The outdoor scaffolding of the stadium though is very much like Nationals Park – exposed steelwork. The stadium backs to San Diego Bay so that the Bay is roughly behind home plate. Like Nationals Park, Petco Park was placed on a plot of land that handicapped it from maximizing the benefit of the city’s skyline.

Official Groundbreaking ceremony for the Nationals new stadium was May 4, 2006.

So you mean, they’re like Petco? Since it’s the blueprint for how to build a ballpark, now?

It’s not like Nationals Park and Petco opened around the same time, making it easy to confuse them. Nationals Park opened this year! On national tv! The guy also should’ve mentioned that they didn’t have a choice about the Western Metal because it’s protected as a historical building.

BTW, I’ve taken the Petco tour and I recommend it.

And one last thing I had to mention. From the Tim Sulllivan article:

They have recognized a narrow window of opportunity and are taking panes (pun intended) to pounce.

I hate, hate, hate this line. I don’t know why it rubs me so wrong. It’s just so stupid.

“As one who has been to a dozen games at Petco, I agree with Russell and Jeremy on many points. The Western Metal building is a little contrived, and the stadium is nowhere near as nice as Camden or AT&T…”

Contrived? Is he joking

Based purely on my (poor) memory…when Lucchino and his team started putting this whole thing together I remember the whole team went on a tour of some of the top ballparks (at the time) in the country (Camden, Coors, Jacobs, etc) and did research on what the fans and the ballclubs liked about the parks…and what they didn’t. They took this research into account when designing Petco. To make an idiot comment like saying the Western Metals Building “is an unadulterated rip off the Warehouse at Camden Yards” is such an ignorant statement it makes me cringe. The Padres weren’t pretending to be the first to incorporate an existing building into their design in any way shape or form. And if “Jeremy” had actually taken the time to review a ballpark correctly, like, by…oh, I don’t know…WATCHING A GAME THERE (but who wants to watch a “riveting” Twins-Padres game)...he would have had the chance to go sit on the porch of Western Metals Building and enjoy some ice cold adult beverages while sitting at a bar that literally hangs over left field. Yeah, I remember that cool porch on the warehouse at Camden…oh, wait. And while we’re at it…can the Camden Yards ass-kissing finally cease?? Jesus Lopez. It’s been 16 years….enough already. We get it….they were the first “retro” ballpark. And to whine about how cold it is at Petco…put on a sweatshirt, Sally. My God…when I went to Camden it was 100 degrees for first pitch….at 7pm! It was humid like a damn jungle. But at least Camden is in that beautiful city of Baltimore….right? Vomit.

He only signed a 1 year deal right?

They’ve got Adrian in their mouth.

MLB recommends that it face east/northeast.