Vermin, Roaches In More Filthy MLB Parks.

by xcoma on May 12, 2008 12:47 PM PDT

You probably remember last year’s shutdown of food service at Angels Stadium after the ballpark’s food service operation was outed forinnumerable health code violations

Portfolio.com follows up on that today with a report on further abuses throughout the league, including Yankee Stadium, Citizens Bank Park, Coors Field, Miller Park, AT&T Park, Shea Stadium, Safeco Field, Kauffman Stadium and the worst offender of all - McAfee Coliseum in Oakland.

This is pretty rank, and honestly, surprising. Of all the times I've eaten at McAfee, I've failed to see a problem with my food, or any of my friends food.

It's hard to say, but for the most part these surveys seem unbiased, which leads me to believe that it's true. At the same time, I don't want to think about my team's kitchen being all gross. Especially when they're raping me for 10 dollars for a hot dog and a soda.

Portfolio.com - Foul Ballparks

SPORTSbyBROOKS - Vermin, Roaches...

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Not that I've seen anything, but as old as the ballpark is...

...it wouldn’t surprise me if some critters are running around in the deep, dark places. Same thing with a place like Yankee Stadium, but the newer ones like AT&T, Safeco and the like should be much cleaner.

Speaking of Anaheim, my cousin and his wife were down there recently and saw a game. She told me about how clean it was and I deadpanned, “I guess they got rid of all the rats, then.” She went “EWWWWW!!!!”

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by Flashfire on May 12, 2008 1:03 PM PDT reply actions

Haha...

Yeah. There’s still no excuse though. From what i’ve seen it’s not like the facilities they are using are that outdated. A few mops, and some elbow grease oughta get it done in there. Alas, I agree on you with Pac Bell park. I went there saturday just to actually see the facility for the first time. It really just made me more excited for Cisco Field. The food was good, and seeing Lincecum on the mound was a treat, but it’s really hard to get in to games when it’s not your team.

by xcoma on May 12, 2008 1:20 PM PDT up reply actions

Not supprising abot the Coliseum

think about how many times you have walked the halls of the Coliseum and seen huge cracks with water leaking through them?

I put on my robe and wizard hat.

by Zonis on May 12, 2008 1:24 PM PDT reply actions

Oh Man

I’m not buying food at the park ever again.

You know I read a piece about this on the LAAoA blog too. Interesting how their blog was profanity laced and directed towards the A’s being #2, while ignoring that LA was #1…....., whereas the AN blog is mostly about our own club.

Good for us.

by passionately objective on May 12, 2008 1:29 PM PDT reply actions

Haha...

Yeah, I wanna agree with you that I’ll take the smart stance and never buy food again. But when those dollar dogs are beckoning, I don’t know if I have to resiliency to stay away.

by xcoma on May 12, 2008 1:38 PM PDT up reply actions

I should have qualified

that the dollar hot dog is a gift from heaven, or Mt. Olympus, and therefore there could be nothing contaminated about them….except for when my mere mortal hands touch them.

by passionately objective on May 12, 2008 2:38 PM PDT up reply actions

you can store a dollar dog...

...up a peanut vendor’s butt, and as long as you boil it before you eat it, you’ll be fine.

Besides, the violations are from October. That means it’s the Raiders’ fault, not the A’s…

Were the A’s playing in October last year? Only on recordings and in acid flashbacks!

(visions of Reggie Jackson and his coat of many colors dancing in my head!)

"You have to have a catcher or you'll have all passed balls."- Casey Stengel

by Gaijin_Suketto on May 12, 2008 11:49 PM PDT up reply actions

Do you really think

that the A’s got 493 violations in the month of October and none any other time?

by passionately objective on May 13, 2008 9:25 AM PDT up reply actions

I would think

that there would be much more than 493 rats in the Coliseum during football season. Now, 493 rats in the front row of the Black Hole, that I can believe.

