SOUTHWESTERN BELL BRICKTOWN BALLPARK

Located on the edge of Bricktown, Oklahoma City's newly revitalized downtown entertainment district, the Brick is one of the new "retro-classic" parks. Constructed in 1998, it is typical of the newer parks, constructed almost entirely of brick on the outside, with green seating and supports. One unique feature is the batting eye, which is also made of brick, and much more attractive than the typical black or green walls that adorn the center field of most parks.

The park is bounded by Reno Street on the South and that is where the paid parking can be found. At $5 or $4, it is the most expensive minor league parking that we have seen, but there is apparently free parking a few blocks away from the park where shuttle service can be obtained. One can also take a water taxi down the Bricktown canal, but at $5/person, I am not sure of the benefits. 

The front entrance to the park is at the corner of Reno and Mickey Mantle Way. For those of you who don't know, Mantle was an Oklahoma native - there is a statue at the 3rd base entrance commemorating his achievements. 

Mickey Mantle Statue

There are two decks at this stadium, but they have been arranged very well, and it seemed like every seat had a great view. The $13 club seats are not worth it, but I don't think they are even for sale - the best seats are the $9 field box seats that are on the lower deck between the baselines. You can sit down the lines in the upper deck for $7 or in the lower deck bleachers near the outfield corners for $6. There is a General Admission section in left field for $4, but that should be avoided. You can also sit on the grass in the outfield if you desire.

Although this is a new park, it is nice that there is not the usual amount of attractions dotting the concourse\- the park is memorable in its simplicity. There is a restaurant called Coach's which serves good food at decent prices, and of course a souvenir shop, but there is no carousel, no gorilla, or anything else that detracts from the game.

Club seats

Overall, I really liked this stadium - although it is a bit more expensive than most parks with the parking and tickets, I thought the seats were great and the location is good as well - you can visit Bricktown after the game and enjoy some nightlife with the locals. If you are in the area, make a date with the Redhawks.