- Michael Davis
Globe Life Field - Texas Rangers
Photos by Michael Davis, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.29
Globe Life Field 734 Stadium Drive Arlington, TX 76011
Year Opened: 2020 Capacity: 40,300
Texas Rangers baseball goes from Globe Life Park to Globe Life Field
Globe Life Field is a retractable roof, 40,300-seat ballpark, and home to the Texas Rangers. The ballpark is located across the street from their old home of 26 years, Globe Life Park (now Choctaw Stadium). Texas officials believe the former open-air ballpark kept fans from supporting their team. So, a new retractable roof ballpark was proposed and approved in late 2016. Globe Life Field was originally scheduled to open on March 23, 2020, but 10 days earlier the sports world shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the start of the 2020 Major League Baseball season was delayed for several months.
Once the season began the games were being played in empty ballparks. The Rangers hosted their first regular-season game against the Colorado Rockies on July 24, 2020. For baseball fans, the first look of the new ballpark came when MLB announced a neutral site for the post-season; fans were allowed to attend the NLCS and World Series at Globe Life Field. In the few years it has been open, Globe Life Park has hosted college football games, the 2022 Big 12 Baseball Championship, concerts, and local high school graduations. On a baseball historic note, Globe Life Field has also hosted 2 no hitters, but unfortunately they were completed by the visiting team. In addition the Yankees’ Aaron Judge hit his AL record breaking 62 home run inside Globe Life Field, to close out the 2022 season.
Food & Beverage 5
The Texas Rangers have always had unique concessions, and have continued this trait in the new ballpark. Globe Life Field has over 100 concessions stands operated by Delaware North Sportservice. You may notice the ballpark concessions have a baseball flavor such as Abner Double dogs, Go Deep Fried, Backstop Burgers, and Bullpen Grill. The Rangers have also added outside vendors such as Golden Chick, although the prices are a little higher with a Big ‘n Golden Chicken Sandwich going for $12 (add $2 for Zing Sauce). Other food options and prices around the ballpark include brisket or jalapeno cheddar sausages for $12, chicken tenders for $10.50, and garlic fries or a corn dog basket for $10.75. There is also the famous Boomstick hot dog which costs $26, which seems to be the fan-favorite food novelty. IN addition, there are regular snacks available, with peanuts at $6.50, sunflower seeds at $5.25, and theater-sized candy and popcorn at $5.
Globe Life Field has Coca-Cola as their soft drink provider. The prices range from $6 for a regular cup while a souvenir will run $8, and a bottle of water is $6. There are also plenty of alcohol options including beer, liquor, margaritas, and wine – these prices can run from $9 to $22 depending on your choice of alcohol.
An interesting food option at Globe Life Field is the Sky Porch; the Sky Porch is in the upper left field corner concourse with the Karbach Brewing sign. This area has tables and chairs where you can enjoy a brisket sandwich for $10, the same price as a giant turkey leg. In the past, this is also the place for a discount on alcohol, as during all home games after Memorial Day weekend you can get beer for $5 up until first pitch.
One of the positives of the ballpark is that it is much more spacious than its predecessor, so you can buy food and eat it at places that still show a view of the game. As a reminder, however, as is the norm at ballparks in recent years, Globe Life Field is a cashless venue. Fans can use reverse ATMs to convert cash to cards, however, but card and cash cannot be returned if the card is not used.
Atmosphere 3
The Rangers atmosphere is average but changes depending on the importance of the game and the visiting team. Opening Day is always a great atmosphere whereas a regular season game in the middle of the week can be less so. Chuck Morgan’s announcement of “It’s Baseball Time in Texas” is always a welcome sound to Rangers fans. There is also the typical music played throughout the ballpark between innings. The Ranger mascot, Captain, and the Six Shooters Squad engage the crowd. The always entertaining dot race is performed during the 6th inning and Deep in the Heart of Texas played, after Take Me Out to the Ballgame for the 7th inning stretch.
The main scoreboard is an improvement located above right field – this massive scoreboard includes StatCast information such as horizontal and vertical break on the pitch, as well as exit velocity, exit angle, and distance for every batted ball. The ballpark atmosphere always seems to be better when the roof is open, but when it is closed, there are echoes and it can get quite loud.
Neighborhood 3
Globe Life Field is in the Arlington entertainment district, sharing the area with Six Flags, Hurricane Harbor, AT&T Stadium, Choctaw Stadium (formerly Globe Life Park), and the soon to be National Medal of Honor Museum. The addition of Texas Live, a collection of restaurants and bars next to the ballpark, has helped to have something for fans to spend time doing before or after a game. Otherwise there isn’t much within walking distance, but there are plenty of restaurants on the west side of AT&T Stadium along Collins Street. However, if you prefer to be away from the congestion of Collins Street, but still want to find a couple of restaurants that would be a good pre or postgame hangout, you can also visit the old downtown area of Arlington between E. Abram Street and E. Division St, only a couple of miles from AT&T Stadium. In this small area there are plenty of options such as Flying Fish, Twisted Root Beer Company, J Gilligan’s Bar and Grill, Babe’s Chicken, and Grease Monkey Burger Shop. There are also two local craft breweries to visit here as well: Legal Draft Beer Company and Division Brewing.
