The njmeadowlanders 2008 Ballpark Tour

[njmeadowlanders]

So as you may or may not have known from my saying so (most likely "no"), I recently embarked on a 9 stadium ballpark tour, and have seen 11 different ones (besides Shea Stadium of course, where I've been 7x thus far) so far this year. I've finally re-organized everything on my harddrive and whatnot, and as I get the time, I'll add more stadiums. This was a trip I went on with 4 friends to celebrate graduating college. We also stopped in Cooperstown. Here was our itinerary, leaving and ending in NJ, with a stop home for a couple of days at the end of May:

May 22 - Cooperstown, NY

May 23 - Royals @ Blue Jays, Toronto ON (TOR 6 - KC 1)

May 24 - Twins @ Tigers, Detroit MI (DET 19 - MIN 3)

May 25 - Angels @ White Sox, Chicago IL (CHW 3 - LAA 2)

May 26 - Dodgers @ Cubs, Chicago IL (CHC 3 - LAD 1)

May 27 - Braves @ Brewers, Milwaukee WI - (MIL 3 - ATL 2)

May 28 - Pirates @ Reds, Cincinnati OH (CIN 9 - PIT 1)

June 1 - Marlins @ Phillies, Philadelphia PA (PHI 7 - FLA 5)

June 2 - Red Sox @ Orioles, Baltimore MD (BAL 6 - BOS 4)

June 3 - Cardinals @ Nationals, Washington DC (STL 6 - WAS 1)

Other 2008 Games:

April 26 - Phillies @ Pirates, Pittsburgh PA (PHI 8 - PIT 4)

June 9 - Royals @ Yankees, Bronx NY (KC 3 - NYY 2)

We were going to go to Shea on May 31st, but the threat of rain kept us away (as we can always just go), and the Mets beat LA 3-2.

The home team won every game on the actual tour except the last one @ Washington.

We saw 2 Complete Games - Halladay over KC, and Lackey (in a loss) to CHW.

We saw 3 teams win in their final turn at bat, 2 of which were in the 9th (Carlos Quentin's 2nd HR in the game leading off the 9th, and a Mike Cameron sac fly).

I've only uploaded some selected pictures from Toronto to start, but as I add more games and stadiums, I'll let you know...

http://s93.photobucket.com/albums/l48/njme...allpark%20Tour/

And notable stops we made: Niagara Falls, Miller Brewery, National Mall, Baltimore Inner Harbor

Enjoy.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Sounds awesome. I'd be curious to hear your ratings of the parks you visited. I've only been to three of those (Cooperstown, Cincinnati, and Toronto), but I really, really like Great American Ballpark. It might be my favorite MLB ballpark I've been to (among Yankee Stadium, Safeco, Tropicana Dome, and SkyDome). Which has been your favorite? Least? Why?

[njmeadowlanders]

I've added pictures of Comerica Park...

Sounds awesome. I'd be curious to hear your ratings of the parks you visited. I've only been to three of those (Cooperstown, Cincinnati, and Toronto), but I really, really like Great American Ballpark. It might be my favorite MLB ballpark I've been to (among Yankee Stadium, Safeco, Tropicana Dome, and SkyDome). Which has been your favorite? Least? Why?

Factoring in nothing like tradition, history, etc., and solely on aestetics and bricks and mortar and whatnot I'd rank them:

