The basic layout of Progressive Field is pretty typical with an upper deck that wraps from the left field foul pole, around home plate and ends in right center. A giant scoreboard sits at the top of the bleachers in left field and foliage makes up the batter's eye in centerfield. This foliage provides landscaping for Heritage Park: a two-tier memorial to the greatest players in Indians history. In a few places were reserved for the future homes of plaques and statues for the recently retired Jim Thome. The concourse of the stadium was a little unusual: the concourse was split into two sides with concession stands, restrooms, and guest services in between. Although the concourse was split, field is completely visible from the inner side of the concourse and it was easy to move between the two sides. The concourse merges back to a single walkway in the outfield where there is no upper deck. There are quite a few different food options at progressive field, all at a reasonable price. There is a Subway, a buffalo wing stand, and a couple Food Network kiosks but I went for the polish sausage with the signature ballpark mustard. Between the mustard and the homemade chips that came with the sausage, it was the best classic ballpark meals I had eaten on my journey. Another signature feature of the concessions was the 2-3-4 pricing ($2 pop refills, $3 hotdogs, and $4 beer). I think this is an attempt to draw more fans but it really wasn't working since about 2/3 of the upperdeck was closed off although the Indians were fighting for a playoff spot.
Despite the low attendance, there are several signature features of Progressive Field. The first is the downtown view beyond the scoreboard above the bleachers in left field; the skyscrapers of downtown Cleveland seem to fall into the stadium. The bleachers below the scoreboard are steep and end abruptly at the 19' left field wall. In addition to adding character to the playing field, the 19' wall contains the out-of-town scoreboard. Another feature of the ballpark of note are the large club windows on the second deck near the left field foul pole. However the most unique aspect of the stadium is a well-known fan named John Adams. John Adams does not have a (borderline offensive) Indian headdress like a fan next to me, but a large drum he plays when the Indians have a rally going. Adams sits in a reserved seat on the top of the bleachers. I was a little concerned that Adams was going to miss the game but he showed up in the bottom of the 1st inning and walked to his seat while receiving a standing ovation by his fellow bleacher creatures. Adams's drumming is unique because it sounds like an Indian war drum and it is embraced by the Indians organization.
John Adams first had something to beat his drum about in the bottom of the third inning when Jason Kipnis singled home Michael Bourn to give the Indians a 1-0 lead. The Twins answered back in the top of the fifth with a suicide squeeze to tie the game. Despite a threats by both teams in the middle innings, the game remained tied until two outs in the bottom of the eighth when Drew Stubbs, the Indians nine-hitter, homered to dead center. The Indians tacked on another run with a double and a single to make it 3-1. The previous two games I had seen the Indians play, closer Chris Perez made it interesting in the bottom of the ninth. This time Perez made quick work of the Twins hitters to give the Indians the 3-1 victory.
My take-away from Progressive Field is that it has many of the key features I look for in a ballpark and overall I like the stadium. The concourse layout, downtown vibe, Heritage Park, and character of the playing field are major positives. The beating of the drum is unique and adds the most to the ballpark experience but I am left to imagine the atmosphere at a sell-out.
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