Ballpark Write-Up 2: Angel Stadium and Dodger Stadium

Over the past month, Angles fans have made their voices heard with “SELL THE TEAM” chants during home games. Arte Moreno has owned the team since 2003, and it’s been a rocky ride for him thus far.

The team has made the postseason one time in the Mike Trout era (since 2010), and the future doesn’t look too bright either. The team has the worst record in baseball and its farm system is ranked 28 ^th according to MLB.com’s preseason rankings.

Whenever Moreno has spent money, it’s been on the wrong players. His two biggest contracts were the 10-year $240 million contract to Albert Pujols, and then the Anthony Rendon disaster for $245 million over seven years.

Other than those two disastrous signings, the Angels have been content just getting by and not investing much into the team.

Unfortunately, it shows up in the stadium too. There are several aspects of Angel Stadium where the bare minimum is done.

There are hardly any unique or specialty food options. Choices are mostly limited to classic ballpark foods like hot dogs, chicken tenders, and nachos.

There also isn’t much entertainment for kids. Almost every stadium has some type of kid’s zone where kids can play some sort of interactive baseball game.

The homes of the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago White Sox have a mini baseball field where kids can take swings. The Colorado Rockies and Toronto Blue Jays have cages you can hit in. The Atlanta Braves have a radar gun where you cans see how hard you can throw.

The only thing the Angels have for kids is a mini arcade in the right field concourse that features the world’s largest PAC-MAN machine, which was introduced in 2025.

Now to the concourses before we get to the positives. They are nice and wide, but also dark and no visibility to the field. This is the main part of the stadium that feels really old and behind almost every MLB stadium.

Overall, I had a very good experience at Angel Stadium. Prior to the game on May 5, it was the only MLB stadium I had never been to, so it was cool checking off my 30^th stadium.

The Angels were also the first team to grant me pregame field access field for batting practice, and it was the first time I had stepped on an MLB field since running the bases at Turner Field as a little kid.

Angel Stadium is surrounded by parking lots, but there are some solid restaurants and bars close by, along with Disneyland and the Honda Center.

Another positive to my Angel Stadium experience was the affordability. I bought the cheapest ticket for $7, and I was able to park my rental car two minutes from the home plate gate for $21.

On this trip, I contextualize everything when it comes to the crowd/energy in the stadium. I have much different expectations for a Tuesday night game (with school the next day) against a non-divisional opponent than I do for a Friday or Saturday night game.

For this Cinco de Mayo matchup against the White Sox, there were plenty of empty seats. The announced attendance was 26,892, but I think that number should be cut in half for the number of actual people in the stands. There wasn’t much buzz, but this did allow me to roam around the stadium and watch the game from several different locations.

The game was also entertaining. Mike Trout and Jorge Soler went back-to-back in the first inning. I had no rooting interest in this game, but I did enjoy watching the best player of the 2010s go yard, along with the player responsible for providing me one of the best moments of my life.

The best part of Angel Stadium in the views and weather. Prior to my visit here, I didn’t fully appreciate how beautiful Southern California is. The weather, sunset, and the mountains beyond the stadium help make up for some of Angel Stadium’s shortcomings.

The Angels won 4-3, stranding the bases loaded in the ninth inning. The employees and fans were all extremely friendly, which makes me hope that the franchise can turn it around soon.

Stop 4: Visiting Dodger Stadium, Home of the Los Angeles Dodgers

Dodger Stadium is one of the best places to watch a game, but also the worst place to get to or leave.

This resulted in very mixed feelings towards Chavez Ravine.

The fourth stop of my trip was the first game that I did not go to by myself. For a potential NLCS preview between the Braves and Dodgers, I was joined by my girlfriend (I converted her to a Braves fan) and my 15-year-old cousin (huge Dodgers fan).

I was six years old last time I was at Dodger Stadium. The only two things I remember is it was Russell Martin bobblehead night, and my grandpa got hit in the head by a beach ball (and then got booed by fans for giving the ball to an usher).

Knowing how bad LA traffic is, we left my cousin’s house at 3:30 and arrived at 4:00 for a 7:10 game. More than three hours before first pitch, traffic was already a mess around the stadium.

We walked in once the gates opened, and it was a mad house inside from the jump. Right away, I noticed the immense number of diverse restaurants and food options in the outfield concourse.

So, I decided to ask Dodger fans their favorite thing to eat at Dodger Stadium. Answers ranged from a Dodger Dog, fish tacos, brisket nachos, and more.

I also asked fans of both teams if they think Freddie Freeman will enter the Hall of Fame with a Braves or Dodgers hat (I personally think it will be blank, but a third or fourth World Series ring with the Dodgers could easily change that).

The combination of 50,000 people in an old stadium made for incredibly tight concourses and long lines for food. This is to be expected, though, and it didn’t take away from the experience too much.

Once I was in my seat, my experience was close to flawless. The atmosphere in Dodger Stadium is one that only a few other stadiums can replicate.

Sure, it was a Friday night against a good team, but it felt close to a playoff atmosphere. I took my lap around the stadium as the sun was setting and took my favorite picture from any stadium so far.

During my trip, I’ve really grown to appreciate the cheaper tickets in the upper deck more. Generally, I prefer being as close to the action as possible, but the views and vibes from higher up are special, especially at Dodger Stadium.

My Braves lost 3-1 to the Dodgers, and Freddie Freeman hit a home run. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed the game, but my experience would soon go downhill.

As previously mentioned, I took an Uber to the game. It wasn’t too bad getting there, but leaving Dodger Stadium was an absolute nightmare.

In the comments on my video review of Dodger Stadium, some fans said I should have taken the shuttle to Union Station or just drive myself.

Both of those are likely better options than trying to Uber. I had three drivers cancel on me because they were stuck in too much traffic.

Add in the app not functioning because cell service was terrible, and it was a lousy way to end the night. I ended up having to select Uber Black because I could not get a regular one.

Still, after all that, I think Dodger Stadium is one of the top experiences in Major League Baseball. The views, atmosphere, and weather are all guaranteed to be elite every night, and that carries a lot of weight for me.

Stay tuned for my next two stops!