JACOBS FIELD

Jacobs Field is another of the retro-classic parks built in the mid-1990's, and it is one of the better ones. Located  next to the Gund Arena as part of the Gateway, the ballpark is one of the centerpieces of the renewed downtown core. 

Parking near the stadium is expensive, and we didn't see any free street parking nearby. A few blocks north on 9th Street you can find parking for $5. One of the interesting concepts is the connected parking garage - there is a gate that you can enter directly from parking garage across Eagle Street. You can even watch the game from this garage, but you will eventually get kicked out by the police, who will then watch the game themselves.

The Indians are very proud of their fans, and vice versa. One of the retired numbers above right field is dedicated to the fans - 455, to commemorate that number of consecutive sellouts. Nowadays, tickets are slightly easier to get, but you should consider ordering in advance if you are attending a popular game. Good seats are generally sold out to season ticket holders, but there are some lower box seats down the lines for $25. The upper deck seats are quite far away as there are 3 levels of private suites, so we suggest taking the lower deck seats, either in the bleachers for $17 or the lower reserve for $20. The cheapest seats are the general admission which go for $7. Standing room seats are sold only after the game is considered a sellout; those go for $6. 

There are four street level gates, with the main gate being Gate A right beside the main box office at Ontario and Eagle Streets. Gate C at 9th and Eagle is where you can find the Bob Feller statue as well as the question "Who's on First?" in block letters on the ground. Gate D is the home plate gate at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario Streets.  Inside gates A and C, you will find today's lineups posted - the first major league park to do so, in what we felt was a tribute to minor league ball. A very nice touch, and don't forget to sign up for the designated driver program - you get a very small soft drink for your trouble.

Lineups are posted

If you arrive early, take a walk around the stadium - the outside is composed of a light brown stone and brick, with a light green roof and metalwork. This is a nice change from the more common redbrick that dominates the newer parks. The gates open 90 minutes before the game and are noted by the blowing of a whistle, much like at a factory.

Inside the stadium, there isn't that much that is special, which is what I like about it. Behind Gate C is the backyard picnic plaza, one of several picnic areas scattered throughout the stadium. Concourses are very wide, and even on sold out days, I expect it is easy to move around here. One of the best things about the Jake is the asymmetric concourse - along third base, you cannot see the field from the concourse, but along first base you can. This is because the club seating is located on the second level along the first base line, which allows for the concourse to be open; the third base line has no such seating and hence the concourse is closed. Very neat.

Another sign that the designers thought of the little things are the seats in the right field corner. Although they are still in foul territory, they face directly at home plate, just like the seats behind the outfield fences. Another unique touch are the rows of 2 seats at the front of these sections, those look like good seats for couples.

These seats face home plate despite being in foul territory

Although the upper deck is quite high, it does offer a nice view of Cleveland and the Cuyahoga River, so we suggest you hike up before the game. The stadium really looks impressive from the top. The massive scoreboard is average, with two matrix boards and one jumbotron. Just to the left of the scoreboard is a round TV board, which shows the batter's picture, but nothing else. Looks cool, but that's about it. For those of you hoping to catch home run balls, try standing at the Pepsi Home Run Porch beside the left field foul pole and underneath the round TV. You get a different view point from here, and can heckle the opposing left fielder as well.

Kenny Lofton on the round board

As with all new stadiums, there are plenty of pictures and banners hanging around - the most interesting are the old and new Indians side-by-side, such as Kenny Lofton and Larry Doby. Above some concession stands are pictures of fans enjoying the game. Speaking of the concessions, we didn't try anything other than a hot dog, but it was somewhat disappointing. 

Old and new Indians

Other features that you should note include the small Indians' museum in the team store, which includes some pieces of memorabilia. Unfortunately, the Indians have not had much success since 1948, so there is not much here, but they are hoping to add some more stuff this year. You can play games at the Wahoo World, named after the former mascot, Chief Wahoo, who has been replaced by the more politically correct Slider. However, at $2 to play Sony Playstation games, we suggest you give this a miss. 

A more intriguing option would be the FanCast booth, where you can do the play-by-play for one inning, with all proceeds going to charity. 

A great park

One little-known fact is that Cleveland is the hometown of the Society for American Baseball Research, which has a booth at every home game. Stop by to say hi, and pick up some brochures. These guys know a lot about the game, and if you fancy yourself a bit of a baseball geek, you should consider joining up as well.

Overall, Jacobs Field lives up to its billing. A big stadium, but filled with good fans and a good team. It has been kept simple, without needless distractions, and thus we strongly recommend a trip to see the Tribe play.