I wanted to share my first trip to the new Globe Life field with you. Driving up you see Texas Live and the old ballpark just across the street. The traditional lines and structure of the old ballpark harken back to an older time in America where baseball was tradition and our national past time. The new ballpark looks deceiving on the outside, as it could be mistaken for another warehouse in that part of Arlington, and if not for the dynamic signage of Texas Live, it probably would be.
I was fortunate to get a parking pass in the front lot so the walk in was much shorter. Upon entering the gates you can immediately see stands but not the field because the field is actually significantly lower down from the main entry area. The roof was open the day I went with sunshine but a cool day. Upon finding my seats my eyes were confused because there are so many different video screens, scoreboards, and advertisements, it actually becomes distracting if you are there to actually watch baseball.
When walking around the main level you can see the booth, where Chuck Morgan manages the show and announces the game. Everything is accessible and open, but the seats are plastic and bendy but comfortable which seemed weird. There are plenty of places to shop for MLB gear and the new main store is much larger. What the stadium lacks is any sense of tradition and it does not feel like a baseball stadium. It feels very much like a concert venue but other than the signs, banners, and video boards it does not feel like a baseball stadium.
The field itself is pretty but you can tell it is artificial turf instead of real grass. At the old ballpark when you came in smells of hot dogs, hamburgers, and all sorts of goodies being cooked immediately assaulted you. Those smells are not there at the new ballpark. I have been to many stadiums around the country and this was the first time that I have gone to one that did not smell like a baseball stadium.
If you know me at all, then you know I am obsessed with ballpark food. I love hot dogs, pretzels, burgers, boomsticks, ice cream, popcorn, cotton candy, and beer with my trip. The poignant yells of Hot Dogs and cold beer, from vendors going up and down the rows selling those goodies are no longer there. Instead you download an app., setup your credit card, and they bring your food to you. The food itself is terrible!
The hot dogs are not grilled they are boiled, gone is the 2 lbs. Beltre Burger, bacon on a stick, and many other novel eats. Instead, there is a fast food chicken restaurant, a Blue Bell store, a convenience store, and if you venture to the top deck, you can get BBQ at Karbach Brewing. They do still have the Boomstick, a two-foot long hot dog, a two-foot long chicken tender, but the nachos featured cheese out of a machine. The chili also comes from a machine. The burgers reminded me of a bad middle school cafeteria, the patties were hard and chewy but were tasteless, and the cheese on them didn’t melt, probably fake plastic cheese. It was only $10 for that abomination.
As a foody, in the old ballpark I knew that I was going to have some great food even if the team stunk up the field. The new ballpark is an extreme disappointment with low-grade food that is overpriced.
My advice is if you are traveling to Arlington, get a hotel, go to Texas Live next door, and watch the game on TV. Enjoy the food and beverages there along with live entertainment and just skip the Globe Life field. The team stinks anyway and ownership clearly prefers that you go over there. There are multiple real restaurants at Texas Live, TV’s everywhere and live bands and it is a much better value. Just be sure to Uber if you drink too much and save money on parking.
My overall assessment of the entire organization is that they built a great venue, but it is not a baseball venue. It is like the trading of Joey Gallo, they got something but nobody can identify exactly what that is. It feels as fake as the artificial turf on the field. My advice is if you want a fun adult experience go to Texas Live, but it is not kid friendly. If you want kid friendly, go see a Tulsa Drillers game and enjoy the many things they have for the kids. The food is better at that venue too; in fact, I have never been to a professional sporting venue with food this horrid.
Don’t look for improvement anytime soon; the stands are full of people, even though this is probably the worst Rangers team they have fielded since 1972. Management is making money, and it seems clear the team is not going to improve anytime in the foreseeable future. If management and ownership are not going to spend money on quality food, they sure are not going to spend it on players’ salaries.
