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Progressive Field itinerary by Wise Guides

The spot to meet up with friends before a game and take in some Indians history is below the giant statue of Bob Feller near Gate C outside the park. Rapid Robert, his leg kicking high in full wind-up, was and is the greatest Tribe player ever. ... Get to the park early so you can look around before the game starts. Visit Heritage Park beyond center field where the Indians Hall of Fame is located. Any punch-lines that pop into your head about Cleveland baseball will evaporate when you see the semi-circle of 13 granite markers honoring the likes of Feller, Nap Lajoie, Tris Speaker, Larry Doby, the first black to breech the color-line in the American League, and Satchel Paige. There is also a memorial plaque that dates to Cleveland's old League Park and honors Ray Chapman, the only major leaguer to be killed during a game. ... Next, walk over to the Batter's Eye Bar in right-center field for a pre-game beer or cocktail at this bar that's accessible to all ticket holders. ... When having a brew, make it one from Cleveland-based Great Lakes Brewing Co. The Burning River Pale Ale is excellent. And whether you go with a hot dog, Polish or Italian sausage, top it with Stadium Mustard or look like an amateur. ... There are few bad seats in what is now known as 'Pro' field, and many spots where you can stand and watch the game and get a great view of the city skyline; so don't stay nailed to your seat. ... Watch out for John Adams, the Tribe's self-appointed drummer who can be found in the last row of the bleachers pounding out a steady beat to rally the team. Adams began playing his drum at the old Municipal Stadium in 1973. ... When the final out is recorded, it's time to explore Cleveland's Gateway District and the many bars and restaurants within walking distance of the park. Beer connoisseurs should head to the Boneyard Beer Farm with one of the largest draft selections in town. If you're jonesing for a margarita, go to the Thirsty Parrot, while Nick's Sports Corner has cheaper drinks and a more old-school feel. ... Cleveland is, of course, home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, located on the shores of Lake Erie not far from the park, and is a must-see if you even have a passing interest in music and culture. Explore it the morning of the game, or the morning after as long as you haven't been partying like a rock star.

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Cleveland Indians - User Comments Add your own

Worst Fans I've Ever Seen -- 2006-04-09

I am an Indians fan, and I love the Jake, but just one word of warning:

I moved to Cleveland from NYC four years ago, where I grew up a Mets fan.

At my first game at the Jake Jim Thome hit a HR that is still orbiting the earth. I stood up and clapped and started cheering ... then some fan told me to sit down because he couldn't see. The rest of the place was golf-clapping and looking at me like I'm an idiot. I couldn't believe it.

I know CLE will never be NY, but when I'm getting dirty looks for cheering for a HR (and it was a BOMB!!) it doesn't make me want to go back.

Why would you spend $100 on two tickets and parking to not get into the game at all? People on cell phones, two people behind you talking about everything other than baseball, people getting up and down every other inning, yelling at you when you cheer a great play ... it's all happened at the Jake when I was there.

I've gone to three games in four years, and I watch the rest on TV or at the Winking Lizard Bar near the Stadium.

Michael

Where to Sit -- 2005-03-16

Best deals are bleachers toward the left field line (especially sections 180 and 181, lower rows if you can get 'em) which had been reduced in price, or right field mezzanine. Corner lower box or lower reserved aren't bad either.

Jeff James

The Jake is fine with me. -- 2005-03-08

My son and I caught a Yankee game at the Jake. "Our Usher" was very helpful and informative. We sat behind home plate but in the upper deck. The food was okay but the credit card machines were down leading to long lines and slow service; the servers didn't seemed to be too bothered by the inconvenience . . . I was! Parking was super and cheap compared to some places. Even with a full house, we had little problem leaving. We are going back for two Yankee games in August. Hopefully, more Indian fans show than did last time.

Bill

The Jake is no mistake! -- 2004-08-30

Just got back from a five city tour (also did Comerica, Wrigley, Great American Ball Park, and PNC Park). The Jake is a great park, but does not quite rank up there with the best in baseball. Still, our seats in the lower level had great sight lines and the park had a lively atmosphere. Of course, that may be because the Yankees were in town - I was one of about 15,000 Yankee fans there that night! There are also several places to hang out before and after the game so the atmosphere outside the Jake also passes the test. Be careful - our parking lot "closed" two hours after the game, but luckily one exit ramp was still open.

