San Jose Municipal Stadium

Exterior of San Jose Municipal Stadium, Aug-2004.

There is only one row of shaded seating in the ballpark.

The area is a combination of parkland, athletic fields, and industrial areas.

Chronological Tour: Stop 74

• Location: Alma Avenue at Senter Road, San Jose, Calif. (map it using Google Maps)
• Opened: 1942 as Municipal Stadium
• Additional names: Excite Ballpark (2019)
• Home team: San Jose Owls (1942), Red Sox (1947-55), JoSox (1956-57), Pirates (1958), Bees (1962-76, 1983-87), Missions (1979-81), Expos (1982), Giants (1988-present), California League; San Jose State Spartans, Mountain West Conference
• Capacity: 4,200

Rating: 2 baseballs

I found San Jose’s park woefully inadequate, though. It was very cramped, especially given the big crowd. It also lacks a roof. I have had the misfortune of seeing two day games here, and the aluminum and metal seats that comprise most of the park are brutal in daytime conditions. Only the top row of the first-base grandstand has any shade at all.

In addition, and this isn’t the park’s fault, it’s not easy to find it. There aren’t sufficient signs off the freeways or in midtown to lead one here. On my 1994 visit, I got lost in the vicinity of the San Jose Arena, which is several miles away.

There is a nice picnic area down the left-field line, and the grill there serves some unusual selections. In 2017 they replaced the old scoreboard with a video board that also displays the line score. I also verified what I had been told, that the place has great atmosphere for night games. I actually raised my rating from one ball to two after this visit. So why do they bother playing any day games here?

The stadium received a naming sponsor in 2019 for the first time in its history. The club expanded its sponsor relationship with Excite Credit Union, and the park will be known as Excite Ballpark through at least 2021.