Spring Training

Last weekend, Laura and I journeyed to the Valley of the Sun to take in some Spring Training action for the first time. On Friday, we went to Tempe to see the Padres take on the Angels. It was torture for Laura, a lifelong Cardinals fan, to see Albert Pujols donning an Angels jersey. Adding to her pain were the Pujols souvenir soda cups and the many fans wearing Pulols Angels jerseys. The game was sold out and the 9,500 fans witnessed multiple Pujols hits and a Padres victory. We had seats in the bleachers so we did not get an opportunity for autographs or player interaction. That night, after the game, we went to the mall in Scottsdale and saw Dodgers Matt Kemp and Dee Gordon shopping at Louis Vuitton.

Signs of Spring

Spring is nearly here and with it comes a fresh start to a new baseball season. Yesterday, we picked up our season tickets and snapped some pics of some of the changes going on around Petco Park. 

Some of the changes include:

• WiFi being added - Scaffolding was erected around the park last week and they are ready to put up WiFi hotspots around the stadium. I know many people may roll their eyes or not care about this, but I love it. I plan to have my iPad in hand at many games. 
• New Petco signage - The Petco Park font has been updated and looks more stylish on the scoreboard. Petco signs behind home plate are similar to previous logo except font is now in lower case and no longer bolded.
• Flags moved - I have only lived in SD for a little over a year so perhaps I missed this previously. It appears that the division champion flags have moved. They are now near Park in the Park. Where were they before?
• Signs behind scoreboard - Gone are the pics of the military and the Pads in digital camo. In their place are the SD logo and San Diego Padres signs of white on blue. They look simple and sharp. I like it. 
• The three ad signs in right field are being changed out. Earlier in the week it looked like a Budweiser sign was going up but that has since been removed. 
• New pics of Cam and Yonder on the outside of the park replace the O-Dog photo from last year. 
• New street signs around East Village - The Bartlett signs from last year are still up. Maybin and Street are featured on the new signage. 
• The viewing area in the Padres store behind the outfield fence is being converted into a suite. This is a bit of disappointment as it was a great place to catch a couple of innings with a park pass. It also was a spot our out of town guests would get their picture taken on non-game days. 
• Lucky's Lunch Counter - Not a Petco Park change but a neighborhood addition. Lucky's (www.luckyslunchcounter.com) is across the street from Petco Park on 7th. It opens in March and looks like it will be a cool spot to grab a quick meal before games.