There is plenty of lodging around the ballpark, the closest being Texas Loew’s, which is next to the ballpark and Texas Live. There is also another hotel and convention center under construction that will provide more lodging for fans who want to be close to the ballpark, but there is plenty of lodging in the area that offers shuttle service to the ballpark if you chose not to stay at the Loews, including the Sheraton, Holiday Inn, and La Quinta Inn and Suites by Wyndham Arlington North. Due to the ballpark not having public transit, share rides or renting a car are the main options from the airport. However, La Quinta Inn and Suites by Wyndham Arlington North even has an airport shuttle, which would be a good option to save the hassle of a rental car if you are just going to the ballpark.
Fans 3
Texas will always be a football state. However, there are plenty of Rangers fans that come out to the ballpark, and just like most baseball fans, to be a constant force for an 81 game season depends a lot on how the team plays on the field. The cliché that everyone loves a winner is true – the Texas Rangers attendance was the highest the season after the team won back-to-back American League Championships. However, the first season at Globe Life Field had an average attendance of 26K, while this past season saw an average of just 24K, which ranks their fan attendance in the bottom half of MLB.
There are of course loyal Rangers fans that have been coming out since the Arlington Stadium days in the 1970s, who show up no matter what – they are the ones that you see with the Rangers red, white, and blue apparel being present. They are vocal and supportive, and become some of the best in baseball, but there are just not enough of them during the down seasons; just ask the fans that have experienced Rangers playoff games, or those back-to-back American League Championship years.
Access 3
Globe Life Field is located about 20 minutes south of DFW International Airport, and although the facility is at the center point between Dallas and Fort Worth, there is no public transportation to or from Arlington. Therefore transportation can become a bit expensive – an Uber/Lyft can easily cost $80 to $100 if you are staying at a downtown hotel in Dallas. However, various nearby hotels in the Arlington area and around DFW airport do provide free or low-cost shuttle service to Globe Life Field.
Parking is ample around the field, with prices ranging from $15 to $40. All Globe Life Field parking lots are cashless. For fans staying in the area around the ballpark, though, there is the Arlington Trolley, which makes stops at nearly all the hotels in and around Globe Life Field, and shuttles you from attraction to attraction and back again.
Globe Life Field has a few entrances, with the largest entrance being next to Texas Live. There is also a water feature with the Rangers logo and a statue of Nolan Ryan tipping his cap. The Nolan Ryan statue was brought over from the old ballpark. This entrance, for people parking on the east side of the ballpark, is accessed by going down a long ramp. However, you can enter via the east entrance, near the statue of Neftali Feliz and Benjie Molina celebrating winning the 2010 ALCS, along with a statue of former Arlington Mayor Tom Vandergriff, who was instrumental in bringing the Rangers to Arlington. This entrance will bring you in on the 200 level of the ballpark while the others will bring you in on the 100 level. The third entrance is on the south side of the ballpark, where a statue of Rangers Hall of Famer Pudge Rodriguez is located; this entrance will bring you in near home plate. The signage is good around the ballpark, but there are a lot of stairs and escalators needed to get to your seat. So, I would suggest you plan before you get to the ballpark on what entrance you will use, depending on your seat location.
Globe Life Field opens about 1.5 hours (day games) and 2 hours (night games) before game time. For fans that get to the ballpark early and want a quick look, but don’t want to stay the whole time, re-entry is permitted at Globe Life Field at specific doors and all-public entries from the time doors open until the start of the game. Once the game starts, however, re-entry is only permitted at one door at the north entry on the main concourse, and at one door at the southeast entry on the suite level. All guests must have their ticket scanned before exiting and be re-screened before re-entering the venue.
Return on Investment 2
The average cost to attend a Rangers game is in the top 10 of Major League Baseball. The Rangers tickets start at $15 for the upper seats and go as high as a few hundred for the lower premium club seating. Parking comes at an average cost compared to most ballparks, and you can find spots that will help lower your price. The concessions stands have typical ballpark prices, and even Texas Live charges around the same event cost.
Extras 4
The ballpark using retired numbers for the field dimensions is a unique feature that not many know about, while home plate was brought over from the old stadium. The Nolan Ryan’s statue that was in centerfield at the old ballpark is now located in front of the ballpark and Texas Live. The ballpark has very spacious concourses.
Of course, the main reason why the ballpark was built was climate control of 72 degrees to watch baseball, since the Texas heat outside reaches the high 90s. My favorite extra is that outside food and water is allowed inside Globe Life Field – this must be inside a sealed clear quart sized (or smaller) plastic bag and non-flavored water (plastic bottle and under 1 liter). There are also life-sized bobbleheads on the top level in centerfield, which is also a standing area for a great fan photo. There is artwork throughout all the concourses that enhances the inside and brings Rangers’ history to the fans. Lastly, the ability to engage with Globe Life Field PA announcer Chuck Morgan behind home plate is one of the nicest additions the Rangers have made for fans.
Final Thoughts
Globe Life Field is the newest ballpark in Major League Baseball, yet it fails compared to the old ballpark. Maybe my emotions have entered in this review, as I loved Globe Life Park. There are advantages in having a retractable roof, and Globe Life Field is everything the Rangers organization has asked for: protection from the Texas weather, high end clubs to increase revenue, and a venue that can be used year-round in the form of concerts. However, somewhere the baseball fan was forgotten in leaving the old ballpark – overall attending a game at Globe Life Field is more expensive than its predecessor, yet the Rangers product on the field is less. This could be a reason why Rangers fans aren’t investing in the new ballpark. Only time will tell if Globe Life Field can become a baseball fan favorite.