MILWAUKEE - MILLER PARK

Miller Park is one of the two new major league ballparks that was opened for the 2001 season. Located in the same area as old County Stadium, Miller Park is a significant improvement on the old stadium and has all the modern amenities a fan would expect, including a retractable roof. 

To get to Miller Park, take I-94 west from the city, exiting at Miller Park Way and following the signs to the parking lots. You can also reach Miller Park Way from National Avenue. There are two parking areas: preferred parking, which is $10 and is sold in advance or on game day, pending availability, and $6 parking, which is perfectly acceptable and not that far away. Of course, tailgating is a necessity.

As you drive in, Miller Park dominates the view as there is nothing else around. It is not a particularly attractive stadium from outside, its light green roof doesn't seem to fit the brick facing that surrounds the stadium. When the roof is closed, Miller Park becomes an eyesore, but with the roof open, it is more pleasing.

From the outside of Miller Park - note Bernie's slide

Fortunately, the inside of the stadium lives up to its billing. With four levels of seating and 14 different ticket areas, there are plenty of options for fans. The Field Diamond Box is $50 and allows you to sit in the first five rows along the baseline. The Field Infield Box is $32 and encompasses the remaining rows in the lower infield sections. The Field Outfield Box, at $27, is probably not a great bet. The second deck is known as the loge, and the best seats here are the $6 bleachers. Choose these seats and avoid the loge outfield box at $20 and spend the savings on a couple of brews.

The third level is the club level and is only accessible to those with tickets. The fourth level is the terrace level and unlike other ballparks I have been too, the nosebleed seats are actually reasonable. But with prices from $10-16, you may prefer the bleachers which are lower down. Of course, there are always the Uecker seats, which are sold on game day for $1. The view from these seats is partially obstructed by the roof supports, but on most days, there are plenty of other seats to move to.

The Miller Park retractable roof takes about 10 minutes to open or close and is very quiet. With the roof open, it seems like a normal ballpark, with shadows stretching across the infield during day games. With the roof closed, the park becomes cavernous and a bit depressing, and with occasional leaks, you can still get wet on rainy days. I am sure that these leaks will be fixed; in fact there are still a few problems with the field that also need to be worked out, as you can see in this picture the entire infield was ripped out after the May 14th game.

Check out the Hot Corner at the Left Field entrance, with displays dedicated to the Negro Leagues, Wisconsin baseballers, and the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. The Brewers team shop and Friday's restaurant are also there. 

On the Loge level, there is the Big League Blast, an interactive facility designed for kids which doesn't have much and is a bit overpriced.

Concessions are widely available - of course, the bratwurst and a beer are the old standby's, but there is a good variety in other stands, such as the On-Deck Deli. If you are not going to drink alcohol, sign up for the designated driver program - you will get a free soda which is better than nothing. However, the Brewers are more strict than other teams - you need to have a parking receipt from the parking lot, so only one member of your party can enjoy the freebie. 

Two of Milwaukee's most famous traditions have been moved from County Stadium. First is Bernie Brewer, who spends the entire game above left field, casting hexes on opposing teams and crusing down his bright yellow slide whenever the Brewers hit a home run. A unique mascot, Bernie doesn't wander around the stadium at all. The other tradition is the sausage race - 4 guys dressed as 4 different types of sausage run around the foul portion of the infield - very enjoyable to watch, and much better than the typical scoreboard races that you see at other parks.

The Miller Park tour wasn't very interesting - even though we had shown up on a non-game day the clubhouse was off-limits due to a concert that was to occur later that week. Press box, suites, dugouts: your typical tour and best avoided unless you want to sit in Bob Uecker's broadcast seat.

Miller Park Scoreboard

Overall, I really enjoyed the baseball experience at Miller Park. It still needs some work on the roof and field, but for seating options and views, it is the best so far. The tailgating parties make driving to the stadium worthwhile although leaving can take some time. If you are doing a Midwest baseball tour, Miller Park is a must see.