MLB Baseball Stadiums

[Nesi427]

I was under the impression that all major league ball parks faced the same direction with the sun setting behind home plate. But I was looking online and say that the new Busch Stadium is facing a totally different direction than the current stadium.

Am I wrong in my assumption of all MLB fields? Or did the Cards build differently??

Thanks to anyone who can provide some answers.

[WSU151]

The sun sets just beyond left field in the summer, and way behind third base during early spring and fall at Coors Field. The field is in a southeast/northwest direction.

[wheateater]

As far as I know, teams are free to have their stadiums face whichever direction they want. There's no mandate that says all stadiums must face the same way, since it'd be tough to enforce in some cases because of city layouts and such.

For instance, by going to mlb.com, clicking on "Scoreboard," selecting yesterday's games, and clicking on "Gameday" above whatever linescore you wish, you can see the stadium outlines with a little compass in the bottom right-hand corner.

Straightaway CF at Jacobs Field is straight North of homeplate.

Straightaway CF at Rogers Centre is straight North of homeplate.

Straightaway CF at Ameriquest Field is Southeast of homeplate.

Straightaway CF at Fenway Park is Northeast of homeplate.

Straightaway CF at Safeco Field is Northeast of homeplate.

EDIT: mjrbaseball's link covers it very nicely...

[mjrbaseball]

Here are pages that diagram the orientation of all current ballparks.

AL Parks

NL Parks

[VitaminD]

I question the ballpark orientation for at least one ballpark, the one I know best.

Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia is situated so that home plate faces squarely toward I-76 as it runs east/west through South Philadelphia, dividing the Stadium Complex from the rest of South Philly. Beyond that is Center City and the skyscrapers you see on TV. Home plate faces almost due north (it's more north by northeast, but even closer to north than that). The orientation they use looks more like the way Veterans Stadium was set up, 90 degrees rotated from CBP.

That said, the traditional way that ballparks were set up was such that home plate was the westernmost aspect of the infield. In fact, it is from this orientation that lefthanded pitchers became known as "southpaws", since their left arm was on the "south" side of their bodies when they faced home plates. As the sun set during day games, the sun was out of the hitter's eyes, who were most at risk of being hurt by a ball they couldn't see.

These days, with the overwhelming number of night games, domed stadiums, and an emphasis on pleasing panoramic views, this convention has faded somewhat.

Hope that helps, CN...

[tp49]

I was under the impression that when teams went to build a new stadium that they had to get a waiver in order to change the orientation of the field. I think I heard that on the tour at Safeco.

[rockchalk]

I know for a fact that Busch III is roughly 90 degrees different, because when i was walking to my seats in RF in June, I looked out the side of the stadium, almost directly down the LF line of Busch III towards home plate. It was pretty cool actually.

Here, that should show it

[Puckguy14]

Woah, so is new Busch on hold until the Cardinals finish playing since new Busch 's layout covers half of Busch?

[pcgd]

Yeap. Demolition will take 90 days. the new stadium won't actually be completed until during the 06 season.

I think its mainly the left field bleachers.

They are a couple weeks ahead of schedule right now, and they'd be more if the cardinals don't play int he world series. All estimates assume a 7 game world series.

[WJMorris3]

The only rule in the major league rulebook says that the field should face east-northeast.

[HedleyLamarr]

I know for a fact that Busch III is roughly 90 degrees different, because when i was walking to my seats in RF in June, I looked out the side of the stadium, almost directly down the LF line of Busch III towards home plate. It was pretty cool actually.

Here, that should show it

I was watching the Braves-Cardinals game on Fox a few weeks back, and I found it neat that the site of the future fair pole of future-Busch was marked with a small fair pole-like beam hanging off the side of the second level....

[VitaminD]

I know for a fact that Busch III is roughly 90 degrees different, because when i was walking to my seats in RF in June, I looked out the side of the stadium, almost directly down the LF line of Busch III towards home plate. It was pretty cool actually.

Here, that should show it

I noticed that Busch III includes plans for "Ballpark Village". Any details as to what that is?