"Evidently, a large number of people said, 'We really need more vermin at the ballpark, Artie.'" - Nick (AN), 10/7/07

by doctorK on May 13, 2008 1:46 PM PDT up reply actions

"That's not what I meant when I asked

you to use the bun warmer!”

There is an A in Whimsy.

by FreeSeatUpgrade on May 13, 2008 10:41 AM PDT up reply actions

damnit

Angel fans are bound to get a hold of this

"The Athletics at Fremont" is noxious

by ArakSOT on May 12, 2008 1:38 PM PDT reply actions

hey!

were NOT the worst

Oakland – 493 violations
LAA – 732 violations

so there!

"The Athletics at Fremont" is noxious

by ArakSOT on May 12, 2008 1:43 PM PDT up reply actions

Hey, you know Angels fans by now

...always in denial unless they are leading every category.

"I've been accused of using too many words...I suppose that's like accusing Mozart of using too many notes." Bill King

by Gerard on May 12, 2008 1:56 PM PDT up reply actions

Coliseum vendors suck

I feel like the food quality at the coliseum has gone down hill big time in the last few years. I think Wolfish could do something about this easily enought and improve the coli experience in a substantial way.

Part of the problem is that the workers seem pretty pissed. That is not a good thing.

"Not in your wildest alcoholic nightmare would you ever imagines such events unfolding!" Bill King

by Buck Turgidson on May 12, 2008 1:40 PM PDT reply actions

Re: quality of vendors

Yes, they do seem quite the unsavory bunch.

by passionately objective on May 12, 2008 2:39 PM PDT up reply actions

I've always found them to be great.

I’ve actually worked behind the counter myself as a volunteer helping to fundraise. Aramark, the company that operates and staffs the vending stations at the Coliseum and AT&T will often hire volunteers from non-profit organizations to help them fundraise. So a lot of the time, you’ll see people like me behind the counter who aren’t working full-time and don’t really know the computer or the products that well but are trying to figure it out as we go.
I will say, however, that having worked back there, I am not surprised at all by the Coliseum’s poor performance in this report. Some things, namely moldy hot dog buns that weren’t moldy enough to be thrown away, were served that I would never even consider eating at home

by Rocktopus on May 12, 2008 4:18 PM PDT up reply actions

50/50

I’d say that’s the ratio of professionals to people who look and act like they don’t want to be there.

by passionately objective on May 12, 2008 4:48 PM PDT up reply actions

And

SLOW too, how can it take 5 min to ring up a hot dog and a beer?

"I Will Not Relent, I Am Driven"... Clutch
Bring Back The Bash!!!

by Shippee33 on May 12, 2008 8:33 PM PDT up reply actions

"Improve the coli experience"?

We put the Coli in e. Coli!

...one Japanese woman standing in the lobby surrounded by Red Sox fans turned to her companion and said, "These Boston people are awful." -Slusser

by stormtown on May 12, 2008 2:50 PM PDT up reply actions

Nice.

"Tomorrow it may rain." - Leo Durocher

by andeux on May 12, 2008 3:30 PM PDT up reply actions

ESPN should make this the basis of their power rankings

"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

--Bilbo Baggins

by kaweahkaweah on May 12, 2008 2:00 PM PDT reply actions

My question is; how much of this is the A's fault

and how much of it is the Coliseum Authority and the Independant company that is contracted to do the vending at the Coliseum?

I put on my robe and wizard hat.

by Zonis on May 12, 2008 2:21 PM PDT reply actions

That's too easy.

It’s the A’s’ “unique fan experience” and their attendance revenue, and they just have to find a way to influence the issue. If they haven’t negotiated a mechanism in their lease, then shame-on-em, but there are certainly other ways to do it.

No passing the ~~rat~~ buck.

The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus

by The Dogfather on May 12, 2008 2:45 PM PDT up reply actions

That, and...

...493 violations is just taking the piss.

After the first 50, the A’s should know there’s a problem.

