The SacBee rates California's ballparks. Article requires registration, but BugMeNot should have a username and password for you to use.
I don't even know why I comment on these types of things because I know that I'm a homer, but nevertheless... Here I am with a few score adjustments.
On Dodger Stadium:
THE AREA (7): The view from the stadium is stunning - looking toward the outfield, you see the hills surrounding Chavez Ravine, and looking backward from the top of the stadium, you can see downtown L.A.
My Score for THE AREA (3): Yeah... The area's great... Except you're still in LA.PARKING/TRAFFIC (9): The park is the best in this category and possibly the majors. The stadium can be reached via three different highways. It has 16,000 parking spots on 21 terraced lots, and it's built in six seating levels. Yes, traffic can be bad leaving, but what other ballpark parking lot has a system of traffic lights and a Unocal station?
My Score for PARKING (2): Maybe the author didn't notice that in order to get into the park there's a long wait on the hill to actually get into this supposed heavenly parking lot. The wait by itself wouldn't be so bad, but there are porta potties that are lined up along the parking pot. Unfortunately for everybody waiting in their cars with the windows down or the vents on, the slightest breeze sends the smell of stale urine down over your senses. It gets bad. When last we went, the smell was so bad, we took the fruit rollups that we had brought as snacks and literally stuffed them up our noses. I so wish I was joking.On SBC:
THE AREA (9): Only Baltimore's Camden Yards can rival it for surrounding scenery. To the east is McCovey Cove; to the north are cruise ships and active piers; and to the west is downtown shopping. The area comes alive at night, with bars and restaurants within walking distance. Beside, where else can you leave the game, cross the street and go book shopping at Borders?
My Score for THE AREA (8): I was just there last season. "Walking distance" is true, but we're talking a good 6 or 7 blocks before we get to any good nightlife, right? Did I just miss it? I may be nitpicking, but it's only because this was how THE AREA rated for Petco:
THE AREA (8): From your seat, you can see downtown -too bad it's not a pretty downtown. From the concourse, you can see the incredible Coronado Bridge and the convention center -too bad the light-rail yard and towering parking garages obscure the other views. The Gaslamp Quarter, full of nightlife, is just a few blocks north.
Ignore the insults to our fine city, and correct me if I'm wrong, but at SBC, from your seat, you can't see sh_t, right? And the view of San Diego and the Coronado Bridge easily rivals the view of McCovey Cove. The Gaslamp District, not more than two blocks away, has nightlife on every night of the week. If that's your thing, then Petco's your park. The best spots in downtown San Diego are easily reached from Petco. The same can't be said of SBC. And if you're gonna talk crap about the trains and the way they "obscure the other views" then why can't you mention the fact that SBC doesn't even allow a view to the city. And if it did, it would be obscured by warehouses.I know I'm just being a homer, and SBC is a very nice park, but these ratings just rub me the wrong way. Maybe I'm wrong. I'll stick a poll in the comments. Which park really is the best in California?