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 Submitted By:
Robert Grade:
A
Pros of the ballpark:
Though the Ballpark is nearing 20 years old, it's been
well-maintained and competes with any park out there from an
architectural perspective. The atmosphere has always been very
laid-back and very family friendly, though the recent success of the
team has created a lot more excitement in the building. Great sight
lines (except in RF), and more great amenities are added every year
with the new video board, CF club/concessions area, etc.
Cons of the ballpark:
It's
Texas. It's hot. You could argue that opening up the outfield would
have increased airflow, however the enclosed stadium really gives
you the feeling of being immersed in the game. While the team did a
good job of landscaping with the lake/trees around the park, it's a
victim of being in the middle of Arlington, with lots of offices
around it.
Additional Comments:
As my
home park, this will always be #1 for me. It feels retro, but also
uniquely Texan.
Submitted By: Ryan Rinn Grade:
A
Pros of the ballpark:
Inexpensive tickets/parking/refreshments compared to most parks in
baseball. Beautiful stadium and well-maintained. It's a very large
and open feeling stadium so you don't feel claustrophobic. Great for
people of all ages.
Cons of the ballpark:
Yes,
there used to be problems with scoreboard viewing, but the new
ownership has made it a priority to enhance the overall experience.
The new HD video board in right field is an enormous upgrade from
the previous, small and dated screen. They have added a large screen
in the left field wall for the fans in right field, a ribbon board
lapping the stadium and a new sound system. You may not get the
large HD board in right, but you do get shade in the HR porch.
Biggest con: The heat. It is, however, Texas. I don't believe
baseball under a roof.
Additional Comments:
As
for the many corners in along the outfield wall; to each his own. It
doesn't take anything away from the game, and can make it more
exciting. A couple corners don't make it any worse than a brick
wall, a ledge hanging over the playing field (just asking for a
right fielder to get nailed in the head one day off of a crazy
deflection or a hill with a flag pole in play. I've been to most
stadiums in baseball, and this is ballpark is in my top 5.
Submitted By: Alex Grade:
B
Pros of the ballpark:
Gives the mix of an old and new ballpark, staff very friendly, good
variety in food, good sightlines, kids zone is good for the kids,
lots of Texas flavor, ticket prices are reasonable, most of the fans
are very friendly and down to earth.
Cons of the ballpark: Not
many...Closed in ballpark means absolutely no breeze at all, so it
can get hot, scoreboard invisible to 1/3 of ballpark (helped some w/
09' renovations).
Additional Comments:
Overall this is a great place to see a baseball game, it really
provides that old-time feel. The only thing I'd like to have seen
done different is to open up the back of the ballpark instead of
having it closed in. Hopefully, when the Rangers start winning, the
crowd will really get into the games and we will have ourselves a
baseball team.
Submitted By: Michael B. Grade:
A
Pros of the ballpark:
Aside from a small section in right field corner, not a bad seat in
the house (in fact, it is worth multiple trips to enjoy varying
vantage points). Most family-friendly park in baseball--turns off
some purists, but there aren't many of those locally. One of the
cheapest tickets in professional sports, even after recent price
hike. Wide concourses and plenty of elevator/escalator access. For a
big stadium, it feels very cozy in the lower decks.
Cons of the ballpark: Hot,
hot, hot!!!--even for a Dallas/Ft. Worth local. Since the stadium
club was built in the home plate concourse, the stadium gets no
breeze at all. Scoreboard set-up is impossible to see from right
field bleachers & home run porch (which are actually some of the
best seats in the stadium). Upper deck (outside of home run porch)
is a long way from the field (and given recent bad baseball, it's
easy to forget the game). Parking isn't cheap, and it is a long walk
from most lots to the gates. Aside from a few restaurants, there is
NOTHING to do around the park--may improve after new Cowboys stadium
is built next door.
Additional Comments: I
admit my hometown bias up front, but this is a great place to watch
a baseball game. The Ballpark is a great day-game park, but there
aren't many of them (and those from Memorial Day to Labor Day are
suicidal). Plan ahead if you want to see the Yankees or Red Sox, and
sometimes even the White Sox or Indians--they only are in town for a
series or two, and those games sell out first.
