West Coast Swing

[no97]

I guess I'll throw out a line asking for info on all five California MLB ballparks, plus the BOB - oh, sorry, Chase, in Phoenix. I'm going in about two months on a six park in seven day trip (plus will stop at the Grand Canyon)... Tickets and hotels are already taken care of, but what I'm asking about is things to do near or at the park/parks...

I should note that I'm going with Diamond Baseball Tours (obviously, I'm doing the West Coast Swing) - I've done two of these tours before (the first was simelar to the currelt "Classics" tour - we started at Wrigley, went to the Jake, then Fenway, Yankee Stadium, Camden Yards, a day at Cooperstown and ended at Comerica; then my second tour started at Great American, then to old Busch, Kauffman, Ballpark in Arlington, Minute Maid, a day in New Orleans and wraped up at Turner).

Moose

[DG_ThenNowForever]

I was going to complain about Seattle being excluded from the west coast swing, but that just makes sense.

I am loving, however, the mid-90s animated "e-mail here!" gif. Terrific!

[winghaz]

I have just one thing to say, Moose: Take me along. Please!!!

[Swiss]

I'm envying your intense love for baseball, Moose.

What a pity, me living in a too far country... if I had some money and living a bit near of USA, I surely will make a baseball trip.

[no97]

I was going to complain about Seattle being excluded from the west coast swing, but that just makes sense.

I am loving, however, the mid-90s animated "e-mail here!" gif. Terrific!

I know of two companies that offer true west coast trips (i.e. including Seattle). They are Jay Buckley (which is twice as long, and nearly twice as expensive), and Broach Sports Tours (which, again is 2.5X as expensive if you pick up the Seattle option, and again, is nearly twice as long). That said, I'd have loved to do either

Moose

[FiddySicks]

AT&T Park - Probably the most beautiful park in the MLB in terms of asthetics and view. Terriffic food, great entertainment without the cheesy gimmicks, good in stadium announcing, pretty friendly fans. Beware though, there are a lot of terrible seats at this park and food and drinks are on the high end in terms of price.

McAfee Coliseum - One of the older parks and many would say its quite run down. While this park doesnt have all the bells and whistles of the newer parks, its definately not a dump. There's literally not a bad seat in the house in terms of view. Food is fairly reasonable and the fans are generally good. dont expect a lot form this park other than really well played baseball, as A's games are always fun.

Angels Stadium - A lot like McAfee in terms of beauty, but a bit of an upgrade. Really good fans, decent view of Anaheim (Not terribly pretty though), food is really expensive, stadium has some nice features such as the waterfall. If you sit in the upper deck, prepare to sweat. The sun beats off the metal cover and retains that heat and the place just bakes.

Dodger Stadium - The place is far from pretty, and the fans aren't the most classy you'll run into. The games are generally pretty good in terms of presentation though. If you get the chance, and can accually figure out how to get there (The staduim is built into a hill which makes finding your seats a disaster) go up to the top deck just to take in the view. This palce has by far the most breathtaking view in all of baseball. Dodger Dogs are good, but are cooked differently in different sections. Try to get to a few different sections and try them all. WARNING!!! Get to the stadium long before the game or you WILL miss the first few innings. Also, expect a long wait to get outta there too.

PetCo - Sorry Boss, never been. Ill let you know after I go this summer.

Chase Field - See PetCo park.

[bterreson]

My dad and I did this trip (from Seattle) in 2005. I had a blast! Take lots of pictures.

[Lee.]

Although I'm not going any further south than Seattle, I plan on taking in as many MLB and minor-league parks as I can this summer, time and cash permitting.

I'm in Safeco next weekend, at Nat Bailey in Vancouver for the opening series, and will likely hit Everett for an Aquasox game or two. If there are any other good little parks in the area, (i.e. Tacoma, etc), I'm all ears.

[tp49]

AT&T Park - Probably the most beautiful park in the MLB in terms of asthetics and view. Terriffic food, great entertainment without the cheesy gimmicks, good in stadium announcing, pretty friendly fans. Beware though, there are a lot of terrible seats at this park and food and drinks are on the high end in terms of price.

McAfee Coliseum - One of the older parks and many would say its quite run down. While this park doesnt have all the bells and whistles of the newer parks, its definately not a dump. There's literally not a bad seat in the house in terms of view. Food is fairly reasonable and the fans are generally good. dont expect a lot form this park other than really well played baseball, as A's games are always fun.

Angels Stadium - A lot like McAfee in terms of beauty, but a bit of an upgrade. Really good fans, decent view of Anaheim (Not terribly pretty though), food is really expensive, stadium has some nice features such as the waterfall. If you sit in the upper deck, prepare to sweat. The sun beats off the metal cover and retains that heat and the place just bakes.

