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More proof that retro stadiums are cookie cutters


griffin128

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Now that I think about it, maybe they did drop the ball on this one.

by the way,

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Who would want to spend a beautiful Florida day HERE?

I would, if the Rays were any good. Watch some baseball, no worries about rain delays, etc. But then again, this is coming from someone who has only been to one pro sport game and that was a Twins game at the Metrodome.

Not changing until the Dallas Stars give all their pre-Dallas history, logos, colors, unis, name, etc. to the Minnesota Wild.

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The thing about all these "new" cookie-cutter ballparks is they each have a uniqueness to themselves.

Look at, for example, Safeco Field in Seattle and Minute Maid Park in Houston. Two stadiums with similar types of retractable domes, but so different in other ways.

You ain't gonna see the Gateway Arch in any other place than new Bush Stadium in St. Louis. You ain't gonna see a ring around a certain part of the stadium that designates exactly one mile high except at Coors Field in Denver. You ain't gonna see McCovey Cove in any place at ... whatever the ballpark is called in San Francisco.

If these are cookie-cutter ballparks, then please, give me more cookies.

I agree.

Not changing until the Dallas Stars give all their pre-Dallas history, logos, colors, unis, name, etc. to the Minnesota Wild.

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Cookie-cutter this:

pncpark.jpg

Gosh dang i love that stadium......

So beautiful...........

It is. I'd probably go on vacation to Pittsburgh and see a Pirates game if they were worth watching. Unfortunately, they're not.

Not changing until the Dallas Stars give all their pre-Dallas history, logos, colors, unis, name, etc. to the Minnesota Wild.

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Youve obviously never been to St. Pete in mid July. The humidity is HORRIBLE.

Check out Houston between June and August....and dear God bring an extra absorbent towel, you'll need it to mop up the twenty pounds of sweat you'll drop if you stay outdoors.

Done it. I went to the 2004 ASG. And yeah, its terrible in Houston in July, but thats exactly where the Stros franchise got it right, they built a retractable roof stadium. Although i will say even with the roof, its still metal and it can be miserable in the upper deck.

If i were a player id never sign with teams like

Washington (especially considering that their AAA team plays in an open air stadium in New Orleans)

St. Louis

Chicago (i think, never been there in July)

Houston (yeah a roof, but it still gets damn hot)

Arizona (same as Houston)

Texas (Rangers)

Florida (Marlins)

Baltimore

And im sure im missing a few. I just cant take heat and humidity like that. But im a West Coast guy, im used to the mellow weather.

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On 11/19/2012 at 7:23 PM, oldschoolvikings said:
She’s still half convinced “Chris Creamer” is a porn site.)
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Cookie-cutter this:

pncpark.jpg

As a lifelong Pirate fan, I gotta admit they got the new stadium right. Unfortunately I've only been to one game (sat on the first level, first base side, about 10 rows up), but when I'm in the area visiting my in-laws and can get to a game, I'll definitely go again.

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Washington (especially considering that their AAA team plays in an open air stadium in New Orleans)

St. Louis

Chicago (i think, never been there in July)

Houston (yeah a roof, but it still gets damn hot)

Arizona (same as Houston)

Texas (Rangers)

Florida (Marlins)

Baltimore

Wow, you NorCal people are wusses.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Jocketty, I cannot play for your Cardinals."

"I'm sorry to hear that. What influenced your decision?"

"It's muggy out there!"

Guess what. It's hot and humid in the majority of this country during the summer. Know why? Because it's summer. If you honestly have such a low tolerance for heat and humidity, maybe baseball isn't for you.

♫ oh yeah, board goes on, long after the thrill of postin' is gone ♫

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You know, it should be cooler in Busch III because they can actually get some airflow going now...

On 8/1/2010 at 4:01 PM, winters in buffalo said:
You manage to balance agitation with just enough salient points to keep things interesting. Kind of a low-rent DG_Now.
On 1/2/2011 at 9:07 PM, Sodboy13 said:
Today, we are all otaku.

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POTD: February 15, 2010, June 20, 2010

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True, but St. Louis is still miserably hot in the dead of summer. Still, it's nothing that tough Midwesterners can't handle. After those winters, we'll take the humidity.

♫ oh yeah, board goes on, long after the thrill of postin' is gone ♫

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comerica_scoreboard_1.jpg

My two gripes about Comerica:

1. IT'S HUGE!

2. Take a look at that pic. Why is the scoreboard overlapped by the upper deck? That has driven me nuts since they built it.

