When it was announced that the only new ballpark to open this season would host fans for the NLCS and World Series, I immediately began planning to attend. I booked a hotel that day, which was a good move as the price doubled by the time tickets went on sale. Tickets were first offered to Rangers season-ticket holders, who soon had them on the secondary market for a huge markup. The following Monday, those who had registered for 2021 season tickets were then given a chance to buy. Finally, on Tuesday the 6th, tickets were released to the general public at 11 am EDT. I logged on and was placed in a virtual waiting room, where I lingered for only five minutes before I was randomly selected and able to purchase tickets to Game 3 of the World Series. All tickets had to be purchased in pods of 4, but I knew that other members of Club 123 would be interested in buying my extras, so I had no concerns. I ordered the best available at the cheapest price of $75 and once that order was secured, I was able to continue shopping for other games while others remained in waiting room limbo. I got tickets for Game 5, as well as for Game 1 of the NLCS for my friends Gary and King. I did look for other tickets, but by that time pickings were slim. Happy with my haul, I then bided my time for a couple of weeks before flying to DFW for a 3-day trip that included a college football game and NASCAR truck race.
As we descended through the clouds, I was able to snap a shot of the three stadiums, with Globe Life Field to the left (resembling a giant baseball cap), AT&T Stadium to the right, and Globe Life Park in the middle, though it is difficult to see in the photo. If you are dumb like me and can't remember whether the new stadium is Field or Park, I have a mnemonic device to help you: Field is Future, Park is Past.
There had been a storm in the area that morning which had delayed my flight slightly, and then we waited on the taxiway for our gate to open. This meant I did not get off the plane until nearly an hour after I expected, so I could not wait for the hotel shuttle to arrive, instead grabbing an Uber which got me to the hotel at 4:50. After dropping my stuff off, I joined fellow traveler Mark, staying nearby, and we walked the 20 minutes to the stadium. This was my first look at the new venue, and from the outside, I was not impressed.
Still, there is a lot of history to be seen, including a statue of Nolan Ryan in front of the north entrance, which is accessed via a long ramp if you are coming from the east parking lot.
The whole entrance is below:
There is another entrance on the east side that does not require you to go down the ramp. The picture below is from before Game 5, when it was raining slightly.
As you approach this entrance, you will notice a statue of Neftali Feliz and Bengie Molina celebrating the moment when the Rangers defeated the Yankees to reach the 2010 World Series (below). Of course, they lost that year, as well as the following year in extremely painful fashion. Nearby is a statue of former Arlington Mayor Tom Vandergriff, who was instrumental in bringing the Rangers here. Pudge Rodriguez is honoured on the south side of the stadium.
Inside, past greats are honoured with jerseys, such as Pudge's below.
Nolan Ryan is visible in a couple of places, including the picture of him raising his cap, on which the statue is based.
Another aspect of the stadium that I enjoyed is the artwork that can be found throughout all the concourses. It is definitely worth walking around on every level to see them all. Below are two of my favourites.
Retired numbers are located above left field, along arches that frame the concourse nicely. The field dimensions cleverly include these numbers too: 329 feet to left for Beltre; 407 to center for Pudge; 326 feet to right for Johnny Oates, among others. It is 42 feet from home plate to the backstop in honour of Jackie Robinson.
Bobbleheads can be found on the top level in centerfield...
...which is also a standing area.
On the 100 level concourse behind home plate, you can see a collection of memorabilia related to PA announcer Chuck Morgan.
His office is also open to viewing as you pass by and makes quite an interesting sight.
There are also balconies, some with picnic tables if you want to eat outside and avoid any risk of catching the virus. Below is the north entrance plaza, with a water feature sporting the Rangers logo. There is also a tiny 7-11 that makes for a cheaper alternative if you want a light snack before or after the game.
There are plenty of tables around the concourses as well, so you don't have to eat at your seat. It is always risky to eat indoors in public during the pandemic, but I felt these were quite safe as there was no one else nearby and the areas are well ventilated. With capacity limited, only fixed concessions were operating, with portable stands hidden away until next season. Prices were high as expected, with hot dogs $6, the same as a soda. There was no designated driver program for the postseason, but it will be in place next year.
Of course, the two nearby stadiums are also visible.
This area includes Six Flags, but there is still little in the way of a neighbourhood feel, other than Texas Live (below), a collection of bars and eateries that was packed even with just 11,500 fans allowed in the stadium. I can't imagine what it will be like when the Rangers are drawing 30-35,000 next year. There is a lot of outdoor seating here, though the weather was not very nice for the weekend.
The main reason that Globe Life Field was built is that Texas summers are too hot to have an outdoor stadium. The roof was closed for both games I attended, which left things someone dark, particularly in the upper deck, where I was sitting.
There are views of the lower concourse from above, which gives you an idea of how wide they are. Even with limited capacity, lines at the team stores were quite long as everyone wants to grab a piece of memorabilia for this unique occasion.
As you can see below, there are five separate seating levels. The two closest to the field, with double-digit section numbers, were closed off unless you had a ticket. I'm not sure if that will be the way next season, but if so, it will be a bad sign for fans who like to get close to the field before the game.
Above that is the 100 level, behind which there are drink rails. These were marked with signs indicating that no standing was allowed due to social distancing, but I did stop at a couple for a half inning without getting accosted. The picture below is from that level; note the fan walking across while the action is going on.
Another area on the 100 level that allows standing is in the left field corner. From here, you can see the suites behind the lower level seats, as well as those between the 100 and 200 levels.
The upper concourse leads to the 200 sections below and the 300s above. The shot below is from a walkway in front of the press box and behind section 217.
Along the upper concourse I found a standing area along the first base line that I was able to use for a few innings in Game 3. In Game 5, however, I was asked to move even though there was nobody else nearby or in the last row of seats in front of me. The view from there is below. You can see that the 200 level has a slightly steeper slope than the 100 level.
My seats were in the 13th (and second last) row of section 304 (view below) for Game 3, but I spent most of the game walking around from place to place to take pictures.
For Game 5, I was in a similar spot on the other side of the field, in row 3 of section 321. I scored this game so only moved around a little bit.
The main scoreboard is massive, as you would expect and sits above right field. It includes StatCast information such as horizontal and vertical break on the pitch, and exit velocity, exit angle, and distance for every batted ball. From my seat for game 3, much of the scoreboard is blocked off by the lights, so TVs are installed to allow you to see the information posted, though parts are impossible to read. Above the left field foul pole is a slightly smaller scoreboard that contains the same information except the StatCast numbers.
I'm not going to recap the games other than to say that LA won both by scores of 6-2 and 4-2. Both were well played and relatively fast-paced, which I enjoyed, but neither was as entertaining as Game 4. Both games were Rays home games, so the scoreboard showed their highlights and their walk-up songs were played.
Overall, I was not impressed with Globe Life Field, particularly given how much it cost. There is no signature feature, other than perhaps its enormity. I do like the historic touches and the artwork, but sightlines are not great and having the entire lower level closed to those without a ticket is annoying. Add in the lack of transit and nearby bars, which are important aspects for me, and this place is not on my list of favourites. To be fair, they did an excellent job in holding the Series given the circumstances, and I will return next year as the Blue Jays open here in April to see how it fares as a home park.
Notes
I was interviewed by Hannah Keyser of Yahoo Sports who published an article about my thoughts on the stadium. Safe to say I got out of Texas just in time.
Best,
Sean