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by Ozzz on May 12, 2008 5:11 PM PDT up reply actions

I read the Portfolio article and it said the violations were found in October

so I think we should also ask “how much of it is the Raiders?” Seeing as how we weren’t even playing in October last year.

...one Japanese woman standing in the lobby surrounded by Red Sox fans turned to her companion and said, "These Boston people are awful." -Slusser

by stormtown on May 12, 2008 5:27 PM PDT up reply actions

Please...

don’t mention that we weren’t playing in October!

Also, I think it’s fair to say that they published the worst finds, which were probably the ones mentioned in October. I think it’s fair to say there were other inspections that led to many other violations that weren’t in October.

by passionately objective on May 12, 2008 5:31 PM PDT up reply actions

Does the AYCE section come with barf bags in the seat backs?

And I farking hate that the team declined to comment—likely hoping that it’ll all go away.

The way you’re supposed to do this, fellas, is either 1-to protest your innocence, with any plausible evidence, or 2-admit to past problems with the vendor and discuss the comprehensive, integrated program that’s already underway to address any shortcomings, because dammit, we demand as much for our fans.

This silence, instead, smacks of both an admission of the problem, and a wecouldn’tgiveashit-less non-approach to its resolution.

/which is why we bring our food

The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus

by The Dogfather on May 12, 2008 2:23 PM PDT reply actions

Silence is better than...

“Huh, has it really been that many? Really? You sure? No, come on, really? Oh. Huh. Well, that’s interesting I guess. Still. It’s pretty good food isn’t it? Wouldn’t want to mess with success.”

In search of a new signature. Say something funny and you may see your comment here!

by DMOAS on May 12, 2008 2:48 PM PDT up reply actions

Dubious

From the fine print:

“Violation counts do not correct for variables such as the number of inspections per year and the aggressiveness of each city’s enforcement agents.”

All this shows, at most, is that California’s food inspectors visit frequently and are (probably) less likely to be talked out of writing up violation reports in exchange for a Ben Franklin or two.

By contrast, Fenway does not appear on the list at all. Does that mean it’s facilities are pristine? Methinks not.

There is an A in Whimsy.

by FreeSeatUpgrade on May 12, 2008 3:31 PM PDT reply actions

Not only that, it's obvious that the Inspectors are nothing but a buncha Giaunts fans.

Logic like that can leap tall buildings.

Anyway, my kid isn’t subjected to the food at Fenway.

The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus

by The Dogfather on May 12, 2008 4:37 PM PDT up reply actions

fenway is like 3x as dirty as the coliseum

at least it was, i don’t know if they have renovated it at all recently.

A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05

by xbhaskarx on May 12, 2008 5:13 PM PDT up reply actions

Regardless of the print

I expect strict standards, and the number of visits by a inspector apparently didn’t do anything to change their behavior.

by passionately objective on May 12, 2008 4:50 PM PDT reply actions

Not the point

I’d hazard a guess that every single stadium food facility in America has code complaints against it, or should. Yes, sure, they should all be spotless. So should the taco truck around the corner and the 5 star restaurant I’m taking my wife to on our anniversary. But they ain’t.

The point is that this article claims to portray the Coliseum as “the worst.” And that’s absurd on its face, per their own disclaimers.

There is an A in Whimsy.

by FreeSeatUpgrade on May 12, 2008 5:09 PM PDT up reply actions

Not worst, the best!

“First is the worst (Angels), second is the best (A’s)”.....

Imperfections and code complaints are always going to be there. But these results should not be acceptable to any human being. I think the Rockies had 15 offences, and the A’s had 493.

Let’s say the Rockies were only inspected once, which is not at all likely, and the A’s were “over inspected”. That would mean the A’s were inspected at a ratio close to 33 to 1. There’s no way that the inspectors on a per inspection basis would be that much more lenient or strict on their standards.

I guess my point is: even if they’re right in the middle of the pack, that’ not good enough, and apparently they’re not even that.

by passionately objective on May 12, 2008 5:26 PM PDT up reply actions

I don't care at all about our Power RANK in this regard.