Dodger Stadium - The place is far from pretty, and the fans aren't the most classy you'll run into. The games are generally pretty good in terms of presentation though. If you get the chance, and can accually figure out how to get there (The staduim is built into a hill which makes finding your seats a disaster) go up to the top deck just to take in the view. This palce has by far the most breathtaking view in all of baseball. Dodger Dogs are good, but are cooked differently in different sections. Try to get to a few different sections and try them all. WARNING!!! Get to the stadium long before the game or you WILL miss the first few innings. Also, expect a long wait to get outta there too.

PetCo - Sorry Boss, never been. Ill let you know after I go this summer.

Chase Field - See PetCo park.

I think you meant to put "good in staduim announcing" under Oakland. Renel is the worst PA announcer in the majors as her voice is incredibly irritating. I actually liked Dodger Stadium though but that was probably more because I could listen to Vin Scully on the radio than anything else. I pretty much agree with you about Oakland and Anaheim.

[FiddySicks]

AT&T Park - Probably the most beautiful park in the MLB in terms of asthetics and view. Terriffic food, great entertainment without the cheesy gimmicks, good in stadium announcing, pretty friendly fans. Beware though, there are a lot of terrible seats at this park and food and drinks are on the high end in terms of price.

McAfee Coliseum - One of the older parks and many would say its quite run down. While this park doesnt have all the bells and whistles of the newer parks, its definately not a dump. There's literally not a bad seat in the house in terms of view. Food is fairly reasonable and the fans are generally good. dont expect a lot form this park other than really well played baseball, as A's games are always fun.

Angels Stadium - A lot like McAfee in terms of beauty, but a bit of an upgrade. Really good fans, decent view of Anaheim (Not terribly pretty though), food is really expensive, stadium has some nice features such as the waterfall. If you sit in the upper deck, prepare to sweat. The sun beats off the metal cover and retains that heat and the place just bakes.

Dodger Stadium - The place is far from pretty, and the fans aren't the most classy you'll run into. The games are generally pretty good in terms of presentation though. If you get the chance, and can accually figure out how to get there (The staduim is built into a hill which makes finding your seats a disaster) go up to the top deck just to take in the view. This palce has by far the most breathtaking view in all of baseball. Dodger Dogs are good, but are cooked differently in different sections. Try to get to a few different sections and try them all. WARNING!!! Get to the stadium long before the game or you WILL miss the first few innings. Also, expect a long wait to get outta there too.

PetCo - Sorry Boss, never been. Ill let you know after I go this summer.

Chase Field - See PetCo park.

I think you meant to put "good in staduim announcing" under Oakland. Renel is the worst PA announcer in the majors as her voice is incredibly irritating. I actually liked Dodger Stadium though but that was probably more because I could listen to Vin Scully on the radio than anything else. I pretty much agree with you about Oakland and Anaheim.

I personally dont mind Brooks-Moon. I think she does a good job, although she does tend to overdo it a bit. I dunno, I guess im just so used to it by now that I dont even notice anymore.

[no97]

I'm envying your intense love for baseball, Moose.

Thanks... It started as envy, truthfully, as my father did one of these trips in 2003 with one of his buddies (he's retired), and I was jealous as hell. So, the two of us did that classics trip the following summer, and the one starting in Cincy in 2005. We're both going again on this West Coast trip, and are already planning a 2009 trip back east to see the new DC park, and the new Yankee and Mets parks... It's been great to spend time with my Dad, as he still lives just outside Chicago, while I live 10 hours away in northern Minnesota.

Moose

[IronChefShark]

Renel is the worst PA announcer in the majors as her voice is incredibly irritating.

Renel is okay. Id rather listen to her announce the players coming up to bat then listen to John Miller's long-winded, drowned-out anecdotes on KNBR

[FiddySicks]

Renel is the worst PA announcer in the majors as her voice is incredibly irritating.

Renel is okay. Id rather listen to her announce the players coming up to bat then listen to John Miller's long-winded, drowned-out anecdotes on KNBR

Better than "Grab some pine, meat." thats one thats about to drive me fu*kin bonkers.

[IronChefShark]

Renel is the worst PA announcer in the majors as her voice is incredibly irritating.

Renel is okay. Id rather listen to her announce the players coming up to bat then listen to John Miller's long-winded, drowned-out anecdotes on KNBR

Better than "Grab some pine, meat." thats one thats about to drive me fu*kin bonkers.

only to those that play the video game.

[FiddySicks]

Renel is the worst PA announcer in the majors as her voice is incredibly irritating.

Renel is okay. Id rather listen to her announce the players coming up to bat then listen to John Miller's long-winded, drowned-out anecdotes on KNBR

Better than "Grab some pine, meat." thats one thats about to drive me fu*kin bonkers.

only to those that play the video game.

Yup

[no97]

Well, I leave in less than a month. Here's a link to the thread about my last trip to remind you guys what type of info I'm looking for...

Thanks in advance for the help.

