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

Oakland Coliseum

Oakland Athletics, American League

8/10

The park has probably the plainest exterior in the Majors.

"Mount Davis" dominates center field before a 2015 game against Houston.

A crowd of just under 20,000 takes in a game in 2013 against Tampa Bay, both teams made the playoffs.

I first went to the Oakland Coliseum in 2013, on a two week trip of the western states as my only new Major League ballpark. The A's met the Tampa Bay Rays on a Friday night, two teams both leading their divisions. Attendance was an eyelash over 15,000. The A's won their division and still finished in the bottom 5 in attendance and the Giants were last in theirs and averaged 47 thousand. This is the situation in the Bay Area. We went back later in July 2015 for a mid week game against the Astros.

At any rate, the Coliseum, or the "O.Co Coliseum" after online clearance outlet, overstock.com, is another multipurpose stadium that continues to hang on. Apparently, it used to be not too bad for baseball, with a decent view of the surrounding hills. But the football Raiders, having moved to Los Angeles, agreed to move back, only if a massive stand was built in center field. "Mount Davis" lured the Raiders back to town(they are threatening relocation again, back to Los Angeles), but it really impacted the Coliseum as a baseball venue.

On the whole, the Coliseum is very old and this age shows with narrow concourses and basically no view of the field from the lower concourse. Access isn't too bad, although the rush hour traffic in and around Oakland before most evening games makes it difficult. The BART stops right outside though, so if you're already on either side of the bay, that could be better, I haven't tried it myself.

The concessions here were not too bad the first time and after doing some more exploring my 2nd time here, are some of the best anywhere. Items such as Sweet Potato pie and a gourmet noodle stand, along with some chains like Round Table pizza.  This is a place worth getting to early, to wander around a little.

The thing about the Coliseum, is that the atmosphere is incredible. Even though hardly anyone shows up. The people who go to an A's game genuinely want to go. There are not the people going to be seen like you might see in San Francisco(although the upper deck there is very passionate). My travel companion, had been to 5 MLB parks(thanks to me), when she pointed out that the atmosphere in Oakland was very raw compared to something a little more manufactured at one of the newer retro-modern parks. Case in point, it was dog night for the Houston game and about 150 pooches and their humans were in the stands of Mount Davis, far away from the rest of the crowd. During the national anthem, many of them could be heard howling along.

Stubhub tickets in the 8th row cost 40 dollars a person, plus free VIP parking. For affordability, this place is probably unrivaled. Also, there is a bona-fide supporters group, like something you'd see at a Japanese baseball game, or a Major League Soccer contest. They were very much into the game, and during my first visit here, had their angry hands going for Aussie closer Grant Balfour, who to put it mildly, had a bit of fiery personality.

This park is probably the worst for maintenance issues in the majors however, as raw sewage(i.e. poop) has backed up into the visitor's clubhouse at least once. Still, after some rumours of the Athletics moving for a 4th time, this time just down the highway to San Jose, or maybe Fremont, the A's signed on for 10 more years at the stadium, which will put them up to 2024.

At any rate, what the stadium lacks in amenities, it makes up in affordability, good concessions and a very authentic, baseball-first atmosphere. I give it an extra half point for food and atmosphere, which gives it an 8, which is pretty good for such an old venue.

Update 2019: This venue, at time of writing, is now the RingCentral Coliseum for the 2019 season after going three seasons without a sponsor. This place is as it was, the A's are a decent team of misfits, who draw poorly. The plan as of now is to build a new park in the Oakland area, possibly on the waterfront, possibly on this site, now that the Arena that's adjacent has been vacated by the Warriors. The Raiders are preparing to leave the area for Las Vegas, so the A's will soon be the only big league anything in town. The A's have recently publicly speculated about also going to Las Vegas, but this seems to be a negotiating tactic only for now. I'm rooting for them to make staying in Oakland work for them, but we will find out.

Linescores
2013-08-30
                    123  456  789  RHE
Tampa Bay    010  000  020  381
Oakland         000 030 01x   470
Time: 3:10  Temp: 68F  Att: 15,603

2015-08-06
                 123  456  789 10  RHE
Houston     100  000   030 1   591
Oakland      010 010  002  0  472
Time: 3:37  Temp: 66F  Att: 16,172

Chukchansi Park

Fresno Grizzlies, Pacific Coast League

7/10

The front entrance to the park after the game.

The small crowd didn't do the park justice.

Another small crowd watches Fresno play a getaway game against Reno.

We went to Fresno in the midst of our 2014 loop of the Western States. It was our first 2 week roadie together, which meant less parks overall, but it worth it. This meant we were coming from a baseball-free night in Las Vegas the night before, headed into Fresno to watch the Grizzlies, the San Francisco AAA team at the time, take on the Oklahoma City RedHawks, who were Houston's.

