Shushkewich: Father's Day in Arlington with Jays and my father

Canadian Baseball Network writer Tyson Shushkewich (left) spent Father’s Day with his dad, Russ, at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, watching the Toronto Blue Jays take on the Texas Rangers. Photo supplied.

June 23, 2023

On the road – Visiting Globe Life Field in Arlington as the Blue Jays play a three-game series

By Tyson Shushkewich

Canadian Baseball Network

ARLINGTON, Tex. - On a personal note, one of the things my father, Russ, and I are looking to accomplish is seeing the Toronto Blue Jays play in every ballpark, and this past weekend, we had the chance to experience Globe Life Field, home to the Texas Rangers.

This wasn’t our first time seeing the Blue Jays in Texas, as we witnessed them play back in 2014 when Marcus Stroman was breaking into the league, but the Rangers organization built a new stadium in 2020 with a retractable roof to play under. This was a big deal, as temperatures on the trip ranged from 35-40 degrees Celsius depending on the humidity and it was nice to get out of the Texas heat during the game.

The former stadium, now renamed Choctaw Stadium, is a stone’s throw away from the new venue and was a great park as well back in the day. It now holds other events such as XFL football, MLS soccer, and the Dallas Jackals, the city’s Major League Rugby team.

A shot of Globe Life Field from the third base stands. Photo supplied.

Taking in the Tour

One of the things my father and I like to do is take part in the ballpark tour (if the club offers it) and the Rangers organization does, with different levels of experience depending on the day, whether the team is playing that day, and your price point. What’s neat is that if the Rangers are out of town, specific tours actually include a game of catch on the field as a premium option.

For this particular tour, we decided on the “Ballpark Tour,” which is the standard for gamedays, and while the tour guide Kirsten was fantastic in her knowledge of the game and the organization’s history, the tour lacked much behind-the-scenes stuff you were hoping to see.

A photo from centre field taken during a tour of Globe Life Park well before game time. Photo supplied.

It’s one of the only ballpark tours we have been on where we didn’t get to see the press box or really spend that much time at field level and most of the tour was spent learning the history of the team and going into areas you could normally access depending on the ticket level you purchase. There is lots of information related to Nolan Ryan, and rightfully so given what he did for the organization, and that was one of the most interesting parts of the tour. You also get to see Chuck Morgan’s office, the Rangers’ public address announcer, but the office is also visible during gameday as it is at the 200 level behind home plate and roughly 30-45 minutes before gameday, he will open the door to the office and take pictures with fans.

Understandably you won’t see areas like the clubhouse or visit the dugouts (in some ballparks you can, some you can’t) and the only place we got to see that fans with a regular ticket to the game would be unable to access were the suites behind home plate. If you are really into learning Rangers’ history, the tour is great for that information but if you want to see the ins and outs of different areas of the ballpark, this might be one to avoid and just show up a bit earlier to the game and walk around to see the same things.

Game time

While the Blue Jays were in town, there were three giveaways: a Jacob deGrom City Connect Bobblehead, a cap celebrating Mexican Heritage Night, and a light blue Rangers-themed floppy hat. We were able to snag the bobblehead and the cap but given the Sunday was Father’s Day and there were numerous dads and their families, as well as numerous little league teams, we missed out on the floppy hat.

With the stadium opening in 2020, everything inside the ballpark is quite spacious and there is ample room on every level for people to walk around and not be squished or herded amongst other fans. The seats are what you would normally expect at the ballpark and there really isn’t a bad seat in the house, regardless of the level you are sitting in.

The food options at Globe Life Field are immense and reasonably priced (for ballpark food), with one of the more popular options being the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Pretzel and the Boomstick Hot Dog, with the club utilizing Nolan Ryan beef on many of their products. There were many different vendors across the ballpark as well, so you really didn’t have to wait that long in any line whether it be food or beverage (adult beverages included). This was also relevant for amenities such as washrooms and water fountains, there were numerous areas and no lines.

For those who partake in such beverages, the club offers various different beers, both name-brand and local, and also has frozen-type margarita cocktails that can be served in jars and also in larger plastic bats, which were immensely popular and found throughout the stadium (and are take-home as well).

Outside the stadium is where the party is

Directly outside of Globe Life Field, there are tons of activities going on before and after the game, namely happening at the Texas Live! centre which hosts numerous bars, restaurants, live music, and arcade games throughout the two levels. There is even a mechanic bull located on the second level within PBR Texas, which is part of the Texas Live! facility.

On the main/ground floor is where most of the action is, with numerous food and drink options and massive screens to watch almost any live sport going on, ranging from college baseball to lacrosse to the US Open. This is one area I would definitely recommend checking out prior to or after the ballgame, as prices are lower than within the stadium and the atmosphere is great and close to the ballpark.

To get back to your hotel, if located near the stadium, there are also free trollies that fans can utilize once the game is over just outside Choctaw Stadium which is a safe ride option back to where you are staying. There are different trollies that go to different hotels, so you just need to make sure you ask/locate the proper one prior to boarding. The trollies make two rounds prior to and after the game is over, just ask your hotel during check-in for the scheduled times and where it will meet outside.

An exterior shot of Globe Life Field taken well before the pre-game party begins. Photo supplied.

Conclusion

While the Blue Jays dropped the series in heartbreaking fashion on Sunday, Globe Life Field is one ballpark I would definitely recommend checking out and adding to your list of parks to see.