I love Bright House field. This was our second visit here. The stadium is cozy, clean, and new but not too small. There is plenty of room to roam around if you don't want to stay glued to your seat. On this particular day we purchased berm seating which is a relaxed way to take in the game:
The berm is an open, sloped, grassy area behind the fences in the outfield. Bring a blanket, grab a hotdog and cold beer, and it is just like being on a picnic without the ants.
The ambiance is awesome; everyone is relaxed and the staff and ushers are friendly. Tickets are reasonable if you get SRO or berm. Clearwater is well laid out so getting out of there is easy. Overall I give it five stars out of five.
Our next outing was the home of the Pirates: McKechnie Field in Bradenton. Pirates vs. Phillies again. Another Pirate victory, again. 6-5 the Phillies blew a lead in the 7'th.
Once you get to the park all is well. The stadium is the third oldest in the country after Fenway and Wrigley so it has plenty of charm. The grandstand is small and bleachers encompass most of the field of play.
Most of the concessions are cramped under the grandstand but it opens up farther down the right field line.
Our seats were in left field which were the only available ADA seats available.
We were right behind Sterling Marte and Darrin Ruf.
There is also a Bar pavilion in right field.
The team clubhouse is outside the stadium so you can catch a glimpse of your favorite players. There is a small area to the left if you want to wait there for autographs.
Looks like Larry Bowa is back for another stint with the Phils.
Here is a shot of left field where our seats were right above the large bill board.
Over all I enjoyed McKechnie Field. Beer selection was good, I had a Rooney Lager which I had never heard of before and of course an IC Light. Staff were very helpful and the ushers make sure no one bogarts your seats when you got up for a beer run or left for any reason. I give the experience four out of five stars only because I think the city of Bradenton could do a better job of traffic control.
Our last game was in Tampa at Steinbrenner Field for the Yankees vs. the Pirates for a night game last Friday. I am familiar with the stadium's location on Dale Mabry Hwy. and the construction on I-275 getting there so I wanted to give plenty of time for delays. We actually got there without much delay which was good because parking is stupid at Steinbrenner Field. We always use the handicap placard which usually gets us fairly close. Not here. We turned into the lot and no one was paying attention. The attendant was munching on a hot dog and didn't see us. I had to make a U-turn to go back around to pay. I could see the handicap marked spaces right in front of the entrance but the entire lot was empty. Seems the lot is reserved for VIP parking. They directed us to park off the side of an access road to the community college campus nearby where they had shuttles running patrons to the gate. An entire lot lay virtually empty and old and handicapped people had to get on golf carts.
Anyway we made our way into the stadium. The Yankees really go over the top. A statue of George greets you
along with a square surrounded by plaques of the Yankee greats including the Mick and the Babe.
The elevator is located in the admin offices and is only for VIPS and handicap use. They have all the World Series replica trophies on display along with all the beautiful people. (i.e. rich)
The whole experience getting to your seat is pretty obnoxious.
The stadium would be the envy of most triple a teams. It is a scaled down version of Yankee Stadium in the Bronx I am sure. The place is as big as Steinbrenner's ego was.
What McKechnie field lacks in amenities and refinement Steinbrenner field makes up for it. The place is very pretentious for spring training. Even the lowly ushers have an attitude. When arriving you expect to be shown to your seat. Not here. We were given a gruff "yeah down that way" with a finger point when we were looking for our seats. After a few innings I moved down a couple of seats that were not being occupied to move out of the way of patrons next to me that were getting up. I was taking a few photos when the usher asked me if I had a ticket for the seat. I explained I was sitting one seat over and had just moved for a minute. Now, I was with Doreen who was on her bright red scooter and I was wearing a Clemente jersey. I know he saw us sitting in our seats before the game started so he was either a smart alek or something else was afoot. Just as I suspected two of his buddies arrived in the third inning and sat in the seats for the entire game. Handicap reserved to boot. What a jerk!
Bourgeois attitude aside we were there for the game. Dan Marino threw out the first pitch.
The stadium's construction is identical to that of a major league park. With that brings long lines at restrooms and concession stands. Also you can't get too close to the bull pen. Signs are posted warning, there is to be no standing, stopping, or loitering on the walkway. Since it was a Friday during Lent I don't eat meat so I had to settle for French fries. They were excellent. The beer selection was nothing to brag about, just the big brands. There is no bar or Tiki pavilion and nowhere to just hang out. Overall I give Steinbrenner Field 2.5 stars out of five. It is an impressive structure but it lacks charm and friendliness. Also the parking for us was a joke. The VIP lot was virtually empty coming and going meaning most of the so called VIP's didn't show up.
The season is almost over and I haven't made it to a Tiger's game right here in Lakeland. There is always next year. I have to go there and to the Orlando/ Kissimmee area for the Braves and Astros to have seen them all in the area.
Okay got to go. It looks like the rain has passed through and I need to get busy on the practice range. Gotta get that handicap index down from 18.7. I have had some good rounds but I always have that hole or two that inflates the score. Last week I needed a par on the 18'th to shoot 39 on the back and took a seven for a 42 in and a 44 on the front (five over on the two par 3's on the front side killed that). The back nine is more difficult so if I can get out of the gate with a good score and keep the bad holes to a minimum, low 80's or dare I say it, 79, is not out of the realm of reason. My swing feels good and I am controlling the penalty strokes. Happy hacking!
