Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts plays his home games in a cathedral of baseball, but it seems it’s another West Coast venue that has his heart.
Speaking with Pittsburgh Pirates All-Star Ryan O’Hearn on his “On Base with Mookie Betts” podcast, the Dodger said one of his favorite ballparks is a place many fans of the Boys in Blue might not expect: Petco Park in San Diego.
That’s right, a stadium in which you could buy the “FTD” burger, which many online took to mean “F— the Dodgers” before it was clarified as “For the Diegans,” managed to capture this Dodger’s heart.
What does Mookie Betts like about Petco Park?
Betts and O’Hearn were also full of praise for PNC Park in Pittsburgh and Camden Yards in Baltimore as well, but both players gushed over San Diego.
“I actually really love playing in Petco, and I love PNC as well … But Petco is just a beautiful stadium, bro,” Betts said. “It’s a beautiful stadium, the fans, the grass.
He also agreed with O’Hearn about Petco Park’s “greenest grass” and “perfect” weather, as well as the raucous fans.
For O’Hearn, that certainly makes sense, as he played 50 games for the Padres last year after being traded there by the Baltimore Orioles.
For Betts, though, he’s been playing tense games in San Diego as the Padres and Dodgers have vied for National League West supremacy.
Despite the hostile fans, though, Betts seems to enjoy his trips south.
Perhaps that’s because, despite the animosity, players can tell when the crowd is into the game.
And in San Diego, that’s the case, O’Hearn explained.
“The stadium’s full,” he said. “There’s like 30,000 more people behind right center in Gallagher Square. It’s just a great atmosphere, man.”