It was a Wednesday night, which saw a sparse crowd, officially in the area of 3,000. Considering they would draw 10,000 for the game on Saturday, the park was very slow, the seating bowl was nearly deserted. The park is located in downtown Fresno, which is a little shady, with not much else even open after the game.

I caught this park on a bad night. Without many people, it just appeared slow, even though this wasn't an average crowd. The food wasn't particularly memorable and the facility itself looked to be maybe a little above average for the PCL. They were advertising the upcoming "Taco Throwdown" where local taco trucks would park in the left field corner, with a winner being crowned before the end of the game. The product on the field was good, with a late inning comeback by Fresno fought off by the RedHawks. I plan to swing back through here as part of a "California Retreads" roadtrip, to give some misinterpreted California ballparks(I'm up to 4) a second chance. Until then, this one's markedly average.


Update 2015: The Grizzlies got caught up in the massive affiliation shuffle in the PCL and are now the AAA stop for the Houston Astros.

Update 2019: Fresno is now the affiliate for the Washington Nationals, starting this season. I made it back in 2016 for a getaway game against Reno. The noon start time meant this crowd was possibly even smaller than the first time. I remember Socrates Brito,  A Diamondback prospect who eventually had a cup of coffee with the Blue Jays having a good day and the box score confirms that my memory is correct. I will have to go out of my way to go here a third time on a night where people might actually be present. Until then, this one is still a 7.



Linescores: 
2014-08-13
                                                          123   456    789   RHE
Oklahoma City RedHawks(HOU)                                     4
 Fresno Grizzlies(SF)                                                     3

The boxscore on MiLB.com no longer loads and I wasn't able to find an alternative. I'll dig more next time.

2016-05-05
                                            123   456    789   RHE
Reno Aces(ARI)                     000   120    000   390
Fresno Grizzlies(HOU)             000    000   101   271
Temp: 63F Time: 2:59 Att: 2,830

Dodger Stadium

Los Angeles Dodgers, National League

9/10

Large photos of Dodger players line the outside of the Stadium in 2009.

The view from the upper deck pre-game vs. Arizona in 2009.

Packed house on a hot summer night versus San Diego in 2013.

I have been to Dodger Stadium twice. I went in 2009 to watch LA play the Diamondbacks and again in 2013 where they played San Diego on a Saturday Night. I found the first visit quite a bit better, but it was mostly not the ballpark's fault. Anyhow...

In '09 I was already in the LA area having been to Anaheim twice and Rancho Cucamonga the night before. I ended up going up Pacific Coast Highway and exploring Malibu, before checking out Will Rogers State Park before driving to the ballpark and arriving pretty early. I didn't know the aggravation I'd saved myself at the time. I was in the upper deck and remember a real cultural mosaic in our section. People from all different backgrounds just sat and watched baseball.The game was close, with a few lead changes, I enjoyed a Dodger Dog and it ended up going 10 innings. Ronnie Belliard(was it Ronnie Belliard?) hit a homer in his first at bat as a Dodger, Manny Ramirez hit a home run and utterly mangled a routine fly ball to left.  ESPN quipped after the game that it "looked like the ball was chasing Manny and he was trying to get away from it."  The game itself went into an extra inning before the Diamondbacks pulled out a win. After the game ended, I was caught up in the legendary Dodger Stadium traffic and funneled onto the Long Beach Freeway. Pre-GPS, I had no idea where to go and ended up in East Los Angeles, doing a U-turn via Olympic Blvd, before heading north and out of town.

In 2013, I came down from the North Bay area, having seen the A's the night before. My scenic detour along the Pacific Coast Highway and Monterey really hosed me and I got into the area 20 minutes before the first pitch. I promptly ended up stuck in traffic trying to exit the 110 Freeway. Then, out of nowhere, I decided to hit the detour button. I ended up getting into Chavez Ravine by driving past the LA Fire Academy and after stop for food and souvenirs, got to my seat in the bottom of the 2nd. It was a Saturday night game against San Diego in the midst of a pennant race, so it was crowded. I ended up with an obstructed view seat at the back of the 1st level, next to a very angry Japanese tourist, clutching his Japanese language guide to the MLB rosters. It was very hot and my Dodger yearbook ended up going for a walk, although I ended up getting a free jersey and a t-shirt for my stepfather, who lived in the LA area for a few years as a kid after his family emigrated from Northern Ireland. When he passed away that winter, the Jersey was buried with him. He and his very English father ended up watching Sandy Koufax pitch at the LA Coliseum......anyway.

