Cashman Field (Las Vegas, NV)

The Good: I guess what I like best about Cashman is its complete lack of pretense. Unlike many of the newer ballparks (particularly at the AAA level), this stadium doesn't try to be something it's not. There's no phony nostalgia, no cutsey architectural allusions to older parks. It's just a moderately-sized, comfortable place to watch a ballgame, especially due to the physical surroundings -- interestingly (but thankfully), the field faces the rugged mountains beyond the city instead of the flashy neon strip. Furthermore, I was there when attendance was stated at over 12,000, yet lines for concessions and restrooms were short and fast-moving. I also appreciated the almost complete lack of usher or security presence -- I was able to roam freely (from front-row box seats to the luxury box area of the second level) with absolutely no interference.

The Not So Good: The biggest downside, of course, is that it's in Vegas. And though the stadium is on Las Vegas Boulevard, it's not down near all the bright lights and Disney-fied casino resorts. Rather, it's farther north, among the trashy motels, adult bookstores, pawnshops, and plasma centers in what can generously be described as a "declining neighborhood" (a few blocks south of the ballpark, while gassing up my car I witnessed a young kid on a bicycle hold up an elderly couple and steal their groceries). Also, when I was there it seemed like the crowd was somewhat confused -- about the game, about the score, about the rules of baseball, whatever -- though to be fair it was July 3, and many of these folks were no doubt there for the post-game fireworks, not the ballgame.