Vick Formally Pleas Guilty

I unfortunately don't have much time today, but just a few words on the Vick case. It is troubling to see that Michael Vick thought he could lie to Roger Goodell (the NFL Commissioner) and Arthur Blank (owner of the Atlanta Falcons) and not expect punishment. Vick has been suspended indefinitely without pay and will probably not be eligible to play until 2009 at the earliest, more likely 2010. A case of great talent wasted, Vick will need to go out of his way to earn the peoples' and fans' respect again.

A programming note, school is starting again this week, so there may be a few hiccups until I'm in a set schedule again. I'm looking to finish the ballpark rankings this week and then start talkin' football.

Ballpark Rankings #3: Chase Field

Chase Field, formerly known as Bank One Ballpark or BOB, was my favorite stadium from 1998-2005. Even though it is a stadium that often has its roof closed, it feels more intimate than Seattle's Safeco Field. The BOB has super easy access from I-10 and I-17 and despite being right in Downtown Phoenix, parking is a breeze (on game nights when the Suns basketball team is also playing at nearby US Airways Center it gets a little tight). When coming into the BOB, most people end up at the corner of 4th and Jefferson Sts. Here, there's a plaza that usually has people cooking barbecues and its where the majority of fans enter for the game. The plaza is featured in the photo below, albeit empty:



An outstanding feature of Chase Field is just how good the sightlines are. I've sat in the nosebleeds above home plate, in right field just past the foul pole, field level on the first baseline, and on the luxury Infiniti Diamond Level in left field and not one of those seats were bad. My preferred seating area here is the Diamond Level, which admittingly is on the expensive side, but the views can't be beat.

One of the big knocks against Chase Field is also it's most recognizable asset, the pool in right field. When the Yankees were playing the Diamondbacks in the '01 World Series, the NY writers ripped on the pool in right and mocking the stadium, making the general point that it wasn't a true baseball stadium. Who are they to say what is and isn't a true baseball stadium? Another big knock against Chase is the perceived notion that there is no history there. What do you call the 9th inning, Game 7 comeback against the Yankees in that World Series? What about Randy Johnson striking out 20 Cincinnati Reds (May 8th, 2001)? What about Brandon Webb's shutout inning streak this year? Are those not historic moments?

This stadium is also full of memories for me. When I would go to Arizona for summer vacation and see family, it quickly became a sort of tradition to go to at least one Diamondbacks game at the BOB. And most importantly, it is the place where the Diamondbacks won the Series in the best postseason Series I've ever seen.

On a side note, there has been a lot of news this week in regards to the Michael Vick case. I do intend to address this next week, probably Tuesday, when he officially enters his plea agreement. In the meantime, here are some more BOB pics:

Ballpark Rankings #4: Safeco Field

Safeco Field is a great ballpark. I visited "The Safe" in 2001 for the All-Star Game and it is still one of, if not the best game I've ever watched in person. That was the All-Star Game that featured Cal Ripken (it was his last season) and he hit a home run right into the bullpen in left-center. There was a series of pregame standing ovations for him and when he hit the home run, there were more ovations and a curtain call. It was an outstanding feat, considering Safeco Field was designed as a "pitcher's park", or a park that favors pitchers rather than hitters. It was a fitting conclusion for a Hall of Fame career.



With that being said, though, these rankings are based on the ballpark itself. There are some great features of Safeco, particularly its front facade, picture above, reminiscent of long-lost Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, NY. Also, the left field beachers are a great viewing spot. For the All-Star Game, I was in the right field upper deck, which was a great spot as well. Safeco probably has the best concessions in the game. Where else could you eat sushi and watch baseball? Tomorrow's ballpark is one that was my number #1 up until 2005, but here are some extra Safeco pictures.

Ballpark Rankings #5: Angel Stadium

I really like Angel Stadium. It's super easy to get in and out, it has good concession, great sightlines, and a great fan atmosphere. This atmosphere has been in place since the Angels won the World Series in 2002 with the crowd's rally monkeys and thunder sticks. More importantly, though, is that Angel Stadium is very family-friendly. So why, then isn't Angel Stadium up higher in my rankings? It has the same problem Dodger Stadium has in that it is a great venue that just got beat by better ballparks. Tomorrow is another West Coast stadium, but here are some more Angel Stadium pics:

Ballpark Ranking #6: Dodger Stadium

While Dodger Stadium is at #6 on the rankings, it isn't a bad ballpark. When I last visted Dodger Stadium, it was before Frank McCourt took over as owner and the Stadium was in need of renovation. I revisited the Stadium this month when the Arizona Diamondbacks were playing the Dodgers and it was like going to a brand new stadium. The seats were new, they had installed an LCD ribbon marquee along the loge level seats, the other marquees were made into LCD screens, new seats were added into the foul ground, and there was new signage everywhere.



Los Angeles fans are sometimes mocked in the national sports media for "arriving in the 5th and leaving in the 7th". Based on the D-Backs/Dodgers game this month, that is a total myth. The fans on both sides were energized and yelling and screaming for their teams throughout the game. Dodger Stadium is also the birthplace to the legendary fan event - the Wave.