On the whole, I really like Dodger Stadium. The only negative in my mind, is the location. Traffic, is horrendous. You need to be here a minimum of 90 minutes before the game starts to actually get parked and to your seat before first pitch. The park is basically built into a big hole. There is nothing around here but parking lots. Public transportation is just not a thing in this part of Los Angeles.

On the plus side. It's Dodger Stadium. It is the mecca that the Dodgers moved to the west coast to build. Sight lines are not bad, concessions are still above average, but the big thing is atmosphere. In the 2nd game, it was intense the people watching were in a borderline frenzy. They would not have looked out of place in the Roman Colosseum.

I gave this park a 10/10 the first go through, but after my experience at game #2, I had to take it down to a 9. Still a fantastic ballpark.

Update 2017: I have not been back here since my two visits, by coincidence, four years apart to the day. Rating it again based on my past memories, I'd give it a plus for both the facility and atmosphere, with the concessions being somewhere between average and a half point, so it stays at 9. Maybe in a few more years, I'll try and head back.

Linescores
2009-08-31
                                123   456  789  10  R H E
Arizona                    020  000    010 2  5  10  1
Los Angeles(NL)     010  002   000  0  3 5  1
Temp: 88F  Time: 3:02  Att: 45,211

2013-08-31
                               123   456  789 R H E
San Diego              000   100  000  1 10 1
Los Angeles(NL)  000    000  11x  2 13 0
Temp: 85F  Time: 2:53  Att: 53,121

Angel Stadium of Anaheim

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, American League

10/10

 The crowds file in for a game with Seattle in April, 2014.

 Just about ready to begin against Oakland in August 2009.

I enjoyed my 3rd game at the Big A probably most of all, thanks to a good atmosphere in the upper deck.

Angel Stadium is now one of my favourites. I have been here a total of five times now, twice against the Athletics in 2009, once on a cool April evening against Seattle in 2014 and twice in September of 2016 against the Blue Jays.

It's located near a trifecta of freeways and about a 10 minute drive from the Disneyland area. It's surrounded by a ton of parking in the immediate area and a little further there are actually some bars and restaurants, over towards the Honda Center, the home of the NHL's Anaheim Ducks.

The park was built in the mid 1960's as a new home for the Angels after they spent their first few years at LA's Wrigley Field and "Chavez Ravine" as Dodger Stadium was called when it hosted them. It was massively renovated when the NFL's Rams moved in and massively renovated again when they moved away. The results are incredible. Compare the before(By watching the remake of Angels in the Outfield maybe?) and the after(by going) and be amazed. From the outside it is very obvious it's an older park and maybe in the upper deck, but on the bottom it appears 30 years younger than it really is. That's my favourite thing about this park, it was turned from a gargantuan NFL-sized stadium into something more reasonable.

The fans here are passionate about supporting their team, instead of the other team in the LA area.

I like the food here quite a bit. There's lots of good options. As of 2014, it included Panda Express and Jack in the Box, as well as a very good pizza chain that replaced California Pizza Kitchen, the name escapes me at the moment....

The atmosphere is great, very baseball-oriented, with just enough quirks to keep things interesting.

The backdrop of the Honda Center and hills makes it a nice place to spend an evening.

In 2009, I went for a night game against Oakland and was so impressed by the crowd at atmosphere that I went back the next afternoon and sat in the sun on a 112 degree afternoon. The guy at the pulled pork sandwich stand (Reggie?) insisted on selling me a medium pop instead of a small saying "You'll thank me later."

Thanks Reggie.

I returned in April 2014, for the final game of a season opening series between the Angels and the Seattle Mariners. It actually did get cold in the upper deck later on and some of the dining options had changed, but it was more or less the same park, which was good. If you haven't gone, try to go and if you have, go back, it's just as good the 2nd time.

Update 2017: I went back here for two more games in September 2016, as the Blue Jays were in town. They lost to the Angels without much of a struggle both games I saw. There was still a good crowd both days, despite the latter being the same afternoon as the first home game for the new Los Angeles Rams.  It reminded me of the game versus Oakland in 2009, where it was very, very hot.

Food service options at the park changed again with "Oggi's" now the pizza of choice and Jack In the Box having taken over the burger stands. I frequented a custom gourmet hot dog stand, which while expensive, was fantastic. There's also a healthier concession deep in the outer concourse of the park, as well as several others in a sort of food court. I made it onto the mezzanine this time around and was not dissapointed. I'd still give this park a 10/10, it's a favourite. I wonder if now that Oakland is without the NFL, they could renovate it in the same vein?


