Dodgers fan information to Sutter Health Park, house of the Sacramento A’s

So you might have determined to heed the call to adventure. Good for you.

If that you must recall what the Guide is or who I’m, please check with the included hyperlinks.

The Guide has the next to say about going to a sport at Sutter Health Park:

This Guide was created to research main league ballparks and the logistics concerned in getting there and again. It is that this writer’s opinion that the Athletics have already got a sound Guide Entry: “Farewell to Baseball’s Last Dive Bar.”

I’ve been crucial of venues comparable to Guaranteed Rate Field/Rate Field, loanDepot Park, Tropicana Field, Truist Park, and Angel Stadium for varied justifiable causes, principally as a result of tens of millions of {dollars} have been poorly spent on venues seemingly solely designed to line possession’s pockets, wholly on the expense of the unlucky followers who go to.

One may count on this Guide entry to place the torch to Sutter Health Park with related gusto.

However, we’ve got a conundrum finest explored by metaphor. To drive this level house, I’m utilizing myself as a guinea pig. Imagine that the Dodgers despatched Billy Gasparino and David Finley to guage my worthiness as a aid pitcher at their very own initiative. Rather than provide me a job within the entrance workplace or as an lawyer, I get cold-called to go well with up on the mound upon assembly me.

Alarm bells ought to be going off for everybody concerned.

I’m in my forties. I’m not an athlete by any measure. I’m not in any type of optimistic bodily form. I practically acquired knocked out by a slide in Milwaukee round Memorial Day. I’ve been throwing a knuckleball for nearly forty years, nevertheless it ought to be immediately apparent to everybody concerned that one thing has gone terribly awry and that everyone’s time, together with my very own, is being wasted.

Someone ought to be getting yelled at.

Do you yell on the hypothetical individuals who began this course of? Absolutely; they might and ought to be doing absolutely anything else, together with goofing off on the job, which might be an infinitely extra productive use of their time. Do you yell at me, the potential reliever who has been requested to do his finest with the choice to reside a dream, a dream that all of us share? Honestly, perhaps just a little.

Remember, on this state of affairs, I didn’t provide my companies. I used to be approached. Who wouldn’t attempt if given the chance? Join the 2026 Dodgers; that’s like being requested to turn into the thirteenth disciple and the sixth Beatle on the similar time.

That mentioned, one ought to count on to have sufficient self-awareness to at the least ask why, lest it’s some elaborate, mean-spirited prank. In this state of affairs, it’s not as if I performed or managed school ball after which immediately jumped to the majors with nothing in between. What type of egotistical moron would try this?!?

With the above as prelude, Sutter Health Park is a nice house for the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats. Yes, you possibly can stroll from one finish of the ballpark to the opposite in a single concourse with little effort; it’s a minor league park.

This Guide would take a way more relaxed view of going to minor league amenities for his or her meant goal (if I had been to go to Ontario, Tulsa, or Oklahoma City sometime), asking the necessary questions, comparable to:

Admittedly, that final query is a reference to Brockmire, a vulgar, hilarious love-letter to baseball within the guise of a four-season comedy. Oddly sufficient, I reevaluated my opinion of Joe Buck as a direct results of this collection. And sure, the minor league park did catch fireplace close to the tip of the primary season. (I received’t spoil how or why.)

But when you insist that I consider an out-of-place venue, pressed into service not due to a pure catastrophe however greed, we’ll roughly observe the Guide’s format. Here is all that you must learn about going to a Dodgers/Athletics sport in West Sacramento.

Baseball’s Moped (1. Is it price going?)

If the Dodgers weren’t there, it’s comparatively low cost, have at it. If the Dodgers are there, no, except you might have private causes compelling you to go.

As the joke goes, mopeds are enjoyable to experience, however you don’t need your buddies to look at you do it. Normally, I assessment a ballpark over a whole collection. Much just like the hypothetical scouts evaluating my health as a possible reliever, this examination needn’t be belabored. We’re not right here to embarrass the undeserving.

If you wish to expertise Sutter Health Park (“SHP”), play the intro clip above. Congratulations, you might have skilled 80% of what it’s prefer to see a sport at SHP.

