A PETCO PARK SERIES 2005

With the St. Louis Cardinals in San Diego, home of our daughter Courtney who was in Costa Rica, it afforded Caroline and me an opportunity to cat sit one of our grandkittens, Missile, while taking in three Cardinal games. It is the first time I have ever gone to a whole series. And it was a hoot.

Petco is very similar to the New Busch Stadium in downtown locale, seating, design, and even like the proposed Ballpark Village.

The dimensions in St. Lou are going to be a lot more realistic than Petco, which I predict will move in fences soon. It is a cavern to all fields, and the ball doesn't carry much in generally cool weather and ocean breezes. You can't really see the Pacific from the park, but you know it's near. Especially for night games, even in late July.

The views are spectacular, especially cool is eating at the Western Metal Company: a brick building holdover from an earlier downtown San D. It is built into the park down the left field line. They have some great brats with sweet peppers and some great nanchos. It's fun to get there early and take in BP from the fifth floor terrace. The first day we were there, Mr. Pujols deposited one off the plexiglass on the terrace some 450 feet or so from the plate.

Just past the left field seats is a mini field where little kids and stadium employees, along with some fathers hit and run the bases all game long. Next to it is the hill or berm where you can throw down a blanket and sit there and watch the game on a big screen and eat Randy Jones bbq.

It's a great time. Everybody seems to enjoy without being told to "Make some noise," and gimics like that. Hey, it is California after all. An A stadium all the way, except for the home run alleys.

ANOTHER MEMORY FROM GOTHAM

Who'd have thunk I'd like Shea? I mean the field of lenny dykstra, wally backman, keith hernandez, dwight gooden. And my all-time despised one- - hojo.

But I did. We rode the subway out to Flushing and bought tickets right there from a scalper. He told us they were Row 1, but they weren't. Maybe row 8, box seats. Ushers were awesome. For some reason one of them kept coming up to me telling who the celebs were that day and where they were sitting. Madame Chang Kai Chek or her daughter were nearest to us. I didn't care much, but he was excited and so I acted that way, too, so he'd point out Jerry Seinfeld or somebody really important. We talked to some members of the Les Miserables cast, the show we had seen the night prior, but they were not all that impressed that we had seen them that last night on Broadway.

The ballpark was very pretty on this bright sunny day. The big apple didn't go o ff because there were no Met homers this day, but it was kinda cool. The grass lush, the scoreboard, and sight lines and views were very nice. Close proximity to the field. It was good.

They had some barbed wire/chicken mesh screening that was set up behind the entrance to the best seats, and that was distracting. Even in New York. But everything was good. So when you're in the city, don't overlook Shea. It's not Yankee Stadium, but it's a B.

A NEW YORK STATE OF MIND

My last trip down memory stadium tours was going to be one of my best --Yankee Stadium. But with the World Series over after the sweep in Minutes Is How Long the Astros Lasted Park, I jumped ahead.

When we got to the Bronx Park, one of the first noticeable sights, besides two muggings, two drug deals, two gay men open-mouth kissing, was the big Yankee baseball bat. And,of course, all the tradition. I mean this is where Kenny Boyer hit a grand slam that helped cement the 1964 World Series for the Cardinals.

Once inside, we headed to our seats in the upper right field deck. About halfway up. In the beautiful July sun that cooked us as we watched the Yanks slaughter the Indians of Cleveland as Hemingway called them. But before that, a thirteen year old Courtney was offered a beer by a vendor in Yankee stadium. This is the same young lady who was carded at Jimmy Buffet's Restaurant in Key West when she was in college. Speaking of being carded. July 4, 2005, Courtney and I went to the BOB to watch the Cardinals whip up on the Snakes. At a Ribbies stand with our food, we each ordered a beer. Courtney had just turned 25; I, well, I was 56. I got carded! I tell this to only a few since it is so prepostrous. I fumbled around in my wallet and said someting like, "You've got to be kidding." Dead serious, this myopic lady looked surprised and said,"We have to card people who look under 30." When she saw my driver's license, she really looked surprised, "Well, you'll have to show it again if you go to another vendor." Needless to say, I didn't. Meanwhile, Courtney got her brew without a hitch. Just goes to show you: not all the crazies in the world are in chicogo.