IMO, the five best ballparks:

1. Wrigley Field

2. Citizens Bank Park

3. PETCO Park

4. Pac Bell/SBC/AT&T Park

5. Oriole Park at Camden Yards

IMO, the five worst ballparks:

1. Veterans Stadium

2. Metrodome

3. Olympic Stadium

4. SkyDome/Rogers Centre

5. Fenway Park

ScreenShot2011-12-09at052105PM.png

Tomorrow's just your future yesterday.

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What annoyed me early on with this retro ballpark craze, perhaps still now, was merely the dimensions of the field. Some of the those stadiums had someting in common. One side of the outfield has a big wall, anywhere between 15-25 feet high that is a short distance away, has a scoreboard on the wall and 8-foot high walls everywhere else (I'm just generalising here...). Other than that, I don't have much gripe with all the new stadiums in a design aspect.

There are more pressing question about stadiums? Is it in the right location? Does it blend in with the surrounding architecture? does it truly bring the busniesses that proponents of the stadium said the stadium would bring? and do fans come back on a consistent basis?

I think this cookie-cutter reference is more about new-ballpark fatigue than anything else.

I saw, I came, I left.

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I've been lucky enough that my job or vacation has taken me to many of the new stadiums over the past couple of years. I can safely say that there ARE cookie cutter new parks out there. My view (only parks I've been to in person)

Cookie Cutter

Seattle--Was really disappointed in this park. This has the old feel exterior stuff but the inside didn't do much for me. Did go to an open roof game, so I was not biased by a closed dome.

Baltimore--Only because it was the mold. Very nice park

Philadelphia--I am a Phillies fan, but other than Ashburn Alley, this field's more or less the same as the rest.

Arizona--Same stuff with a pool in right-center.

Atlanta--I liked it fine, but it is a standard cookie cutter retro park.

Not Cookie Cutter--

Pittsburgh--Was said best in this thread. It's the best new park in the majors.

Houston--I really liked the park a lot. Went to a game in late August, so the dome was closed. But love the feel--it felt very open and bright in spite of the roof.

San Francisco--Gets the "not" vote because of that awesome view and the ability to stand and watch a game under the scoreboard in right field. I thought that was really cool.

Would be better off Cookie Cutter

Chicago (AL)--Just missed the retro bell ringing. Not the worst, but has that stuck in a big dish feel the Vet and Three Rivers used to have.

Tampa Bay--It's all been said, but it's the worst park I've ever attended a game at. I'd rather sit in 90 degree heat and 80% humidity than be stuck one more time in that tomb. It was the absolute worst baseball atmosphere ever, and the saddest part is that I think the really tried to make it something that was tolerable. Sadly, it really could have been even worse.

And on a side note, the most expensive prices for T-shirts and hats ever. Please, you're the stinkin D-Rays, I'm not paying $30 for a T-shirt.

Toronto--Amazing this was state of the art 16 years ago. Another tomb--I never had to be concerned with how loud I talked at a ballgame until a Saturday afternoon at SkyDome. Dome was open that day also, so did not have to deal with the gloom of a closed in stadium either.

Bring back the Whale!

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Do you really think, sitting in the stands, that the BOB (or whatever the hell they're calling it these days) and Camden Yards feel like the same park?

Post over.

You used to hold me

Tell me that I was the best

Anything in this world I want

I could posses

All that made me want

Was all that I can get

In order to survive

Gotta learn to live with regrets

-President Carter

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The only thing worse than the inside of Tropicana Field is the outside. Geritol should have purchased the naming rights. Who in their right mind would have purchased this tractor pull palace and freaky franchise?

Fred Gehrke

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retro by the numbers.  i can't agree.  each has a distinct personality.  all ballparks are defined by certain parameters, and you can't escape those.  but they all have distinctive features.  like, you can't hit one into the water in any other park in the majors, I believe.

Nope. Home plate at PNC Park in Pittsburgh is within 450 feet of the Allegheny River at its closest point. I can't remember if someone's dunked one in the river there yet, but I'd think it's entirely possible.

I think it's a little closer than 450 but it is a long shot. I'm pretty sure only Daryle Ward has done it more than once (once with the Astros and once with the Pirates), and not many guys have done it at all, even if you count bounces.

I'm sure whatever stats exist about this will be beaten into our heads during the home run derby in July.

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