Take me out to the ballgame: Revisiting the ballpark experience

Three years ago, I wrote about baseball and ballpark experiences. That post came after visiting three ballparks in four days. Over the course of the last three years, we have had a chance to attend many more games, primarily at AT&T Park. I have now had a chance to visit Angel Stadium twice with the kids, too, which offers a different perspective on things. Here are a few more thoughts as I revisit the ballpark experience.

Parking prices remain the same. As such, I will state from the beginning that Angel Stadium remains the best for parking, both with regard to cost and convenience. In fact, at the most recent game we attended there, I splurged on the premium parking ($20) and the next day paid to park at Disneyland ($18). So, for just $3 more than we pay to park for a game at AT&T Park, we parked at a baseball game and Disneyland. Often, we end up making quite a walk from where we park to the ballpark in San Francisco, but location has a lot to do with that. There is no parking directly adjacent to the ballpark.

Tim Lincecum's "Big A" debut with family.

With kids in tow, it becomes a little more difficult to avoid food and souvenir purchases as I had previously suggested. However, if you shop right, you can still avoid overspending. Angel Stadium has a kid's hot dog that went over well with the children in our group. You can splurge on some serious food and get the helmet nachos which gives you enough for an army to eat, plus you have a souvenir when you're all finished.


Cotton candy remains a game day must for CD and Miss Hollywood. At Angel Stadium, they shared one with their two cousins and that was perfect all around. The price is similar to AT&T Park. The cotton candy at John Thurman Field (Modesto) costs less, but is a significantly smaller portion. The team that makes it and the snow cones includes a very friendly woman who always seems to look out for her young customers.

Family Fun: Sundays are family days in Anaheim. At the end of Sunday games, children are invited to run the bases. This is the way baseball should be. The closest experience to that is at Modesto Nuts games, but we rarely make it to the end of games there as so many of the games are night games. A Sunday afternoon spent watching baseball and then running the bases is a great experience! CD and Miss Hollywood also had a chance to run the bases at AT&T Park last year. It came only on the final game of the season. But, it was enjoyed and what a thrill to be on the field! AT&T Park also has regular offerings for children. The Coca-Cola slide and a small play area for younger children are located behind Center Field. It is a great motivator to arrive early.

Garlic Fries: We have tasted garlic fries at AT&T Park, John Thurman, and now Angel Stadium. Gilroy Garlic Fries at AT&T Park cannot be beat! They are, hands down, the best of the best. You'll certainly keep vampires and mosquitoes away for days afterward, too!

Each ballpark offers a unique experience. At the minor league parks, my kids experience a little more freedom. At Angel Stadium, we experience an exceptional means of maximizing our dollar in relation to the amount of fun had by both kids and adults. At AT&T Park, we experience a little bit of everything.

I must add, in my post three years ago, I said there is not a bad seat at AT&T Park. Well...that changed for us last year. We sat at the top of the stands behind home plate. Our view was fine. However, smoke from a grill below billowed upward and we were colder than ever before at a game. It just did not work well for us. We left during the fourth inning, went to our hotel and watched the end of the game while sipping coffee and hot chocolate. We had a good time overall, but we will stick with our seats in left field or center field. I do dream of one day getting seats along the first baseline so I can directly compare that experience to the first baseline experience at Angel Stadium.

At the end of the day, though, you find what works for you. You find the ballparks you love and enjoy the experiences. The most important piece of all of this is that baseball remains America's pasttime. Football is nice. Basketball offers excitement, especially in the last 30 seconds of a game.. Hockey is entertaining. But, baseball is "as American as apple pie."

Yogi Berra once said, 

"Love is the most important thing in the world, 

but baseball is pretty good, too."