Moose

[FiddySicks]

Wow, I was actually just about to go looking for this, as I'm currently on a west coast baseball swing with a buddy of mine. Heres what i've done so far and will finish up with

Sacramento RiverCats vs Las Vegas 51s double header 6/15

Oakland Athletics vs St. Louis Cardinals 6/17

San Diego Padres vs Baltimore Orioles 6/19

Anaheim Angels vs Houston Astros 6/20

San Francisco Giants vs San Diego Padres 6/25

Stockton Ports date and opponent TBD

And since I was unable to give you opne last time, heres my review of PetCo Park

PetCo Park: I had heard it was a nice stadium, but I was truely blown away. It's by far the most unique stadium i've ever been to, and even that can't justify it. Its downright beautiful. They've got such unique features as luxury boxes built into these two huge towers right in the middle of the stands, the old factory (now used as escalators up to higher levels and a beautiful gift shop), a beach right in front of the right field fence, seats so close to the field, bullpen, dugout, ect that you'd be amazed, and just a downright beautiful design. But the thing I noticed about this park over all new parks ive been to is the size. While most of the new parks seem to be a lot more compact and built to fit within a smaller space, PetCo doesn't have that feel at all. In fact, it's enormous. At one point we were sitting in the upper deck and I was starting to get uncomfortable simply because the place looked so big. Another thing I noticed was that all the high rises around the park had bleachers built into either the roofs or along the side of the building. And im nto talking bleachers on top of dinky little buildings, such as in Chicago, I mean full out skyscrapers, 25 stories up with seats bult into the side. One warning though, whatever you do, do NOT get tickets in the bleachers. Not only is the view nearly fully obstructed, but the "beach" in front of you dubs as a giant sandbox for kids and sitting there will completely kill your gaming exerience. Oh, and if you do, dont expect to move, ever. The ushers regulate for all 27 outs and will not budge by any means. And if you are gonna need food or apparel, bring a lot of cash because this place is even more expensive than AT&T. Overall, this is a close second behind AT&T for best in the state, and best in baseball IMO.

[CC97]

Does this count as a baseball road trip?

4/2 - Jays @ Detroit

...

6/24 - Rockies @ Toronto

6/25 - Trenton @ Erie

6/28 - Charlotte @ Syracuse

...

7/18 - Jays @ New York

[no97]

Wow, I was actually just about to go looking for this, as I'm currently on a west coast baseball swing with a buddy of mine. Heres what i've done so far and will finish up with

Sacramento RiverCats vs Las Vegas 51s double header 6/15

Oakland Athletics vs St. Louis Cardinals 6/17

San Diego Padres vs Baltimore Orioles 6/19

Anaheim Angels vs Houston Astros 6/20

San Francisco Giants vs San Diego Padres 6/25

Stockton Ports date and opponent TBD

And since I was unable to give you opne last time, heres my review of PetCo Park

PetCo Park: I had heard it was a nice stadium, but I was truely blown away. It's by far the most unique stadium i've ever been to, and even that can't justify it. Its downright beautiful. They've got such unique features as luxury boxes built into these two huge towers right in the middle of the stands, the old factory (now used as escalators up to higher levels and a beautiful gift shop), a beach right in front of the right field fence, seats so close to the field, bullpen, dugout, ect that you'd be amazed, and just a downright beautiful design. But the thing I noticed about this park over all new parks ive been to is the size. While most of the new parks seem to be a lot more compact and built to fit within a smaller space, PetCo doesn't have that feel at all. In fact, it's enormous. At one point we were sitting in the upper deck and I was starting to get uncomfortable simply because the place looked so big. Another thing I noticed was that all the high rises around the park had bleachers built into either the roofs or along the side of the building. And im nto talking bleachers on top of dinky little buildings, such as in Chicago, I mean full out skyscrapers, 25 stories up with seats bult into the side. One warning though, whatever you do, do NOT get tickets in the bleachers. Not only is the view nearly fully obstructed, but the "beach" in front of you dubs as a giant sandbox for kids and sitting there will completely kill your gaming exerience. Oh, and if you do, dont expect to move, ever. The ushers regulate for all 27 outs and will not budge by any means. And if you are gonna need food or apparel, bring a lot of cash because this place is even more expensive than AT&T. Overall, this is a close second behind AT&T for best in the state, and best in baseball IMO.

Glad to read your review. PetCo and AT&T are definatly the two I'm most looking foreward to on the trip.

Just a quick question, as I'm a bit concerned about something I just learned, however. Diamond Baseball Tours has just informed me that our tickets at AT&T are in the upper deck (Section 332). I've got no problem with that, as I've heard that the view of the Bay is spectacular. What I'm concerned with, though, is that there are some ballparks (US Cellular comes to mind, and you bring up PetCo - where I've got great seats - Sec 117) that won't let you move for the whole game. Is this the case at AT&T? I certainly hope not. I'd be pretty upset to go all the way out there, and not be able to see the whole park...

Moose

[Lee.]

I forget if Safeco is on the list for you or not, but I do know that the ushers are rather laid back about the whole 'check your ticket' thing.

We were there for the Yankees series on Mother's Day, and not a single usher checked us for anything.

There'll be plenty of room for you to move as well, the M's tend to average about 20k per game as of late.