Out of Town Ballparks

[KnorrForYourMoney]

It was the only source of DC baseball pride I could cling to before 2019.

[welch]

Speaking of great former Nats pitchers, Chad Kuhl starting today for the White Sox. Their tank is clearly on.

What is wrong with that organization? They sit on the South Side in a big city, a long distance from the team on the North-Side. They should have money. Why did they fall apart?

[KnorrForYourMoney]

What is wrong with that organization? They sit on the South Side in a big city, a long distance from the team on the North-Side. They should have money. Why did they fall apart?

The Cubs have Wrigley, and the White Sox have...probably the worst stadium built in the 1990s.

[Senatorswin]

The Cubs have Wrigley, and the White Sox have...probably the worst stadium built in the 1990s.

When you go to Wrigley you get a nostalgic feeling. It's a nice atmosphere around the stadium and a pleasure to go to.

When we took the subway to the Sox stadium there was a guy with his pants down and a whole different atmosphere. I think the stadium is fine but not the area around it or the feeling in it. Still, the Sox have been mismanaged and although they reached the playoffs in 2020 and 2021 they haven't been relevant in a long time.

[Smithian]

I really like the White Sox stadium experience. But the area around it is bad. 2008 Navy Yard bad. Maybe worse. Safety aside, just zero to do.

[Senatorswin]

I'm going to the Miami Marlins stadium on July 25th. It's a 12:10 game. Does anybody know if they typically shut the roof during day games? If they don't I'll need to figure out what the shady side of the stadium is. I don't want to sit in the Florida sun all afternoon.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Do they ever open the roof?  Does it even open?  We probably won't know until the Marlins next WS appearance.

[Natsinpwc]

I'm going to the Miami Marlins stadium on July 25th. It's a 12:10 game. Does anybody know if they typically shut the roof during day games? If they don't I'll need to figure out what the shady side of the stadium is. I don't want to sit in the Florida sun all afternoon.

I went last year same time. It was shut. Basically shut all summer for the heat and storms.

[Natsinpwc]

There’s a bar out past CF where they had cheap “teal” color bud lights before game time. Not sure why the teal color. If you can take some food dye it’s a good deal. I parked in the lot right next to stadium and was not that costly.

[Senatorswin]

There’s a bar out past CF where they had cheap “teal” color bud lights before game time. Not sure why the teal color. If you can take some food dye it’s a good deal. I parked in the lot right next to stadium and was not that costly.

Thanks for the info about the roof (happy about that), the bar and the parking. I didn't think about asking about the parking. Good to know it won't be an issue. I think I remember hearing that stadium is where the Orange Bowl used to be but I could be wrong.

[imref]

Went to a game there years ago. You’ll drive through neighborhoods on the way to the stadium where everyone is trying to sell space on their front lawns for parking.

[Senatorswin]

Went to a game there years ago. You’ll drive through neighborhoods on the way to the stadium where everyone is trying to sell space on their front lawns for parking.

I heard it might not be the best neighborhood. When I go to a Nats game I park north of the stadium. When we went July 4th a street we usually use to get there was blocked off. We ended up driving across from the stadium on the SW side of South Capital street. There were people over there with signs for parking in an alley or maybe in yards. They were pretty much charging for what I could pay in lot T. I guess a shorter walk was the attraction.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Yep, Orange Bowl.  At the risk of dating myself, I went to the game at the Orange Bowl where #3 Hurricanes beat #1 Nebraska (with Brian Bosworth), pretty much sealing the Heisman for Vinny Testaverde.  The immediate neighbourhood has not changed much since then, lots of concrete front yards with caja china roasting boxes for the weekly pigout.

Thanks for the info about the roof (happy about that), the bar and the parking. I didn't think about asking about the parking. Good to know it won't be an issue. I think I remember hearing that stadium is where the Orange Bowl used to be but I could be wrong.

[English Natsie]

At the risk of dating myself...

Interesting concept - at least you'll know what to order for dinner...    

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

"Table for 1...Mr & Mrs Onan"

Interesting concept - at least you'll know what to order for dinner...    

[GburgNatsFan]

:0)

Interesting concept - at least you'll know what to order for dinner...    

