...it's not dark yet, but it's gettin' there...
i'm toying with the idea of a west coast baseball tour this summer. With Southwest Airlines air fares so low, i think it's do-able. Nine games, nine stadia:
Network Associates Colliseum, Oakland
SBC Park, San Francisco
Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles
Angel Stadium, Anaheim
Petco Park, San Diego
Bank One Ballpark, Phoenix
Coors Field, Denver
Ameriquest Field, Arlington
Safeco Field, Seattle
Looking at that list, i realize that some of the nicest ballparks in the major leagues are in the Western Divisions.
How can you pass up PNC Park in Pittsburgh, voted the best by ESPN?
/unabashed PA booster
Posted by: albo on Apr. 4, 2005I'm just guessing, but maybe because PNC Park isn't on the West Coast?
Posted by: ccs178 (Chris) on Apr. 4, 2005"Looking at that list, i realize that some of the nicest ballparks in the major leagues are in the Western Divisions."
You're probably right, but the names for these stadiums are hideous. I have nothing against corporations, but I cannot stand the way they plaster their names shamelessly on sports stadiums, even in cases where their product has literally NOTHING to do with sports!
PETCO Park? (Pets and baseball. What an obvious combo. Can I bring my pet ferret to the game?)
Bank One Ballpark? (Atleast this one has a nice sound with the repeated "B" but who cares about bank advertising at a sporting event?)
Network Associates Colliseum? (Just rolls of the tongue, yes?)
Coors Field? (Atleast this one is named after a real human being (and a Republican -- yay!) but still, it's a corporate name. Ugh.
Ameriquest Field? (During the 7th inning stretch, get info on a mortgage!)
Safeco Field? (Anything with a "co" at the end of it is too "co"rporate for me.)
Angel Stadium and Dodger Stadium: Nice, to the point, and actually refers to the damn TEAM.
Closer to home is the atrocious "U.S. Cellular Field", home of the Chicago White Sox. I'd like to see President Bush issue an executive order to change this one.
Posted by: Mark on Apr. 4, 2005Give me the date, and I'm your host at Petco.
Posted by: Casca on Apr. 4, 2005I worked on Safeco field in 1998, whole time I kept thinking, "Why not make right field the shortest fence in the league for griffey jr?" The year after the stadium opened he started crying to be traded. pussy.
The rap on Safeco was that it's a pitcher's park, which prompted Jr. to leave. I had him on a few fantasy teams, and if i was a Seattle fan, i'd have said good riddance.
i think Angel statium is going through an identity crisis just like the LA, er anaheim, er California Angels. They used to call that park Anaheim Stadium, The Big A, and Edison Field.
Posted by: annie on Apr. 4, 2005Great googley moogley, I hate corporate sponsorship.
Posted by: Victor on Apr. 5, 2005Do not miss the Ballpark in Arlington,
it is an olde tyme ball park,
except for the selection of teams to watch trounce the strangers that is.
Posted by: r on Apr. 5, 2005Baseball bores. Annika, re-read the comments in this post and congratulate moi.
http://annika.mu.nu/archives/071246.html
Posted by: Hugo on Apr. 5, 2005Shit Hugo, talk about not getting it. Perhaps you ARE in your niche. Should you ever desire personal growth, find someone who doesn't squat to pee, and who doesn't need to talk for a couple hours, and get a couple beers, and sit in line with a steroidal fueled mutherfucker hurling a rock at 100mph, and another guy with a club trying to whack it, and you'll learn to admire physical skill.
Posted by: Casca on Apr. 5, 2005Casca, as one who longs for personal growth, I'll keep your kind suggestion in mind. Until then, I'll wait for the start of college football, just four and a half months away.
Posted by: Hugo on Apr. 6, 2005i'd tell you to follow the Bears, but they're 3-3 in Pac-10 play right now.
Posted by: annika on Apr. 6, 2005Oh, I do follow the Bears. The #3 ranked Cal Women's Softball Team. (Would it surprise -- no, it wouldn't -- that I like softball better than baseball? I love the pitching!)
Posted by: Hugo on Apr. 7, 2005softball players got bigger balls!
Posted by: annika on Apr. 7, 2005;-)
Posted by: Hugo on Apr. 7, 2005I'm thinking that an auto tour might be better than a car tour. When you get to Southern California, it's easier to see the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Anaheim Angels (sue me, Rita Moreno of Arte), and the San Diego Padres by car. If you take the plane down here you'd have to rent a car anyway.
Posted by: Ontario Emperor on Apr. 9, 2005