For the remaining 20%, for this upcoming Dodgers collection, you have to to pay at the least $150, stand within the scorching solar (assume 90°F/32°C) or a warmth lamp, get a literal Ball Park hotdog, and have your automobile parked in a dust lot after paying a further $30-40. Oh, we’ve acquired bother — about going to a sport in River City!

It can be comforting to assume {that a} sly trickster like Professor Harold Hill got here to Sacramento, technically West Sacramento, to hoodwink the locals into letting the now-vagabond Oakland Athletics use the city’s minor league ballpark for just a few years as an open tryout to reveal the city’s viability as a serious league venue, whereas the group’s “permanent” house in Las Vegas is constructed.

John Fisher, inheritor to the Gap, Inc. fortune, shouldn’t be Harold Hill.

Throughout most of this course of, he has been unintentionally funnier than Benny Hill: a blight upon each Oakland and Las Vegas and somebody who doubtless couldn’t discover his personal hindquarters with the help of a map, GPS, and each fingers.

If you assume I’m being too arduous on him, and you haven’t learn the volumes of textual content I’ve written concerning the man, perhaps his recent interview with Evan Drellich of The Athletic will persuade you:

“I think people needed to hear from me,” mentioned Fisher, whose A’s performed in Oakland for 56 years, by the 2024 season. “Not hearing from me, I think, led to frustration from, frankly, the media. Like, who is this guy? Is he hiding? Who’s the real John Fisher?”…

“The news today is not contained within a certain zip code,” Fisher mentioned. “In the sense that people in this community were seeing information coming out of the press in the Bay Area, I felt for sure it was important that they could hear from me … (so they) could understand, why did we make the decision to leave Oakland? But even more importantly, why were we coming to Vegas?”

Eventually, Fisher can be going to wish a extremely sturdy assortment of baseball gamers. Tourists arriving on the Strip for a handful of nights should resolve whether or not to look at acrobats at a Cirque du Soleil present or catch a ballgame.

“Winning is important in every market. It is especially important in this market, in that there’s so many other things for people to do,” Fisher acknowledged. “It’s not enough to just say, ‘Look at our great stadium in this great location, beautiful view, and the food’s great.’ You have to have a product that’s on the field that is compelling, and compelling means winning.”

[Emphasis added.]

If Mr. Fisher goes to make the jokes this straightforward, I refuse to play. I’ll give Mr. Fisher credit score in a single regard: he did open his pockets as soon as the Athletics got here to Sacramento and bolstered the roster a bit… earlier than buying and selling Mason Miller. Granted, he didn’t should pay lease, acquired the native group to improve their amenities, and confronted the potential for the MLB Players’ Association submitting a union grievance if he didn’t spend on his roster.

Locals had been excited upon listening to that the Athletics had been coming to city, however after the preliminary fanfare died down, it grew to become clear the group was going to faux it had as little to do with the area as doable. Sacramentans acquired the trace and began staying away. While the proportion of the crammed ballpark capability is increased now, it’s a deceptive statistic when one compares the huge variations in capability between SHP and the now-abandoned Oakland Coliseum. A finger of a shot glass is much less spectacular than a splash of liquid in a 16 oz. glass.

Unsurprisingly, no excursions are supplied at SHP, however weirdly sufficient, one can get a First Game Certificate, which one can join at Guest Services. Mine took 4 weeks to reach digitally, which raises even additional questions in a “is graphic design their passion?” method.

In 2025, the Athletics did nearly all the pieces doable to maintain Sacramento at arm’s size, solely having Sacramento on a single patch one may purchase on the impossibly cramped reward retailer. Now, at the least the group has uniforms with Sacramento on them. The group refuses to be referred to as something however “The Athletics,” which is a dumb slap within the face to the residents of Sacramento. If one is anticipating a unique posture than in Oakland, one could be finest served to attend till the A’s arrive in Sin City.

Once once more, Mr. Drellich of The Athletic:

To Fisher, the native fan is “definitely a different customer” than the one who drops into the town for 2 nights.

