Mik's Food Scrapbook: Progressive Field

When we got to the park the only area open was the concessions near the Heritage Park Hall of Fame in outfield concourse. It did have some good food options, though. Mik got a cheeseburger combo meal. It came with a cheeseburger, waffle fries, and a large souvenir cup drink for $11.25. Mik declared it his favorite meal at a ballpark so far. The great food options, which also in other areas included fried fish and popcorn shrimp with fries and Moose Tracks ice cream and Orange Sorbet helmet sundaes, is part of why Mik declared Progressive Field his favorite ballpark on the trip so far. He was too full to even get around to trying the other things, but he did like that there were plenty of great options to choose from.

Game 15: Getting Stuck in the Wheelchair Lift at Progressive Field

Before the game at Progressive Field we spent almost an hour in Heritage Park. There is a good amount to see, but really not that much. Most of that time was spent getting down to the different levels of the little terraced area. They have two wheelchair lifts to get down to the two lower levels of it. To get down to the first we had to track down an usher with a key to operate the lifts.

Getting down to the next level was not too hard to start to do since the usher hung around. Actually ended up there did not work out so fast, though. Almost to the bottom the lift stopped and Dad and Mik ended up stuck in there until a maitenence guy came and got it to go down. Basically the lift platform is out of alignment and it rubbed against the bottom door hitting the lock and locking up the lift. They were only stuck for about 15 minutes and it really was not that bad of experience. Of course, I did not mind at all since I was not actually stuck, but even Dad and Mik did not mind much, as they knew they were working on it all along. Not just in this incident, but throughout the experience at Progressive Field the staff were very friendly and helpful.

As we were exploring the bottom level and before going back up out of the Heritage Park they brought us three Indians baseball caps. The caps came in handy for Mik and Dad since the sun actually came out after the game had a 20 minute rain delayed start. Mik really thought the hats were cool, but he does not want to get stuck in any more lifts if he can help it even if he does get free stuff. Not that it was the first time that has happened, as wheelchair lifts tend to have trouble like that quite regularly.

Game 15: Milwaukee Brewers 9 @ Cleveland Indians 8

We got to the park a little after they opened the one gate that lets you into a small part of the park opened at 4:30pm. At least that part included some good food, since Mik was really hungry. It also included the area called Heritage Park, which is a three level area that honors the Indians that are in the Baseball Hall of Fame and other significant players and moments in Indians history. We ended up in this area until they opened up the rest of the park at 6pm, but more on that in a whole separate post later, as that experience deserves its own post. It was something that could have made the ballpark the worst, but actually in the end at least Mik has declared Progressive Field the best park so far.

The game was definitely the best one we have seen so far. Perhaps almost the best game I have ever seen in person, however, the walk off home run by Zimmerman in the Nats Opening Day game at their new park last year still rates the top game experience for me. The Brewers took an early 3-0 lead with one run in each of the first three innings. The Indians then scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 4th to tie it up.

The Brewers again took the lead in he 7th by scoring 3 runs and increased their lead to 8 to 4 with a run in the top of the 8th. The Indians again made it only a 3 run deficit with a run in the bottom of the 8th, but the Brewers then tacked on another run in the 9th. So going into the bottom of the 9th the Indians were down 4 runs (8 to 4). With one out they scored on a double after getting a single and walk. Then the bases ended up loaded and Garko hit a 3 RBI double to tie up the game, but he tripped and ended up being tagged out for the second out of the inning. The game went into extra innings. The winning run came for the Brewers in the top of the 11th with a sac fly.

Even Mik got into the game, as he is a little bit of an Indians fan since he was an Indian in his first year of Challenger Little League. He did mostly play his PSP and he did want to leave at first when it went into extra innings, but he ended up putting his PSP away by the 11th and actually watched the game. He was even rooting for the Indians to at least tie it up in the bottom of the 11th even though he wanted to hit the road and that would happen sooner if the inning ended without the Indians scoring.

He is actually sort of getting into the trip. At least he is looking forward to the next game. Besides the Dbacks game, going to a game at an old park like Wrigley Field is the one thing that has him excited. Perhaps that is because we keep showing him things like where the home plate for now gone parks are and the dilapidated League Park we drove by in Cleveland. He wants to see what an old field that is actually kept up looks like.

