The Seoul Series between the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers has officially kicked off the 2024 baseball season. The sport added a new venue, the Gocheok SkyDome, to the list of stadiums that has hosted a Major League Baseball game.
Over the past 20 years, my travels have often taken me to several MLB cities. As a baseball fan (more casual than diehard) I've often had an interest in attending a game in another city's park. They each have such character and unique components to them. In total, I have visited 20 of the 30 current ballparks.
I should note that I have not planned a trip around attending an MLB game. Most of the time, getting a ticket was a spontaneous occurrence, and I simply had the time and resources to catch a ball game while in that market.
For example, in 2019, I was on a trip to Washington, DC. We had a Saturday afternoon wide open. The San Francisco Giants were in town and the Nationals stadium was close to our hotel. Why not grab a $22 upper deck seat?
Luckily, the list of parks I have been to includes major market spectacles like Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles and small market gems like Camden Yards in Baltimore.
The history and character of places like Wrigley Field and Fenway Park are certainly unmatched. It's fair to even call them bucket list places any sports fan needs to visit. On the other hand, it's fun to catch a game at the newer, more luxurious parks like Yankee Stadium.
I thoroughly enjoyed the food (mostly nachos), beers, and competition at most of the parks. But there is one stadium that claims my top spot.
Petco Park, The Home Of San Diego Padres Is My Favorite MLB Ballpark
Disclaimer: As an East Coast kid, I always wondered about West Coast postcard places like San Diego. As a surfer, it felt like my favorite city in the country before I even had the chance to visit.
When I finally did visit Petco, I was instantly marveling at its location within the market. The backdrop was the city, with the salty air still drifting in.
On this particular day, the Padres were hosting the New York Mets. Again, in a spur-of-the-moment, " What do you want to do today?" scenario, two buddies and I walked up to the box office and paid $9 in cash each. Of course, we spent the first half hour or so exploring and getting acclimated to what this place had to offer.
My first impression was how pleasantly calm it was. The game itself was great and featured a close battle between the Padres and Mets. It seemed each team would score one run per inning. By the bottom of the third, the experience changed and the ripple effect is what has influenced my top ballpark decision.
We comfortably walked right down behind home plate and sat in the empty row. By this point, whoever was attending the game that day was in the building. There was no need to hop a row or sneak past anybody. The seats were open, the crowd was content, and we just moved right in.
For the next two hours, we watched every batter in the on-deck circle. We felt the heat of a 95 mph fastball smack the catcher's glove. We heard the umpire growl each ball and strike. Furthermore, many of the Padres players would initiate an unprompted "what's up" to us.
Upon returning east, I became invested in the Padres. I'd tune into many of their games that were broadcasted (especially the home games). When their branding changed to the new brown and yellow colors, I was the perfect person to market to, buying two different hats and a shirt.
My Petco Park experience encapsulated everything that appeals to me about the sport. The laid back location, the waves, and simply enjoying the sights and sounds of the game during warmer months. Having an engaging star like Fernando Tatis Jr. certainly helps as well.
I have an upcoming trip to San Diego in my future plans. I'll get off the plane, surf a few hours in the Pacific first, then head to Petco Park.
