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| - For a new ballpark, I was sorely disappointed with Goodyear. There are so many things that this park does wrong that it is really hard to give it a positive review but, at the same time, when it does something right, it can't be beat.
Getting there is an adventure in itself. Though the freeway signs tell you to take Bullard, don't be fooled, take Estrella Parkway and avoid the traffic. There is plenty of parking at this stadium and none of it is free. In the future, when the mall is built, there may be somewhere to park but for now, shell out your $5 to park.
Walking to the park you have a different experience depending on which side you come in from. The home plate entrance is marked with some sort of flattened baseball sculpture that is just hideous that sits atop a water feature. The center field gate is horribly industrial and plain and provides little character. All of the people are nice and helpful as you enter which is a big change compared to Peoria and Surprise.
The most obvious thing about this park is its size. It seems small compared to most but feels like a band box compared to the other new ballpark, Camelback Ranch. This is great for the fan, however, and all of the seats are close and angled toward second-base. Even the seats the flank the foul lines curve in to give the fan a great view. This is one of the things this stadium does so well. There isn't a park in the Cactus League that will get you closer and give you a better sight line than Goodyear. The premium seats come in three varieties. A shaded, padded, waited section a few rows behind the third base dugout is the best in the Cactus League. The RF pavilion has an all-inclusive bar/food party deck space for a few more dollars. Finally, the upper deck suits can give you a catered experience right on top of the action. Goodyear gives the fans great places to watch the game.
Unfortunately, those great seats are ruined in a few areas. The first base line seats are shielded with plexi-glass making the fan feel like he is watching hockey instead of baseball. This may be good for grandma, but real fans want to catch a ball & interact with players. The grass seats, while on a decent slope, have no shade and sport some of the most obstructed views I've ever seen. The only shaded spot is under the scoreboard. It seems that Goodyear had some great ideas but suffers from poor execution.
The food selection is meek compared to a lot of the parks but the vendor has a surprising variety of selections. Pizza, subs, Mexican, and a good half-dozen kind of hotdogs round out the bulk of the non-standard baseball menu. Prices are reasonable if not slightly cheaper than the competition. I had a hotdog with cheese, bbq sauce, onions, and bacon ... it was pretty good. The chicken tenders came with a few different sauces. The soda even featured a "souvenir cup".
The biggest thing that hampers Goodyear is the access to the players. The practice field for the Indians is almost a mile down the road and closed off to the public (for the most part). The players then take a bus to the stadium (thanks for goin green guys) and are dropped off at the clubhouse (under the RF seats). When they come out, they appear from two doors (one for each team) in the RF wall and b-line across the field to their dugouts. This keeps the players about as far away from the fans as possible which is really sad to an autograph junkie like myself. You really have a better chance getting a player to sign hanging out in Scottsdale Fashion Square than you do at Goodyear. I did see a few of the away team signing so all hope is not lost for them but the Indians players have to walk past the aforementioned plexi-glass that walls off the fans, making it even more difficult.
In all, I can't hate Goodyear because the seats are so well laid out. If you know where to sit, you can have a great time and really enjoy the game. There are even kid-friendly areas beyond RF. This stadium feels unfinished (ironic since it was done way before the immaculate Camelback Ranch) and may blossom into something wonderful as the Reds come to town and Westcor builds the surrounding mall. Until then, it is a forgettable stadium in the scrolls of Cactus League parks, destined to go the way of Sun City and Compadre.
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