[Senatorswin]

Went to Loandepot Park today to see the Orioles/Marlins. This is the 16th MLB park I've been to and the worst. I didn't want to park in a garage and I thought there would be a lot. Wrong. I parked in a guy's front yard. That was okay. It was only $10 dollars. I didn't get tickets ahead of time because on the Marlins site you can't pick your exact seat only the section and I wanted to sit on the aisle. There were no box office windows open so I had to buy online. The ticket was only $8 dollars so that was okay although I had no idea where in the stadium the seat was, I just picked the first I saw in the list. The section wasn't marked that I could see just a sign pointing towards that section. I asked the usher if I was in section 136 he said yes and showed me row 6 and looked at me like I was stupid. That was okay except there was no seat 19 in row 6 and that's what my ticket said I had. I just sat in an empty row. I got a hot dog and a coke and they were $3 dollars each so that was good. The scoreboard was this dinky screen in left center. It gave no useful information and might as well not been there. I was sitting in the right center field stands and they designed the stadium so that a wall sticks out between right center and right field so you couldn't see anything in the right field corner.
Some guy behind me had a booming voice and constantly yelled not just at every pitch but between pitches. Stupid stuff too. I think he thought he was funny. He never shutup. I guess there was a PA system but it couldn't be heard.
Finally I couldn't take it anymore and left after the 7th inning with the Orioles up 6-1. Of course the Marlins scored 2 in the 8th and 3 in the 9th to tie it. Then the Orioles won in 10.
Bottom line. While you can't beat the prices this is easily the worst stadium I've been to. Minor league stadiums are better.

[wj73]

Ugh. Sounds miserable. There’s a few newer ballparks I haven’t seen, and Miami is one of them. Sounds like I shouldn’t be in any hurry to rush down there.


I cannot believe you cannot see your exact seat when buying tix on the Marlins site. Even rinky dink minor and independent league ballparks allow you to pick your seat. Sounds like a cut rate operation.

[Natsinpwc]

I didn’t have that problem buying in Seat Geek. Oh well. The ushers generally didnt seem to care much where I say. Moved around.

[imref]

Sorry to hear SenatorsWin. We didn't enjoy it either, it felt like going to a game in a mall and the stadium was cavernous. I would say I enjoyed Tampa / St. Pete much better.

[machpost]

LoanDepot Park must be great when it's filled to capacity. We went years ago to a game in September, hoping to see the Nats clinch the division (they ended up doing it a few days prior). It was interesting but nothing really special.

We caught a Nats-Rays game this season at Tropicana. Despite its age, it was actually a really fun experience. The home crowd was really into the game, unlike in Miami. The only odd thing: we bought parking in advance at one of the lots directly next to the ballpark, but when we got there a little late during the 2nd inning, there was no attendant to be found. Nobody to scan our ticket upon leaving either. I noticed you could also pay with ParkMobile.

[KnorrForYourMoney]

Haven't been in person, but I've always found that park to have a generic and almost bleak look, like a sort of bad throwback to the cookie cutter/dome era.  The inside has a "we took a Costco and put up some lime green walls" aesthetic.

[Senatorswin]

Sorry to hear SenatorsWin. We didn't enjoy it either, it felt like going to a game in a mall and the stadium was cavernous. I would say I enjoyed Tampa / St. Pete much better.

I had low expectations when I went to the Tampa/St. Pete stadium the first time but was pleasantly surprised. I liked that stadium.

[Natsinpwc]

Attended a game at T-Mobile Park Sunday. Weather was beautiful and the Blue Angels were doing flyovers. Very nice park and imagine it’s nice at night also. Has a retractable roof also. I believe it does not close all the way so leaves some outside air and light when closed.

We sat in back of home plate. Section 133. Row 37. Was in the shade all game as there is an overhang.  We were about four or five rows down from the concourse. For night games the sun would be behind third base early in the evenings and at this time of year stays light in Seattle till about 9:30. I thought the scoreboards and graphics and such were top notch.  Didn’t have too much time to wander around as I was trying to arrange a new flight after ours was cancelled due to Debby. Son and girlfriend took the grandson to the kids area but they said the line was too long. His first game. Ate his snacks and sat through the whole game. I was surprised.

The park sits in an industrial area about a mile south of downtown. Not much around there other than the football stadium which is right next door. I saw a couple restaurants. We took the bus from our sons place. The light rail also stops nearby. 

All in all one of my favorite stadiums. I think I’m up to 14 of the current ones but need to recheck that. Good energy with the crowd and the weather helped. It was about 85 that day but we were out of the Sun and actually felt cool even with the large crowd. Low humidity is awesome in the summer. The concourse was a bit crowded. My only complaint.

Highly recommend a game in Seattle. The Nats are there next year?

[imref]

thansk for sharing natsinpwc. I've flown by that stadium a number of times but have never had the chance to attend a game there. How was Seattle overall?