Where Was I: Chase Field, Phoenix Arizona (June 9, 2013)

Ballpark count:

For the trip: 9.

MLB active: 21.

Overall MLB: 29.

Seat:

Section 116; Box 28; Seat 12.

Result:

Giants 6 Diamondbacks 2.

Notwithstanding my affection for the Big Owe, I tend to have a negative predisposition towards covered ballparks. Beyond the fact that baseball should not be played indoors, parks like the Big Owe, the Metrodome in Minneapolis, the KingDome in Seattle, Tropicana Field in St-Petersburgh and the Skydome in Toronto (when the roof is closed) are/were dark and cavernous.  There is/was a semblance of air circulation, which gives fans the impression they are not sucking on recycled air. Crowd noise and PA announcements and music end/ended up echoing through the rafters, which creates an unpleasant ongoing loud white noise buzz throughout a game.

Ballpark architecture and design have evolved greatly since the 1970's and 1980's when the above parks were built. I first noticed it attending Grey Cup 2011 at the refurbished BC Place: the upper wall around the stadium is transparent giving a view of the Vancouver skyline and, more importantly letting it natural light. The three covered baseball parks I have been to (Minute Maid and Chase both pre-date BC Place) follow the same pattern: a transparent (whether it is glass, I do not know) section of the outfield wall lets in as much natural light possible. The aesthetic has also changed; instead of relying on concrete, the newer indoor parks (as for their outdoor cousins) rely on a much more eye-pleasing mix of steel and bricks. In addition, the playing surfaces at both Chase Field and Minute Maid Park are natural grass.

The result:  as was the case for Minute Maid Park, I tremendously enjoyed Chase Field as a baseball venue; it an extremely enjoyable room in which to watch a ballgame. Two small issues: a)it was fairly crowded trying to get out of the stadium, as there seems to be a limited number of exits, probably to keep the AC inside the building. ; and b) there is a strange quirk in the design of the field of play. Straight-away CF is 407, with two areas roughly 20 feet away in both directions being further away (413 feet).

The concessions are varied, but that is almost standard in these new stadiums. There is a gluten-free counter; I have now noticed this at a number of stadia, and have been meaning to bring it up before now. Two chains have counters in the concourse: Subway and Panda Express, a West Coast Asian food chain (which, in an obscene fit of false advertising, does not serve panda).

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Random comments:

- I have seen some darn good young middle infielders in the past week or so: Didi Gregorious (D-Backs), Jose Altuve (Astros, who, honestly, would probably be the starting National League 2B at the All-Star game if this was last year), Jurickson Profar (Rangers).

- they call themselves the 'most-fan friendly' park in MLB, and introduced Baxter the Wild Cat as the 'most fan-friendly' mascot.

- Chase Field had the best 'Salute to the troops' so far: they asked all current and former military personnel to stand (as opposed to introducing one or two veterans or service people).

- There is a pool section in RF.  It hosts the best audience participation game: 'Float or Sink.'  Sponsored by a grocery chain, the game had someone in the pool section guessing whether a grocery item would sink or swim in the pool.