By Bruce Adams and Margaret Engel
Special to The Washington Post
Sunday, May 9, 2004; Page P01
This spring, San Diego and Philadelphia opened new major league ballparks that are dramatic improvements over the cities' last efforts. Guess which followed the urban redevelopment approach of Baltimore, Cleveland and Denver, and which opted for the drop-me-in-the-middle-of-a-parking-lot-along-the-interstate method? Where would you expect the better ballpark eats? You might be surprised. With no Major League Baseball opening day in our nation's capital for the 33rd year in a row, our family headed to San Diego for the April 8 opening night of Petco Park and to Philadelphia for the April 12 opening day of Citizens Bank Park. While neither park brings together all the elements that make Baltimore's Camden Yards and San Francisco's SBC Park so special, both have drama and charm, and are well worth a visit. Here's how they stack up on a few key points: • Smaller is better. Both San Diego and Philadelphia got it right. Giant football stadiums lack the intimacy of the classic ballparks like Boston's Fenway Park and Chicago's Wrigley Field that we have come to love. Smaller ballparks with less foul territory allow fans to get closer to the action. The San Diego Padres left Qualcomm's 66,083 seats to the NFL's Chargers for the cozier 42,000-seat Petco Park. The Philadelphia Phillies' old Veterans Stadium held 61,831; Citizens Bank Park seats 43,500. • Real grass beats plastic. Both got it right. • Major league ballparks belong downtown. San Diego, in car-crazy California, put the ballpark downtown where it belongs and where one-quarter of patrons will arrive by trolley. Philadelphia built the right ballpark in the wrong place, in a sports- plex parking lot near the interstate. • Scale and context matter. In Philadelphia, the ballpark designers put the field below street level, reducing the bulk of the building. Once you emerge from the sea of cars, this makes it far more approachable. San Diego, by contrast, built a far grander entranceway and stadium. But the huge structure lacks the neighborly fit of Camden Yards and Cleveland's Jacobs Field.
THE PARK: One of the advantages of building downtown is the ability to incorporate historic structures into the design. Petco's best feature by far is the red brick, 95-year-old Western Metal Supply Co. Building that sits just beyond the fence in left field, with a portion overhanging fair territory. The team store is in the building, the main concourse passes through it and bleacher seating is on top of it. This baseball palace is designed to reflect San Diego's self-portrait as a garden city by the sea. No Camden green here. The steel superstructure is a nautical white rising above the handsome sandstone and stucco exterior. The seats are navy blue, called Pacific blue by locals. There are dramatic waterfalls at the entrance and even a sand beach just beyond the fence in right field that kids play in. The ballpark makes its most appealing gateway to the city with its 2.7-acre Park at the Park, an element missing from major league stadiums since Pittsburgh's beloved Forbes Field closed in 1970. Youngsters can play ball on a beautifully groomed diamond beyond the fence in left-center field. For $5, fans can enter Petco and sit on Picnic Hill beyond the fence in right-center field. The asymmetrical outfield wall bends here and there, pushing deeper in right field so the prevailing ocean winds don't turn Petco into a hitters' paradise. Some of the $8 seats to the right of the batter's eye have obstructed views of left field, so ask before collecting your tickets. The little home run porch at the right field foul pole will likely produce some deliciously odd hops. Petco Park is the anchor of a billion-dollar redevelopment plan for one of San Diego's marginal downtown areas. Its neighbors include the expanded San Diego Convention Center and the historic Gaslamp Quarter.
THE FOOD: There are so many food stands and kiosks that this park turns everyone into a recreational eater. From $6 Asian salads to pre-made sushi, decent veggie burgers and grilled ahi sandwiches, there's a diverse offering of healthy and traditional ballpark fare. Pacific Wok offers crunchy spring rolls and Gordon Biersch's stand dispenses garlic fries almost as good as the ones sold in San Francisco's park, where they originated. Rubio's tangy fried fish tacos with lime had less sticker shock than most items, at $3.50. Nearby, kettle corn, that addictive sweet/salty staple of county fairs, was selling out. The Junior Padre meal, a hot dog and a small drink, is $4.50. It's worth noting that a 722-seat Old Spaghetti Factory (275 Fifth Ave.) is just two blocks from the ballpark, where families can eat for about $9 per person. Try to get one of the five tables in a full-size trolley car parked inside.
WHERE TO STAY: The plush, new Omni San Diego (675 L St., 800-843-6664, www.omnihotels.com; doubles from $199) is attached to the park via a walkway and has a year-round outdoor pool. Two blocks distant is a slightly less costly boutique Hilton (401 K St., 800-HILTONS, www.hilton.com; doubles from $179). Both hotels are adjacent to the trolley line stop at Gaslamp Quarter. A better choice for families who want to be near the water is the Dana Inn and Marina (1710 W. Mission Bay Dr., 800-DANA-INN, www.danainn.com; doubles from $139), one mile from SeaWorld. The property is lushly landscaped, with views of the bay and marina and access to water sports. Rooms have updated mission-style furnishings, refrigerators and dressing alcoves. From the bay, it's a 10-minute drive to the Old Town trolley stop (from $1.25 one way). Many chains (Vacation Inn, Comfort Inn, Best Western, Ramada) have small family-friendly hotels in Old Town. Downtown parking is costly; garages and hotels close to Petco charge $17-$25.
