Ballpark globe trotter visits Raley Field

After watching the San Francisco Giants game Tuesday night, April 12, I woke early Wednesday and drove 95 miles to the state's capital city to watch the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats take on the Las Vegas 51s, affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. There were intermittent showers along I-80, but when I pulled into my hotel, it was sunny and time for baseball.

Sacramento River Cats

Full disclosure: I had a thing against this team. They used to be based in Vancouver and I spent six seasons watching them at beautiful Nat Bailey Stadium. But the franchise was sold to Art Savage, who moved it to Sacramento in 2000. Since then they have been the most successful team in U.S. professional sports, winning nine division titles, four league titles, and two Triple-A championships.

During this time, the River Cats have led all of minor league baseball in attendance, with more than 8.3 million fans passing through the turnstiles over those 11 years. Sacramento fans are passionate and it shows.

Raley Field

The River Cats play at Raley Field, just west of the Sacramento River. Right now the area around the ballpark is under renovation as they are building a new entertainment district with the field as the centerpiece. I chose to walk the mile and a half from my hotel, passing over the iconic Tower Bridge.

Tickets here start at $42 for the best seats, behind home plate. With such a strong following, you can afford to charge those prices, but I can't afford to pay $42 for a Triple-A game. To be fair, there are more affordable options. I saw two games here, one on Wednesday afternoon and the other on Thursday evening. For the first game, I opted for the $7 Centex Value Corner, two small sections located down the left-field line.

For the second game, I met a friendly group who had an extra ticket and were kind enough to offer it to me for $7. This turned out to be a great deal for me as I got to sit with them and be entertained by their antics all night long.

One interesting seating option is the Jackson Rancheria Home Run Terrace beyond the left-field fence. It is only open to individual tickets for Thursday night games (Miller Lite Thirsty Thursdays), which are also $2 beer nights, so you can really relax here!

The stadium is fairly typical for Triple-A, a concourse above a single seating-level with the suites upstairs. There is lawn seating beyond the right-field fence and a Blue Moon Party Deck in the right-field corner.

I liked the lineups that were displayed on a realistic umpire-catcher combination, and the poles around the ballpark contain mosaics that appear to have been created by local youth.

Hot dogs here were very good. I bought one Wednesday and then used a coupon from a T-shirt I snagged to get another Thursday. Some other intriguing menu items include a chicken fajita rice bowl and chicken pesto sandwich, but I didn't try them. Prices are major league, but in this case it might be worth it.

Overall, I really enjoyed this ballpark. A short walk from downtown, Raley Field is a great place to relax and watch a game, which is how it should be.

Notes

I picked up my first freebie of the trip, grabbing a T-shirt thrown into the crowd. There was a poor old guy two rows behind me who couldn't quite reach it and the shirt fell into my row. As he leaned over the two rows to try and pick it up, I snatched it out of his reach, much to his dismay. He nearly killed himself trying to grab it, and I felt slightly guilty for using my youth and speed (yeah, right) to leave him empty-handed, but the rules of ballpark freebies applied and he assured me he was all right with a high five. His friends spent the rest of the game hassling him though. Even better, it came with the free hot dog coupon which I mentioned earlier.

All-in-all, a great two days in Sacramento and my long-standing dislike for the River Cats is done. Great staff there that really make you feel welcome.

When they finish the West Sacramento Bridge District, I'll be back!