Tropicana Field
St. Petersburg, FL
Summer 2012
http//www.rays.mlb.com/
Game Day Atmosphere: If the Yankees weren't in town I doubt there would be much to say. There were probably just as many Yankee fans in the city and at the game as there were Ray fans.
Stay: In beautiful downtown St. Petersburg. Most hotels are only about 2 miles away from "The Trop."
View: Probably the worst of any of the stadiums we have seen thus far. The outside view is rather curious though with a slanted dome look. Inside, the stadium turf is discolored and there isn't much to look at.
Arrive: You have options for driving or taking public transportation. Most hotels seemed to be running shuttles since they are so close. If you drive, there is plenty of parking, but be prepared to wait for quite some time in getting out after the game.
Concessions: Just like the view, probably the worst of the stadiums we have visited.
Not advertised: Tickets are very easy to come by here, probably the easiest of any city. You would think that a big division rival game would merit a sellout crowd of about 40,000. But, even when the Rays were in the World Series they did not sell out their own stadium.
Not in the box score: Seeing future Hall of Famer Derek Jeter open up the game with a double and add to his 3,000+ hits was awesome. He still hustles down the line during each at-bat and he also has a "Spring Training Home" in local St. Pete. on the Davis Islands.
Final Box: Tampa Bay Rays 4 New York Yankees 3
Attendance: 21,742 Time: 2:57

Marlins Ballpark
Miami, FL
Summer 2012
http//www.marlins.mlb.com/
Game Day Atmosphere: Not much to write home about. However, this was the day following the Miami Heat winning the NBA championship, so Miami may still have been asleep because of too much partying. Miami traditionally does not draw many fans to begin with and coupled with an interleague game against the Toronto Blue Jays helped to keep the atmosphere subdued at best. I will add that seeing this ballpark in its inaugural season was pretty cool!
Stay: At any of the Marriott hotels in the "compound" near the Miami Airport. Lots of options with a few restaurants on the grounds.
View: Pretty cool stadium view in itself. One of Miami's claims to fame include their architecture with "Art-Deco." After touring the city of Miami, especially on South Beach, the Marlins did a great job incorporating this style in the new ball park as well with many vibrant colors and interesting shapes.
Arrive: Plenty of parking is available, but go ahead and reserve a "home plate garage" parking pass early so you can park just next to the stadium with covered parking and basically cross one street and walk right into the stadium.
Concessions: The food was rather expensive and not that great. There are some seafood options as well as Cuban. Don't waste your money on these. Just get the traditional ballpark food and go out to eat in one of the many Cuban places or seafood places all over the Miami area.
Not advertised: Bobblehead Museum! This is the largest collection of "bobbleheads" in the world. They include current and former MLB players as well as mascots, managers, and media personalities in the world of baseball.
Not in the box score: Marlins ballpark probably had the weakest racing of mascots I've ever seen. There were 4 people dressed up in some sort of costumes apparently trying to resemble sea creatures. They should probably just can that idea.
Final Box: Toronto Blue Jays 12 Miami Marlins 5
Attendance: 22,387 Time: 3:02