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A Rail Journey to the new Petco Park in San Diego 4/16/2004

I wanted to see a baseball game at the new Petco Park in San Diego and chose a Friday night where I thought I would be able to stay overnight. My mother was invited to go to our ranch near Bakersfield with my brother Jon, so that would mean I would have to come home that night. I could catch Pacific Surfliner 597 at 9:15 PM but that would mean I would not be able to watch the whole game. However, at least I would have the opportunity to experience the ballpark for part of a game. I checked the San Diego Trolley schedules and found one that would get me back in time for my train departure. Since it was Friday, I picked up a Business Class ticket three weeks in advance for my trip south and I was set to see another new major league ballpark.

The southbound train arrived on time in Santa Ana and I boarded a very full Pacific Business Class car and chose an aisle seat, then studied the new Amtrak National Timetable as far as Oceanside until I was able to transfer to a window seat. We met Pacific Surfliner 579 at Irvine and once in San Diego County, met Metrolink 609 at San Onofre. Further south at Oceanside, we took the siding to meet Pacific Surfliner 583 and at Solana Beach, waited for Coaster 645. Continuing south at Sorrento Valley, we took the siding for Pacific Surfliner 785 before crossing Miramar Hill. In Rose Canyon, we slowed as Coaster 647 flew by on the double track and we arrived at San Diego a few minutes early.

Pacific Surfliner 578 at San Diego. I missed a Green Line trolley at the depot station by a few seconds so walked across the street to the American Plaza station to catch the Orange Line trolley to 12th and Imperial then had to go through a turnstile to exit the station before walking the three blocks to Petco Park.

I picked my ticket up at Will Call then walked around to see the distance to the Gaslamp Trolley station for my journey home tonight before going through the bag search and entering the park. In my years of visiting major league ballparks, twenty-one to date, the staff here were by far the friendliest I had encountered and I felt really welcomed at this park. I rode the escalator to the top level.

Overlooking the trolley yard. Following a good look at the great view Petco Park offers, I went to the snack bar for two hot dogs, fries and Coca-Cola and found my seat in Section 301, row 16, seat 19 right behind home plate on the third deck.

Views from my seat. I enjoyed my feast as I watched the Padres take batting practice, followed by the Arizona Diamondbacks. I really lucked out choosing this game as Randy Johnson, one of my all time favorite pitchers, was tonight's starting pitcher for Arizona. I relaxed until game time at 7:05 PM as the wind really picked up and blew cold, making me feel as though I was back at Comiskey Park last May and I was glad to be wearing my trousers and heavy jacket. A saxophone player played the Star Spangled Banner before the game, Luis Gonzalez had the first hit and it was great to see Randy Johnson pitch again.

The Diamondbacks scored in the second when Alex Citron walked and scored on Danny Bautista's fielder's choice. In the fifth inning, Steve Finley walked and Roberto Alomar had a RBI double which he tried to stretch to a triple, but was thrown out. Randy Johnson was still in total control of his game and it seemed to me he was getting stronger.

After I left in the sixth inning, Randy helped his own cause by hitting a bases-loaded double, bringing in a pair of runs. The Diamondbacks then scored three runs that inning, giving them a 5-0 lead, which they won the game with in front of 37,300 fans. Randy Johnson pitched a complete two-hitter and the shutout was the 36th of his career, as well as his 89th complete game. He had eight strikeouts and retired his last 16 hitters in his outstanding effort.

I hated to leave Petco Park but did have a train to catch at 9:15 PM so took the stairs down to the exit and started to walk to the Gaslamp Trolley station, saw a trolley coming and made a run for it. At the turnstile, I had to show my tickets before they would let me board the Orange Line back to American Plaza and I walked across the street back to the Santa Fe depot and waited to board my train home.

We departed on time and met Coaster 658 at Old Town before ascending Rose Canyon where flashes were coming from between the engine and Business Class car. We stopped at CP Cumbres to meet BNSF 5637 South before proceeding down to Sorrento Valley, where Pacific Surfliner 590 was tucked away. The light show continued to Solana Beach, where our great crew fixed the problem by short-looping the head end power cables. One cable had been dragging and every time it came into contact with the steel rail, it arced, thus causing the flash of light. While the crew fixed that problem, I recorded the consist which was F59PHI 458, Pacific Business Class 6852, coach/café 6303, Superliner coach 31018, coach/café 6307, coach 6451 and baggage/cab car 6903.

With no further problems, we continued north towards Santa Ana, meeting Pacific Surfliner 590 on double track at the Metrolink station in Tustin, with both trains travelling at 90 miles per hour, then arrived at Santa Ana a mere two minutes late and I detrained to drive home, ending an excellent trip via Amtrak to the Petco Park in San Diego.

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