• 8/8. Game time- 1:10 PM
• Attendance: 27,856
• Conditions: 76 degrees, roof closed (97 degrees outside)
• Matchup: San Diego Padres at Arizona Diamondbacks
• Starting pitchers: Mat Latos vs. Dan Haren Joe Saunders
• Result: SD 10, ARI 1, W – Latos (12-5), L – Saunders (7-11)
• Ticket purchased: $16 bleacher ticket (Sec 140, Row 34, Seat 16; includes $1 gameday surcharge)
• Beer of choice: Leinenkugel Classic Amber, 12 oz. – $4
• Food: Fatburger with cheese – $6.75, Value corn dog – $1.50
• Travel cost: $3.50 for Valley Metro light rail/bus day pass, used on light rail from Tempe (30 min. ride)
• Other: $1.50 1L bottled water brought into park
• Total spent: $33.25

12 years into its life, Chase Field (formerly BankOne Ballpark or The “BOB”) has settled in like a comfortable old shoe. No longer is it considered a tremendous engineering marvel, now that the other retractable dome in Glendale has captured the region’s imagination. What appeared at first like strange affectations or quirks in the outfield dimensions have become familiar and not particularly offensive. Thousands upon thousands have ascended and descended the mountain range known as the upper deck, and lived to tell others that they did not, in fact, need sherpas.

Getting There

Regardless of how well the now red-clad snakes do on the field, the stadium is an institution, its massive, hangar-like steel roof visible for miles around the valley. A few years ago, Valley Metro opened a light rail line, linking Downtown Phoenix and some neighborhoods north to Tempe, ASU, and Mesa. Color me pleasantly surprised when I encountered very full trains in both directions, even the inbound train I took over 90 minutes prior to the first pitch. If you’re driving, cash lots run from $6 to $12 depending on how close you want to be. A garage on the opposite side of tracks south of the ballpark has a footbridge for direct access by suite holders.

Westbound trains drop fans off two blocks from the ballpark, whereas eastbound trains stop roughly at the location where the above picture was taken. This makes using the train a rather painless experience from those who live within a short, often dry-heat enduring walk, or those who may use a station-adjacent Park-n-Ride lot. One way fare is $1.75, $3.50 for an all day pass good on Valley Metro buses as well.

The ballpark is laid out in Phoenix’s grid from west to east, with the field orientation facing north. Satellite and overhead photos with the roof closed give the appearance of a rectangular football stadium, not a ballpark. Only a nub sticking out on the south face gives a hint at how a baseball grandstand is shoehorned in there. Fans enter on either the west or east face from large, landscaped plazas. The west side has sports bar called Sliders across the plaza. A recording booth for sports radio station KTAR-620 AM is attached. A dozen or more ticket windows are set up in the southeast corner. Throughout my short journey, I did not see or encounter a ticket scalper, though I must admit I wasn’t actively looking for one.

Ticketing

I sidled up to the ticket window with my eye on one of the cheaper seats. The offerings were plentiful:

• Outfield Reserved (Upper Deck LF/RF corners): $9
• Bullpen Reserved (Lower Deck LF/RF corners): $15
• Bleachers (Lower Deck LF/RF outfield): $15
• Infield Reserve (Upper Deck infield/baselines): $15

As an Oakland bleacher bum, I couldn’t help but get a reasonably priced, $15 bleacher ticket (Sec 140, Row 34, Seat 16). The bleachers are aluminum benches with backs and upholders. Riser depth is the same as the regular seats, making it easy to run between the bleachers and the regular seat sections. I was not pleased to see that the D-backs charge an additional $1 gameday service fee on top of the published price, bringing my ticket cost to $16. It’s still better than dealing with Ticketmaster or Tickets.com, at least for games that are definitely not expected to be sellouts. In hindsight, I probably should’ve gotten the $9 ticket since it was so easy to move around.

From where I sat, I initially had a serious glare problem from the combination of lights and clerestory windows in the roof. It took a few innings to properly adjust so that I could pick up ball flight. It’s not a problem that would seriously affect outfielders.

Concessions

Food offerings at Chase Field are middling with little variety. A Fatburger stand is behind the LF bleachers. All burgers are cooked to order with your choice of toppings, just like the restaurant. The 1/3-lb. burger was $6.75 and was pretty close to what a Fatburger in a restaurant would taste like. Regular ballpark fare rules otherwise, with $5 D-back Dogs and $3.75 sodas, all Pepsi stuff. There’s also a value menu at most stands, consisting of a $1.50 hot dog/corn dog, $1.50 small popcorn, or $1.50 milk or small soda. That’s an excellent deal, and worthy of a thumbs up.

