City: Phoenix, AZ

Category: Spectator Sports

Telephone: (602) 462-6500

Address: 401 E. Jefferson St.

Description: The Diamondbacks game 7 walk-off victory over the New York Yankees in the 2001 World Series is burned into the memory of every Arizona baseball fan. The expansion franchise toppled the mighty Yanks just weeks after the terrorist attacks of September 11 in New York, making for a memorable and patriotic championship. The twin-tower aces of co-MVPs Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling brought then-owner Jerry Colangelo and the state of Arizona its first and only World Series title.The Diamondbacks’ story began with the Phoenix Suns basketball team. Suns former owner Jerry Colangelo announced in 1993, the year his basketball team went to the NBA Finals, he was putting together an ownership group to try to purchase a Major League Baseball franchise for Phoenix. In 1995 Colangelo received the franchise, which would start play in 1998.Almost immediately, work began on Bank One Ballpark (now renamed Chase Field), a retractable-roof stadium with a natural-grass playing surface. It was built in the current MLB fashion to offer the old-time, single-use baseball stadium feel. At the same time, it is air-conditioned to make a capacity crowd of 49,033 comfortable. Chase Field even boasts a swimming pool for patrons who want to stay wet during a game or dive in after a home run. The opening of the roof even has its own dramatic theme music.When former New York Yankees coach Buck Showalter signed on in 1995, 18 months before the Diamondbacks would play their first game, the tone was set for good, fundamental baseball. Alas, it was still an expansion team despite having a team of talented veterans, including gold glover Matt Williams at third base. The Diamondbacks stuck to the bottom of the National League West in 1998. The next year, the D-Backs, with the help of “The Big Unit” Johnson, took the National League’s Western Division Championship. Since 2001 the D-Backs have appeared in one National League Championship Series. It’s been mostly rebuilding since then, though new manager and World Series hero Kirk Gibson is expected to promote a new aggressive style of play for young studs like Justin Upton and Chris Young. Full-season tickets range from $415 for the uppermost level to $3,000-plus for the Club Box level. Single-game tickets range from around $10 to $220.There are approximately 33,600 parking spaces available within a 15-minute walk of Chase Field. Garages like the one on Monroe Street near Heritage Square will validate if you have a beer after the game at a bar like Rose and Crown. Cheap parking is available in lots south of the stadium and further east on Jefferson Street. The Diamondbacks’ home schedule overlaps with home games of the Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Mercury, and Arizona Rattlers on many nights, which means an additional 10,000 to 19,000 people downtown on some game nights. You should allow extra time to park if you want to arrive in time for the national anthem.The light rail line drops off along Jefferson Street on the north side of the stadium for even easier access. The trains after the game get a little packed, but it’s nothing compared to what you have to deal with on public transportation in Chicago or Boston.