Cubs News: Visitor's Guide and Tips for Coors Field |
DENVER -- Last weekend I got the opportunity to attend a three-game set of Chicago Cubs Baseball. Only this one was not at Wrigley Field; it was west in the state of Colorado. For anyone looking to attend a game in the future, here are some highlights and some tips and tricks that are unique to Coors Field.
First, we can start with a quick recap of the weekend series beginning with the game on Friday. A game that seemed destined to be rained out was eventually played. The temperature was 44 degrees at first pitch and ended up with temperatures that dipped into the mid-thirties. The Cubs bats were on fire as they took the game by a score of 16 to 5, including a seven-run 6th inning that sent a lot of fans packing and then rain in the 8th inning that sent even more. Still, the Cubs fans were able to fly the W. On Saturday the story was the same, Snow fell over the Denver Metro Area as we headed out for the game. Rain was still dropping, but it cleared up before first pitch. The Cubs got off to a sizzling start as they did all series long but a feeble inning from Darvish sunk the Cubs in another frigid affair, where the temps got into the mid 30’s. The roaming hot chocolate vendor at Coors Field was much appreciated this last weekend. Sunday was a different story where the Cubs got a picture-perfect Colorado spring afternoon. Temperatures at the start of the game were in the mid 50’s but ended up heating into the 60’s. Sunscreen and frozen lemonade were definitely essential for all the fans. The game was great and sitting in center field gave us an excellent view of the Albert Almora defensive show all weekend. Here is a video of his spectacular catch on Charlie Blackmon in the 9th inning. The crowd on Sunday was phenomenal as it was a much better day for viewing a ball game. Not to mention, lots of Cubs fans as well. Food: First and foremost everyone is looking for a deal, and one of the most expensive things that you can get at the ballpark is, of course, the beer. Coors Field has recently undergone a renovation where they added a rooftop bar which is like a party deck area. If you are attending a game, they have three dollar beers before first pitch. Standing room only tickets could be bought at for the games as well and the view is not that bad. Frozen yogurt and fresh squeezed lemonade are two of the great things they offer. The Helton Burger stand is in the left-field corner. For me, the best concession at the game was the Rockie dog. The footlong dog with the sauerkraut and the grilled peppers and onions was a thing to behold. However, nothing will beat a Chicago Style hotdog. After the game, we went to Fat Sully's Pizza where there were New York style slices of pizza. These are spread all over the Denver Metro Area and I give it a huge recommendation. I mean, they have Old Style cans! Ballpark: The overall feel of the park and the surrounding neighborhoods was phenomenal. Coors is located in LoDo, an older part of Denver and while it is a lot of bars and restaurants, it has the feel of a neighborhood, a lot like Wrigley. The bars and taprooms in LoDo are something worth checking out. From 1Up to the falling rock taproom there are tons of places to go before the game. The Rockies did a great job with Coors Field which is now the third oldest park in the National League. The fountain and the batter’s eye in centerfield give it a nice feel. I loved the bricks in the construction of the stadium and the green columns in its construction. It gives it the feeling of the older ballparks, with the same perks of the newer ones including a new state of the art video board. Transportation: For all three games, we took the train from Westminster to Union Station to make the trips to the games a lot easier. Union Station is just a short five to ten-minute walk from the stadium and even passes right by the stadium. There is parking by the Rockies at the stadium and in the city around the stadium. It was clear there was plenty of it, finding the right spot and navigating the city in a car could be seen a bit difficult though. Summary All in all, it was a great experience, and it was glorious to see a Cubs series victory. Coors Field is a fabulous ballpark and Denver is an excellent city, and this would be an experience I would recommend to anyone passing through or planning to visit.