To acquire the belief of the previous, the A’s try a grassroots strategy: group outreach, donations to youth baseball leagues, and so forth. If a Dodgers fan dwelling in Vegas has a 10-year-old who turns into an A’s fan, finally, Fisher believes, the mother and father will bounce on the identical bandwagon.

“Over time we’re going to convert the people here who support the Brewers, who support the Dodgers, who support whatever the team,” Fisher mentioned.

The A’s wish to present they’re not “just another team from California that moved to Vegas,” Fisher mentioned, making a reference to the Raiders’ relocation, however that they’re going to be “Vegas’ team.” He acknowledged that course of would take time, nevertheless.

[Emphasis added.]

The Brewers fan in Vegas is the hypothetical particular person I’d like to satisfy. As for Dodgers followers in Vegas, all I can say is sweet luck with the conversion. Considering the efforts demonstrated to date in Sacramento, I’d not maintain my breath as to any competent outreach in Las Vegas.

Friends don’t let pals go to SHP (2. How ought to I get there?)

Los Angeles-based vacationers may drive for eight to 10 hours or fly into close by Sacramento International Airport in what’s going to really feel like eight to 10 hours, particularly if one is flying from Los Angeles International. As with most regional stops (assume Fresno, Milwaukee, St. Louis, or Cincinnati), it’s dearer to fly to regional airports than to fly on to main hubs. Regardless, the airport is on the outskirts of city, and one can be finest served by getting a rental automobile for one’s go to to Sacramento.

SHP is about an hour to 90 minutes from San Francisco, so one may conceivably drive to Sacramento or take the Capitol Corridor rail service, which connects buses from San Francisco to close by Emeryville (house of Pixar!) and is related to Oakland, and get to downtown Sacramento by rail. The downside is that you’ll find yourself on the improper facet of the river from the ballpark.

Another factor to remember for the first-time traveler is that there are some main freeway interchanges very near the ballpark, because the freeways typically both empty into or exit downtown, or begin heading into the mountains by way of U.S. 50. There are 5,000 parking spots near the ballpark, and the rideshare pickup is down the street. Combine these info, and you’ve got standstill site visitors instantly after video games. I sat with my home windows down and skim till the insanity handed.

While Sacramento has modest public transportation for a metropolis its dimension, it’s price repeating that SHP is simply throughout the river in West Sacramento. Unless one is staying close by, which is tough for this venue, one is often driving or enduring site visitors in a rideshare to get to the ballpark.

No, you can’t stick with me. (3. Where ought to I keep?)

The Sacramento River divides West Sacramento and Sacramento. As you possibly can see, there are a plethora of resort choices in Sacramento, and site visitors is funneled in direction of the long-lasting Tower Bridge, which might make attending to Sutter Health Park slightly straightforward.

One may keep in Old Town Sacramento (assume by the Delta King Hotel on the map under), which has the venerable California State Railroad Museum, when you like trains. One may stroll to Sutter Health Park from Old Town Sacramento, however once more, the infrastructure is centered across the automobile, so be conscious and watch out.

The West Sacramento facet has fewer choices, however they’re cheaper. However, the identical downside arises: pedestrian entry is extra hypothetical than sensible for this ballpark; the automobile guidelines West Sacramento. The space close to Sutter Health Park on the West Sacramento facet is extra industrial, giving strategy to suburbs. There’s extra to do in Sacramento than on the West Sacramento facet, however the costs are extra forgiving on the stadium facet of the river.

Typically, the group’s lodging are ruled by the Collective Bargaining Agreement and are often at a luxurious resort just like the Ritz-Carlton or Hotel Pfister in Milwaukee. Sacramento doesn’t have a Ritz-Carlton, and I sincerely doubt the group is driving the 60 to 90 minutes one-way from San Francisco. My finest guess is that visiting MLB groups have been utilizing the resort throughout the road from Golden1 Arena, the place the Sacramento Kings play downtown, however I might be curious how the Dodgers navigate this hurdle.

Tickets are how a lot?!? (4. Where ought to I sit?)

Ah, the middle of the shrubbery maze. You ought to watch these video games from house. Otherwise, do you wish to pay playoff ticket costs for a regular-season sport in July? If sure, proceed. If not, you possibly can skip to the tip. There is completely no sugarcoating this one, so allow us to rip the bandage off in a single movement.