Linescores
2009-08-29
                                123    456   789  RHE
Oakland                    000   000   310  491
Los Angeles(AL)        001  200   000   390
Temp: 89F  Time: 3:01  Att: 43,011

2009-08-30
                             123   456   789    R H E
Oakland                  001   000  000   1 6 0
Los Angeles(AL)     000   040   05x   9 13 1
Temp: 92F  Time: 2:12  Att: 38,018

2014-04-02
                                 123   456  789    R H E
Seattle                      001     014   002  8  13 0
Los Angeles(AL)        000     000    002  2  3  1
Temp: 57F  Time: 2:39   Att: 38,007

2016-09-17
                               123   456  789    R  H E
Toronto                     000   000  010  1 10 3
Los Angeles(AL)       010  012   20x  6  8  0
Temp: 83F  Time: 3:08  Att: 39,195

2016-09-18
                              123   456   789   R H E
Toronto                    000   000   000   0 4  1  
Los Angeles(AL)      010   010   02x   4 10 0
Temp: 84F Time: 3:25  Att: 36,270

The Hangar

Lancaster JetHawks, California League

7/10

The hangar has an F-18 on a post in front of the park.

A somewhat hot Mother's day drew about 1,000 people out to the park.

This place is a virtual carbon copy of at least 3 other parks in the southwest.

I came into Lancaster after making the relatively short trip up from Victorville, where I'd stayed after catching a game in the High Desert the previous evening. It was a pretty warm Mother's Day Sunday, featuring the Lancaster JetHawks, then an affiliate of the Houston Astros, hosting a Visalia team that got off to a solid start in the season and this game. 

This was my last new Cal League park of the 6 I took in in May 2016 and it's probably a tie with Modesto for the most average. There just isn't anything unique about it at all. It's the same design as Mesa, San Bernardino and Peoria, but some of those parks have done a little more with the overall appearance as here, where everything is very beige and grey. Food was ok, but nothing spectacular and the atmosphere never really had a chance to get going, as only about a thousand people were actually here at any point and the Rawhide just blasted Lancaster without mercy, getting revenge for a similar scoreline against them the night before. 

After my visit here, the shuffle of affiliations in the Cal League led to Houston leaving the league altogether, to move their high A team to the Carolinas. Colorado took this affiliate after their old affiliate in Modesto was snapped up by Seattle. At any rate, this is a perfectly acceptable facility for the level it hosts, but there's nothing unique or "must see" about it. A textbook 7.

Linescore

2016-05-08

Temp: 70F Time: 3:09 Att: 1,403 

Visalia Rawhide(ARI) 19, Lancaster JetHawks(HOU) 2

Changing it up for the linescore! Lancaster didn't get a run in the bottom of the ninth.

Adelanto Stadium

High Desert Yardbirds, Pecos League

8/10

The relatively nondescript entrance.

Warmups pre-game v. Rancho Cucamonga. The people next to the mound are dressed as Stormtroopers for Star Wars night.

A look back at the seating bowl about 40 minutes to game time.

I came into the High Desert after driving down from San Jose. This was a bit of a somber visit, as it appeared that rumours that had circulated about this team moving to the Carolinas, along with Bakersfield, were really picking up some momentum. Still, for the moment, it was just another new park in a week of new Cal League parks and I headed in. Parking here was either two or four dollars, can't remember, which was a nice change after paying 15 the previous evening in San Jose. This was a Saturday night fireworks home game against Rancho Cucamonga, which was only so far away on I-15, so maybe a hundred of their supporters made the trip. I arrived well before first pitch on what was also Star Wars night. The park's about 25 years old, but has aged relatively well from the fan's standpoint, save for the fact that the left field corner isn't visible from behind home plate, as the bullpen is pushed almost right onto the foul line by some sort of club section. The Texas Rangers, who were the parent club at the time, were reportedly concerned with the tendency here for desert winds to turn fly balls into home runs somewhat regularly. This game turned into a slugfest as well with the Quakes beating the home side 14-5.

The atmosphere was up to standard, but that was about it. Food was pretty decent, which is why this place gets an 8. I had some sort of burrito named after Mavericks manager and former major leaguer Howard Johnson, which consisted of eggs, hashbrowns and I think peppers. It was pretty unexpected to put it mildly.

But, after my visit here, the rumours picked up and soon became an announcement that the team's 2016 season in the Cal League would be its last. The situation in Adelanto had become untenable, as only a last second court injunction kept the Mavericks in their ballpark, as the local government had been attempting to have them removed, in a dispute over their lease. But after this, the proverbial writing was on the wall and with a second club in Bakersfield having long since exhausted it's options to stay in California, the Mavericks were off to the east coast.

I was in California in September 2016, when I noted that despite their off field turmoil, the Mavericks continued to win, making it all the way to the Cal League finals against a really good Visalia team. I tentatively planned to attend on a Sunday night, after a game in Anaheim, but the Mavericks finished it off on Saturday instead, playing their last game ever as league champions. Apparently, around 10 thousand dollars of damage was done to the stadium after this, according to the mayor, with the team denying it. A toxic end to a clearly toxic relationship.

