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Created by:
Jeff LeCrone
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Victory Field |
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They play football indoors and on turf in Indy. But, at least they got baseball right, and in a big way, too. Victory Field has just about everything I like in a ballpark. A finely manicured grass field. A great view beyond the outfield. Multiple areas to stand or walk while watching the game. It's a hard place to beat. I'm told that Busch Stadium, this stadium's predecessor, was a classic, and one of those places that exemplifies what's so great about ballparks. But many of the same people who mourn the loss of the grand old place also say that if it was to be replaced, Victory Field is a fine way of doing it. Right from the start, Victory Field is a little different from the rest. The main entrance is not behind home plate, but rather in center field. Entering the park this way offers a fantastic view of the grandstand as you are greeted by the ballpark. As you walk towards the grandstand, several unique vendors offer various forms of ballpark fare and memorabilia, and you also notice that people have begun to spread out blankets on a little hill overlooking the outfield. The hill stretches from foul pole to foul pole and is connected by the concourse which sits underneath the second deck, which allows fans to walk the whole way around the field, one of my favorite ballpark features. The view is of downtown Indianapolis and includes the RCA Dome (home of the Indianapolis Colts) and a power plant for Indianapolis Power and Light. It's not exactly PNC Park, but it is rather beautiful, providing a variety of interesting buildings upon which to gaze. The main seating area is made up of two decks, with each seating section accessible through a narrow staircase from the concourse. This may be my only criticism (and it's a slight one) - the large number of staircases to the upper deck can obstruct the view of someone who is walking along the concourse and trying to watch the game at the same time. Of course, not too many people come to the ballpark to walk, so it's not a huge problem. Update (9/14/04) - Victory Field just went up a couple of notches in my list of favorite parks, because they just landed the AAA affiliation of my favorite MLB team - the Pirates! The Bottom Line: Victory Field is just that - a victory. An excellent stadium.
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