Parking price and efficiency:
(Public transportation?)
Petco Park is located near the historic Gas lamp District and Horton Plaza. There were many different parking garage options. The price varied on how close to the stadium you wanted to walk. It was a brisk 15 minute walk from the parking garage to the stadium. We also had the option of taking the San Diego Trolley to the game. San Diego is one of the few places in California where people use public transportation. I would rather walk a mile from my car to the park than use the stadium parking that Anaheim, Los Angeles and Oakland have.
Ease of entering/exiting stadium:
I used Will Call when I ordered our tickets. There were only two windows open and I was directed by a Padres employee to use a particular line because it “looked shorter”. Well, it was true that there were fewer people in line. But the lady at the window was causing a 405 freeway-type backup. It seems her son ordered the tickets and neglected to tell the lady what name it was under. She had no confirmation number, no credit card, nothing. Ten minutes later we had our tickets and headed towards the gates.
I was carrying a clipboard, sweatshirt and camera bag. My wife had her purse. I noticed a “no bags” line that was moving fast. Seeing as I didn’t consider my camera bag a bag per se, I walked right in. My wife on the other hand, waited in the long lines. A purse is a bag, isn’t it? Ladies with purses walked through the “no bags” line after the security person glanced inside, looking for WMD’s and other items.
Five minutes later, Sara made it though her line. Apparently, Security was being picky, arguing with mothers about the contents of their baby bags. Items that were deemed OK to bring to the park, according to Padres.com, were suddenly being confiscated. Hopefully, they’ll get their act together and stop impersonating the TSA.
Interior/Exterior look: (Design/Architecture/view beyond the stadium
The first thing I noticed about Petco was how wide the concourses were in places. People still stood in the middle chatting, but you could easily swerve around them. There were plenty of bathrooms and concessions stands. They even feature a small food court with tables and benches.
The overall design of Petco is very San Diego-Industrial. I made that term up. Exposed beams are overhead, while there were portions of granite and sandstone in various areas. Unlike PacBell Park and Camden Yards, Petco isn’t “Retro”. It’s not supposed to look old-timely. The only thing that’s retro, is the Western Metal Supply Co. Warehouse, which the designers incorporated into the ballpark. The Warehouse was built in 1909. It's the brick building to the left of the scoreboard in the photo below.
The view from the park is pleasant. You can see downtown San Diego and Balboa Park in the distance. Also, the flight path for San Diego airport runs in front of Petco Park. So you’ll often see a Southwest Airlines plane fly across the horizon.
Signature food:
For a new ballpark, the food selection was remarkably bland. The only thing “unique” was the Rubio’s Fish Tacos. Sara would also like to comment that it took her 25 minutes to get ice cream. This wasn’t Ben and Jerry’s or Coldstone Creamery, friends. This was soft serve in a baseball cap. 25 MINUTES!!!
As I mentioned, we walked through the Gaslamp district in order to get to the park. We must have walked past 50 different restaurants offering every type of cuisine imaginable. Yes, even Hooters! Why pay ballpark prices for bland food when we could sit at one of these places and enjoy a nice lunch? Next time, we’ll eat at the Hard Rock Café before going to the park.
Microbrew availability:
This category was going to be “N/A” until the 7th inning of the game we attended. Until then all I could find was your standard mega-brews. I walked by a concession stand behind my section and Volia! Sweet Spot Hefe and California Gold Blonde from a local place called Oggi’s Pizza and Brewery. I’ll try one next time.
Employees that knew who the
starting pitcher was: (Bonus if they knew the opposing pitcher)
I was so busy
soaking in this new park, I didn’t have time to quiz many employees. I did ask
two employees this question. While they didn’t know off hand, both used a small
guest service guide to provide the answer. Petco bats .1000 in this category.
Music selection: (Signature song, variety, organ or PA)
The music was mellow between innings, preppy in the right spots with a healthy dose of the organ to get the crowd going. I enjoyed the Sheryl Crow and Jimmy Buffett songs. However, they stooped to playing YMCA.
Seat/Section Quality:
Our section was 301, row 16. We had a great view of the field. The problem was that the configuration of the stairs prevented us from seeing the batter sometimes. People would wander up the stairs with trays full of goodies right when the batter would swing. Almost nobody walked up the steps any other time. Funny how that works.
The seats were comfy and wide. There was a decent amount of legroom and space under the seat for trash. And the cup holders weren’t at an angle like some other places.
