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| - For those willing to make the drive to Surprise Stadium, they will be rewarded. I've caught several games here over the years, so I am revisiting another familiar ballpark on my tour of the Cactus League. Surprise is destination #8.
In some other reviews I've read on Yelp!, people were complaining about the drive to Camelback Ranch. For perspective, Surprise Stadium is approximately 45 minutes from downtown Phoenix. Which is 15 minutes further northwest than Camelback Ranch. But seriously, who complains about going to see a baseball game?
Surprise Stadium is easy to get to as long as you avoid the obvious Bell Road route. The left lane on Bell backs up quickly from all the west bound traffic. A southerly approach on Bullard Avenue is much quicker. This is only the second facility I've visited in 2016 that doesn't charge for parking. And all the parking here is either on site or just across the street. It's a very short walk compared to most.
I was curious, so I looked up the age of this stadium. It was built in 2003 so it's probably still considered one of the newer, more modern facilities. The look of the press box and deck seating is the furthest thing from modern. Which is why I probably looked it up. But, understanding that this is the spring training home to the KC Royals and the Texas Rangers, it makes sense. I think the aesthetic chosen would look at home in either Texas or the mid-west. The architect might have been going for a modern take on an old ball park. It's nice and well maintained, but not my style. And it doesn't offer much shade for fans, compared to other stadiums in the Cactus League.
Surprise Stadium, also known as Billy Parker Field, succeeds at getting fans close to the players. Last season, I sat on the first base line in the second row so I can vouch for how close you are to the action and the players.
Speaking of action, the game was terrific! The visiting Padres battled back and forth with the Rangers and each team hit a barrage of home runs (eight total, I think). The game ended with a walk-off two run homer, giving the Rangers a 12-11 victory.
This ball park has charm. It's also another good venue for the Arizona sunsets. The pitch of the lawn seating and everything else just feels comfortable. Despite a lack of "unique" beers (no craft beers spotted) and a field that looked like it was prepped to resemble a bar code (see photo), I will be back. And I don't care how far it is from the east valley!
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