WHAT ELSE TO DO: Balboa Park, SeaWorld, the San Diego Zoo and the Wild Animal Park in Escondido each provide a full day of activities. Mission Bay Park offers oceanfront beaches, fishing, playgrounds, sailing and other water sports.
GETTING THERE: Southwest generally has the lowest fares, with nonstop service from BWI for $154 to $239 round trip. United, US Airways, Northwest, American and Frontier also fly from Washington airports, with fares from $344 to $448. Most are one-stop flights.
INFO: 619-795-5000, www.padres.com. Ticket prices: $12-$55.
THE PARK: In Philadelphia, nearly all the big pro contests are played in a sportsplex south of the city, just off I-95. It is efficient for parking, but it is a shame that the elegant new homes of the Eagles (Lincoln Financial Field) and the Phillies (Citizens Bank Park) landed here instead of downtown. Landscaped entrance plazas at each of its four corners nicely set off the red-brick, granite and steel ballpark. The inviting approach was made possible by the decision to sink the playing field 23 feet below street level, evoking memories of the earlier Baker Bowl and Shibe Park. No matter where you enter, there is a superstar statue to greet you: a 10-foot-high bronze of one of baseball's greatest third basemen, Mike Schmidt, in front of the third base gate; pitching ace Steve Carlton at the left field gate; Robin Roberts, a 20-game winner for six straight seasons in the 1950s, at the main entrance; Connie Mack (Philadelphia's Mr. Baseball, the former manager and owner of Philadelphia's American League franchise, the Athletics) between the third base and left field gates. Inside, Ashburn Alley is a place to stroll, get a bite to eat and learn about the game. There's an attractive and informative history of baseball in Philadelphia along the back of the batter's eye in straightaway center field, with a statue of Phillies leadoff hitter Richie Ashburn, granite markers honoring Phillies All-Stars and bronze plaques of the players in the Phillies Wall of Fame. Fans can enter Ashburn Alley early to watch batting practice. The real treat is the two-level bullpen, where you can get ridiculously close to see pitchers warm up. (We stood next to shock jock Howard Stern, who took full advantage to yell at the opposing pitchers.) No matter where your seat, you should walk along the wide and inviting concourse to Ashburn Alley and up the stairs to the rooftop bleacher seats beyond right field. From here, flags fly, an oversized neon Liberty Bell rings for Phillies home runs, and you get the park's best view of downtown. This is a kid-friendly park with a 22-foot-high pinball batting machine and a Run the Bases interactive game, a Phillie Phanatic Phun Zone play area, a giant inflatable baseball climbing wall and a Build-A-Bear Workshop, all off the main concourse.
THE FOOD: A city with terrific street food and imaginative restaurants should have better ballpark choices. It's basically hot dogs, beer and cheesesteaks. Go to Bull's BBQ at the right field side of Ashburn Alley for good pork, turkey and beef and an autograph from Greg "The Bull" Luzinski, who slugged more than 300 home runs in an All-Star career in the 1970s. There's very little that's healthy. The most excessive offering is the Schmitter, a $6.75 cheesesteak topped with grilled salami and tomatoes and slathered with sauce. Fans have great views from the two-level outdoor bar and grill.
WHERE TO STAY: The hotels clustered by the airport are convenient to the ballpark and most have free parking, unlike downtown venues. The Sheraton Suites Philadelphia Airport (4101 B Island Ave., 800-325-3535, www.starwood.com; doubles from $115, including buffet breakfast) has an indoor pool, living rooms with sofa beds and kitchenettes.
WHAT ELSE TO DO: The Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and the vintage Reading Terminal Market (a must for Bassett's ice cream, Pennsylvania Dutch pretzels, chips, cheeses and all manner of produce and meats) are all nearby. The nighttime Lights of Liberty multimedia walking tour through Independence National Historical Park uses surround-sound headsets, with a separate track for children (877-462-1776; $17.76).
GETTING THERE: About 21/2 hours from Washington by car, via I-95. Pass the airport, take the Broad Street Exit 17 and follow the signs to ballpark parking. Parking: $10.
INFO: 215-463-6000, www.phillies.com. Tickets: 215-463-1000; seats range from $15 to $40.
Bruce Adams and Margaret Engel are the co-authors of Fodor's "Baseball Vacations: Great Family Trips to Minor League and Classic Major League Ballparks Across America."