In the state of Utah, you can build a park almost anywhere and get a great view of the mountains. Smith's Ballpark is no exception. A fine ballpark in its own right, it's the setting that is the most memorable feature. With a great view of the Wasatch Mountains beyond the outfield fences, settings just don't get much better than this. Though built in 1994, Smith's Ballpark actually feels newer this. This is due to having amenities (i.e. a wraparound concourse) that normally only parks since 2000 or so have. Also, the ballpark is kept immaculately clean, which also helps to keep it feeling new. Its location, a couple miles south of downtown, means there is no view of the skyline. The physical structure of the ballpark most resembles Chukchansi Park in Fresno. There are two levels of seating, each holding about the same capacity. The luxury boxes and press box are located at the top of the second deck. This means that all seats have a good view of the field. For overflow crowds (or for those who like to sit on their blankets), there is plenty of berm seating behind the outfield fences. There are also large picnic areas located in the outfield. The concourse, which is open to the field, features numerous concession stands offering a great variety of food items. There is BBQ, Mexican, Chicago dogs, deli sandwiches, and pizza among other things. The quality is good and the prices reasonable. Unfortunately, the prices are not cheap overall. Many of the box seats on the first level go for $20 and a rather flimsy program is sold for $4. Also, parking (which is plentiful) is $5. The atmosphere at Franklin Covey is pretty baseball-oriented. The team does have an on-field DJ and there are a few between inning games, but overall the crowd seemed into the game. This was surprising to me, especially since it was fireworks night which normally brings out the non-baseball fans. A large team store is located behind home plate, but didn't seem to have a great variety of items. Other than the high prices, there isn't a lot to complain about. A clean, comfortable park combined with a fabulous setting make Smith's Ballpark one of my favorites.
|