Oakland Athletics - Stadium #5

 

I know we showed up early to be there when the gates opened, but the number of cars in the parking lot was surprisingly low.  I guess I had forgotten the images of how many people actually show up to games.  Oakland Coliseum is…exactly as described by people on the internet.  If the team stays, they definitely need a new stadium.  It had major Kingdome vibes, down to the trough urinal in the men’s bathroom (according to Jeremy). The concourse was very crowded considering the number of fans in the stadium or perhaps it was just smaller than I’m used to.  It was dimly lit and not very inviting.  One very noticeable thing on the concourse is how many of the concession stands were not open and how hard it was to find the souvenir cup.  I counted all but one stand selling bottled drinks (also, not a variety of soda choices which was sad).  I guess one plus of not having the same number of fans as the other stadiums is that the lines were almost non-existent.  Our seats were really far away from the “action” and having walked around the stadium to get to our seats, it seemed like there wasn’t a “close” seat in the whole park.  It was strange.  In our section there was one other family of 4 and then the next closest people were 3 sections over.  There were more seagulls sitting and watching from the roofline, than there were fans near us.  Perhaps these seagulls came over from San Francisco to watch the game and that’s why I didn’t see them at Oracle.  The seats themselves were surprisingly comfortable considering they were stadium seats.  For a stadium that desperately needs updating, none of the seats were broken.  I did enjoy some of the things they did in between innings to keep the “crowd” engaged.  As far as various sound effects during the game play, the chanting of “sell the team” was the most I heard. This hotdog was a thicc boi.  It had a really good, meaty flavor and the bun was just soft enough, but it was so big that neither Jeremy or I could finish ours and this was to be our dinner.  However, it’s still not as good as the hotdog from Petco Park, but I’d still rank it high. The Athletics played the Rangers on August 8, 2023 at 6:40 pm and we sat in section 310, row 2.  The price I paid for the tickets to this game was $15 and it seemed dirt cheap.  Though, if I ever found myself at another Athletics game, I would spring for better tickets on a lower level to be “closer” to the field. If you want to see the box score, here’s a link

San Diego Padres - Stadium #4

 

The Padres sold parking in multiple garages next to the stadium.  Considering the ballpark has a city block built into it, the Padres seem like they own the entire city.  To get across the street to the stadium, there was a cool sky bridge to take.  The concourse was really crowded and kind of confusing to walk through since you went from the inside, to the outside in a city (essentially) and back inside.  I found it difficult to find the team store coming in from where we did.  I’m pretty sure they fit everything in a standard team store into a phone booth.  It was so cramped in the store, it was hard to move around, let alone, get by people who were stopped. If I thought the Giants game was hot, boy was I in for a surprise.  Jake even tried hiding under his seat to get away from the sun.  We ended up leaving our seats fairly early to get back to the shaded concourse.  There was a light breeze so it made it tolerable.  The seats themselves were fairly far away from the action and obviously in direct sun the entire game.  It was pretty cool to see an actual city building incorporated into the ballpark.  As far as keeping the fans engaged, they did an ok job.  Though, we did leave the game much earlier than we wanted to because it was so hot.  Jeremy and I had also been to a game there before, so I didn’t feel like we were missing out too much.   As for the hotdog, I cannot say enough good things about it.  It was just the right thickness, the bun was soft and the dog itself had a good meat flavor.  I contemplated buying a second one.  As I write this, I do regret not buying the second one, even if I did only eat it during our hour drive back to the hotel.  The only thing I will downgrade the food experience is they no longer have the slushies they had when Jeremy and I first went to a game there in 2008.  With the heat, a slushie would have made the heat more tolerable.  This marks a tick in the unhappy column. The Padres played the Dodgers on August 6, 2023 at 4:10 pm and we sat in section 311, row 15.  The price I paid for the tickets to this game was $54 and it seemed a bit high.  Again, if they use dynamic pricing, I’m sure I’m paying for the Dodgers and not the baseball experience. If you want to see the box score, here’s a link

Anaheim Angels - Stadium #3

 

The parking lot was a bit confusing to find the actual entrance.  We parked on the 3rd base side even though we walked up to the front of the stadium to get my customary picture.  Two very large, yet proportionally correct, hats greeted you at the entrance to the stadium.  The concourse wasn’t open to the field like T-Mobile’s, but it didn’t feel cramped even though there were a lot of people there.  I got in line later in the game to get some ice cream and water and none of the lines I saw were more than 5 people deep.  It was strange. I opted to sit in better seats than I would normally pick because they were playing the Mariners.  We had a good view of the field, but I didn’t realize the home team is on the opposite side of the field than at T-Mobile, so I sat us on the home team side.  I was hoping my Ryan Rowland-Smith jersey would have landed me a ball from a player during batting practice if someone was walking towards the dugout.  I did really like how the batter’s eye was basically a large water feature.  And you know I love a good water feature.  The team store was busy!  It was smaller than I thought it should have been and it was so busy that you actually queued up in zig-zag line outside like a ride at Disneyland. The overall fan experience was good and the whole place gave me T-Mobile vibes.  However, the Angels’ fans love doing the wave and they had a pretty strong wave go around 5(ish) times.  Though, the ushers were very strict about who could be down in what rows, but otherwise incredibly friendly. The hotdog at Angels Stadium was pretty good.  It had a nice meaty flavor and a soft bun.  I wouldn’t rank it as a favorite, but it was a solid choice. The Angels played the Mariners on August 5, 2023 at 6:07 pm and we sat in section 108, row V.  The price I paid for the tickets to this game was $65 and it seemed very reasonable and worth it.  The best part is that the Mariners won! If you want to see the box score, here’s a link