More Like "Understock.com" Stadium

With the school year in Northern California about to come to a close, I spent my last Tuesday night of the spring at the newly-renamed Overstock.com Stadium in Oakland to watch the Athletics take on the New York Yankees.  The game itself went more or less as expected, with the Yankees jumping out to an early lead, the A's climbing back into it when New York starter Freddy Garcia began to unravel, and New York blowing out the Oakland bullpen to complete a 10-3 victory.  Play was extremely sloppy; I'm not sure if it had to do with the rain that covered the field all afternoon prior to first pitch, but both teams made costly errors and could have been charged for a few more if not for some questionable scorekeeping.

In fact, "sloppy" is the term I'd use to describe my entire first experience at what was formerly known as Oakland Alameda County Coliseum.  From the parking lot flooded with oily water to the lack of beer and hot food vendors (they only walked around with snacks and sodas), everything about the game presentation what somewhat underwhelming and askew.  Particularly discouraging was the giant sign in left field that announced the arrival of "Free Parking Tuesdays" accompanied by the small writing beside it that noted that the promotion was available on "Most Tuesdays."  Not shockingly given the "premium" opponent, we paid $17 per car to park despite the Tuesday night scheduling.

Against the Yankees, "Free Parking Tuesdays" turn into "$17 Parking Tuesdays"

I came in expecting the Oakland Coliseum to be a dump, so I wasn't surprised to see that it was run down and ugly.  The concrete stands were visably stained, the metal-work was rusted and the giant "Mt. Davis" premium seating structure behind the center field fence was a complete eyesore. The concession stands were poorly designed so that even short lines backed up into the walking area and blocked foot traffic.  Overall, not the ideal venue for Major League Baseball.

That being said, there were definitely some positives about the A's game experience.  Despite the lack of vendors selling it, inside the concourses the Coliseum had an excellent beer selection - one of the best I've ever seen at a baseball game.  The food seemed pretty good overall, and for an old venue there was a decent amount of selection and variety.  The playing surface itself was well-maintained, and the giant foul territory (a result of the stadium also being used for football) led to some exciting plays on balls in foul ground.

If you're looking for a great Bay Area baseball experience, there's no question that you should go to AT&T Park to see the Giants - the stadium is nicer, the area is more scenic and the home team is more competitive.  But baseball is baseball, and for a much cheaper price you can get great seats to watch the A's battle some of the American League's elite.  If you're willing to put up with a dingy stadium and a flooded parking lot, $50 a ticket can get you some of the best seats in the house, and hopefully when you make the trip "Free Parking Tuesdays" is actually in effect.

Even for a "Premium Game," $50 gets you a great view of the action.