Stadium Journey

I am about to throw a curve today. That is not quite accurate as I most likely cannot throw a curve anymore. I can still throw overhand so perhaps could beat Dr. Fauci’s opening day pitch in Washington. There is a buzz in our Dodger world now after two expected type games. For me it is business as usual checking the game when I get up in the morning. All west coast games are four hours away from my Atlantic Time Zone. So here’s the curve. This is mostly not Dodger related, but is a nice story of following a dream. It is mostly from an article I wrote back in 2014 with some updates.

I must admit that I had never heard of Paul Swaney until I came across his name and his dream while doing a bit of research for a year-end review of the Great Lakes Loons, the Dodgers Class A affiliate in the Midwest League. All aspiring athletes have dreams which they pursue with all their energy for as long as they possibly can. However, Swaney’s dream is not being played out only between the lines, on the field, on the ice or on the court. It includes those playing surfaces but also all of the structures that surround them – architectural and human resources.

Simply put, his dream is to visit and breathe in the experience of as many stadiums of all sports as he possibly can. The ultimate goal would most likely be to visit every sport venue in the United States. That may well be an aspiring goal which is too daunting for even him to accomplish alone. Paul Swaney’s dream has gone further than just visiting stadiums. It is now, and has been for at ten years, a plan to publish reviews of the various sport venues that he visits. In November 2011 that dream was realized with the publication of Stadium Journey magazine which by 2014 had reviewed over 1500 stadiums. The reviews of the stadiums provide intimate details all the way from structural designs, to washroom cleanliness, to where to park, to what to eat and how much it will cost. Stadium atmosphere is obviously one his main criteria in a stadium review.

Besides following a dream, Paul Swaney feels he can provide a useful service to sport enthusiasts: “Our reviews and ratings are essentially a tool for providing useful information to sports fans who love to travel. We want to help fans make the very most out of their sports dollar, and also provide a forum where they can share their experiences and knowledge.”

Swaney lives in Ann Arbor Michigan with his wife Jennifer and his young son Owen whom he often takes on his stadium excursions. Most of his work centers on the Midwest although he visits other locations further from home putting about 30,000 miles a year on his car while making about 50 stadium visits. His stadium chasing and magazine are his full time job. In four years he has built a team of more than 100 contributors based in 15 countries on every continent, except Antarctica, which means even soccer stadiums get reviews.

As with any new business, and this one is definitely unique, the challenges are great financially. Paul Swaney indicated, back in 2014, that his monthly magazine has about 300 subscribers who pay $20 annually. He does have a website – stadiumjourney.com – and said the website had about 200,000 page views last April (2014) . He also noted that his company at time was, “profitable, but just barely,” however, he has plans to continue to follow his dream and make it his life’s work. Among his ideas to grow his company are cookbooks and travel guides for each of the major cities. His first cookbook – Stadium Journey Pro Football Inspired Cookbook: Recipes for Home or the Tailgate – debuted in 2013. In the future Swaney intends to develop travel guides for both major and minor league baseball stadiums.

Swaney continues to follow his dream. He said at that time,

“I hope to do this the rest of my life,” Swaney said. “That was the goal, to create a profession moving forward. There will be plenty of more baseball pieces in the future, and you can expect to see travel guides of both major and minor league stadiums as we continue to grow.”

Since his work has expanded, I expect he is now on a more secure financial footing.

Besides throwing a curveless curve, this might border on blasphemy. That is, to highlight a non-Dodger affiliate stadium. However, this one is familiar to MT as it is to Zach McKinstry who grew up in Fort Wayne.

Last October Stadium Journey once again ranked Parkview Field as the No. 1 Class A ballpark in Minor League Baseball. The home of the Fort Wayne TinCaps has topped the publication’s list of Class A venues for 10 consecutive years since their rankings began.

“The experience at Parkview Field is what all minor league baseball teams should strive for,” according to Stadium Journey. “Great food, great seating options, a great neighborhood, great entertainment, and great customer service are all present here on a nightly basis. The neighborhood around the ballpark is also vastly improving, making it hip again to hang out in Downtown Fort Wayne.”

“Parkview Field, which opened in 2009 and has been in use for 11 seasons, has achieved the No. 1 ranking out of all 160 Minor League Baseball homes (from Triple-A down to Rookie) seven times in the last nine years. (For 2019, Stadium Journey has only ranked ballparks by classification and not overall.) Class A in Minor League Baseball consists of 30 teams, with 16 in the Midwest League, including the TinCaps, and 14 in the South Atlantic League.”

In the 2019 rankings at the High-A level, the Quakes LoanMart Field ranked second only to the home of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans of the Carolina League. I always felt the Epicenter was a perfect name for the stadium, but sponsorship works.

“The Quakes continue to be among the leaders in the California League circuit in terms of attendance. Being located an hour from downtown Los Angeles and its affiliation with the Dodgers benefits the Quakes greatly as evidenced by all the blue and white in the stands. It has a truly beautiful venue, where the sun is likely always shining, and the tree-lined outfield fence is only overshadowed by the towering San Gabriel Mountains in the distance. One thing you will see a lot in the stands are blue clad fans. Since joining the Dodgers farm system in 2011, the Quakes have added Dodger Blue to their color scheme and it shows in the stands as fans are dressed in both Quakes and Dodgers attire.”

So now for something to chew on based on your own personal experiences. This is from Stadium Journey.

“Stadium Journey is proud to present our Major League Ballpark Rankings for 2019. Mirroring the action around the big leagues this season, there are surprises aplenty on this list. The competition for the top spots was fierce, as 26 of the 30 ballparks were separated by less than a point. As a testament to how closely packed these rankings were, a former number one-ranked ballpark fell entirely out of the top ten.

Our rankings are compiled based on our exclusive FANFARE rating scale, which considers a facility’s food and beverage, game day atmosphere, neighborhood, fans, access, return on investment and other factors. When two ballparks received an identical score, reader reviews were used as a tiebreaker.

We expect that many of our readers will disagree with some part of this ranking list. Debate over our favorite ballparks is why we publish lists like this. We encourage our readers to submit their own reviews on our website, or give us your opinions on our Facebook, Twitter or Instagram pages. Thank you for reading, and without further ado, here is our 2019 Major League Ballpark Rankings:”

• 1. Progressive Field Indians
• 2. Oracle Park Giants
• 3. Busch Stadium Cardinals
• 4. PNC Park Pirates
• 5. Fenway park Red Sox
• 6. Wrigley Field Cubs
• 7. Coors Field – Rockies
• 8. Kaufmann Field Royals
• 9. Target Field Twins
• 10. Citizen Park Phillies
• 11. Globe Life Park Rangers
• 12. Camden Yards  Orioles
• 13. Petco Park Padres
• 14. Dodger Stadium   Dodgers

“When entering the hallowed grounds of Chavez Ravine, fans are entering the third oldest stadium in the majors. Now in its 58th season, with its 1960s style colored seating pallet, it is hardly ever referred to as a classic ballpark nor does it pretend to be. When not fully paying attention to the action on the field, some of the best views of the city, be it the San Gabriel Mountains beyond the outfield or the downtown skyline can be seen from the top deck and reserved levels.”