mike brennan

-- 2002-07-23

A few comments about the Jake and some responses to things that have been written here: A tremendous improvement over the old stadium. The upper deck seats are a bit high because of the overabundance of luxury suites, but even the nosebleed seats aren't that bad. By the way, capacity is 43,000, not 62,000 as posted earlier. As far as the fans are concerned, I would hesitate to criticize a fan base that shattered the consecutive sellouts record. It's not the blue collar, bottle-throwing crowd you get at a Browns game, but let's not forget the electricity in the air during the 1995 and 1997 World Series. Jacobs Field was as loud as any other park in those days. Winning 6 out of the last 7 division championships will have the effect of drawing a ho-hum crowd spoiled by winning. As for parking, the prices at local lots are directly proportional to the popularity of the team. 455 straight sellouts will lead to $20 parking lots. This season, fewer fans has resulted in lower parking rates. Besides, it's pretty easy to circumvent high parking prices if you are willing to get creative by using public transportation, parking in the flats and taking the shuttle bus, etc.

Alex

The Jake -- 2002-05-29

I have just finished an 8 stadium tour, concluding with the Jake, and including Fenway, Yankees, Shea, Veterans, Olympic, Skydome, and PNC.

The Jake is a great example of compromise between what stadiums are and what they should be. It has the look of a traditional old-style ball park, but there is no hiding the fact it is designed to make money. Three levels of luxury boxes and over 62,000 seats make some views of the field distant or obscure.

All in all it is a great park, especially when compared to most big league parks of today. They paid attention to a lot of details and got a lot right. But it is still a monster of a stadium.

The best place by far on our tour was PNC in Pittsburgh. It almost has a minor league feel to it. A two tiered stadium to Jacob's three, even the upper most of the upper decks are ridiculously close to the field.

Both are great, but with the skyline view, river over the fence and celebration of baseball in Pittsburgh, I can't imagine any park out-doing it.

Jake - 4 out of 5.

Worst of the tour - Olympic and Veterans. Why are they playing baseball where French is the language of choice. Something is just wrong with that.

Gavin

The look of Jacobs Field -- 2002-04-13

To the good folks who don't really care for the way Jacobs Field looks: Take a good look at The Jake,and you'll see that it blends in very well with it's surroundings.A red brick facade like Camden Yards(a beautiful ballpark,and fits perfectly in Baltimore),just wouldn't look right in downtown Cleveland,in my opinion.

Now don't get me wrong,even as a Tribe fan,I'm still willing to admit that as much as I love it,Jacobs Field isn't without it's faults.Food and beverages are pricey,as is parking.The top few rows of the upper deck are very high(but I'd still sit up there any day!). To me,though,the good points of The Jake far outweigh it's faults,and It's a great place to watch a ballgame.

PJ

Jake is Over Rated -- 2001-09-04

Jacobs Field is definitely one of the most over rated major league ballparks. The seats in the upper deck are very high to accommodate 3 levels of luxury boxes. Go out to center field platform during a night game and you will see 3 levels of chandeliers

The ushers (as someone previously stated) do act like Gestapo. I like to walk around and take pictures and they are very unfriendly (even during batting practice) although they are not a rude as the "snooty" 20-something Canadian girls at Olympic Stadium.

ronf

First visit to the Jake -- 2001-08-14

Just got back from an 8-day, 6 stadium East Coast road trip. Jacobs Field is a really great park, but you can tell the focus was on getting big money into the seats. There are so many luxury boxes that the upper deck seats get really high/really far away. I walked up there during BP, luckily my seats were in the LF bleachers. These bleachers are pretty steep, but that helps to counteract the high fence in left. Spent the majority of the game in last row of the lower deck between 3B and LF corner. Good sightlines all around.

The park itself is pretty cool. Plusses for the Homerun porch in LF, sightlines, good fans (drum guy). Minuses for pricing (food and tickets were spendy), strict ushers (see Camden Yards). I'd give it 4 (maybe 4.5) out of 5.

John Branstad

-- 2001-08-04

I've been to Jacobs Field three times...each time was a very unique experience...fans are friendly, and the park is great!...only one complaint though...the "ushers" (two for each section) act like the Gestapo when enforcing the "rules"...they make it rather a unfriendly place.

RC

The jake, ETC -- 2001-07-06

I have read most of the above coments with some curiousity about whether or not we have (all) visited the same place. The first person's remarks about Dick Jacobs are exactly correct--he did keep MLB in CLE. Naming rights mean little anyway, the Reds play as poorly in Cynergy as they did when the same dump was called Riverfront.