That should be the end of the story, but it is not. When I went to check while writing this to see what summer league had settled here, I was stunned to find that the Pecos League, always eager to pick up other league's castoffs, had gone into not only both the High Desert and Bakersfield, but two other cities as well. The High Desert Yardbirds will play their first year here in 2017, with the stadium referred to as Adelanto Stadium. The majority of fans won't notice the difference and life will go on. It'll be interesting to see how long the new team lasts before they clash with city council.

Linescore
2016-05-07
                                                           123    456   789     R H E
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes(LAD)         051   000   161    14 17 0
High Desert Mavericks(TEX)                  000   202    001      5  7  2
Temp: 63F  Time: 3:10  Att: 2,233

San Jose Municipal Stadium

San Jose Giants, California League

8/10

The main entrance is not quite behind home plate.

An overcast, moist evening for the opening game of a weekend series v. Lake Elsinore.

The stands empty quickly after a win, with those remaining waiting for fireworks.

I pulled into San Jose after taking a long, meandering route through the Napa Valley from Stockton and fighting a small amount of rush hour traffic, which given my track record in the Bay Area, was not too bad.  Municipal Stadium is located in a more industrial part of town, not far from Spartan Stadium, where the San Jose State football team plays. Parking was in a empty lot down the block with a run down paved jogging track. Because it was fireworks night, this cost 15 dollars, which having paid 5 to park right outside the one in Stockton, seemed insane. This park is another WPA ballpark from the early forties, which hasn't seen a whole ton of work since it opened. There are a ton of outbuildings, especially on the third base side, which are mostly for more food. The facility reminds me of Vancouver, if anything, although there's no roof whatsoever here. It's old and cramped, but still adequate for this level.

The atmosphere here was good. It was a Friday night, which helped out because it was also overcast and moist, and while it never did rain, it started off at a cool 59F and only got worse. The game was a series opener against Lake Elsinore, which saw the Giants plate 4 in the first three innings and the Storm peck away inning by inning, until the Giants used some late offence to win a good game, 6-4.

The food was also neat here. As mentioned earlier, outbuildings housed all kinds of options, including my eventual choice, some wood-fired pizza. Usually this sort of food village is a bit of a mess, but this was well laid out, like with Maryvale. I'd give it a plus.

Overall, a good option with a bit more character than some of it's newer competition in the Cal League. A good 8. I'll be back here in a few years.


Linescore
2016-05-06
                                              123  456   789   R H E
Lake Elsinore Storm(SD)           010  010   110  4 11 1
San Jose Giants(SF)                103  000   02x  6  6  2
Temp: 59F Time: 2:59  Att: 3,084

Stockton Ballpark

Stockton Ports, California League

8/10

Parking was 5 dollars and was right outside the doors.

A relatively small crowd on free hat night waits for the Ports and Giants to start up.

Looking back at the home plate area during warm ups.

I made a much anticipated stop in Stockton after a getaway game earlier in the day in Fresno. Clouds had begun to roll in with some sporadic showers, but the rain held off to a short sprinkle or two until after the game. I arrived well before the first pitch and was rewarded with 5 dollar parking right in front of the entrance, a free hat and the last Caesar salad wrap in the building. The facility is very nice, with a wide concourse and some nice stone work. There is a "party deck" in the outfield, as well as some club sort of seating down the first base line. Food was reasonable, with nothing too memorable, I did find the aforementioned wrap stand hidden down the first base line, but it was almost sold out well before the game started.

It was a mid-week game in May on an overcast, moist day, which meant only so many people showed, but I could see the atmosphere here being good later in the summer. The fans were treated to a defensive contest as a 2 run homer in the 1st was met only by a solo homer in the 7th as the baby Giants eked out a 2-1 victory.

In the end, a nice ballpark, with decent, but not spectacular food options and the potential for a good atmosphere, I'd give it an 8 for the moment. I will totally come back here again given the chance.



Linescore
2016-05-04
                                     123   456    789    RHE
San Jose Giants(SJ)       200   000    000   230
Stockton Ports(OAK)      000   000    100   160
Temp: 64F  Time: 2:43  Att: 1,522

San Manuel Stadium

Inland Empire 66ers, California League

8/10

The exterior is painted an appropriate colour of beige.

I enjoyed my food so much, I didn't do my picture walk until later than usual.

The 66ers in their baby blue home shirts go to bat against Lancaster, lined up the field.

