I could have been at a football game.  After all, the parking lot was filled with thousands of people tailgating, playing Bag-O, BBQ-ing, and drinking suds.  But I wasn’t at a football game, I was walking through the expanse of the Miller Park parking lot on the way to see the Diamondbacks and Brewers in a Sunday baseball game.  I knew right then I was in for something a little different.

Miller Park, from the outside, looks like a factory building or maybe an industrial aquarium, depending on how you look at it.  The brick walls, the glass windows, and contorted metal that make up the retractable roof are an out of place site in the middle of an open area just west of downtown Milwaukee.  But as soon as you walk into the stadium that holds 43,000 people (and many more this day since it was Ryan Braun Bobblehead day), you know you’re in for a treat.  And Miller Park, more than any baseball stadium I have been to yet, sure has a lot of treats. 

Whether you’re a vegetarian, carnivore, or fruitarian, Miller Park has it all.  I have never seen so much food and so much variety offered in any one place.  The staple of Miller Park are, of course, the Klement’s Sausage.  You have to have one with the Special Stadium Sauce.  But you really have your druthers here.  Another specialty item, besides loads of beer, is the Bloody Mary.  Spicy or not, they come in a generous souvenir cup.  The concession stands and stand-alone food kiosks encircle the main concourse and are found in almost every nook and cranny on all levels of the stadium.  You won’t go hungry at Miller Park.  And your kids won’t get bored either. 

In the right field corner the Kids Zone is the largest I have come across yet.  As a soon-to-be first time dad I have started to take note of all the play areas and Miller Park has all their bases covered.  Whether it is slide, a pedal-powered sausage race, or hitting and pitching cages your child desires, they have it all and more.  

And then there’s the stadium.  Opening in 2001, Miller Park replaced the run-down and out of date Milwaukee County Stadium and shares the same footprint as its predecessor.  Miller Park is big, much larger in appearance than the 43,000 seats advertised.  This is the first ball park I’ve been in that made me feel like I was at the Coliseum in Rome because it is massive and spacious.  It was hard to believe that there were only a few thousands more people there than there were the day before at sold-out Wrigley Field.  It has that kind of effect.  Our seats, in the club level, were cushioned and comfortable.  The seats at all other levels were roomy and every seat had a cup holder.  I love those modern day luxuries.  Also available in certain areas is seat-side service.  This is growing more common at most ballparks, when an attendant will come take your order and your food is delivered to you in less than 5 minutes. 

Looking out over the field you see a relatively boring baseball diamond.  No significant juts, no high walls, but the windows that encircle most of the stadium to add to the airy feel and provide great lighting.  When the roof is open, as it was this day, the natural sun light bleeds over the crowd starting along the first base side then travels across the field to third base.  Most seats behind the plate never get sun which did make it a little cool at times as the wind whipped through the stadium.  If it rains during a game the roof can be closed within 10-12 minutes without any significant stoppage of play.  Built for $50 million the roof has 7 fan-like panels, and is billed as the “only fan-shaped convertible roof in North America.” (www.baseballpilgrimages.com)

In left field the Brewers mascot, Bernie, pumps up the crowd and often slides down the big, yellow slide and always after home runs.  Center field houses the large scoreboard, a Harley-Davidson café, and you can also find the retired numbers of Brewers’ greats Hank Aaron, Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, Rollie Fingers, and of course, Jackie Robinson (his number 42 is retired by every Major League Team).  

A few rows behind home plate is one of the most unique and thoughtful things you may encounter at a ballpark.  There are four, military-style decorated seats that sit among all the others.  Curious, I found out that Brewers pitcher Jeff Suppan purchased these four seats and they are given to military members returning from duty overseas.  Each game four new vets are seated here thanks to the generosity and appreciation of a Big League ballplayer. 

Outside the ballpark there is very nice little league field called, Halfaer Field built on the same site as the old stadium.  This field can be used for little league baseball and softball games and was part of the original concept to build a “park within a park.” (www.brewers.com)

Near Halfaer Field is a bronze statue memorial to three construction workers who lost their lives during the construction of Miller Park.  It is a classy touch by the Brewers, and made more significant because it is one of several statues and plaques that encircle the walkway around the stadium honoring the legends of the Brewers past. 

All in all it was a very nice experience.  There were great fans, the sound system was terrific, and I wasn’t overwhelmed by the distractions, though there are plenty.  I was glad to have seen a game at Miller Park, to have seen the 6^th Inning Sausage Race live and sing not only “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” but also, “Roll Out the Barrel.”  Baseball in Milwaukee is a long-standing tradition with many new, cultural, and geographical traditions wrapped inside for a total package.  I give Miller Park a stand-up DOUBLE but I may not hesitate to wave it around to third.