Submitted By: Jimmy Grade:
B
Pros of the ballpark: The outside design, manual scoreboard
in left field, and Home Run porch give the park a classic feel.
The upper level seats are not as bad as others have said they are.
Yes you are way up there, but you still can follow the action.
The suites are nice and the service is friendly. Alot of stuff for
the kids to do with the kids sports park in center (Wiffle ball
field is cool) and the Legends of the game museum. Ticket prices are
actually some of the lowest in baseball.
Cons of the ballpark: The only thing I hate about the park is
the position of the jumbotron and the food prices. I also wish that
the fans would get more involved in the games.
Additional Comments: Yes it can get hot, but all of us true
Texans are use to it. Six Flags is next door and I think it
would have been nice if they would have somehow designed a view of
it from inside the park. Think it would be cool to look out in the
outfield and see a roller coaster going by.
Submitted By: Russ Grade:
F
Pros of the ballpark: Easy parking, lots of concession stands
and restrooms, friendly employees. Very vertical design, people in
row in front of you don't interfere with your view. Feels a lot
smaller and more intimate than it looks on TV or in pictures. Great
exterior design...the longhorns and murals add a real Texas flair to
this park.
Cons of the ballpark: Expensive tickets/food/parking ($8-12
per car), avoid the upper-level seats. They are way too high up to
enjoy the game. Scoreboard not visible to fans in center or right
field. Enclosed design doesn't allow much wind to cool you off on
hot days. Multiple-angle outfield fence gives unusual bounces that
take away from the game. Outfielders shouldn't have to work that
hard to play the angles. Bullpens behind outfield fence nearly out
of view from many seats. Sit in the front row of any level or deck
and you have to look through steel rail.
Additional Comments: Everyone talks about how great this park
is. It's retro. It's new. An architectural masterpiece. Whatever. I
disagree. Some of the best seats, the second tier of what they call
"Home Run Porch" in right field (looks just like old Tiger Stadium):
you can't see the instant replay or main scoreboard. A shame,
because the roof shields you from the sun and the view/angle is
perfect. The upper-level seats are awful. Too far up, too far away,
and if you sit down the baselines beyond the dugouts, it's an
awkward angle to view the game from, having to look down and turn
your neck to see home plate. I miss the old Arlington Stadium and
its cheap general-admission bleacher seats where you could spread
out and not be elbow-to-elbow with the rest of the crowd. There
wasn't a bad seat in the old park.
Submitted By: Trey Johnston
Grade: C
Pros of the ballpark: The outside of the park is really
pretty especially when it's dark, the place is full of Texas flavor
(every team should add local spice). The manual scoreboard was cool
The ushers and other employees are friendly. I had a personal pizza
and it was the best I've had in while. When the Rangers hit a homer
fireworks go off (pretty cool to a Minnesotan). I got to see Mark
Teixeira hit for the cycle which was cool but funny; I listen to my
beloved Twins day in and day out and they haven't had anybody for
the cycle in a longer time span then the Rangers have and the one
and maybe only time I go to a Rangers game a guy hits for the cycle!
I also managed to get a batting practice ball out of luck.
Cons of the ballpark: We sat down the right field line which
is one of the worst places to sit, the view of the game is nice but
you CAN'T see the big screen! There's the big screen in Right and
then another one in center but you cannot see it. I don't know if
anywhere in the outfield is a good place to sit though. The fans
really get into it when the Rangers are scoring but there were times
when a play would happen and I didn't it happened because it was so
quiet and I'm looking at my scorecard (which I thought were poor).
The pa announcer was dull too. During the National anthem i couldn't
see the American Flag from my seat. Poor!
Additional Comments: I really don't understand why they spent
252M on A-Rod with whom they had 3or4 losing years and they can't
spend 10M or whatever it cost to build a scoreboard plus the park
got a new name and that gives them 80-100M. This park has been
around for 10 years and they fixed the problem but they updated the
current ones. Inexcusable!!! Even though I'm biased I like the
Metrodome because I don't think there is a bad seat there or one
where you can't see the big screen. I was very disappointed with the
park.
