Los Angeles Dodgers Logo

Dodger Stadium9

Home of the Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles, California
Chavez Ravine (1962-1965)
Dodger Stadium (1966-Present)
-----
Dodger Stadium
Opened: April 10, 1962
First Regular Season Game:
April 10, 1962 (6-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds)
Construction Began: September 15, 1959
Capacity: 56,000
Original Construction Cost: $23,000,000
Stadium Design: Modern

Information from Wikipedia

Stadium History Coming Soon...


Getting There

It's L.A., so you basically have to drive to the game (-1). Parking can be reasonable (+1), but only if you buy it in advance (-1). There are two bus lines that go to the stadium (+1) as well as a rail line (+1), but you have to walk quite a bit if you take the train (-1). Lexus is a sponsor of the Dodgers so you get cheaper preferred parking if you drive one, which seems a bit too much like the rich getting richer (-1).

Score: 4/10

Tickets and Seating

The Dodgers have tickets that are among the most expensive in baseball (-1) and the seats are similar to those at Fenway, which isn't a good thing. Many of the seats don't face home plate, which forces you to crane your neck to see the action (-1). Seats further down feel really close to the action, though (+1), and the upper deck doesn't leave you gasping for air like some newer stadiums (+1).

Score: 5/10

Exterior

Dodger Stadium has one of the most unique locations in baseball. It is built into the side of a hill, which looks fantastic (+2)! You can't even see the stadium until you're in the parking lot, which makes it's appearance even more epic (+1). Because it's built into a hill there are lots of stairs, which could be a problem for some. Escalators would be a great upgrade (-1). The outside architecture is clean and uses Dodger blue tastefully to not distract from the fantastic cliffside venue (+2).

Score: 9/10

Interior

Dodger Stadium gets extra props for the fact that you can see the game from the concourse throughout most of the stadium (+2). This is rare for older stadiums. There are fences you can look through the see the action in the bullpen (+1), which is also rare for older stadiums. Finally, the scenery you can take in from inside the stadium is unmatched by any other MLB stadium sans Coors Field (+2).

Score: 10/10

Scoreboard

There are two scoreboards at Dodger Stadium (+1), but they both show the same information (-1) and aren't large or clear (-1). They do have an out-of-town scoreboard in the outfield that shows an incredible eight games at a time (+1) and even though the main scoreboards are small, they are that so to prevent distracting from the scenery around the stadium (+1).

Score: 7/10

Kid Friendly

There is a small play area for kids (+1), but it's not enclosed meaning kids won't last very long if it's a typical hot Southern California day (-1). They do let kids run the bases after Sunday day games (+1), but there isn't much else for kids to do.

Score: 6/10

Fans

The stadium was pretty empty for a weekend game, even after the many late-arriving fans showed up (-2). The fans are laid back like they are in Anaheim (+1), which can be good, but they didn't seem to get too excited during critical points in the game either, other than when a homerun was hit (-1). There are plenty of knowledgable, long-time Dodgers fans, though, and they can help even out the small crowd (+1).

Score: 4/10

Ushers and Trading Up

The ushers are laid back (+1) and there a lot of them (+1). They are pretty friendly (+1) and seem to be great fans of the Dodgers (+1). You can trade up (+1), but the ushers usually won't let you until much later in the game (-1).

Score: 9/10

7th Inning Stretch

They use a real organ at Dodger Stadium (+2)! They play "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" twice (+2). While it's cool they play the song twice, it would be cooler if they played something specific to L.A. after the first song (-1).

Score: 8/10

Surrounding Area

There is nothing (-1), repeat, nothing (-1) to do around Dodger Stadium after a game. The stadium is in a scenic ravine, but that doesn't leave much room for entertainment outside the game (-1). There doesn't even seem to be a tailgating contingent like other stadiums that are surrounded by parking lots such as Miller Park (-1).

Score: 1/10

Final Score: 63/100