7/18/2009 - PETCO Park - MLB Ballpark #21

2009 Game #19 - Colorado Rockies at San Diego Padres
Final Score: Padres 3, Rockies 1
Hot Dog - 4/5

PETCO has taken over the top spot, not counting Fenway or Wrigley.  And if anyone knows what is wrong with San Diego, please let me know.  I mean there has to be something… the weather is perfect, the ocean is right there, the city is great… what’s wrong with it?  Frequent alien abductions…?

Anyway, as I’m sure you have gathered, Rich and I both loved San Diego and Petco Park (though the park’s name leaves a bit to be desired).  One of the features we were both surprised (and impressed) by was the lawn seating in the outfield, behind the “beach”.  (More on the “beach” later.)  I guess it’s a general admission ticket, but you still have a great view of the field and the game.  There is also a mini-ball field back there for the kids.  Another thing we noticed on the way out was that there is a giant TV screen on the back of the center field wall.  At first we thought, “Oh that’s nice.  They broadcast the game for the folks on the lawn.”  Then we noticed the sign saying “Watch all the away games here!”  They broadcast the away games there too!  Cool!

Now, as for the “beach,” behind the fence in right center field there is a sandy area in front of the bleachers for kids to play in during the game.  It makes a mess on the warning track, but I guess the grounds crew doesn’t mind too much.  On the other hand, the bullpen setup was bizarre.  The Padres’ bullpen is in left-center, behind the fence, but the visitors’ bullpen is on the field, outside the right field foul line.  That doesn’t seem fair!  There was room to stack a second bullpen behind the Padres’, but instead there was a picnic section.  Strange.

Also, we took advantage of the “5 for $5” deal offered only at Friar Frank’s on the concourse.  For $5 you get… a hot dog (or veggie dog), a small bag of popcorn, a bag of peanuts, a drink, and a cookie.  Yes, all that for $5.  When I asked the guy for 2 of the combos, he said, “Only two?”  Wow!  Another point in Petco’s favor!  And the hot dog was pretty good, too!

In other news, there was a good crowd there– just over 28,000.  However, Rich and I realized at the game that while the San Diego fans care about their team and what’s going on, they (and many of the other local baseball team fans we have encountered) do not have any of the passion that Boston, New York, Chicago and Philly fans have for their baseball teams.  (And in Tony’s case, Dodger fans too.)   We have such an intense emotional connection to our teams back east, but these folks (in general) don’t.

The game itself was great!  Well, there was a scary moment in the 6th inning when Edgar Gonzalez (Adrian’s brother) got hit in the head with a pitch.  He stayed conscious, though, and was up and off the field after a few minutes.  The latest reports we heard on the news this morning was that he was doing fine– nothing broken.  Yikes!  That also made scoring the game tougher, because there was a pinch runner at that point, and in the next inning several defensive changes, since Adrian also accompanied his brother to the hospital.  Anyway, he was ok, and the game went on. 

Home plate umpire Greg Gibson was inconsistent as usual (I remember a particularly terrible Red Sox game he called a couple of years ago.), so the pitchers and hitters were a bit frustrated.  Both teams scored one in the first inning, and it stayed that way until the 7th.  On the 8th pitch of his at-bat in the 7th, pinch-hitter Chase Headley smashed one into the seats, giving the Padres a 2-1 lead.  They added one more that inning (a double for Kouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuzmannoff, and an RBI for the catcher), and the final was 3-1.  Yay Padres!  As it turns out, that was the only game (of 4) the Padres won in the series against the Rockies.  All in all, a great game in a spectacular ballpark.

-Karyn