I've been praying that the Phillies would come to their senses and do something along the lines of creating a Wrigleyville. There's about a mile of parking lots from the center field gate to I-76 at the new park, and nothing but a Holiday Inn to break up the blacktop. If the Phillies had any creativity, they could build 5-story brownstones beyond Phillies Way as follows:

basement: bar!

1st/2nd floors: stores, restaurants

3rd/4th/5th floors: apartments/houses

rooftop: balcony view of the field

Tear down the brick "spite fences" (a misguided tribute to Connie Mack Stadium that most Philadelphians probably overlook), and if the Phillies were the landlords, they could charge a modest fee for the tenants/owners to use their balcony (like what the Cubs do with their neighbors). Put up 2 or 3 parking towers - one for the residents, one for the employees, the rest for the fans. Build a shopping center/mall/skating rink to link this new "Ballpark Village" (I like the name, so I am borrowing from St. Louis) to the neighborhood that sits diagonally from where Vet Stadium used to stand (2-4 blocks west of Citizens Bank Park).

If anyone knows plans for Ballpark Village, please post - I'd love to see how a team that does things the right way is doing this.

[pcgd]

From the Cardinals site:

On Thursday the organization announced that it has hired a developer for the new "Ballpark Village," a $300-million mixed-use development. The project promises to blend restaurants, entertainment venues, residential units and office spaces all with a unique flavor that is strictly St. Louis.

Also from there:

Entertainment and retail venues in other Cordish-developed sites include ESPN Zone, Hard Rock Café, Barnes & Noble, Gold's Gym and five-star hotels. (its being developed by a company called "The Cordish Company")

Also mentioned before were the Cardinals Museum, an Aquarium, the statues of Cardinals greats, the ability to watch teh game walking/driving by the stadium, seats on the rooftops, and a gathering plaza.

I think the Bowling Hall of Fame could move with the Cardinals Museum.

They've compared the area to possibly being like 4th street live in Louisville, hopefully an area that will be jumping at times other than game nights. Hopefully it'll rejuvinate downtown. St. Louis is cool, just if you aren't in the downtown area.

My career goal is to open up a design firm in an office that overlooks the new stadium

[VitaminD]

Thanks, PC. Sounds like the Cardinals are going to do it right. (Big surprise.)

And it sounds like the Phillies are squandering a golden opportunity to do the same and infuse some life into a sea of blacktop; with a little imagination, they could do the same. (Big surprise.)

What's the Cards' parking situation? It would seem like they're going to be bringing a lot of people into the area for baseball and non-baseball commerce...

[no97]

I think of all stadiums that screwed up in directional orientation, Minute Maid takes the cake. I have to preface this with saying that I loved everything about the park except the sun comming through the glass pannels (the roof was closed for the game I was at) in the first about three or four innings, creating an aweful glare. The glare is also evident on TV, as watching the Cubs game this past Sunday, no-one in the press box knew if Michael Barrett had hit a home-run until they saw it hit the foul pole on TV replay because of the glare. Great park, aweful orientation...

Moose

[pcgd]

Thanks, PC. Sounds like the Cardinals are going to do it right. (Big surprise.)

And it sounds like the Phillies are squandering a golden opportunity to do the same and infuse some life into a sea of blacktop; with a little imagination, they could do the same. (Big surprise.)

What's the Cards' parking situation? It would seem like they're going to be bringing a lot of people into the area for baseball and non-baseball commerce...

To put it in relation to other Central Division foes: Not as bad as Wrigley, but not as good as Miller Park.

Most parking is where the New Busch stadium is being built, and then just south of there as well. Other parking includes the parking garages that are around the downtown area, and the Casino across the river in Illinois. There you can take a train right to the stadium and its basically 3.00 to park instead of 9 or 15 or whatever they are charging.

Its really not that bad. Miller Park was the best place I ever went parking wise. I swear they could get 100,000 people in and out without too much difficulty.

[BBTV]

I know for a fact that Busch III is roughly 90 degrees different, because when i was walking to my seats in RF in June, I looked out the side of the stadium, almost directly down the LF line of Busch III towards home plate. It was pretty cool actually.

Here, that should show it

I noticed that Busch III includes plans for "Ballpark Village". Any details as to what that is?