Game 9: Cleveland Indians 6 @ White Sox 0

We got to the White Sox game only about two and a half hours before the game, which is probably about the closest to game time we have gotten to a park so far. We ended up actually having to wait for the parking lots to open as they do not open until two hours before game time. I am so glad it was not like the many other times when we have arrived way more than two hours early because we wanted to walk around it or see something else nearby or just plain had no other place to be.

We ended up parking right on the north side of the park and as we walked around to the handicap entrance at Gate 4 we found the home plate marker for the previous Comiskey Park, which was used through the 1990 season before the White Sox moved across the street to their new park that at the time was also called Comiskey, but is now called U.S. Cellular Field.

Overall our seats in section 108 were great, although the foul pole was slightly in the way. At least the handicap seats were actually accessible and we also could see the scoreboard well.

Before game time Dad and I walked around the park. In the center field area of the concourse there are a few statues of past Sox figures (mostly players, but also Comiskey). They are pretty interesting including a set of two that makes it seem like the one guy is throwing to the other guy who is waiting to catch the throw.

Tonight the Indians actually played well in comparison to their rather dismal outing yesterday. I was, of course, rooting for the Indians since I am a Cubs fan and cannot imagine rooting for the White Sox even if I do not really care about the Indians either. Dad was rooting for the White Sox, as even though he says he is a Cubs fan he is also a Sox fan since he went to school at IIT right across the freeway from the old and new Comiskey Parks. I think we can both agree it was a good game and it has proven me wrong on my theory of the American League being all crap pitchers, as the Indians pitcher actually threw a complete game. It is the first and I would not be surprised if only complete game we have seen pitched on the trip. I still maintain, though, that most of the good pitching games and especially pitching matchups occur in the National League.

Game 8: Cleveland Indians 3 @ Minnesota Twins 11

Today’s game was the first day game of the trip, but it did not feel much like one with it being at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, which is one of the last remaining dome baseball stadiums (I think only the one in Tampa Bay is also a permanently closed roofed baseball stadium). It is often said to be the worst park for baseball and it is one of those obviously built for football and not baseball parks (Oakland was actually pretty well converted to baseball even though it is multipurpose). It really is not the most ideal way to see baseball for those we think it has to take place outside, but to Mik this was more like going to a baseball game since he has grown up with the BOB/Chase Field. I kind of like the roof aspect as it was a afternoon game, but as a night game the outdoor stadiums are much more enjoyable, especially for seeing sunsets. I am glad we did the trip this year and saw this stadium in its last year as a MLB stadium. Next year we will have to return and see their new park, Target Field.

Seeing the park really was not much, as even souvenir shopping stunk. I did enjoy walking around the upper level concourse and seeing the Minnesota Sports Hall of Fame, but even that was not entirely interesting because it is mostly people and sports I could care less about, although it did include some baseball related figures. The souvenir shops were simply kiosks and no actual official Team Shop and the selection was rather limited, but it worked out in the end when we went to a off site souvenir shop that sells official merchandise. Will write more on the souvenir situation in the mini bat, baseball, and car sticker posts.

Our seats in section 216 was in the family section and that did not work out too well for Mik, because it was a rather crowded section including the wheelchair section and for the first time Mik had to deal with sitting next to someone. He did not like that at all and felt crowded and most off all is very rude about being around old people and it was an old woman next to him. The Angels game was similar, but the seating allowed Dad and I to sit on each side of him and he did not really notice, but here he was stuck next to the stranger. It turned out that it was Strike Out Stroke Day at the Park and it seemed pretty much all the handicap seating had the same problem, however, I imagine the family section has the issue regularly. More on the poor accessibility related to the seating in the Accessibility Review later.

The game itself was rather enjoyable, especially after Mik finally got lost in his PSP game. As it often seems with an American League game there was a lot of hits and runs. It may just be me, but it seems it is all about offense in the American League and the scores end up higher more often than the more defense oriented National League. Anyways, it was exciting to see a lot of home runs (5 total with 4 of them by Twins) in the game including the Twins #16 hitting two 3 RBI homers (one in the first inning and one in the second inning).