Favorite Ballparks (part 2)

By Norm:

Favorite Ballparks continued from last week…

So what makes a great stadium? Sight lines? Easy access to the ball players? Promotions? Great food? I say all the above. When I first started going to Salem/Keizer Volcanoes games they had all that. Over the years they have stopped doing a lot of stuff. But, all in all The Crater is a great place to watch a game. There really isn’t a bad seat in the house and it’s very fan friendly. If you haven’t been to a game at The Crater check one out.

PK Park in Eugene is the home of the Eugene Emeralds and the Oregon Ducks. Simply put they do things right at PK Park. It’s a beautiful stadium and it has great sight lines.  It is also very fan friendly. They have tons to do there. The night I went this past summer they had Captain Underpants, a jam band playing before the game, and a guy on a margarita mixing bike. It’s a fun environment.

San Manuel Stadium in San Bernardino is home to the Inland Empire 66ers. It has a Western type feel at this park. It was designed by the same people who designed Coors Field and Camden Yards. There truly isn’t a bad seat in the house here. All the seats are angled towards home plate. Inland Empire also had a dance team who would perform on the weekends. They would dance on top of the dugouts. They also had a Hooters beer wagon where a Hooters girl would pour a beer for you. The concessions were the best in the Cal League. The concessions manager was a Dodgers fan and loved Brett Butler. He would fix us Prime Rib for meals after the game.

The Epicenter in Rancho Cucamonga is a beautiful ballpark. It sits among a complex that houses a handful of softball fields. The sight lines here are pretty good. On the way in to the stadium from Lancaster you could see the California Speedway. There was a Chick Fil-A just up the street as well. Spent many nights getting food there. The Epicenter had some of the best concessions.

Banner Island Ball park in Stockton was the newest Cal League park when I was there in ’06. Just over the right field fence is the bay. The Stockton Arena is right next door as well. The Banner Island area is allegedly the home of the Stockton baseball team which played in the late 1800s, in an area known as “Mudville” along the San Joaquin River.

Banner Island was once an island in the San Joaquin River delta. Although the area is no longer an island, the name remains. Because of the history surrounding Banner Island Ballpark, the stadium was given a historical certificate and named a historical site on August 10, 2008 by the Stockton Cultural Heritage Board. Banner Island was not only the home of professional baseball in Stockton, but also the site where Charles Weber flew the flag to celebrate Union victories during the Civil War (hence “Banner Island”); where Coxey’s Army was camped in 1893; and where World War II ships were constructed. The Stockton Ports are proud to be part of the history of Banner Island. The managers and coaches’ offices in the home clubhouse has a water front view.

The Diamond in Lake Elsinore is my favorite. The walk from the clubhouse is a long one to the dugout. But, beyond that this is considered one of the best Minor League parks in the country. Home to the Storm (who has quite possible the best logo), the Diamond has it all. Great sight lines, great food, the best promotions, the best mascots and I loved the team hotel, the Lake Elsinore Hotel and Casino. It was a short walk from the hotel to the stadium. The Diamond is also considered a “Green” facility.

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