***You can follow this blog by clicking on the "follow" button on the left hand side***
More California League action on Wednesday as I watched the Giants, not THOSE Giants, the San Jose Giants, take on the Modesto Nuts. San Jose has an older gem of a ballpark. And I love the name...San Jose Municipal Stadium. It looks and feels like a baseball park and reeks of baseball ambiance. That is something that has been lacking on my trip as of late.
More California League action on Wednesday as I watched the Giants, not THOSE Giants, the San Jose Giants, take on the Modesto Nuts. San Jose has an older gem of a ballpark. And I love the name...San Jose Municipal Stadium. It looks and feels like a baseball park and reeks of baseball ambiance. That is something that has been lacking on my trip as of late.
It has a standard semi-circular design with a small, tight concourse. It is also a small capacity ballpark which makes every seat a great one. And as a breath of fresh air, the facility was part of a government stimulus program that actually worked. It was erected in 1942 as part of a WPA project. Washington take note. AND it is still standing, in use, and in pretty good shape.
What is hard to explain is the price of a seat. At $12 for a general admission ticket it is pretty pricey. Remember this is Single A baseball. The night before I paid $15 for a GA ticket at a Major League game….and it included a hot dog. It might just be a San Jose thing. I went to a county park to hang out yesterday afternoon and they wanted $6 for entry...into a park. For that I expect not only entry but foot massage as well. Oh...it costs $10 to park at Municipal Stadium.. Again way too pricey for a minor league venue. I parked a 15 minute walk away for free. Hard to justify those prices. Did I mention I live on a fixed income?
Dog:
Bun-fresh and steamed.
Taste-the Hebrew National frank was damn good.
Toppings-I had a foodgasm….PUMP BROWN MUSTARD. The holy grail of hot dog toppings. Also a good selection of additional toppings. They had me at PUMP BROWN MUSTARD.
Price-$4.50. OK. I guess I am paying for that PUMP BROWN MUSTARD. I bit much for the dog.
Portability-nice sized foil sleeve.
It Factor-not much in the way of selection of other dogs. Meh.
Ballpark:
Location-close to downtown, but still too far away. Near a park and college ballpark.
Access-I am sure there is bus service, but mostly a drive-to park.
Cleanliness-for an ancient park they do a nice job. But getting an old park really spotless is like getting a log cabin really spotless.
GA Ticket-Nice military discount, but even with a good seat $12 for general admission is way too much.
Fans-a really nice crowd for a Wednesday night and they were really rooting for their team.
Ambiance-a super baseball vibe that cannot be bought or manufactured. Top score.
| Dog | Ballpark | Total Dog/Game | ||
| Bun | 5 | Location | 4 | |
| Taste | 5 | Access | 3 | |
| Toppings | 5 | Cleanliness | 4 | |
| Price | 3 | Ambiance | 5 | |
| Portability | 5 | GA Ticket Price | 3 | |
| It Factor | 3 | Fans | 5 | |
| 26 | 24 | 50 |
For an older venue in a Single A league a score of 50 is something to be proud of. If the Giants could manage to bring their prices of admission, parking and dog down they would be a top contender. Regardless, if you have the cash, a game a Municipal Stadium is not to be missed.
 |
| Me and Gigante |
I love muni! They offer several OSH, State Farm, and other merchant nights where there is a plethora of free tickets to be shared amongst us thrifty Silicon Valley dwellers. My biggest complaint with the ballpark, as with most other Cal League parks, is that they don’t let you bring in your own food. That’s a major drawback for me.
ReplyDelete