I've been praying that the Phillies would come to their senses and do something along the lines of creating a Wrigleyville. There's about a mile of parking lots from the center field gate to I-76 at the new park, and nothing but a Holiday Inn to break up the blacktop. If the Phillies had any creativity, they could build 5-story brownstones beyond Phillies Way as follows:

basement: bar!

1st/2nd floors: stores, restaurants

3rd/4th/5th floors: apartments/houses

rooftop: balcony view of the field

Tear down the brick "spite fences" (a misguided tribute to Connie Mack Stadium that most Philadelphians probably overlook), and if the Phillies were the landlords, they could charge a modest fee for the tenants/owners to use their balcony (like what the Cubs do with their neighbors). Put up 2 or 3 parking towers - one for the residents, one for the employees, the rest for the fans. Build a shopping center/mall/skating rink to link this new "Ballpark Village" (I like the name, so I am borrowing from St. Louis) to the neighborhood that sits diagonally from where Vet Stadium used to stand (2-4 blocks west of Citizens Bank Park).

If anyone knows plans for Ballpark Village, please post - I'd love to see how a team that does things the right way is doing this.

I think the best we can hope for is development at the Navy yard. Right now Chickie's & Pete's and McFadden's have the monopoly (or duopoloy) on post-game entertainment.

Also, I love how they touted Citizen's Bank Park's "skyline view", but failed to mention that a) the center city skyline is over 2 miles away, and there is a huge "Phillies" sign that towers over the parking lot and obscures your view of the skyline. I hat that organization more than I hate the NY Giants. And that is a lot of hate.

[Shumway]

I know for a fact that Busch III is roughly 90 degrees different, because when i was walking to my seats in RF in June, I looked out the side of the stadium, almost directly down the LF line of Busch III towards home plate. It was pretty cool actually.

Here, that should show it

I noticed that Busch III includes plans for "Ballpark Village". Any details as to what that is?

I've been praying that the Phillies would come to their senses and do something along the lines of creating a Wrigleyville. There's about a mile of parking lots from the center field gate to I-76 at the new park, and nothing but a Holiday Inn to break up the blacktop. If the Phillies had any creativity, they could build 5-story brownstones beyond Phillies Way as follows:

basement: bar!

1st/2nd floors: stores, restaurants

3rd/4th/5th floors: apartments/houses

rooftop: balcony view of the field

Tear down the brick "spite fences" (a misguided tribute to Connie Mack Stadium that most Philadelphians probably overlook), and if the Phillies were the landlords, they could charge a modest fee for the tenants/owners to use their balcony (like what the Cubs do with their neighbors). Put up 2 or 3 parking towers - one for the residents, one for the employees, the rest for the fans. Build a shopping center/mall/skating rink to link this new "Ballpark Village" (I like the name, so I am borrowing from St. Louis) to the neighborhood that sits diagonally from where Vet Stadium used to stand (2-4 blocks west of Citizens Bank Park).

If anyone knows plans for Ballpark Village, please post - I'd love to see how a team that does things the right way is doing this.

I think the best we can hope for is development at the Navy yard. Right now Chickie's & Pete's and McFadden's have the monopoly (or duopoloy) on post-game entertainment.

Also, I love how they touted Citizen's Bank Park's "skyline view", but failed to mention that a) the center city skyline is over 2 miles away, and there is a huge "Phillies" sign that towers over the parking lot and obscures your view of the skyline. I hat that organization more than I hate the NY Giants. And that is a lot of hate.

They really should do something with the Naval Yard. I was in there a few weeks ago after a Phils/Marlins game...half of the buildings are abandoned. I think they should focus on getting those outfield dimensions right before they work on putting in new stuff...not to mention getting a new LF and 3B. I hate you, Pat the Bat and David Bell.

[mjrbaseball]

Pictures and everything ...

From GoogleEarth®... all 30 MLB parks:

Obviously, can't see inside Tropicana Field and the Metrodome, and the roof is closed on Rogers Centre.

McAfee Coliseum (Oakland) is in football mode, but baseball infield remnants remain. And RFK Stadium is in soccer mode.

[winghaz]

Doggone it. I get my directions mixed up in the Metrodome and Coors Field.