in ballpark design, even from Comiskey, which is a few years older. There's a wraparound concourse, the redbrick exterior and green seats that are common in Populous designed ballparks. Going there in 2018, this seems very pedestrian as according to Wikipedia, it's one of 17 parks in the majors they had a role in designing, not to mention the handful they were in charge of renovating. But in 1992, this place was groundbreaking, as it replaced a somewhat less appealing multi-purpose stadium. The pedestrian only section of Eutaw Street behind right field, forms a concourse during games and is gated off from the park afterwards. A former railway maintenance building behind right field has been converted into offices and is probably this park's most distinctive feature. 

Food was pretty unremarkable, but my 3 year old memory at this point doesn't help. Atmosphere was of course very lively, as Opening Day draws a big, excited crowd, who ended up seeing a tight game that only ended with the first pitch of the bottom of the 11th inning being hit out by Adam Jones. An opening day victory in extras for the home team was a neat moment for sure.

Overall, this park is a legend, if only because it was first, so I'd give the facility a point and a half point for atmosphere. Baltimore is a divisional opponent for my preferred birds, the Blue Jays, so I could easily end up back here someday.

Linescore

2018-03-29

                     123    456   789  10  11  RHE

Minnesota     000    000   002  0    0    280

Baltimore      000    000   200  0    1    350

Temp: 65F  Time: 3:31   Att:  45,469