My Game At Chase Field

It looks big as you approach it, as I did on a late Sunday morning not too long ago. My first look revealed what appeared to be a large rectangle topped by an immense, half moon made of steel. I knew I was about to experience something completely different from any other open-air stadium I had been in prior to that day, and I was still more than two blocks away, walking towards it after parking my sister’s car, which she had loaned me to make the trip from Sun City West. I could feel the sweat on my brow as I joined what would soon become a steady stream of Diamondbacks fans on the way to see their heroes take on the visiting Colorado Rockies. But, man, it was going to be a hot day at the ball yard, because I’d already heard the roof was going to be open for the game, and I was glad I brought my suntan lotion.

I found a stadium employee who directed me to the ticket windows. I chose a nice seat, not too pricey, but certainly good enough to be close to the action and to catch all the flavor of a Sunday afternoon experience at Chase Field. By design I got there about an hour and a half before the game so I could poke around and explore the yard. After having my back pack inspected by a security officer, I passed through the gates and walked into an outer lobby. From there, it’s a quick walk through another set of doors, and there I was, in a whole new world. Thankfully, it was a fully enclosed world, because team officials had decided to close the roof. Later a PA announced advised it was 74 degrees inside the stadium.

Welcome to Chase Field proclaimed a large sign, and in my excitement I quickly snapped a picture of half of it. I guess that means I’ll have to go back another time to snap the other half. At any rate, if you look at the picture on the right, you can clearly tell that you are “welcome to,” and I have to tell you they mean it. I can’t recall having a more fan-friendly experience than the one I had on this day. Every employee I spoke to was friendly and willingly answered all of my questions. Once when I was confused about what direction to take, a guy who was selling hot dogs behind a counter came out to the concourse and escorted me part of the way. Whoa! I started to feel like I had found the Nordstrom of baseball stadiums.

I started my walkabout on the main level, circling the concourse and taking in the clubhouse stores, food concessionaires, the guest services office, a first aid station and a host of other items of interest to D’backs fans. Suddenly hungry, I started to consider my lunch-time options. The choices were many. In no particular order, I found cheese steaks, burgers, hot dogs, french fries, burritos, tacos, sushi, deli sandwiches, pizza, wings, grilled sausages, tamales, salads, pasta, smoked ribs, beef brisket, grilled swordfish and a host of other choices. I ultimately chose a grilled chicken sandwich and a diet cola. That’s when I realized there were no tables to sit at while you ate your food. Apparently the D’backs want you to eat your food at your seat. I wasn’t thrilled about that and subtracted a few Grubby Glove points because of it.

It was getting closer to game time so I went to my seat. I used to say it’s always exciting to see who you sit next to in your section, but after experiencing the clunkers who sat close to me this time, I no longer can. From now on, it’s often exciting to see who you are sitting next to.  In no particular order, in front of me I had an elderly couple who squabbled all the way through the game, arguing about this, that, and the other. They left after the top of the eighth. To my right was a mother, daughter and son act, all of whom were serious D’backs fans (they told me) who knew nothing about the game. I tried a few times to engage them in chatter pertaining to the game but gave up after being rebuffed a few times; I certainly didn’t want to ruin their time at the game. To my left was a guy whose massive girth must have been a struggle for his seat. I’m sure he found the menu to his liking because he appeared to be devouring everything on it. He came up for air every now and then. During the seventh inning stretch he unleashed a roaring, triumphant burp, which I’m certain at least half the people seated in section 212 heard, if not felt. Such then, was my cosmic roll of the dice regarding close-by attendees at the game. In the picture below you can see the stadium’s seating chart and by following the arrow you’ll see where I sat.

The game turned out to be a good one, and served as a microcosm of the teams strengths and weaknesses. Left handed D’backs starter Patrick Corbin gave his team a quality start, surrendering two runs during his 6.2 innings on the mound. His counterpart, Jon Garland, also pitched well, but was undermined by some Rockies defensive miscues.

The Rockies have come out strong this season. On this day they were undone by over aggressiveness on the bases and miscues in the field. They’ve got a potent offense that has been trying to encompass an uptempo style. Eric Young Jr. illustrated its strengths and weaknesses by hitting three doubles and then running into outs on two of them. It’s nice to get on base, and even better to either stay there and score. The Colorados,as my Dad used to say, gave up two runs in the third on some sloppy defensive play, with runs coming in on a passed ball and a wild pitch respectively.

The D’backs got a terrific game from Gerardo Parra, who was exemplary with both his bat and glove. His two hits and two runs paced the offense. He made a few excellent catches in center field as well. As the team was about to take the field in the bottom of the ninth, the stadium reverberated with the sound of thunder and lightning, which caught my attention. Then onto the field strode stopper J. J. Putz, and under my breath I muttered, “uh oh.” Their bullpen, in my opinion, is the teams’s soft, white underbelly, and to corroborate my contention, J. J. got into trouble right away. He somehow blundered through to get the save, and the home town fans went home happy.

I did, too. My near hour-long walkabout circling the main concourse, shown in this picture I liberated from the team’s website, was worth the price of admission alone. I love exploring baseball stadiums for the first time. I give the Chase Field Stadium experience an “A,” which is saying a lot, because I’m used to AT+T Park, with its high standards and consistent, flawless execution of them. The day was also a learning experience, as I realized that I have to connect with some real baseball fans who are excited about the game and willing to talk about it as it unfolds before I go to the game. No more cosmic rolls of the dice for me, not after today’s clunkers. Thanks to many of you, I’ve got too many baseball friends scattered across Baseball Nation now, and that won’t happen again.

And there you have it. For my next post, I’ll turn my attention back to the Fundraiser we are planning on behalf of Bryan Stow.