Beer has three pricing tiers. Just about every stand that offers draft beer has a $4, 12-ounce beer on hand, which is usually Coors Light. For $9 a large is offered, in which case a better beer such as Blue Moon Belgian White (also a Molson Coors product) is available. For more discriminating beer lovers, most of the beer stands also have 22-ounce bottles of Fat Tire and Sierra Nevada on hand for $10.50. I choose to get beer from the Leinenkugel stand, just around the corner from Fatburger. Leinenkugel, or “Leinie” to those in the know, is owned by SAB Miller and makes different kinds of craft lager beers. I got the $4 classic leinie, an amber by name and while not as interesting or flavorful as notable craft brew amber ales, is more than a step above the usual Big Three swill. Note: Maricopa County is looking to sell countywide pouring rights to the highest bidder.

Circulation

For some strange reason, only one set of escalators were built at Chase Field, at the West main entrance. Since fans have to exit the air conditioned confines to use the escalator, it doesn’t get heavy use. Ramps and stairs are well marked but also well concealed. Fans enter in on the Main Concourse, with the field 25 feet below MC. The Upper Concourse is over 46 feet above the MC. The MC and UC sandwich the Press Level (lower mezzanine) and the the Insight Diamond Level (upper mezzanine). Interestingly, two sets of elevators in LF and RF are available to the general public. The location of a large play area in the upper deck translates to a mall-like scene where tons of families use the LF elevators heavily. In right field, where there is an unadorned plaza, the elevators are only lightly used. Other elevators elsewhere in the stadium are intended for accessibility uses and are clearly marked as such.

Concourses are the stadium average 30 feet wide, though unlike the Coliseum they don’t include the transitional areas for fans entering or leaving the seating sections, as well as the wheelchair rows. That makes the whole place feel much less cramped, leaving plenty of room for alternative uses, best exemplified by the following picture:

Do you really need to ask what the girl was singing? “Love Story” by Taylor Swift, of course.

While I went through the seating bowl taking pictures, the ushers were extremely friendly and courteous. After the game started, they stayed the same – and not a single one checked for a ticket. I didn’t have time to do a significant seat upgrade, but I was able to get down to the lower boxes around the infield in the 5th inning. By that time the Pads had gotten a big inning thanks to some D-backs defensive miscues, prompting some fans to leave. It also helps that there is no cordoned off field level club area.

Alas, I didn’t stay long. I came not to merely check out the stadium, but to also hike to the top. Chase Field is notorious for its expansive upper deck, which has a minimum of 32 rows and maxes out at 40 in certain locations. If that isn’t bad enough, the pitch (rise) of the seating rows is at least 21 inches, making it the steepest of any ballpark west of the Mississippi. (The Coliseum has only 17 rows in the upper deck, with a pitch of 17-18 inches.)

I noticed that a couple dozen people were hanging out in the upper reaches, so I figured it was time to reach the summit. I made my way to the top, where I was congratulated by a young family. It’s the top row where fans have access to windows looking out on the metro area. Unfortunately, the views aren’t particularly exciting from the east side. From the west side, you can get a good look at Downtown Phoenix. Strangely, the seats behind the plate feel somewhat isolated from the rest of the ballpark as the ceiling is lower. If you’re willing to deal with the climb, it’s a cheap way to go at $15 ($9 in the outfield).

Other observations

• The sound system is extremely echo-prone. I’d been here before when the roof was open and noticed the same thing.
• The scoreboard, upon the second or third AB for each batter, displays a “back of the baseball card” show of stats. No advanced stats or peripherals, however.
• Overhangs are modest, 12 rows over the lower deck for the club level, and 6 rows over the club level for the upper deck.
• When the park opened, I really hated the Buck Showalter-influenced field dimensions. I realized sometime later that Jerry Colangelo was just trying to squeeze as much revenue out of the outfield as possible.
• The park is due for some upgrades in the next decade, including a new field level club and better growing lights for the oft-brownish field. The scoreboards were revamped some time ago and need nothing.

Wrap-up

Yes, it’s a dome. Can’t get around it. But you also can’t get around sweltering heat, even if it’s dry heat. MLB and Colangelo were smart to get the ballpark built in time for the 1998 season, instead of having the D-backs play at a beefed up Phoenix Muni or some other spring training facility. The fans like it, the amenities are good, and the transit and parking convenience make it one of the better urban ballparks in the nation. No, the upper deck can’t be fixed. So far, MLB has stood firm in its stance to keep the All Star Game at Chase Field in 2011, despite boycott threats over SB 1070 (which has had an injunction neuter the most controversial parts for now). Small changes may be in the offing if/when All Star Weekend happens, though it probably won’t be much to enhance the fan experience. Until then, Chase Field remains perfectly serviceable and pleasant for snakes and Phoenix MLB fans, and that’s something that would’ve been considered inconceivable 30 years ago.