I made the trip down to San Bernardino as part of my Cal League loop in 2016. I had taken in an early start in nearby Rancho Cucamonga, then driven to Yorba Linda and the under renovation Richard Nixon Presidential Library. I arrived well before the first pitch. The park is another early 90's design from Populous, which is why it's laid out almost exactly the same as Lancaster, Peoria and Hohokam Park. The exterior is painted a beige-yellow and comes across as somewhat southwestern. Overall, it's hardly a bad park, but it's hard not to consider it average, especially knowing of it's many cousins in the southwest.

I hit the concession shortly after arrival and opted for the Pulled Pork/Mac and Cheese nachos. At 10 dollars, I expected a slightly smaller than acceptable serving, but no. I ended up with a veritable boat of food, feeling very satisfied that I had gotten what I paid for. Needless to say, concessions here were solid, with the nachos factoring into my top 10 ballpark food items.

Atmosphere here was sedate, as you might expect on a midweek game in may, based on what the cluster of diehards in my section were calling the worst 66er team in memory. An elderly gentleman sitting in front of me claimed to have played for the USC Trojans in his day and piped up with a critique of the home side's strategy every few innings. About half the tickets sold for the game appeared to be redeemed. Still, with either the Dodgers or Angels in town pretty much every night, it's hard for the team to compete.

Overall, I enjoyed my stop here, food was fantastic, but with the park being a one of many in this design, plus the absence of any real crowd, it's hard to rate it too high. 8 it is.

Linescore
2016-05-04                             123    456    789   RHE
Lancaster Jethawks(HOU)       122    000    100   690
Inland Empire 66ers(LAA)        000    000    010   192
Temp: 68F  Time: 2:51  Att: 1,994

John Thurman Field

Modesto Nuts, California League

7/10

The home plate fence backs onto a golf course, so one must enter on the sides. This was the 3rd base side, will call is on the other side. This is as fancy an entrance as you'll find.

A clear may evening sees the local nine against Lake Elsinore.

A sparse crowd of hangers on rode it out until the late innings.

This was my first of 6 new Cal League parks in a week in May 2016. I literally landed at SFO, grabbed my rental and went to go fight with Bay Area rush hour to make it to Modesto in time for first pitch. Didn't work. I arrived in the 4th inning and my pictures all appear a little blurry, as does my memory regarding this place, but I will try.

This park is a little older than most of it's counterparts in the cal league, consisting of three separate stands with a bit of a gap between each one, the closest design I can think of is Boise , which funnily enough, is my next update. Seats are newer fold down stadium seats in front of the aisle, harder plastic bucket seats in the stand behind home plate and good old aluminum bleachers down the line. I'd take a point off for the facility itself, as it's a bit behind the curve, without any of the rustic charm that has helped some older parks survive. At least it's still named after a person. It's substantially older than I would have guessed, opened 1955 and renovated in 1997, I would have put it as a 1980's design.

The food helps get this place back up to an average rating. Prices were low, quality was above average. I sadly do not remember what I had, but I do remember enjoying it.

Atmosphere was pretty par for the course, there's really nothing here that jumps out at you as unique, but also nothing that ruins your night either.

Overall, between a short game(2:18) and me being a little late, I only got to see so much here, I'd be tempted to go back to try and fill in the gaps. 7/10 for now.


Linescore
2016-05-03
                                            123    456   789   RHE
Lake Elsinore Storm(SD)       000   000   000    023
Modesto Nuts(COL)               100  200   00x    360
Temp: 81F Time: 2:18 Att: 2,833

Stephen Schott Stadium

Santa Clara Broncos, 

(No Rating)

 

 

A relatively pleasant brick exterior welcomes you on the walk up.

What I think are student dorms overlook the ballpark on the right field side.

A compact ballpark that seats 1,500 comfortably.

We swung through here in 2016, after my efforts to get tickets to a Giants/Rivercats exhibition in Sacramento proved beyond futile. I had only ever been to one other college ballpark, so I wasn't sure what to expect. This was the Broncos home opener versus crosstown rival San Jose State. 

In brief, concessions here were not bad, prices were very low, which is the norm at the college level. The product on the field is similar to Low A at best and Rookie at worst. Crowds are small and family or boosters almost exclusively, although some students did show up in middle of the game and proceed to act out as much as possible. We ended up leaving in the 7th to make our way to San Francisco. Overall, a decent night out, given our lack of choices, but I won't be headed out of my way to go back.

If I had to rate this park, it'd probably end up with a 7, with a plus of concessions, but the atmosphere taking that point back. 

Petco Park

San Diego Padres, National League

9/10

I remembered to grab a quick snap of the outside before heading in.

This show shows both "the park in the park" as well as how Petco is nestled right in the middle of Downtown San Diego.

                          

The scoreboard, but also a shot of the Western Metal Supply Co. Building.