Fan interest and knowledge: I’m a good husband and wear D-Backs stuff when we see my wife’s favorite team. But I’m the one who fans direct their comments to. Besides those comments, I didn’t interact with many members of Padres Nation. There was one fan named “Swanz” who seemed very know legible. I know this because he wouldn’t shut up through the entire game. He seemed to know everything about Petco Park, even though it had been open for only a few weeks.
Standard ballpark souvenir prices:
Nothing seemed overpriced. That’s funny thing to say, since EVERYTHING at a ballpark is overpriced. You could purchase A Padres sticker for $4, a souvenir bat for $12 and a foam glove (like the foam finger) for $10.
Stadium Flagship Souvenir Store quality and unique souvenirs:
The Padres team store is placed in the bottom floor of the Western Metal Supply Co. Warehouse. It’s a very nice looking store, decorated in brick and wood. I was tempted to buy the Petco Park aloha shirt for $80, but thought against it.
Pre game ceremonies quality:
Since we attended “Mexico Opening Day” we were treated to “The Prince of Songs”. Yes, it was Mexico’s own Jose Jose. No idea who we was. But his daughter did a nice rendition of the national anthem.
Mascot/Pep Squad annoyance factor:
The pep squad make an appearance during the 7th inning stretch and used a sling-shot to propel their t-shirts. This allowed the t-shirts to travel almost eight rows. No love for the people in the cheap seats.
The Padres Friar was in attendance, decked out in a Hawaiian shirt. I also spotted the Petco cat and dog mascots wandering the stands. Corporate sponsored mascots. At least Oakland doesn’t have Network Associates mascots.
Promotional item quality: While the Mark Loretta gloves looked high quality, they were only for those 13 and under. My friend Glen sometimes acts like a 13 year old, but that didn’t count.
Neat-o ballpark features:
Petco Park has some very unique features. Some are nice, others really stupid. I think they cancel each other, giving a fan a pleasant experience, while the players have some gripes
Petco does a good job of including some unique seating/viewing areas. In the outfield section, there is a grass section called “Park at the Park” where you may play catch or sit on a blanket to watch the game. It’s not the greatest view, but why complain if admission is $5. In front of the Park is the section called “The Beach”. It’s a un-covered bleacher section, but the front area is a huge sand box. Below is Sara hanging out in "The Beach"
My favorite feature is the Western Metal Supply Co. Warehouse. It houses some party suites, rooftop bleachers, a restaurant and the Padres Team store. The Warehouse also serves as the left field foul pole.
The Problems I have with Petco is the playing field itself. First is the complete lack of concern for the visiting team. Back when the Boston Garden around, rumors persisted that the Celtics could control the water temperature in the visitor’s locker room. The Celtics also apparently knew all the “Dead Spots” on the parquet floor. At Petco, the visitor’s dugout is small, compared to the spacious one the Padres inhabit. The Padres bullpen is located in the outfield, as are most bullpens in the majors. The visitor’s bullpen is along the first base line. It seems like the Padres did this intentionally or completely forgot about it. Most new stadiums feature both bullpens in the outfield.
Back in the 1900’s ballparks were built where there was room. Some ballparks (like Fenway) are surrounded by streets on all sides. Fenway was given its quirky dimensions out of necessity. The quirky dimensions at Petco make no sense. They’re quirky because the designers and architects wanted them to be. There’s a seating section (125 and 127) in right field the juts onto the field. I found it ironic that a visiting team player (Luis Gonzalez) hit a home run into this weird section. It would have been an out if not for that section. This odd configuration has some Padres players peeved. Apparently, it's hard to hit a home run at Petco due to the quirky configuration and deep I’m sorry, it just bugs me.
Bathroom cleanliness and availability: The bathroom I wandered
into had no TV or radio broadcasting the game. But I saw so impressed with the
bathroom itself that I hardly noticed. It was clean and the paper towels were
full. Also, they had shelves for people to place their beverages while they
“take care of business”. Impressive.
Sara informed me that the ladies
rooms had the shelves and hooks for hanging purses. Kudos to the friars for
these enhancements.
Value of ticket: (Quality of team
play vs. price)
Padres games used to be a huge
hassle to go to. The parking was bad and the stadium itself wasn’t comfortable.
We rarely planned a trip to see the Padres. But because of Petco, we’re
planning on making a few trips to San Diego this summer to enjoy this wonderful
stadium.
And despite the fact the Padres
beat the Diamondbacks, this was a heck of a game to watch. The Padres won the
game by a walk off home run by Ryan Klesko that hit the Western Metal Supply
Co. Warehouse.