Dodger Stadium has a lot of nostalgia about it and even for me, someone who had not seen moments like Kirk Gibson's home run or Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale pitching in person, there's nostalgia there even for me. My dad taking my sister and I to the Stadium during the era of Mike Piazza, Hideo Nomo, and Delino DeShields in the early 90's. Of course, it was in the long decline of the late 90's and early 00's and the rise of the Arizona Diamondbacks that I switched affections. But it was the early 90's Dodgers and the trips to the Stadium with my dad that introduced my sister and I to a love of the game. And even though I root for a team besides the Dodgers, there is none better in the bigs than Vin Scully when it comes to broadcasting games.



So even though Dodger Stadium is #6 in the rankings, it is my hometown stadium and a baseball gem. It is through Dodger Stadium that my dad showed me a love of baseball that has stayed with me since. The recent changes to Dodger Stadium have made it a great place to go again. Tomorrow, another SoCal gem is up.

Ballpark Countdown: #7 - Yankee Stadium

Image courtesy of mlbroadtrip.com

Yankee Stadium is without a doubt a baseball classic. It has the history, the tradition, the loyal fanbase, so what's not to like? Well, when I visited the stadium in July of 2004, I came away from it with a different perspective. I was in NYC on vacation and wanted to visit the Stadium, so my family and I hopped on the 4 subway from lower Manhattan and rode it up to the Bronx.



When we arrived at the 161st St. - Yankee Stadium stop, we quickly realized we needed to get to the stadium quickly because the Bronx did not look like a place to be in. Lots of very old buildings, worn paint, etc. It was a gray, overcast day, which made the stadium look cold and uninviting. The main color scheme of limestone and dark blue didn't help with the uninviting feel. Since there was no game that day (Yanks were on a long road trip), we took the stadium tour, which I highly recommend for any ballpark. We went all over Yankee Stadium from the press box to the dugouts to the locker rooms to Monument Park (photo below). While some of it was indeed a great experience (being in the dugout, Monument Park) the whole buidling seemed to wear its age and not gracefully. However, Monument Park is one of my favorite spots in baseball and the legends honored here are some of the greatest to play the game (DiMaggio, Mantle, Ruth, Maris, Gherig, Berra, the list goes on). It'll be interesting to see how the new Yankee Stadium turns out when it opens in 2009.

Ballpark Countdown Primer

The above image of San Diego's Petco Park was taken by me in April of 2006.

Every baseball fan keeps a note on which stadiums they've been to and want to visit. I've had the privilege of visiting 7 major league stadiums and have my own personal favorites and not-so favored ones. Included in them are 2 classics from the East Coast and 5 from the West Coast. From the Pacific Northwest to the Northeast to Southern California, and starting Monday, I'll begin a countdown of these 7 stadiums. Here's a hint for Monday: It's in the Northeast.

State of the NBA

A general news roundup for today. I'll be beginning a series of commentaries on ballparks I've been to Monday, starting with my least favorite, Yankee Stadium.

Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy (featured in photo above) plead guilty to charges of "conspiracy to admit wire fraud" and "transmitting betting information through interstate commerce." Worse, it was revealed in court yesterday that he was paid $5,000 for correct picks on games and he faces a maximum of 25 years in prison. While it is a foregone conclusion that Mr. Donaghy will face time and never officiate an NBA game again, my liking of the NBA had already sunken low and this doesn't help any. I don't like the image of many NBA players who deck themselves out in tattoos and dreds, nor some of the fans who have a penchant for being more aggressive than even the most die-hard NFL fans (the infamous Detroit Pistons-Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks-Denver Nuggets brawls are just two of the examples coming to mind.) Also hampering the NBA is the lack of competition. The same teams compete for the title year after year, especially the San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons. This year's NBA Finals between the Spurs and the Cleveland Cavaliers were one of the most boring playoff series I've ever seen. What makes the NFL and MLB more exciting currently? There is so much talent in the NFL that most of the teams have a chance to have a good season plus injuries have more of an effect because the season is only 16 games. As for MLB, there are currently 15 teams vying for playoff contention out of 30 total. Also, since 2000, there has been a different World Series champion each year ('00 - New York Yankees, '01 - Arizona Diamondbacks, '02 - Anaheim Angels, '03 - Florida Marlins, '04 - Boston Red Sox, '05 - Chicago White Sox, '06 - St. Louis Cardinals).

Barry Bonds broke Hank Aaron's record while my blog was on hiatus. Yawn. Here's to hoping another MLB star with a clean record in regards to steroids breaks the record in the next few years to make the record clean once again. Tomorrow I'll be posting a primer on my favorite ballparks in preparation of my series on Monday.

Milestone Weekend

This weekend was full of milestones for baseball.

First, Barry Bonds tied Hank Aaron's home run record in San Diego. While it is a given that it takes much talent to play baseball and especially when it comes to hitting home runs, there is a pile of evidence that Barry Bonds has taken steroids and thus, cheated the game. The remarkable thing is that he has a swagger and cockiness unlike any other athlete in recent memory, which makes the whole steroids/home run pursuit further tainted. It makes it harder to root for Bonds when he exudes cockiness on a daily basis.

Next up was Alex Rodriguez's 500th homer. And while I'm not an A-Rod fan, I hope he sets the career home run record that Bonds just tied. A-Rod has a lot of time left and he still mashes them out, so he could very well take the record.

Tom Glavine (pictured above) won his 300th game. He is only the 23rd person to win that many games and even less were left-handed, which he is. Glavine is near the end of his career, but I hope he has a few more seasons in him and he goes into the Hall of Fame. He's been one of the best pitchers in the modern era.