Shawon Dunston is my hero!
Written: Jul 16 '01
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Pros: Krispy Kreme's, Barry Bonds
Cons: That big Coke bottle in left
The Bottom Line: If you have the time, go check it out. For being a new ball park it is very nice.
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| hiphop101's Full Review: Pacific Bell Park |
About a month ago I had the best experience I have ever had at a baseball game...and it was at Pac Bell Park. As a Chicagoan/Die-hard Cubs fan I want to make it clear that Wrigley Field is still the greatest stadium of all time (and yes, that is a fact), I just had some incredible luck at Pac Bell and well, you'll see...
I went to the Bay last month to visit a few friends. One of my buddies out there has season tickets for the Giants, and since he knew I was a huge baseball fan he took me to a friday night game against the Mets. Well, about five minutes before we left his place for the game, his sister called and said she would be there too. She was going to try to meet us to say hello sometime during the game. So, in the third inning his sister and her friend came running down to our seats. They gave us their ticket stubs and told us we had to go check their seats out...but they were only going to let us use them for an inning. The seats had said Row AA seats 1 and 2. So we headed for home plate...it turned out the seats were right behind home...basically in the Giants dugout. When we sat down we were eye level with the field and the only thing seperating us from the dugout was the photo area and a couple ropes. The on-deck circle was about ten feet away from us and we could hear everything that was said on the field.
The first batter we saw that inning was Barry Bonds...home run! It was incredible to watch from that point of view, and them to hear his teammates congratulate him as he came back into the dugout. Next batter, Jeff Kent...struck out looking and started arguing with the umpire and got ejected. We got to hear the whole argument, then hear Dusty Baker come out and get into. Wow! It was incredible.
There was no way we could leave these seats, and it turned out the row right behind us was empty. So we ran back to the seats we were originally in, gave our tickets back to my friend's sister and tried to sneak back into the second row seats...it worked! We sat there for the rest of the game. In the ninth inning, with the score tied 2-2, Shawon Dunston was called to pinch hit for the Giants. Shawon has been one of my heroes since I was a little kid, he was a Cub most of his career. As he stepped into the on-deck circle I yelled to him "We miss you Shawon!" and pointed to my Cubs hat. He looked back and laughed and said "I miss you too." I felt like a little kid again, it was a blast! Then to top it all off, in the bottom of the 10th inning Benito Santiago, another former Cub, hit the game winning bases loaded double. What a night!
So that was my experience at Pac Bell.
For the average fan, here's a few things about Pac Bell. First of all, don't drive. I took the Muni and it dropped us off right in front of the stadium, during rush hour. Our 15 minute Muni ride probably would have taken an hour by car. Plus, it's cheaper than parking.
Second, and this is important, don't get fooled by the smell of the garlic fries...they smell soooo good! But they aren't worth it at all. The friend I was with tried to tell me that, but I didn't listen. They do not taste nearly as good as they smell. The donuts, however, are worth it...they have Krispy Kreme's and milk at the stadium. I was in heaven with a box of four donuts, front row seats and 2% milk to wash it down.
As far as the general feel of the park goes, it could be a little better. It is nice for being a new stadium. The brick gives it a more traditional feel, but that big huge Coke bottle in left field kinda ruins it. There is definetly a corporate feel to the stadium that takes away some of the authenticity. And, I hate to say this, but some (not all) of the fans add to that lack of authenticity. There seem to be a lot of people there just to be seen. Maybe that was because of where I was sitting, but the only people I ran into that really knew baseball were a guy wearing a Cubs shirt, and a guy who was planning to move to Chicago in a month, right across the street from Wrigley. I'm not saying Cubs fans are the smartest fans...I'm just telling you what I saw.
Aside from the whole corporate thing, though, it is a nice ball park. It's no Wrigley or Camden, but definetly beats Comisky or Shea. If you're in the Bay Area, it is certainly worth a trip.
Recommended:
Yes
Parking Availability: Better Get There Early
Seat Location: Lower Level
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Epinions.com ID:
hiphop101
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Member: Tyler
Location: Lincoln, Nebraska
Reviews written: 63
Trusted by: 12 members
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