Dodger Stadium

Dodger Stadium
Home of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles, CA
Date Opened: April 10, 1962 Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Cincinnatti Reds
Capacity: 56,000
Games Attended: October 15, 2008 NLCS Game 5 Philadelphia Phillies 5, Los Angeles Dodgers 1

 Location & Accessibility (0-5): 4
Chavez Ravine- One of the most scenic spots in all of California, overlooking downtown LA and the surrounding San Gabriel Mountains. The sunsets are quite a treat at Dodger Stadium. Accesibility is only thing holding the stadium from a "5" rating due to the horrendous LA traffic; make sure to give yourself ample time to catch the first pitch.


Historic Value (0-5): 5

Opening in 1961, Dodger Stadium is now the third oldest ballpark in the major leagues behind Fenway and Wrigley. Dodger Stadium has hosted eight World Series, the 1980 All-Star Game, 1984 Olympics and 2009 World Baseball Classic. Famous moments include Sandy Koufax's perfect game and Kirk Gibson's walk-off home run in the 1988 World Series.

Originality (0-5): 5
One of the last, if not the last, stadiums built for a specific sport before the craze of multipurpose "Cookie Cutter" stadiums of the 1960's and 1970's. The muted yellow, blue and orange seat colors reflect California's laid back lifestyle. Dodger Stadium has the largest seating capacity of current major league parks and is one of only fours partk that have symmetrical dimmensions in the outfield.

Fans (0-5): 3
I attended a playoff game where the Dodger's trailed 3-1 in the series so the fans were not out in full force. I imagine traffic is also a factor that keeps fans in front of their TV's rather than at this beautiful ballpark.

Fun Factor (0-5): 3

A classic American ballpark that doesn't need gimmicks. There is a large team store in the outfield that can satisfy all your Dodger needs.

Concessions & Restaurants (0-5): 3
It has been a couple of years since I was at the stadium but nothing stood out from the ordinary besides the Dodger Dogs.

My own Subjectivity (0-5): 5
Really a must if you are in Southern California. There isn't a better way than to spend a evening under the lights watching America's game in one of our oldest and most well kept stadiums. The game I attended featured stars such as Gred Maddux, Manny Ramirez, Jimmy Rollins, Cole Hamels, Matt Kemp, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Charlie Manuel and Joe Torre. Now tell me the stars don't come shine a little brighter in Hollywood.

Total Score (0-35)= 28

Criteria for "The Ballpark Series" can be found here.

And here is why I love baseball stadiums!