Submitted By: Dan Hawkins
Grade: C
Pros of the ballpark: I've lived in Fort Worth during most of
the Ballpark's existence, so I've been to a number of games there,
including the first Opening Day. The Ballpark has a beautiful
exterior, and the right field home run porch adds a lot to the
feeling of being in an old time ballpark.
Cons of the ballpark: I will never understand why the
architect decided to design the main concourse like he did.
Sure, it's big and wide, but you can't see the field from there.
They have to put TVs at all the concession stands so fans can see
what they're missing. They also put the scoreboard and
jumbotron on the roof above the home run porch, invisible to about a
third of the seats in the park. They don't even have an
auxiliary monitor for fans in those seats.
Additional Comments: This is a beautiful ballpark, but they
made some boneheaded design decisions. I love the way the home
run porch looks from around the infield, but I would never sit there
because of the obstructed views and not being able to see the main
scoreboard and jumbotron.
Submitted By: Bobby Grade:
A
Pros of the ballpark: I went to two Red Sox vs. Rangers games
in late April '05. The fact that my group and I were Red Sox
fans didn't diminish the experience. The park is beautiful,
the fans there are great, the whole experience was a total success.
I am going back in June as a Braves Fan with my 9 yr old son.
Cons of the ballpark: It is a bit of a walk to get to the
bathrooms from the outfield stands. They were also not
allowing people to wear Yankee's Suck t-shirts or have banners with
that on it. I believe that is a bit much, the word suck is in
itself not bad. The only "Jumbotron" is not visible from the right
field stands...kind of a bummer.
Additional Comments: I am a fan of baseball, I will watch any
two teams play, college, pro, little league etc. This was one
of my first MLB live experiences, and I enjoyed my trip to Dallas.
We traveled over 300 miles to watch the game from New Mexico, and I
will defiantly do this again.
Submitted By: Joe Sorrentino
Grade: C
Pros of the ballpark: Beautiful exterior, especially at home
plate entrance. The centerfield pavilion has lots to see and
do. The retro homerun porch in right field is a welcome
refuge from the brutal Texas sun during day games. And if the
wife and kids get bored, the Six Flags amusement park is right next
door.
Cons of the ballpark: The tiering of the stadium looks too
bland and football-ish. In particular, the upper deck is just
too towering. You are a mile away if you sit up there by the
foul pole. The absence of overhanging decks moves you too far from
the field.
Additional Comments: The lack of enthusiasm by the crowd by
the biggest liability to the ballpark's aura.
Submitted By: Shoeless Jeff
Grade: A
Pros of the ballpark: I visited this park about five years
ago and absolutely loved it. This park is one of many modern parks
that evoke the feeling of a ballpark built early last century, like
Comiskey Park. I never visited the old Arlington Stadium but Ranger
fans have to be very happy (though you'd never guess it from some of
the comments here). I loved the canopied double deck in right field
(images of old Tiger Stadium), the abundance of brick and iron
beams, and the excellent quirky sightlines - which I spent the whole
game taking in from each angle. I thought the Nolan Ryan statue was
a nice touch too. The ballpark looks great from the outside but the
property, while convenient, suffers from a bit of Disney-itis (read
on)
Cons of the ballpark: This park has a flaw that most modern
parks do - including my home park of U.S. Cellular (chisox). Rangers
Ballpark in Arlington is surrounded by an ocean of emptiness &
parking lot and doesn't have any kind of neighborhood feel to it -
like Disneyland. Another con: for the game I visited I didn't
exactly have the feeling that Rangers fans are die-hards, but I will
say the home team was being pounded by Detroit and that kind of
beating does tend to take a crowd out of a game. The concessions at
this park are over-the-top expensive and offer very little variety.
I will say though, that I'm used to U.S. Cell food which everyone
says is the best & most varied. Food is one aspect where I wouldn't
trade my park for this one - otherwise.
Additional Comments: C'mon Ranger fans . . . lighten up! You
have a great new home park that you should be proud of. I hope to
visit Rangers Ballpark in Arlington again someday when the White Sox
visit and, again, watch a visiting team do some damage.
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