Stadium Central

It's been a while since a post, but a recent trip to a Triple A park has motivated me to write a bit more about ballparks. Isotopes Park, home of the Albuquerque Isotopes, is a gem of a ballpark. Many features make it special, starting with the Southwestern motif on the outside of the park. The adobe-look of the outside, along with some colorful glazing makes you know that you are in New Mexico. The view of the Sandia Mountains as the sun sets is spectacular. The park has a number of neat neighborhoods, with a berm in right field a place to sit on the grass while the kids play on an assortment of rides. A slew of suited in a second deck behind home plate frames the field well, as does another second deck down the third base line. Another interesting feature is the strange shape of the outfield, along with a hill behind center field. I had the pleasure of seeing the outfielder for the Memphis Redbirds climb up the hill to make catch, finishing the catch with a gentle fall onto the slope. Played like an expert. :)

A feature that I realize that I love about ballparks is the ability to walk all the way around. Behind center field there is not much to speak of, and left field has a large picnic pavilion that was rather empty on this day. The path takes you write by the bullpens across a bridge. As with most intimate ballparks, the sitelines are great, and I appreciated that the seats in the upper deck down the third base line tilted towards the pitcher's mound.

Great ballpark in a great setting. It didn't look like it was near a vibrant part of town, instead being tucked near the University of New Mexico near the football stadium.