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| - Progressive Field....formerly known for so long as Jacobs Field, was one of the first ballparks I visited when I decided to make it my mission to visit all 30 MLB stadiums in the country. Since my 8 year excursion of attending every ballpark, I have returned to Progressive Field once. The first time I visited, I flew to Cleveland on an extended weekend, came to the Indians game, then drove 130 miles southeast to PNC Park in Pittsburgh to combine 2 stadiums in one trip. It was a real fun time and this trip became my motivation to explore every ballpark in every city.
The reason I'm giving Progressive Field only 2 stars and an "I've experienced better" is because it doesn't stand out with any redeeming qualities or modern features compared to all the new ballparks out there today. I'd put Progressive Field in the bottom third when ranking the 30 stadiums.
It is located in downtown Cleveland right in the heart of all the action. It's right next door and virtually almost connected to Quicken Loans Arena, home to the NBA's Cavaliers. Progressive Field is also located within minutes of the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland Science Center, Lake Erie and FirstEnergy Stadium of the NFL's Browns. So you don't have to travel far to see a lot. Downtown Cleveland does have it's share of traffic but there is parking by the stadium without having to walk a distance.
Walking around the outside of Progressive Park, there are opportunities for decent photos. The main face of the park does coincide on a busy street where you have to cross traffic to get a good picture of the front of the stadium. The front sort of reminds me of Safeco Field in Seattle and Coors Field in Colorado where you have to be careful with car traffic on the street in order to get a full photo of the entire ballpark. There is another Progressive Field sign to take a picture with around the back of the park without having to confront traffic. Also, the outfield area is adjacent to Quicken Loans Arena so you can get photos of that sports arena as well. The outfield does allow for entrance into a mini Indians Hall of Fame area with statues and monuments to gaze at. And the outfield hosts the bullpen area where you can stand right on top of the Indian's pitchers and the visiting teams players warming up.
The first time I attended a game here, I sat in the outfield in left field. It was an alright view point to watch the game though there was some obstruction for balls that landed in the left field corner as you couldn't see the outfielders pick up the baseballs and throw them back into the infield. Also seats in the outfield felt like sitting on benches though there were backs to the seats. My second game here I sat down the 3rd base line which was obviously a much better experience being able to see everything in play and taking good pictures from behind home plate and looking out onto the rest of the ballpark.
My only disappointment as I write this, as I look back on my visits to Progressive Field, the stadium didn't have anything that spoke to me. It was just okay. There is a giant scoreboard hovering over the stands in left field. Center field has a little area with trees, bushes, bullpen area and little square to walk around and gain access inside the park. Going over to right field, you have more outfield stands at a lower eye level with the field that extends high into the upper deck.
There is a decent looking skyline of Cleveland in the center field distance, but it's nothing special and doesn't nearly compare to the city skyline's of St. Louis, San Francisco and Pittsburgh. Both times I came to Progressive Field, tickets were pretty accessible. One time I bought online ahead of time and the other I purchased the day of at the box office. Prices are fair for anyone and not nearly as expensive as cities like Chicago, Boston and New York. The stadium filled up 3/4's full both occasions I was there and regardless of the day of the week and the Indian's record. The atmosphere wasn't too electric. I guess they save it for playoff time.
Overall Progressive field was just an okay baseball park for me. Since my last visit to Cleveland, there have been many new ballparks built. So I guess a stadium like this built in 1994 and being 25 years old get placed in the senior category around major league parks. Still, if you're visiting and exploring the city of Cleveland for a weekend, I will always recommend to come check out a baseball game regardless of where it's ranked on my favorite 30 MLB list.
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