Miller Park

A Review for The Smarter Fan

BASIC FACTS:

-Location: One Brewers Way, Milwaukee, WI 53214.
-Opened: April 6, 2001.
-Surface: Grass.
-Dimensions: (See diagram on right.)

HIGHLIGHTS:

-Within the stadium itself, the primary structural highlight is the retractable roof. Seeing the roof open or close is quite an experience. If you stick around after a ballgame you will most likely see either happen.

-Location: About a 90-minute drive from both U.S. Cellular Field (White Sox) and the classic Wrigley Field, and 5 hours away from Minneapolis' Metrodome, Miller Park can be tackled in the same road trip as these other three fields. It is also a little over an hour away from several minor league teams: the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Mariners' Class A) in Appleton, WI; the Beloit Snappers (Twins' Class A), in Beloit, WI; the Swing of the Quad Cities (Cardinals' Class A), in Davenport, IA; and the Kane County Cougars (A's Class A), in Geneva, IL. See the map to the right for a number of other minor league teams in the greater region.

-It is a hitter's ballpark, especially with the roof closed. It is cool to see the ball carry.

-When the Brewers hit a homer, Bernie (the Brewers' mascot) slides down from his “dugout” through his huge yellow slide and waves a Brewers flag.

-When the panels are open in the outfield, the ball can actually leave the stadium; Sosa did it during the 2002 Home Run Derby.

-They've actually got a TGI Friday's inside the stadium, overlooking the field, that is open 365 days a year. So if you ever happen to be in Milwaukee in the offseason and want to take a look at Miller Park, you can just go have lunch or dinner there. Just to let you know how nice this is, here is a list of ballparks around which I have driven without being able to go inside of them: Jacobs Field (Cleveland), Great American Ballpark (Cincinatti), U.S. Cellular (Chicago White Sox), Busch Stadium (St. Louis), Kauffmann Stadium (Kansas City), Minute Maid Park (Houston), Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium (New York). Until recently I hadn't been to--but had driven around--Turner Field (Atlanta). A simple inside-the-stadium restaurant would have been nice to have so I could have at least furthered my checklist.

-The Sausage Races are the best in baseball! (Check 'em out on YouTube!) They sure beat those silly computerized races that most parks display on their screens between innings and nobody pays attention to.

-And, finally, Milwaukee Brats are the best!!!

NOT-SO-HIGH-LIGHTS:

-Night games are a bit dark; the lighting system doesn't seem to be as efficient as that of most other stadiums.

-The stadium is not exactly in prime real estate. Miller park does not take as much advantage of its city's beauty as other modern MLB stadiums, such as Pittsburgh's PNC Park (which features a stunning view of the city's skyline over right field), or San Francisco's AT&T Park (which overlooks the San Francisco Bay). Milwaukee boasts of a very attractive skyline, a beautiful bay shore, and an incredible view of Lake Michigan, none of which is taken advantage of by Miller Park.

-It can get quite cold in Milwaukee, even during baseball season, especilly in April and September, (not to mention October, if the Brewers make it). Keep this in mind if you are a thrifty fan and decide to park for free a quarter mile away from the stadium—you may have to walk in the cold for a while. You won't have to worry about rough weather while inside the stadium (they've got the roof, plus park-wide climate control); it's the walk that can be painful.

SEATS/PRICING:

-Cheapest Tickets: Uecker Seats are located in the nosebleed section behind home plate and go for $1 when gates open on day of game only, while they last. These seats are partially obstructed--e.g., by columns, etc. (see picture).

-Next Cheapest: "Bernie's Terrace" (Left Field nosebleed), sections 441-442, between Bernie's dugout and the left field foul pole, which go for $5, but must be bought well in advance (weeks, if possible).

-Cost of Seats Behind Dugouts (Autograph Seats) and Behind Home Plate: immediately behind (field diamond box), $85 ea.; several rows back, they go for $42 (field infield box).

To be continued...