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My visit to Progressive Field was a part of a road trip I took in June of 2023 which I call my 'Baseball Odyssey,' which saw me go to 11 stadiums and the Baseball Hall of Fame in around three weeks' time. Cleveland was my ninth stop, with the weekend giving me time to drive there from Pittsburgh. I went to this game with a friend from college and his dad who were Ohio natives and Guardian fans, giving me an insider's look at the goings on of the stadium and the team.

The stadium is nestled nicely in downtown Cleveland, with the familiar (to me) I-90 cutting across the stadium behind home plate. Parking was plentiful and we were able to find a spot without much pain at all, and it seemed that there were many buildings that lent their garages for game days throughout the surrounding streets. Entering the stadium through the center field gates gives a view of the stadium from outside of it -- looming grandstands and open field alike. I could see where I entered from my seat, and I bet those in the plaza could have to watch out for the errant home run ball. The lower concourse of the stadium is the main showstopper, in my opinion, as it is easily walkable with plenty of open-air areas and littered with blown up shots of Guardians history. The real gem of the concourse are the local food options that line the field side, as it appeared that local restaurants were serving up baseball-themed food throughout the first floor. This left an impression on me as one of the coolest things I've seen at a stadium, undoubtedly bumping Progressive Field up my ranks. Given the tasty local fare, I'd feel comfortable saying that Cleveland has some of the best food in the majors -- if not at the top, then certainly within the top 5.

The field view is better than average, with the close downtown Cleveland creeping up behind left and center field to provide a nice city view contrasted with the trees in center field. From behind home plate, I could spot even more places to stand, gather, and watch the game -- namely, The Corner in right field and the left-field gates. The smaller dimensions of the park make it a bit of a pitcher's park, with the added effect of me feeling quite close to the goings-on of the game. The scoreboard not only takes up the entirely of left field, but also shows more advanced statistics than the average stadium, which I appreciated -- if I didn't have the pleasure of coming here with Guardians fans, still could have had reads on the players. During the game, there was also a song played that I later learned was the official rock song of Ohio, bringing the spirit to Ohioans.

The game itself was a Cleveland rout, with great pitching from starter Shane Bieber (7 IP, 9 SO, no runs) that let him notch a win in tandem with a monster day at the plate from Josh Bell, going 3-4 with a home run and a double alongside running through home for three of Cleveland's five runs on the day. The Astros were booed here, as per usual, with vindication coming to Cleveland fans as the Astros could not get anything going on either side of the ball -- giving up 11 hits while only earning 4 and leaving six runners on base. Public villain number one, Jose Altuve, did not play due to injury while the other Astros languished under the great pitching.

Seeing the Astros get so thoroughly routed was the cherry on top of a surprisingly pleasant and very welcoming ballpark experience. When I hear things about the best parks in baseball, there are a lot of names that are thrown around -- places like PNC Park, Oracle Park, and PetCo Park being chief among them. However, a name I never hear is Progressive Field, which I've come to find is quite unfortunate as it is a truly amazing park and one of my absolute favorites. If I ever find myself in Ohio again during the season, I would love to make a pitstop here again -- and it's only a five hour drive from Chicago, which I find quite manageable.