Colorado Rockies: Your guide to a day at Coors Field

Baseball season is in full swing, and we can almost smell the fresh-cut grass and hear the sound of overpriced stadium hot dogs sizzling from all the way up here in Fort Collins.

It's a summer tradition for us northerners to make the trek to Denver and see our Rockies play.

So, with a season of sunburns, sweet memories and sure disappointment ahead, sports columnist Matt Stephens and My FoCo reporter Erin Udell went to a Rockies game to document the little tips and tricks to help you navigate Coors Field this summer — from saving money on seats and stadium food to parking and picking the right games.

Here are ways to make the most out of America's pastime.

StubHub is your friend

Matt: I've been to MLB games in Kansas City and Denver this year and sat within eight rows from the field just beyond third base, paying peanuts for my ticket.

Relative to the NBA and NFL, MLB tickets are cheap to begin with, but being lodged in the upper deck isn't the same experience as sitting in the path of a line drive foul ball sizzling toward your head. Every baseball fan deserves a chance to sit in an infield box at least once, and with the help of StubHub.com, you can without paying full retail price for the tickets.

When Erin and I went to the Phillies vs. Rockies game May 20, Rockies.com wanted to charge $45 apiece for our seats in section 142. Thanks to StubHub, we were able to buy tickets in that section — six rows from the field — for $25 each. Keep in mind, there are processing fees involved ($7.75 per ticket); however, the $65.50 total we paid for two tickets was much better than the $102 (after fees) we would have paid purchasing them through the Rockies.

If you're on a budget — or if you're more interested in Coors Field's atmosphere than a great view — then it might be worth purchasing tickets in the Rockpile above center field for $5 through Rockies.com. Whatever your end game is, it's always worth checking out StubHub before making a final decision on where you'll sit.

Be cautious of the sun

Matt: When choosing your seats, consider what time of day the game is. If it's a day game, you'll want to sit on the west side of Coors Field for a cooler experience and to avoid a sunburn.

The east side brings nasty burns, smelly sweat and glare from the sun. But if farmers tans are your thing, go for it.

Choosing an opponent

Matt: Let's face it, despite last week's sweep in Philadelphia, the Colorado Rockies are a team that, in the first week of June, should be more concerned about getting young players experience for 2016 than trying to make a run for this fall's postseason.

What Rockies player, outside of Nolan Arenado, has brought any sort of excitement to Blake Street?

If you're going to Coors Field for the atmosphere, then who Colorado is playing has little importance. If you're interested in watching good baseball, the opponent means everything.

There are plenty of games remaining against teams within the NL West, but quality inter-divisional series are more of a premium.

Realistic playoff contenders outside the NL West still coming to Coors Field this season are: St. Louis (Jun 8-10), Houston (June 17-18), Los Angeles Angles (July 7-8), Texas (July 20-22), Washington (Aug. 18-20) and N.Y. Mets (Aug. 21-23).

Get in some Denver eats

Erin: If, like me, the "Tornadough Pretzel Twister" intrigues you, but not enough to part with your cash for pricey stadium food — and bringing cheetos in a ziploc bag takes some of the fun out of going to the ball game — get a little more for your money at a restaurant.

At Matt's insistence, we got to Denver incredibly early. From there, we walked around a little and ended up at Blake Street Tavern, where we shared wings amd fries and I listened to him talk about violence in video games while eating a steak sandwich. The meal was substantial and ended up costing about $23. In Coors Field, a bratwurst and fries would take up half of that.

It's nice being able to sit, enjoy a meal and drink some Coors Lights that aren't $10. And, in a city like Denver, there's no shortage of restaurants near Coors Field to try. Jackson's, Lodo's Bar and Grill, The Tavern Downtown and Breckenridge Brewery are other options within a block of the stadium.

Parking

Matt: Your best bet is to park in the main lot off Park Avenue and Wazee Street, which will cost you $14 to $16, depending on the day and opponent. Keep in mind that the lot doesn't open until two hours before scheduled game time. If you're wanting to explore and dine in Lodo before reaching Coors Field, you'll have to pay an hourly rate at a nearby parking garage.

Or, if you're will to spend a little extra, the Rockies have a lot between 19th and 20th on Wazee Street that opens early for $20.

Try a transportation alternative

If you're headed to a weekday game and the idea of driving (and parking) in Denver gives you night sweats, try CDOT's new Front Range bus service Bustang, which launches July 13.

Bustang will run six round trips out of the Fort Collins area every weekday, with buses traveling from the Fort Collins Transit Center, the Interstate 25-Harmony Road Park-and-Ride and the U.S. 34 Loveland-Greeley Park-and-Ride to Denver's Union Station — a stone's throw from Coors Field.

Check the Bustang schedule once it launches to see if you can get in and out of Denver on it in the same day. You could also plan an overnight stay in Denver in a hotel or with friends and catch it in the morning. A ride on Bustang each way will cost $10.

Experience the ballpark

Matt: There's more to a Rockies game than the nine innings on the diamond. A great part of Coors Field — and most newer MLB parks — are the amenities within the confines.

