Subscribe to SI
Give the Gift of SI
Extra MustardSI On CampusFantasyPhoto GalleriesSwimsuitVideoFanNationSI KidsTNT
Free E-mail AlertsE-mail ThisPrint ThisSave ThisMost PopularRSS Aggregators
PETCO PARK
San Diego
Opened: 2004
Capacity: 42,445
Average Ticket Price: $20.83
Average Cost of Concessions and Souvenirs: $93
Pluses:
More than 27,000 parking spaces are available for fans, ranging in price from $3 to $17; a local trolley, bus lines and water taxis all provide public transportation to the park.

Minuses:
Of those 27,000 parking spaces, the vast majority (i.e. those cheaper than $17) are at least eight blocks or more away from Petco; traffic has become an ever-present staple of life in this, one of the country's fastest-growing metropolitan regions.
Although Petco Park exudes a distinctly corporate feel, most fans understand that the players are still the main attraction.
Photo by John W. McDonough/SI
An almost three-acre park lies beyond the outfield fence, offering a Little League field, a picnic area and a playground; the terrace-level bar and grill in left field provides views of the game while La Cantina offers an outdoor margarita and tequila bar; plenty of restroom facilities (52) are available as are a wide array of concessions (82); more than 350 wheelchair-accessible seats, an average offering.
Has baseball changed or is it just us? True, the stadium has everything you want in a new ballpark -- wide concourses, comfortable seating, a fabulous JumboTron -- while offering the type of unique architecture and views of the city that lets someone know he/she is in San Diego. But the baseball can kind of get lost. There is always something happening between innings: name that tune, baseball quizzes, win a Barcalounger, T-shirts to the fans, virtual boat races. It all seems like someone is trying very hard to keep you at the park because they assume you aren't really there for the baseball. This approach, while not ideal for keeping focused on the game, does seem to attract a healthy contingent of singles, who find plenty of places to mingle while getting a beer or food. A note to those with a fear of heights: stay out of the upper deck. The steps are steep, passers-by and vendors interfere with the view of the game and you generally feel like you're in another zip code.-- Tom Hollenbeck  
Nothing -- and we mean nothing -- is right outside the ballpark. Even a street side hot dog or peanut cart would be nice. The Fifth Avenue restaurants that dot the renowned Gaslamp District are several blocks from the stadium, but worth the 10-minute walk. Horton Plaza (a mall) is also several blocks away. -- Tom Hollenbeck  
2005 Record: 64-66 (all statistics through Aug. 29)
Players worth the price of admission: Jake Peavy (11-6, 2.97 ERA), Brian Giles (.300 average, 13 HRs, 68 RBIs), Ryan Klesko (.258, 17 HRs, 57 RBIs), Khalil Greene (.257, 10 HRs, 49 RBIs).  
Like an increasing number of previously hard-core baseball teams, San Diego has been Camden-ized. While that does wonders for a team's bottom line and for parents trying to coax an extra inning of attention from their restless children, it also serves to neuter any sense of home-field advantage, especially when scoreboard races often get as big a reaction from the crowd as a game-breaking double in the eighth inning.  

Search