Bonus Shot: We returned in 2014 to watch the Padres take on the Dodgers.

I went to Petco Park for my first visit in 2011, to see the 2nd last game of the season, between the Chicago Cubs and the Padres. I drove out earlier that day from Phoenix. It was a relatively easy cruise down I-8. The park itself is located in downtown San Diego, right on the edge of the Gaslamp Quarter, the center of local nightlife.

I enjoyed Petco on the whole. Firstly, the park is seamlessly woven into downtown, to the point where it was constructed around the "Western Metal Supply Co." building in left field, which now houses some team offices. It's resourceful how a potential nuisance was turned into arguably the most distinctive feature of this park.

This is a pitcher's park, probably at one point the most-pitcher friendly park in baseball. But recently, the fences were moved in and the Padres, not very surprisingly, began hitting more home runs. Still, the moist sea air blowing in means not many balls are hit out of this one.

I remember food being somewhat expensive and getting cash at the park turned out to be a bit of a chore, but it was of good quality.

The atmosphere was baseball first, San Diego seems to be a football town first, especially since LA is only an hour and a half up the road, without a team, so, it's really only baseball sort of people that show up. There were lots of rooters for the visiting Cubs and it put a bit more life into the 2nd last game of the season between 2 teams long eliminated from post-season contention. I originally gave Petco an 8, but now feel that was a little harsh and have put it up to a 9, as it really is a fine ballpark.

Other than that, I don't remember a whole lot about Petco. The good news is that I am headed back in 2014 and will spruce this review up a little bit then.

Update 2016: I did get back here in 2014 for an Opening Day game against the LA Dodgers. This place has a pleasant atmosphere. It isn't rabid by any stretch, but people who come to watch the Padres seem to like it. The park itself is very well laid out, has the metal supply building as it's calling card, plus the "park in a park" in center. Further to that, it's smack dab in the middle of the Gaslamp quarter, which we explored a lot more than my first game here and it was great, I'd recommend finding a hitching post here if you're able, just an all around nice city to visit. Under the new ratings, I'd give Petco a 9, with the pluses being the building and atmosphere.

Linescores:
2011-09-27
                          123   456    789   R H E
Chicago Cubs      000    100   032  6 11 0
San Diego             020  000   000  2  6   0
Temp: 66F   Time: 3:28  Att: 39,058


2014-04-01
                                      123     456    789   RHE
Los Angeles Dodgers        200    100    000    371
San Diego                        000     110    000   262
Temp: 62F  Time: 3:38   Att: 35,033

The Epicenter

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, California League

7/10

A decent crowd turned out for this Sunday night tilt.

                                        

A break in the action during the final Quakes home game of the year.

My favourite sign, anywhere, ever. HEADS UP!

The Epicenter(LoanMart Field for the 2013 season) was my 2nd game in one day on my 2009 trip, having watched the A's and Angels at the Big A in the afternoon. I headed up I-15 to Rancho Cucamonga to watch the local nine, the Angel affiliated Quakes, take on the Stockton Ports. This park was part of the trend along with Lake Elsinore towards disproving the notion that minor-league parks have to be minor league. Don’t get me wrong, places like Eugene’s Civic Stadium and Quebec’s Stade Municipale are what it’s all about, but there are plenty of pre-1990 parks that are just horrible, isn’t that right Recreation Park? 

The Epicenter was a successful experiment in placing a relatively large, well-built stadium within driving distance of the Major leagues. Every season since has from an attendance standpoint, gone very, very well. The park is a concrete and plastic seat structure, with the electronic scoreboard in left and the video board in right. But, it didn’t do a lot for me. Maybe the 110 degree heat at the Big A that afternoon took a big chunk out of me, but after reading about this park in books and online, it wasn’t as good as I thought it would be, but it was ok. A big knock for me was the seating, which was confusing, I never did find my seat, I mean I thought I had, with other people sitting in it, but I guess not. The mascot, Tremor and a female accomplice are both dinosaurs. They are pretty active.

Rancho Cucamonga is a blooming suburb of Los Angeles, up the I-15. The area right next to the park is a rec complex(keep an eye out for a “Watch for Foul Balls” sign) and beyond that it’s commercial, with a couple of decent restaurants. I opted to forgo the concession at the park and return to Anaheim for a late night trip to Carl's Jr. It's in the eastern part of the Southland area, so easily 15 parks are within a day's drive, or like me, you can make it part of a multiple night stay in the LA area. I went to Angel games the night before and afternoon of, and a Dodger game on the way out of the city.

