Page 8 - April24

crazy Atlanta Braves concoction known as burgerizza: a 20-ounce burger patty sandwiched between two 8-inch pepperoni pizzas.
We saw St. Louis Cardinal Mark McGwire put on a batting practice exhibition (higher elevation and lower air density) at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado, and register home run No. 35 on the way to 65 in 1999. Twice, we’ve orchestrated seeing two ballgames at two different stadiums in the same day: a day game at the Cubs followed by a White Sox night game in Chicago and in New York, a daytime Yankees game followed by an evening at the Mets’ Citi Field.
Eventually, meeting in a different baseball city became an annual reunion with fellow baseball-loving friends who had moved halfway across the country from our home in Kansas. Our 16th trip with these friends will be to Washington, D.C., in August.
Ready to start adding new stadiums to your logbook? Opening day was March 28 and the regular season concludes Sept. 29. Here are suggestions on choosing where to go among the MLB’s 30 clubs.
Choose One of Our Favorite Ballparks
First, let’s admit that a list like this is entirely subjective, influenced by teams you grew up rooting for or largely
based on personal experience at the ballpark, such as seeing a great game and favorable weather conditions. Here are our top six favorite still-active stadiums, west to east.
Oracle Park, San Francisco: From nearby San Carlos Airport (SQL) or Metropolitan Oakland International Airport (OAK), head to the home of the San Francisco Giants. The stadium opened in 2000 with an outfield perfectly framing San Francisco Bay. Besides the incredible views, we loved the upscale food options (including some using ingredients grown at the in-park garden beds you can tour), artwork, historical displays and interactive play areas for all ages.
Coors Field, Denver: Land at Centennial Airport (APA) or Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (BJC), then head to downtown Denver for a Colorado Rockies game. Spend some time on the upper right-field deck for mesmerizing views of the Rocky Mountains. There’s plenty to see within the ballpark, too: The SandLot Brewery, which opened in 1995 as the first brewery inside an MLB ballpark, one row of purple seats in the upper sections marking 1 mile above sea level and food options ranging from a food court to Helton Burger Shack.
Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City: There’s some movement to relocate the Kansas City Royals to a downtown stadium, but for now you’ll head 10 miles from
Choose seats in the first base and right field areas of Denver’s Coors Field for views of the Rocky Mountains. This photo is from the rooftop area open to the public in the upper right-field deck.
6 • KING AIR MAGAZINE
APRIL 2024