Photos Courtesy of Zach Beeson
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.57
El Nido de los Águilas Calz. Cuauhtémoc s/n, Las Fuentes, 21239 Mexicali, B.C., Mexico
Águilas de Mexicali website El Nido de Los Águilas website
Year Opened: 1976 Capacity: 17,000
Enjoying Baseball in The Nest in Mexicali
The Águilas de Mexicali (Mexicali Eagles) are members of Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacífico (Mexican Pacific League), a 10-team winter loop that operates from October to January, with the champion advancing to the Caribbean Series in February. The ball club calls the 17,000-seat El Nido de Los Águilas, its home ballpark, AKA The Nest in English.
The stadium debuted in 1976 and incorporates a double-deck seating bowl, a large concession area plaza behind the backstop of the area, and no seating behind the outfield walls. The stadium is a cash-only venue except for the gift shop and a few concession stands in the plaza.
The Águilas have won four championships in the league (1986,1989,1999, and 2017), plus one Caribbean Series championship in 1986. The club was founded in 1976 but has a history that dates back to 1948.
Food & Beverage 4
The stadium has an abundance of foods, from regional favorites to ballpark staples. Vendors sell more items in the seating bowl or back of the grandstand in the plaza area, where tables, chairs, benches, and concession stands are designed in a state-fair fashion.
The Crazy Fries stand is among the most popular and will take credit cards. French fries are topped with fried chicken, carnitas, roasted chicken, beans, or bacon and then drenched with either nacho or parmesan cheese, buffalo/barbecue sauce, or ranch dressing.
There are other local favorites, including street foods of tacos, refried beans, tamales, sweet pastries, patitas (pigs feet), taquitos, quesadillas, and burritos. Fans can enjoy pizza slices, hot dogs, nachos topped with carne, chicken tenders, french fries, and Buffalo wings.
Fans can wash all of this down with Pepsi products, Tecate beer, micheladas, clamato, pina coladas, palomas (tequila and grapefruit soda), and fresh fruits served in cups: jicama, pineapple, melon, coconut, and mango.
Atmosphere 4
The game day atmosphere is festive and exciting. An Aguilas game is more like a party than a baseball game. The first noticeable thing is the music that plays, not only in between innings but during plays. The only time it’s silent is between pitches to the batter. The music ranges from Norteño, reggaeton, pop, and popular sounds.
Vendors hock food and drinks up and down the aisles, yelling aloud for potential sales and adding a mix to the night’s procedures. Cheerleaders and dancers entertain folks behind the foul lines. The ushers are set up at the front of each aisle, checking tickets to make sure they are in the correct section of the stadium.
Neighborhood 3
Mexicali has a population of over a million people and is one of the safest border cities in Mexico. The city offers family entertainment with all the attractions that a big city has to offer. There are museums, retail stores, parks, and a historic downtown known for its rich Chinese heritage. The stadium is about 10 minutes from downtown in a residential area.
Mexicali has a population of over a million people and is one of the safest border cities in Mexico. The city offers family entertainment with all the attractions that a big city has to offer. There are museums, retail stores, parks, and a historic downtown known for its rich Chinese heritage.
The stadium is located about 10 minutes from downtown in a residential area. Just north of the ballpark is Main Street, which features local restaurants that offer tacos, burgers, sandwiches, and pizza. The Historic Center is home to a variety of restaurants, street foods, and Chinatown, where some of the country's best Chinese restaurants exist.
La Chinesca is a system of underground tunnels built by Chinese immigrants who once lived there to escape the heat (later xenophobia) and housed bars, casinos, and brothels in the early 20th century. Families continued to live underground up until the 1970s.
Popular tourist attractions include el Museo Sol Del Nino (children 's museum), Centro Estatal de las Artes (art gallery), and the Bosque y Zoológico de la Ciudad (city zoo). Misión Dragón is a public space with trees, live music, food, and drinks. It is also a great spot for photos.
Fans 3
The fans support the Aguilas quite well during the season. The games are loud, joyous, and filled with revelry. It should be noted that games cool down at night and a lightweight jacket or long sleeve shirt is required at times during the fall and winter months of northern Baja California.
Access 4
The stadium has one of the largest capacities in the league, with 17,000 seats. The stadium features a lower-level and upper-deck seating bowl, along with general seating behind the right and left field walls. The plaza behind the backstop offers an area where fans can grab something to eat or drink with ease. However, fans are not permitted to move around to different sections of the stadium to sit unless they have a ticket for that area.
Return on Investment 4
Águilas tickets start as low as 30 Pesos ($2 US) for seating general admission behind the right and left field wall. The upper deck seating ranges from 230 to 350 Pesos ($13 to $20 US), while lower deck seating ranges from 450 to 700 Pesos ($26 to $40 US). If driving to the game, a fee of 30 Pesos is what it costs to park your car.
Food prices differ from 175 Pesos ($10 US) for Crazy Fies, 87 Pesos ($5) for a Tecate beer, and 35 Pesos for fresh fruits and snacks. Team merchandise is on par, perhaps slightly higher for caps, with what you will find at Double-A and Triple-A ballparks in the United States. The gear is made by the same manufacturers.
Extras 3
The stadium earns several extra points for its vibrant atmosphere during the game, the abundance of regional foods and drink specialties, and a final point for the colorful vendors that add to the excitement with their vocal production.
Final Thoughts
The Águilas provide baseball excitement from October to January each year in Mexicali. Baseball is on par with higher minor league levels in the States, and the fans are intuitive to what takes place on the field. Just when you think baseball is over after the World Series, the Águilas and the rest of the Mexican Pacific League are just getting started.
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Follow all of Marc’s stadium journeys on Twitter @ballparkhunterand his YouTube channel. Email at Marc.Viquez@stadiumjourney.com
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