Back to NY. Then Courtney and Caroline take off looking for something to eat besides hot dogs. I know, and agree: why? Unless it's brats, or White Castles, how can you improve on hot dogs at the ballgame? They are gone so long that Scott and I miss out on a tour of the monuments in left/center. In 1993, they didn't allow you back there one hour before game time.

Well fed, well souveniered, we settled in to watch where Julian Javier and Dick Groat played and turned double plays in the '64 Series. Heck, even Dal Maxvill played in the great Yankee Stadium.

In about the third inning, a fan holds up a piece of cardboard which says Albert Belle on it, scrawled in red magic marker. He stands next to the overhang in the aisle and directs the fans to his sign. "Trow the bum ova," Scott yells. "Get him outta heer," I chime in. We nearly got the guy killed. The whole upper deck starts yelling at him and throwing stuff at him. All because of a few midwestern fans with bad accents. The police had to take him away, before he got some help going ova da rail.

It was so much fun. Yankee Stadium is an A stadium. A place you simply have to experience. I didn't even mind the DH there.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH

With its big white horse in the background, wait a minute, how can anything that big be in the background? With the horse a stunning monument to the Denver Broncos, jutting into the rocky mountain sky, Coors Field just wasn't suited for baseball back in 1995. And I'm not sure it is today. Not unless they adjust the fences.

Bernanrd Gilkey hit a fly to left. A can of corn. Not even deep left. Medium left. A typical can of corn. But in Coors or Mile High, it landed 10 rows into the left field stands. I thought it funny at the time and with a big Cardinals lead I thought, oh well, players will have to adjust.

Then the Rockies mounted (pun ) a charge and the Cardinals were giving up cheap home runs. The Cardinals lost, I felt cheated, and I don't even remember the food. Except for the night I was in charge of cooking burgers for 15 and my coals ran out after about enough food for 5. There's something about that mile high air that I don't like.

Hike? I couldn't breathe after climbing porch steps. And my golf ball didn't seem to go much farther. And I still couldn't putt. I remember an eagle Scott made on the 18th hole at Skyland Golf Course. But I was so mad at my own play that I couldn't enjoy his.

Well, I guess you've figured I didn't like Mile High for baseball, cooking, hiking, walking, golfing. I don't even like the purple unis. So I'll give Colorado a D. Still ahead of wrigley mind you.

TIGER STADIUM 1984

With guys like John Wokenfuss, Lance Parrish, Jack Morris, Lou Whitaker, and Alan Trammel, and coached by Sparky, this Tiger team started out something like 34-9. Of course they went on to play in the World Series against the Padres who held off yet another pre-Bartman cubbie pennant drive that collapsed.

Their ballpark was located in downtown Detroit. And to prove that neighborhood not so bad, I think they built the new stadium next to the old one or at least in the ballpark.(HaHa)
People parked their cars in others' yards, for a price of course. I would imagine at night games, you might have to pay someone to watch your car.

The closeness to the field with almost no foul territory had to add to the averages of Norm Cash, Al Kaline, and others over the years. A new scoreboard in center with a video screen seemed out of place. You could still get an obstructed view if you were fortunate to acquire a seat behind a pole holding up the roof. Food was only average.

But one of the worst things, besides having to watch an American League game, was the crowd chanting, "Lou, Lou, Lou," when Whitaker came to bat. What a rip off to the one and only Lou<>Lou--Lou Boudreau. No Lou Brock of course. The other bad thing was that it was a 1-0 game. the run scored by Royal Greg Pryor on a bases loaded walk in the ninth.

Overall, I'd give the old Tiger Stadium a C+. The + for all the history, including some Reggie Jackson homers off the light towers in right.

THE BOB IN PHOENIX

The best food of any park I've been to. In fact they have a stand that is called A Taste of the Majors where you can buy Dodger Dogs, St. Louis Toasted Ravioli, Boston Baked Beans, etc. Their nachos are to die for as well as Ribbies and Homemade Sausage. Their luxury seats afford (pun intended) even better delicacies. They even have huge caramel apples that my dentist forbids me to have.

They try hard in Phoenix with the famed swimming pool. That really doesn't work for me. But they try to make people have a good time watching mostly bad baseball. I first saw Pujols here back in April of 2001 when he lambasted Randy Johnson around.

Seating is very good from several places I've sat. The temperature is perfect with an occasional roof or panels opened. And still the air conditioning is on.

Parking is no problem. I'd give it a B overall. I like ballparks that try to make you feel comfortable. Even when your team loses 111 games as the DBax did in 2004.