$200 to $500 is a suitable vary of ticket costs for the NLCS or later, or a extremely good seat behind house plate anyplace within the league, however for a sport in a minor league stadium? Utterly ridiculous and insulting.

I don’t blame the stadium or the regulars who name SHP their house away from house; I blame the avaricious ghouls perpetuating this fraud upon this area and the opposite cowards who personal groups that allow this farce to proceed.

Tickets for the Sacramento River Cats, the standard tenant of the ballpark, vary from $11 to $44 the night time earlier than the Dodgers come to city. Those $11 tickets are for a seat on the garden on the hill in proper area.

But one may say that evaluating the Triple-A River Cats to the Sacramento Athletics is unfair. Fair sufficient. The Miami Marlins begin a collection on July 3, instantly after the Dodgers’ collection ends. Those tickets vary from $28 to $250, with garden seats on the hill being the most affordable possibility.

In our collection, the $193 ticket is for a single seat on the primary base facet. Seats on the garden had been promoting for round $150 from the group earlier than the seating on this space of the occasion offered out.

For night time video games, when you’ve got already dedicated to going, sit wherever you want. A advice from me can not sink or salvage a doomed endeavor. But in case you are going in the course of the day, I do have one crucial piece of recommendation.

I sat in part 108, Row 26, Seat 18 with a buddy from legislation faculty in seats that price $40/ticket for my go to in 2025. It was Mason Miller bobblehead day. I wanted photos for this function. The sport began at 1 pm. Every row in entrance of me was in direct daylight for just about all the sport. The two rows behind me had been additionally within the shade for all the sport. Unless you’re sitting within the again, sunscreen and a hat are the orders of the day.

Now what? (Conclusion, because the query of a return journey in 2029 is probably going moot.)

Here’s the kicker: I’m fairly keen on Sacramento. I spent three years going to legislation faculty on the now-University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. I graduated eighth in my class, which, truthfully, I’m just a little sore at as a result of one modestly shaky first semester stored me from cracking the highest 5.

I’ve pals who nonetheless reside in Sacramento and who nonetheless recurrently attend River Cats video games. Is Sacramento a serious league metropolis? No, and that’s okay. It’s too small, too scorching, and has insufficient amenities to host a serious league group. The Athletics being in West Sacramento is a conceit venture for a basketball proprietor who seemingly acquired tired of driving his NBA franchise into the bottom.

As a minor league park, Sutter Health Park is okay. As a serious league venue, it’s something however.

I reside about an hour from Sutter Health Park, and it will price me $600 to $ 1,000 to attend these three video games as a fan, except I used to be keen to take a seat on the cramped hill overlooking proper area. For that amount of cash, I used to be capable of go to the next venues, together with airfare and resort, throughout my travels to date:

Have I made my level but? I don’t wish to allow John Fisher’s folly. I’d hope that this anti-Guide entry is the only real time I actively attempt to discourage you from having fun with Dodgers baseball in particular person. I may discover good issues to say concerning the lesser main league venues on this checklist. If you want a remaining reminder of whose pockets you’ll line when you go to Sutter Health Park when the Dodgers go to, for a remaining time, Mr. Drellich:

Fisher maintains that the premise [that he could have stayed in Oakland and preserved his reputation], nevertheless, is off. He took the A’s out of Oakland and to Las Vegas, he mentioned, for causes that weren’t monetary.

“Number one, I didn’t believe that money was going to solve the problem,” Fisher mentioned. “Among other things, there was a high likelihood that we would have gone to a referendum, and referendums for sports teams don’t generally work out so well in California. And losing that referendum would have meant we were done. Like, not, ‘Oh, you can just start from this position, move forward’ — done completely.

“We had just run out of time, and we worked with Oakland for years and spent an enormous amount of money,” he continued.

“And the other thing was, honestly, that what we were doing, it was really important to me that this be a partnership. And that the partnership needed to be with the community and ourselves, and money can’t pay for a successful partnership.”

[Emphasis added.]

What does John Fisher learn about spending his personal cash? He’s constructed a profession spending different individuals’s cash.