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Posted: Tuesday September 12, 2006 11:10AM; Updated: Tuesday September 12, 2006 12:31PM
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Texas Rangers
Ameriquest Field
Arlington, Tex. :: Opened: 1994 :: Capacity: 49,115
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
Average Ticket Price: $15.81
Average Cost of Concessions and Souvenirs: $71.00
How expensive is stadium parking?
• FREE: 3%
• $5-$10: 51%
• $10-$15: 39%
• $15-$20: 4%
• More than $20: 2%

Is public transportation a viable option?
• Never: 69%
• Worth it if you have a lot of time and patience: 18%
• A good option to avoid rush hour: 4%
• Pretty easy if you know the system well: 4%
• The only way to go: 3%

How would you rate traffic getting to and from the game?
To the game:
• A slow-moving parking lot: 8%
• Slow, but usually steady: 20%
• Moves well outside of rush hour: 34%
• Aside from the occasional bottleneck, it's good: 29%
• A smooth ride at all times: 7%

From the game:
• A slow-moving parking lot: 13%
• Slow, but usually steady: 44%
• Moves well outside of rush hour: 17%
• Aside from the occasional bottleneck, it's good: 17%
• A smooth ride at all times: 7%
How would you rate the number of restrooms for men and women?
• Bring a map: 1%
It depends on the section: 5%
• Never more than a short walk away: 26%
• A satisfactory amount: 26%
• Plenty: 32%

How long is the wait to use a bathroom?
• Always available: 65%
• 1-5 minutes: 32%
• 5-10 minutes: 1%
• More than 10 minutes: 0%

How would you rate the variety of food/beer concession options?
• Limp hot dogs, bland peanuts, even blander beer: 1%
• Nothing fancy, but the staple foods are tasty: 13%
• A little variety of food and drinks available at specific locations: 25%
• A nice variety but locations are spread out: 30%
• You name it, they have it around almost every corner: 29%

How much will a meal at the ballpark cost you?
• $5-$10: 22%
• $10-$20: 61%
• $20-$30: 13%
• $30-$40: 1%
• More than $40: 1%

How would you rate the entertainment options aside from the game?
• Nonexistent: 2%
• So many games/promotions and scoreboard highlights that the game is lost in the background: 4%
• Typical mascot antics/scoreboard quizzes and fun music: 39%
• Some unique promotions/antics, but it sometimes distracts from the game: 11%
• A nice balance that draws your attention when the game is stopped but doesn't distract from the action on the field: 42%
"Gorgeous designs dedicated to both Texas and baseball" adorn the outside of the stadium. A sea of advertising awaits inside, as does "a half marathon" walk to your seat, a walk not made any easier by the $10 you have to fork over for parking. Still, the place is "new, clean and a good home for the Rangers after their dismal old park." Be warned, though, that the window for attending games enjoyably is limited to after sunset, since "the heavy hot sun bakes the enjoyment of the day out of you." Maybe that's why so many fans arrive late. Or maybe it's because it's "in between Dallas and Fort Worth, so it is hard to get to the game on time, especially during the week." Aside from garlic fries and nachos, the food is pretty standard fare, as is the beer, aside from a few select outposts. Maybe holding back on the food will help you, though, in chasing balls hit to the expanse of green grass behind the center field wall. All in all, the park is a good representation of Texas: searing heat, large expanses and some pockets of money.
"Arlington was promised extensive development around the stadium if it agreed to [help pay for it], but once the place was built and the old stadium was torn down, the development never occurred." Should the Rangers be at home during the day, families can make their way "next door to Six Flags amusement and Hurricane Harbor water parks." But how many day games are the Rangers playing in the Texas heat? Dining options are few, save for a few places at the edge of the stadium parking lot. Better you should drive 20 minutes to either Dallas or Fort Worth and enjoy the nightlife in either town. "But crime at night in the cities isn't pretty, so if you are visiting, make sure you ask someone where the best place to go is."
2006 record: 73-71 (all statistics through Sept. 10)
Players worth the price of admission: Michael Young (.313 Avg., 89 RBIs, 81 runs), Mark Teixeira (.276 Avg., 27 HRs, 91 RBIs), Hank Blalock (.273 Avg., 15 HRs, 82 RBIs)
We have to be honest in admitting we are absolutely shocked at how well Ameriquest graded out. The ballpark is clean and spacious, but access is almost exclusively by car, there's little outside of a large parking lot near the park and the heat often makes attending a game a test of will. But tickets and concessions are relatively inexpensive, the park is architecturally interesting and the team is pretty competitive. Most important, fans seem to like the place, which is all any team can ask.

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