Kauffman Stadium

Kansas City, MO
Kauffman Stadium
Summer 2008
http://www.royals.mlb.com/
Game Day Atmosphere: Very friendly. I was pleasantly surprised at the number of tailgaters that had already set-up and were partying away 2 hours before the game. And, after the game these folks were in no hurry to leave, as many were seen setting up shop again to play games and have some post-game snacks.
Stay: Commute to the game. Stay in the highly acclaimed Country Club Plaza area of Kansas City. There are many places to eat and shop. It's about a 10-15 minute commute to the stadium. Traffic was flowing very nicely even with lots of highway and street construction.
View: Not as brilliant since there was a massive $250 million dollar construction project taking place. You could still see the traditional KC waterfalls in the outfield. The view will be much better in a year when they are finished with renovating.
Arrive: Parking was easy and relatively cheap for stadium parking. There are plenty of parking spots as the Royals share parking with the Kansas City Chiefs' Arrowhead Stadium located right next to Kauffman.
Concessions: You MUST get a polish sausage. Best one I've ever had at a ballpark. Lots of options and very friendly workers. Our 4 year old dropped his hot dog after sitting down and the concession workers gave us a new one free of charge. They also have some of the bigger pretzels you'll find.
Not advertised: There is a neat area honoring great players in Royals' history. You can also view their World Series trophy from 1985.
Not in the box score: You'll have a hard time catching a home run ball in batting practice as virtually 95% of the outfield does not have seats. Also, the Detroit pitcher took a perfect game into the 7th inning against the Royals.
Final Box: Detroit Tigers 7, Kansas City Royals 1
Attendance 16,594 Time 2:41

Coors Field

Denver, CO

Coors Field

Summer 2008

http://www.rockies.mlb.com/

Game Day Atmosphere: Average. The most exciting thing was walking up to Coors with the dozens of street peddlers selling food, candy, and beverages advertising them being cheaper than inside the park. (You can take beverages, etc. inside Coors)

Stay: In one of many hotels in the surrounding Denver areas. Denver really struck me as a blue-collar town. You probably want to stay a few miles away from the stadium for a nicer area.

View: Very nice from any seat at Coors. The air is refreshing and the scenery beyond the outfield fences is beautiful and very representative of Colorado.

Arrive: Park in one of the many lots near Coors. Be prepared to fight the one way streets as in any downtown area, but there are no protected left arrows. Go for the 1st thing you can grab on the right side of the street.
Concessions: Some of the poorest selections and service I've come across at any of our stadium visits. The food was basically the same at all of the stations (several were not even open) and the workers were very cold and not helpful at all. (Complete opposite of Busch Stadium in St. Louis)
Not advertised: There is a nice interactive kids area including t-ball, batting cages, and speed throwing. Also-very affordable kids' meals near this area. There is a neat play by play booth where you can call 1/2 of an inning and take home a DVD of your performance.

Not in the box score: The Rockies gave up 16 runs to the Dodgers (8 in the 1st inning) without giving up a home run in what is traditionally a hitter's ballpark at Coors.
Final Box: Los Angeles Dodgers 16, Colorado Rockies 10

Attendance 38,291 Time 3:43