How does Chase Field compare with my memory of it?
I was lucky enough to be traveling this week for an analytics conference (yes, I’m lucky enough for my professional and personal lives to intersect nicely) that happened to take place in Phoenix. As soon as I registered, I looked to see if the Diamondbacks would be playing at home to find out if I could attend a game while I was in town. Lo and behold, they happened to be wrapping up a homestand against the Brewers (my most recent adopted baseball team) so I immediately messaged the Snakepit staff to try and plan an outing for any locals who were available. Thankfully, Jim, Blake, and their significant others were all available for my first game since 2019 when I was still in graduate school at the University of Arizona. I was extremely excited as it was my first baseball game of the season as well as my first opportunity to see the changes that the team has made since my last visit. We had a great time – aided significantly by a nice win from the D-Backs – and I decided to jot down some thoughts during the game. It also seemed particularly prescient to do a mini-review of Chase Field given the renewed and continued interest in pouring additional public money into the stadium in the name of “repairs” to keep the team in Phoenix. So here are some unstructured thoughts from my recent experience at the rejuvenated Chase Field in no particular order:
Why is it still so dark?
Over the course of the game, we obviously discussed not only the D-Backs, baseball strategy, and our own experiences, but we also chatted about Chase Field. During one of those discussions, Blake opined that Chase isn’t necessarily all that dark of a stadium, but it feels much darker than it actually is. I have to agree. I happened to find this picture on my camera roll from a game in 2017 (at least as far as I can tell based on the lineup and this box score) compared to the bottom picture I took on Sunday. While they are not remotely comparable, the stadium seems to be much brighter and more inviting in the second picture than the first. For a team who has a built-in advantage for natural sunlight, you would think the D-Backs could find better ways to incorporate that Arizona sun into the stadium somehow. Also, I clearly pigeonholed that ugly-as-sin cutout in right field because I have no defined memory of it from before.
Food and drink can still be wildly expensive
I will say that it’s encouraging to see the D-Backs continue to embrace the culinary renaissance so many baseball teams are doing in contemporary sports. The idea of getting just “ballpark food” while attending a baseball game has become passe while teams continue to look for ways in which they can showcase the unique culinary tastes that the team’s respective geographic area can offer. During Sunday’s game, Blake and his wife shared a four-foot sub that they agreed was excellent while later in the game we shared some “s’mores nachos” that were equally tasty. However, even as this admittedly impressive culinary upgrade is taking place, the cost of food and beverages has continued to climb along with the average cost of attending a game. In my admittedly rushed attempt to find a drink near our seats, the cheapest option I could find was $16 dollars before taxes or tip for a 16-ounce domestic beer. Some of this was pure ignorance on my part as I learned after the fact that the D-Backs offer a value menu – part of a larger trend in baseball – but just not in the direct vicinity of our seats.
Accessibility is still excellent
When I was younger, I was less aware of how I got to a place. It certainly came from the privilege of having a car and the financial ability to not worry about how I would pay for the gas as well as being able-bodied enough to get anywhere I needed. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve begun to pay more attention to how I navigate around an area and if there are multiple options for people to arrive. It was one of the things I thoroughly appreciated about attending a game at Wrigley and even Camden Yards has come a long way from where it once was. Whether out of ignorance or my own lack of knowledge, I wouldn’t have described Chase as particularly accessible, but I can now confidently place it into that same category as Wrigley or others for the number of options available to fans attending the games.