While it’s true that the Health Regs, like the OSHA Regs, may be impossible to comply with 100%, they likely aren’t impossible to comply with to the tune of fewer than 500 violations. I don’t care whether the Yankees pay-off their inspectors (not that there’s any evidence of it either way in these numbers) - that’s a complete, red and rotten herring. I care that me-n-mine - and to a somewhat lesser extent you-n-yours, don’t get sick. 5 violations? Maybe no problem, but 500? Problem.

The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus

by The Dogfather on May 12, 2008 5:33 PM PDT up reply actions

I see your point

and raise you +1

In search of a new signature. Say something funny and you may see your comment here!

by DMOAS on May 12, 2008 5:56 PM PDT up reply actions

What it also pretty much confirms is...

...aside from the field being great until the Raiders come to town, the Coliseum is quite a dump. Say what you will about it being the place we’re all familiar with and how people don’t want to change, don’t want to pay higher prices and so on, but it is no longer a good facility. It’s showing its 40 years.

As it is, the club has already started trying to get people used to the higher prices that will be paid in a new ballpark, too. Just look at how much the cost of the MVP Level seats has increased in the last few years. Just $35 as recently as about 2004 and now $50-55. That’s right about the same as what you’d pay for a similar but closer seat at Petco Park in San Diego.

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by Flashfire on May 12, 2008 6:12 PM PDT up reply actions

Just Say Know

The rhetoric of zero tolerance is of course much easier than engaging. If questioning the statistical validity of a spurious comparison of all 30 MLB teams’ concessions is a red herring in your book, oh well. Hysteria loves company.

There is an A in Whimsy.

by FreeSeatUpgrade on May 12, 2008 6:28 PM PDT up reply actions

All I'm saying, calmly, is that calling your unsupported musings on the relative regional ethics of ...

... the Health Inspection community “The Point” of the article—misses it entirely.

There’s nothing else to talk about in your original post - it’s merely an odd bit of conjecture, unimpeded by any evidence. The disclaimer says nothing about visit frequency or temptation tolerance in either direction - your conclusion was pulled from your perpetually fertile imagination, where it kept company with the Fenway strawman from the same comment (and maybe a few leftover conspiracy theories relating to current ownership) .

Frequency, honesty and aggressiveness could just as easily be twice as lax in Oakland as anywhere. I say it is! There—I took a position on your comment. Is that what you wanna fight about?

The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus

by The Dogfather on May 12, 2008 7:09 PM PDT up reply actions

So neither of you know....

but his point was more about the unreliability of this rather silly article/graphic, which I did not find enlightening at all. And whichever stadiums are the least sanitary (I would not be surprised if the Coliseum was among them), I agree with the point that counting up violations is not illuminating at all.

The A's colors are green and gold.

by mikeA on May 12, 2008 7:14 PM PDT up reply actions

As above: five may be no problem.

But I’m willing to believe that two orders of magnitude above five raises some serious doubts. His point was all about relative rankings, which just don’t matter in that context.

A team that’s dying for more fans ought to be proactive about ensuring they don’t die at the game. Maybe they are—if so, say so. But maybe it’s like the marketing…

The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus

by The Dogfather on May 12, 2008 7:21 PM PDT up reply actions

Violations aren't all rat turds and rotten meat...

Restaurants I’ve worked at in California have gotten violations for things like:

Garbage cans not locked during business hours

Bathroom doors don’t have self closing hinges

Coping on tile floor in food preparation areas is cracked

PH in bleach water below recommended parameters

It’s highly likely that many, if not most, of the violations are of a nature that does not bring potential harm to consumers. Other things that draw a lot of violations involve minor temperature problems with warmers and cold tables.

It’s possible that out of these 400-some violations, there might only be a handful of truly disgusting ones.

"You have to have a catcher or you'll have all passed balls."- Casey Stengel

by Gaijin_Suketto on May 12, 2008 11:59 PM PDT up reply actions