Six of the coolest seats from which you can take in a baseball game this summer
Summer won't officially begin for another few days, but school is out and the sun is up, which can only mean one thing: It's time to go to the ballpark as much as humanly possible.
While there's no wrong way to watch baseball, some stadiums offer an experience that you just can't get anywhere else. So, to help you map out your summer itinerary, here are six one-of-a-kind spots to watch a ballgame:
The Lazy River, Dr Pepper Ballpark (Frisco RoughRiders)
It doesn't get much hotter than summer in Texas, so it made sense that, when Dr Pepper Ballpark opened back in 2003, it featured a swimming pool beyond the right-field wall. But that wasn't quite refreshing enough -- so, in 2016, the Rangers' Double-A affiliate announced that it was turning that pool into a 400-foot lazy river.
Because why watch the game from a seat when you can watch it while floating around in a floatie tube?
Section 15, MCU Park (Brooklyn Cyclones)
Being the first professional baseball team in Brooklyn since the Dodgers left town is a lot of pressure, but luckily, MCU Park on Coney Island is more than up to the challenge. It's one of the coolest ballpark experiences in the country: Grab a seat down the third-base line and you can get A) a fantastic view of the Atlantic Ocean, B) a fantastic view of the island's amusement park, including the parachute jump and the iconic Cyclone roller coaster, or C) both.
Take the afternoon, work on your tan, get some pizza at Totonno's, catch a game at sunset and thank us later.
The Purple Row, Coors Field (Colorado Rockies)
Way up in the upper deck at Coors Field, one row of seats has been painted purple.
Just what's the deal? The row sits exactly one mile above sea level -- the perfect way to take in the Mile High City. And if you plan your seat location right, you can catch a breathtaking view of the Rocky Mountains to boot:
The Ben Cheney Seats, Cheney Stadium (Tacoma Rainiers)
Professional baseball may never have come to Tacoma were it not for Ben Cheney. A prominent local businessman, he was instrumental in convincing the Giants to move their Triple-A team to the city in the 1950s -- even ponying up $100,000 of his own money to help complete the project.
The Tacoma Giants -- now the Tacoma Rainiers, a Mariners affiliate -- have called Cheney Stadium home since 1960, but not even naming the ballpark after him was enough of a tribute. Which is why, in Section K between home plate and the first-base dugout, you'll find a statue of Cheney, peanuts and scorecard in hand as he takes in the action.
Even better: You can occupy the seat next to him -- just make sure to watch out for stray peanut shells:
The Uecker Seats, Miller Park (Milwaukee Brewers)
In the 1970s and 80s, legendary Brewers broadcaster Bob Uecker starred in a series of commercials for Miller Lite in which he'd proudly proclaim "I must be in the front row!" ... only to be inevitably bounced up to the cheap seats:
Those ads took place at the old Milwaukee County Stadium, but in 2014, the Brewers decided to honor Uecker's affinity for the nose bleeds with a statue behind the last row of Section 422.
And just where is Section 422? It's up there -- way, way up there, near the back wall of the ballpark:
View from the Uecker Seats at Miller Park. #hemissedthetag #greatlakesbbtrip pic.twitter.com/DWytao7KZV
— Kenny Hillyard (@knhillyard) June 14, 2015
And while two columns obstruct your view, the Uecker Seats can be yours for just $1 on game days -- and really, could any seat next to Ueck be so bad?
The Fan Dugout, Recreation Park (Visalia Rawhide)
The Fan Dugout is, well, exactly what it sounds like: When the then-Visalia Oaks renovated Recreation Park back in 2007, they decided to add a third dugout down the left-field line, less than 50 feet from third base, that lets 25 lucky fans get an up-close view of the action. And don't worry: It comes with a protective screen, so you won't have to do your best
