Tempe Diablo Stadium

I am going to need more sunscreen. That’s what kept telling myself while watching the Angels/Brewers game at Tempe Diablo Stadium. It was my first Cactus League game and it got a little warm. I know I should not be complaining while most of you are still mired in winter, but bitching is a fine art and I need to stay on top of my game.

Happy Hot Dog Crew

Tempe Diablo Stadium is one of the older spring training complexes. It was built in 1968 and had undergone serious renovations since. Still, you can get a sense of the older design by eyeing the horseshoe structure of the main concourse. It is well kept and the grass some of the greenest I have ever seen. I love the green grass contrast against the backdrop of the brown, rugged hills. Very visually pleasing. What was not pleasing was the price of admission to the grass berm which is the GA seating area. I think 12 smackers is a lot, and I ain’t talking smackers as in homeruns. I bought tickets to two other games today and those grass seats were only $8. I wasn’t the only fan that noticed that it is a little pricey to see a team basically practice.

The dog selection was sparse, as in there was only one type of dog to choose from unless you went for a brat. Some variety and imagination would help the menu greatly. Read below to see how both ballpark and hot dog rated.

DOG

Bun-fresh and steamed. No complaints-5

Taste-a National Deli frank that was both plump and juicy-4.5

Toppings-for $6 I want a wide selection. I got mustard and relish-2

I couldn't wait

Price-$6 would be acceptable if there were more toppings, but a little pricey as it stands-4

Portability-love the foil wrapper-5

It Factor-hot dog….that’s it. No over the top offerings or even variations of the original-2

BALLPARK

Location-relatively close to downtown Tempe-4

Accessibility-mostly a drive to ballpark. But it is near a mall in case you need to make a Bed, Bath and Beyond run after the game-4

Cleanliness-outstanding-5

Ambiance-not bad but missing something-4

GA Ticket Price-OUCH! 3

Fans-this was the first game in this ballpark for spring training. I expected a full ballpark but while there were plenty of fans it was not sold out. Of course there are 10 other games in the area going on. The fans, with the exception of a rowdy 30-something crowd next to me, were quite docile-4

Overall the lack of dog choice drug down the score, as did the price of admission. I’d still eat a dog here though. The ordinary hot dog was damn tasty despite the dearth of condiments. I can honestly say this though; it was the best Cactus League baseball/hot dog experience so far with and overall score of 46.5 out of 60.

Dog		Ballpark		Total Dog/Game
Bun	5	Location	4
Taste	4.5	Access	4
Toppings	2	Cleanliness	5
Price	4	Ambiance	4
Portability	5	GA Ticket Price	3
It Factor	2	Fans	4
	22.5		24	46.5