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| - I've visited Angels' home away from home, also known as Tempe Diablo Stadium, a few times, most recently two weeks ago. The ballpark certainly serves its purpose, but the facility is not nearly as nice as the other ballparks in the area.
We came here for a Dodgers/Angels game on a Monday afternoon. The game was sold out, and all the parking spots were taken loooooong before the first pitch. We showed up at 11:30 for a 1 pm game, and we were forced to park in a parking lot of a corporate building far, far away. Walking back to the stadium, we had to, ahem, dodge cars and scalpers, which wasn't exactly an R&R type of activity.
Once inside the stadium, I felt much better. Let's face it, there are worse places to be on a Monday afternoon. We had seats just to the left of 3rd base, 5 rows up. I was surprised that such good seats were not seats at all. They were bleacher benches with back support. There was hardly any legroom at all, and when someone needed to get through, it was an adventure in itself. The concourses are also very small and crowded, so getting concessions or walking to the bathroom is no picnic, either.
I like how the ballpark is designed to look like a mini Angel Stadium, complete with giant red letters "A" and the view of the mountains to the left and the freeway in centerfield. The ushers at Tempe Diablo Stadium are also among the most lenient and friendliest in all of Cactus League. Well done!
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