matthewweaver.com | mlb ballparks

Ballpark:
Originally known as The Ballpark in Arlington, Ameriquest Field in Arlington is true to the old Texas adage - everything is bigger in Texas. The place is freakin' huge but you can't appreciate how big until you see it in person. The boxy brick park rises out of the North Texas plains and fully encloses you when inside. There are so many things to attract the eye, like the plentiful advertisements and ornate molding, that the park borders on being gaudy. But I guess that's how they do things in Texas anyway.

The Ballpark is basically a conglomeration of other famous parks. The left field wall hints of the Green Monster in Boston's Fenway Park. It is 14 feet high and it is so far from home plate that it actually hurts the production of right handed sluggers. The center field bleachers and grassy strip are similar to Wrigley Field. The right field seats are modeled after old Tiger Stadium in Detroit with an overhanging roof and support poles blocking the view of the fans. The rest of The Ballpark is much like other parks, except for the business offices enclosing the center field portion of the park. The offices are for normal businesses, so regular people go to work at the park everyday.

It is wise to catch a night game during the intense Texas summers or you risk melting in the heat. If you do survive the elements, you should be able to enjoy yourself, as the food is decent and there are plenty of diversions on the concourses. In the end, the piecemeal architecture of the place prohibits a top grade, so I give the ballpark a "B" rating.

How to get there:
From Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport, follow International Parkway South to the Airport Parkway. Take the Airport Freeway West for about a mile and take the Arlington exit onto Route 360 South. Exit onto Interstate 30 West and take the ballpark exit South onto Collins Street. You will drive right past the build, which you can't miss due to the flat Texas landscape.

City:
Arlington, Texas is a nondescript suburb of Dallas-Fort Worth and has been home to the Rangers since their inception. Unlike Irving (the home of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys), Arlington is not a hip city with many businesses. It seems to be the city where people in the Metroplex come to play. Arlington is home to Six Flags Over Texas, many golf courses and the Rangers. I was not impressed with the neighborhoods, however, and I would rather spend my time in Dallas.

Dallas is a pretty cool place to hang out. Downtown is full of cool skyscrapers built during the oil boom that are lit up at night in neon. Many corporations call the Dallas/Irving/Fort Worth Metroplex home so there is a lot of money floating around.

Stuff to do while there:
The West End Marketplace is the place to shop and eat. There are many mainstream places to eat, but several Texas-only joints also. At one place, I was able to dine on a 30 oz. strip steak for a great price...and I got to grill it myself.

Even if you're not a history buff, you must walk to Dealey Plaza where President Kennedy was assassinated. Even today, over 4 decades since it occurred, there is an eerie feeling around the Grassy Knoll and the spot where the bullets hit their target.

Story:
Despite living in Cleveland at the time, I made it to the park twice in three weeks. First, I caught a game against the expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays during a business trip. Then I visited my Brother in Houston and we drove 9 hours round trip in one day to see the Rangers play the Cleveland Indians. (We also caught a Houston Astros game that week too.) Whew!

Fun facts:
The center field business offices were conceived when the team needed to fully enclose the park in order to keep the unpredictable Texas winds from affecting the game.

When home runs land on the grassy strip above the center field wall, kids run out and fight for the ball. Its usually quite a spectacle.

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A 2-photo mosaic of the outfield
at Ameriquest Field in Arlington
May 10, 1998

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Matt from his Section 116 seats
May 10, 1998

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The view of the park from the right field "Tiger Stadium" seats
April 21, 1998