16-17 SEP Arizona Diamondbacks

Chase Field is a great environment. The Diamondback organization has granted space to several restaurants and clubs on club property for pre and post game activities. This is starting to spread to the surrounding blocks. The intent is clear. They are trying to establish the type of neighborhood that Wrigley is famous for. Getting to the park can be a bit of a hassle during rush hours as there is no convenient public transportation to the game. However, there is a main freeway that leads to the game. Following the game, the local constabulary is very proactive in getting people out of the parking lots and on their way.

There are some unique considerations that the designers of the field had to take into account when they built the park. The primary one was the up to 120 degree temperatures that Phoenix is known for. To counter this, most of the games are at night, the stadium has a retractable roof and the portraits of the ball players on the side of the stadium or actually huge windows. On a nice night, 30 minutes before game time, the roof is opened and the windows are opened. The stadium remains comfortable through the game. One pet peeve that I have had about domes is that the lights tend to be in places that interfere with players catching fly balls. This is not the case here. The designers actually thought about this one. As you approch the gate, you enter Diamondback Way which is really a Plaza to honor great Arizona players (as might be expected, there is plenty of room for growth). This is also where many of the nearby clubs are located outside of the stadium.

Inside the stadium on the club floor, there are a set of painting of great moments in baseball. They were co well done that I wanted to put them out on the website. I suspect that most baseball fans will have little trouble identifying the key figures but they are Roger Maris, Henry Aaron, Bill Mazeroski, Carlton Fisk, Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Lou Gehrig, Willie Mays, Don Larsen and Kirk Gibson. Remember, if you want to see a larger version of any picture that I have included in the blog, you can click on it.

The first game was a masterpiece pitched by Dan Haren. His first career major league shut out. He was absolutely dominant giving up 4 hits in four different innings, all singles.
On the recommendation of several good baseball fans, we went to dinner at Don and Charlie's restaurant in Scottsdale. If you are in the area and you are a sports fan of any kind this is a required stop. The owners have been in business at this spot since the early 1950's. The food is great but the memorabilia collection is unbelievable. This restaurant caters to many of the baseball clubs during Spring Training. As a result they have established a rapport with players and executives alike. The walls are completely filled with bats, balls, jerseys, news clippings, team pictures, etc. My description will be insufficient even if I devoted a separate blog to it. Bud Selig has his own table, Harry Caray had his own table. There is a jersey signed by Willie Mays from 1953, a bat signed by Ted Williams, Babe Ruth's glove, baseballs galore, and on and on. This is a "you gotta see it to believe it" place.
I took a couple of pictures of the inside, but this is only a taste. This is what you see as you enter the front door. Of particular note, everything in this place has been given to Don and Charlie except for one ball signed by Babe Ruth that they bought.
This is one display cabinet. The only thing in here is balls signed by members that have been inducted into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. If you are a real fan, this is a must stop any time you are in the area.


Game 2 in Arizona was a much better contest. The Diamond backs won again, but the hitting was much more prevalent.

As for ranking this park, it is great, but it is still maturing--along with the team. As you go around, you can see conceptual drawing for projects of the future which have the potential to allow this park to make the leap into the first division. As it stands now, this park tops the second division just above Baltimore's Camden Yards.