Whether it's a batting cage, a fantasy broadcast booth for the kids or the Sandlot Brewery, Coors Field has fun beyond the game for stadium-goers of all ages. Be sure to arrive early to take in everything it has to offer, which includes batting practice.

Batting practice begins two hours before game time, with the Rockies taking the field first. This is a great opportunity, especially for kids, to shake the hands of their heroes and snag a couple of autographs. If autographs are of interest to young fans joining you at the ballpark, be encouraging but try to temper excitement. Not all players will sign autographs and the ones who do won't sign every item waved in front of their faces.

But don't be afraid to be aggressive to put yourself in a good position for a signature alongside the dugouts. Squeeze between other fans to make sure you have a shot. The only reason my best friend got the lone autograph Tiger Woods distributed on Day 2 of the U.S. Open in 2001 is because as Woods walked back to the clubhouse after his round, ignoring the crowd, my buddy ran past security to track him down with a pen and hat (it probably helped that we were adorable eighth-graders).

That in mind, don't jump onto Coors Field; you will be arrested.

Save on concessions

Matt: Short of pawning your child down 22nd Street after a game, it's difficult to buy food for your family at the ballpark without stressing over the financial burden associated with a $6.25 cup of Coke. Thankfully, there is a legal way to keep stomachs full at Coors Field for cheap.

Coors Field permits outside plastic beverage containers (no alcohol), prepackaged food items, fruit and vegetables grapefruit-sized or smaller, individual-sized pizza boxes and insulated cups or thermoses 22 ounces or smaller. Independent vendors sell cheap bottles of water and bags of peanuts outside of the stadium.

Note that the largest soft-sided bag you can bring inside the premises is 16 by 16 by 8 inches. Hard-sided coolers are prohibited.

Check the weather report

Erin: Despite how much I loved watching Matt stoically try to endure 40-degree rainy weather in a light fleece jacket, being prepared for our fickle Colorado weather is key at Rockies games this summer.

If it's supposed to be colder, bring a thicker coat or blanket to bundle up in. Looking down around the 5th inning at the thin suede boots I wore, I realized that, yeah, I probably would give up my firstborn for a pair of wool socks if it were an option.

On the other hand, don't get stuck in the sweltering heat in a long sleeve black shirt, either. Channel my mother — the all-knowing and always-prepared Janet Udell — by bringing a hat, sunglasses and some sunscreen just to be safe.

Enjoy the trip

Erin: With Denver about an hour away from Fort Collins, it's longer than your average daily trip, but not too long to bust out the books on tape or start playing "I Spy."

I vote for making drives to Denver less like chores and more like little adventures.

To commemorate our mini coworker road trip, I made a small playlist — basically Taylor Swift's newest album, "Islands in the Stream" and a Sara Bareilles song that might be about marriage — to enjoy on our way to Denver.

On the way back, Matt shocked me by knowing every word to Faith Hill's "Mississippi Girl." And, in the end, that hour home didn't feel so long. So have fun with it.

Cost of concessions at Coors Field

General food

Item Price Peanuts $4.25 Cajun Fries $5 Regular Fries $4 Cracker Jack $4.25 Sunflower Seeds $5 Candy $3.75 Footlong Bratwurst $6.75 Double Burger $7.50 Single Burger $5.50 Chicken Sandwich $5.75 Rockie Mountain Oysters $7.50 Rockie Dog $6.50 Bratwurst and Fries $10.75 Double Burger and Fries $11.50 Rockie Dog and Fries $10.50 Single Burger and Fries $9.50 Kids meal $5 Super dog $4.75 Tiny tots hot dogs $2.25 Corn dug $3 Mini burger $2.75 Kids pizza $2.50 Kids nacho $2.50 Dinger nuggets $3 Funnel cake fries $3.75 Kids fries $2 Kids ice cream cone $2.25 Kids popcorn $1.25 Lil Pretzel $2 Cheese cup $2 Jumbo cotton candy $7.50 Cotton candy $3.50 Fresh roasted cinnamon nuts (small) $4 Fresh roasted cinnamon nuts (regular) $6 Fresh roasted cinnamon nuts (large) $11 Caramel apple (small) $4 Caramel apple (regular) $6 Churro $3.50 Bottomless popcorn $8.75 Popcorn (small) $4.75

Specialty foods

Item Price Famous Dave's ribs (2 bones) $5 Famous Dave's ribs (6 bones) $15 Famous Dave's ribs (full rack) $24 Famous Dave's rib tips $10 Famous Dave's chopped pork sandwich $8 Famous Dave's red hot sandwich $8 Famous Dave's beef brisket sandwich $8 Famous Dave's manhandler sandwich $9 Famous Dave's burnt ends sandwich $10 Famous Dave's chocolate-covered bacon $2 Famous Dave's chips $2 Build your own frozen yogurt $7.50 Small yogurt cup $5.75 Dippin' Dots (large) $6.50 Dippin' Dots (small) $4.50 Shaved ice $4.50 Tornadough Pretzel Twister $4.50

Beverages