One person suggested that the fans don't make any noise unless prompted--I would describe that as 1) a generalization 2) an exaggeration and 3) simply untrue. The same writer suggested, for some reason, that the fans weren't into the game. I might remind that person that The Cleveland Indians are a charter member of the American League, founded in 1901, and have played 100 years of continuous 'major league' baseball. Obviously given the lean years between 1960 and 1994, some enthusiasm drifted, but 42,000 per game for 455 games in a row isn't just people with nuthin' else to do. As far as Fenway and the Cubs are concerned, Fenway hasn't hoisted a flag since 1918, and the cubs use their museum-piece of a stadium as an excuse to have a bad team every year (and this year's collapse is about due to begin any minit now!!!). My visit to the Fens provided direct contact with a collection of people who were too heavily intoxicated to tell too much about the game; my last visit to Wrigley, on April 7, 1998, was special because there were only about 125 people in the upper deck (and about 10,000 downstairs); wonder how many tribe fans don't go 'cause it's cold? (Or maybe no one was at Wrigley that day because the Cubs had just begun yet another thrill-packed 89-loss season!) Don't knock the jake or baseball in Cleveland, it's a northeast OHIO thang. FJ

Flaco Jimenez

Comments on Comments above. -- 2001-06-26

First of all, Dick Jacobs BOUGHT the naming rights for "Jacob's Field" which in my opinion is much better than having the park named "PNC" or "Comerica" or any of the other corporate named parks. I have no problem with that, and considering he saved baseball in Cleveland, he deserves his name on the park!

Parking - You can pay the $15 - $20 in the lots around the Jake, and then get stuck waiting in your car for an hour trying to get out after the game....or you can park on downtown streets that have meters. After 6:30 you do not have to pay, and you can park for FREE. I usually park on Chester just east of E 9th right at 6:30. That is when the FREE parking spaces fill up. Even after that you usually find places to park on the street further north. Never a problem. NEVER park in Tower City. It takes FOREVER getting out of there, and with the long walk thru the Gateway, you could have walked to your free parking spot.

Fans - Yes...there are a good NUMBER of fans but unless the fans are prompted by a scoreboard saying "((((((Make Noise)))))))", participation is not going to happen. I have been looked at strangly for CLAPPING....heaven forbid. I am sorry - Cleveland Fans only cheer for something that happens good, they are not "in the game". I would say the Cubs and Red Sox have much better home fans.

Dave

overrated -- 2001-06-26

I have to say that Jacobs Field is one of the more overrated stadiums in the majors. While it is a tremendous improvement over the old stadium, Jacobs Field's seats aren't that great. The upperdeck is too high (accomodating the luxury boxes) and it's right field upper deck is SO far away. Left field bleacher seats are good though. Overall, I would say that it lacks the aesthetic quality of Camden and Royals Stadium and the history (which it cornily tries to duplicate with it's faux Wall in left and short porch in right) of Fenway or Yankee Stadium.

martin

Retro, yet modern -- 2001-06-04

Anything is better than that 80,000 giant mistake by the lake that was originally built for the 1932 Olympics that never came. It's retro, yet modern. And it does the best job of replicating Boston's Green Monster. But I hate it when the owner has such a giant ego to name the park after himself, with the exception of Kauffman Stadium re-named after the late owner who brought baseball back to Kansas City.

David Bryant

-- 2001-05-26

Jacob's Field is by far the best ballpark to view a game. I have sat behind home plate and up in the "nose bleed" seats and there is not a bad seat in the house. You also won't be able to find more dedicated baseball fans any where in the world.

Barrie

The Jake is nothing special -- 2001-05-22

Jacobs Field, while a nice park, is nothing great. There is a great deal of plain concrete work, which is not exactly visually appealing. Also, when I was there, the field looked someone burned out. The fans can also get pretty rough, as I heard racial comments directed at Kenny Lofton. Other than, that it is a fun place to catch a game, but be sure to have your tickets in advance because the scalpers will rip you off otherwise.

Matt Luby

Parking suggestion -- 2001-03-23

There are plenty of private lots to choose from around Jacobs Field. However, they can get a little pricey on gameday ($15.00 and up). If you don't mind sitting in a little extra traffic after the game (you'll have to deal with some no matter where you park) then you should consider parking in the parking deck of Tower City (just east of Jacobs field before you get to the Flats, look for the big Hard Rock Cafe neon guitar). Typically for special events it runs about $8.00. From the deck you can enter to Tower City which is a pretty nice shopping mall. You enter immediatly to a food court so you can pick up a cheap snack before you head in to the Jake and get one of their stadium dogs. Just past the food court is an indoor walkway that goes to Jacob's Field and Gund Area. This is especially nice on the way back from a rainout. The walkway pops you out pretty close to the east side of the park. After the game, when you leave the deck, there is good access to Route 77S (which leads to the turnpike) and Route 71.

Dave Poole

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