It was an evening game, the last home game of the season, so the crowd was around 4,500 or so, but awfully quiet. Still, there were some quirks. When a Rancho player hit a homerun, the booster club had a guy walk the seats with a helmet collecting money. During one of the intervals, one of the mascots courted the base umpire, who eventually got down on one knee and offered a bouquet. I expected, like in another gag involving an “umpire” in Tacoma that the real umpire would trot back onto the field and this guy would leave, but that didn’t happen, as he just went out to first base to get going.

Looking back on this review in 2014, I think I was a bit hard on this one. I think I caught it on a bad day or something. At any rate, I upped the score from 6 to 7. This one could very well be on my list for a second trip this year.

Update 2014: The Quakes are now affiliated with the other team in metro LA, the Dodgers, as of 2011, with the Angels entry now being in San Bernardino. Re-scoring this place was easy, it's a very average place, so it still gets a 7.

Linescore
2009-08-30
                                                            123    456   789    R H E
Stockton Ports(OAK)                              000    001   020   3 10 2
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes(LAA)           003    001   00X   4  7 1 
Temp:102F   Time: 2:45    Att: 3,951

Recreation Park

Visalia Rawhide, California League

6/10

When the team changed from the Oaks to the Rawhide, the equipment shed got a makeover as a barn.

A relatively good crowd for a fireworks night.

Still, Visalia draws better than only Bakersfield in the league.

      The crowd mills around waiting for fireworks night to begin, while I sneak out to beat the traffic.

Recreation Park is the smallest in affiliated minors and advertises itself as the smallest pro ballpark in the US. It really is very small. There is about 1,700 seats behind the plate and about 500 more up the first base line. It's located in a residential/industrial area, around 7 minutes north of CA 198, the main freeway through town.

I went in 2009, on my way to Los Angeles, having been in San Francisco the day before. I caught a game between the hometown Visalia Rawhide and the Lake Elsinore Storm. It had recently been renovated, so there is an outfield barn as part of the wall, part of the team changing it’s name from the Oaks to the Rawhide, as a result of switching affiliations from Oakland to Arizona. The big knock is the “concourse” being right in front of the first row behind the aisle, where I sat. It meant that people would stop to watch the game and block my view. Tipper, the cow and Smokey the bear would stop to “entertain” the children right in front of me. It generally was one of the least enjoyable games on the trip. I wish that I’d have gone to maybe Modesto or Stockton instead. 

Most of the people who seemed like more baseball oriented regulars sat at the back. Either there or the front would be a good call. The middle, where I was, is pretty high traffic. This was back when I usually ate before I came, so I didn't try any food and don't remember anything about it.

The biggest knock I have on this place is that seemingly nobody was there to watch the game. The kids were loud and out of control on the concourse. I don’t normally care, but it made it impossible to follow the game. The Rawhide were apparently out of it late in the season, their best player having been summoned to AA Mobile, but still, wow. The people sitting behind me were complaining about the view from two rows up. If you want to see, you need to sit at the back. The attendance average was only about 1,500 all year and if this is it, I can see why. Attendance was only what it was because it was fireworks night, which allowed me to depart early. Even the mascot, Tipper the Steer had a rough night being both roped to the ground during a demonstration and kicked in the stomach by a teenaged girl sitting in my row. It’s a hard knock life.

Visalia is a city of roughly 90,000 just off of CA 99. It earns a brief mention as the possible next stop for Crash Davis in Bull Durham, as a possible manager. Nearby is the Sequoia National Park, which I made a brief stop at on the way out. You have to drive through Visalia on the CA 198 until it turns into a two lane highway, then keep on going. It's a bit expensive to get in, but was worth poking around. 

The best thing about Recreation Park is probably it's location within the State, it's almost equal distance between San Francisco and Los Angeles, with 198 connecting to CA 99 after only a few miles. Still, I would have gone to Fresno, just up the highway, if they'd been at home. You could easily drive to any Major or Minor league park in California within 5 hours(and even some outside of it), without much hassle.

Overall, it’s just way too small and crowded, Other than the lack of other good options, I don’t understand how the Cal league can put a team here, as they’re apparently locked in until at least 2019. After that, with Bakersfield being a constant candidate to move, look for Visalia to come up in the mix. Still, the fact that even now there's 5 years left on the lease might allow Visalia to hang around in the league for awhile longer. 

Update 2016: I still haven't been back here, but I really hammered it in retrospect. Under the new ratings system,  I can't offer any insight into the concessions here, the atmosphere was terrible and the park was adequate, if not small. That bumps this one up from a 4, which is now pretty hard to pull off, to a 6, which is a little more forgiving and in line with the other reviews on here.

Linescore 
2009-08-28 
                                            123    456    789    RHE
Lake Elsinore Storm(SD)        103    000    100    550
Visalia Rawhide(ARI)              000    010    000    171
Temp: 86F Time: 2:41  Att: 2,544