ANAHEIM, CALIF. -- I like this place. When I ranked the top AL ballparks after last week's Target Field exhibition opener, I wondered if I'd been too kind to Angel Stadium, since I was getting anxious to start the season here.
But this has been a great week. There was an earthquake here during Sunday's workout, and Monday night's game was surprisingly chilly, but the weather has been near perfect the past two days, and this is simply one of the best places to work in baseball.
I covered one game here as an intern with the Riverside Press-Enterprise before the big 1996 renovation. The Big A was basically a big football stadium then, former home of the L.A. Rams. But when they opened it back up, exposing the view beyond the outfield wall, it became a ballpark again.
From my press box seat, I can see the San Gabriel Mountains. This is a good time of year, too, because the view isn't obscured by smog.
The rock pile out in center field is pre-fab and a bit hokey, but I'm OK with that. I also like what they've done with the main entrance. Again, the big red hats are hokey, but it works for me. The Rally Monkey is hokey, but I laugh every time they splice him into one of those movie scenes.
For now, I'm going with these AL rankings: 1) Fenway Park, 2) Camden Yards, 3) Tie between Target Field and Safeco Field, 5) Angel Stadium, 6) Jacobs Field, 7) Yankee Stadium (new), 8) Comerica Park, 9) Kauffman Stadium, 10) U.S. Cellular Field, 11) The Ballpark in Arlington, 12) Oakland Coliseum, 13) Skydome, 14) Tropicana Field.
Note: The Twins are 11-24 here at the Big A since the start of the 2002 ALCS, so they'd be positively thrilled to win this series.
Update: I didn't make it back to In-n-Out Burger, and I fly out early tomorrow, so it's Twins 2, In-n-Out 2, heading into this series finale.