1) PNC Park - Pittsburgh

2) Comerica Park - Detroit

3) Oriole Park @ Camden Yards - Baltimore

4) Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia

5) Great American Ballpark - Cincinnati

6) Miller Park - Milwaukee

7) Nationals Park - Washington DC

8) US Cellular Field - Chicago

9) Rogers Centre - Toronto

10) Shea Stadium - New York

11) Wrigley Field - Chicago

12) Yankee Stadium - New York

I love the limestone and steel that PNC utilizes. The views are incredible, it feels like you're right on top of the skyline, it's an awesome awesome park. For Comerica, nice nooks and crannies on the concourse, nice traditional feel, etc. Oriole Park, the warehouse is great, very classic looking, very night. Citizens bank is pretty nice, though there is nothing really distinctive about it compared to others. Cincinnati's park has stunning views over the river into Kentucky, a really nice concourse, but I got a "sterile" type feel (same w/ Washington's park)--and I think it has to do with all the white...If you're going to have steel exposed, darker colors work better I think. Miller Park and Skydome had "hockey arena" feels to them I thought (Didn't help the roofs were closed for both nights there), US Cellular felt like I was going to a football game not a baseball game, and it's sort of "stuck" in that pre-retro but not ultra-modern phase I thought. Shea is a dump for all intents and purposed, Wrigley was crowded, cramped, and had the infamous obstructed views, and Yankee stadium is cramped, also a dump, and has the tiniest concourses I've ever been in.

Now, that being said, I absolutely LOVED the Wrigley experience--the neighborhood was hopping, the place is nuts, I loved walking down Addison, Waveland, Sheffield, and Clark to check it out. All the bars, shops, restaurants, etc. The ivy, no jumbotron or stupid music or any crap like that. What an experience. Cubs and Dodgers, Memorial Day, you could've told me it was 1978 not 2008 and it'd be hard to tell the difference for the mostpart (OK, I know, I know, ribbon boards, ads on the rooftops and billboards, concession stands, etc--but you get my point).

Yankee Stadium wasn't so special for me (I had only been there once before as a kid). Maybe it's because I hate them so, or I've seen it everyday on TV pretty much or whatever, but I don't know, I just didn't feel anything like I did at Wrigley. I know it's not "Old" Yankee stadium with the Monuments in play, 360 degree facade, all that jazz, but it's still for all intents and purposes the same building.

All I know is that if Citifield could be 1/2 as nice as PNC, I'd take it...

[gingerbreadmann]

I've added pictures of Comerica Park...

Sounds awesome. I'd be curious to hear your ratings of the parks you visited. I've only been to three of those (Cooperstown, Cincinnati, and Toronto), but I really, really like Great American Ballpark. It might be my favorite MLB ballpark I've been to (among Yankee Stadium, Safeco, Tropicana Dome, and SkyDome). Which has been your favorite? Least? Why?

Factoring in nothing like tradition, history, etc., and solely on aestetics and bricks and mortar and whatnot I'd rank them:

1) PNC Park - Pittsburgh

2) Comerica Park - Detroit

3) Oriole Park @ Camden Yards - Baltimore

4) Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia

5) Great American Ballpark - Cincinnati

6) Miller Park - Milwaukee

7) Nationals Park - Washington DC

8) US Cellular Field - Chicago

9) Rogers Centre - Toronto

10) Shea Stadium - New York

11) Wrigley Field - Chicago

12) Yankee Stadium - New York

I love the limestone and steel that PNC utilizes. The views are incredible, it feels like you're right on top of the skyline, it's an awesome awesome park. For Comerica, nice nooks and crannies on the concourse, nice traditional feel, etc. Oriole Park, the warehouse is great, very classic looking, very night. Citizens bank is pretty nice, though there is nothing really distinctive about it compared to others. Cincinnati's park has stunning views over the river into Kentucky, a really nice concourse, but I got a "sterile" type feel (same w/ Washington's park)--and I think it has to do with all the white...If you're going to have steel exposed, darker colors work better I think. Miller Park and Skydome had "hockey arena" feels to them I thought (Didn't help the roofs were closed for both nights there), US Cellular felt like I was going to a football game not a baseball game, and it's sort of "stuck" in that pre-retro but not ultra-modern phase I thought. Shea is a dump for all intents and purposes, Wrigley was crowded, cramped, and had the infamous obstructed views, and Yankee stadium is cramped, also a dump, and has the tiniest concourses I've ever been in.

Now, that being said, I absolutely LOVED the Wrigley experience--the neighborhood was hopping, the place is nuts, I loved walking down Addison, Waveland, Sheffield, and Clark to check it out. All the bars, shops, restaurants, etc. The ivy, no jumbotron or stupid music or any crap like that. What an experience. Cubs and Dodgers, Memorial Day, you could've told me it was 1978 not 2008 and it'd be hard to tell the difference for the mostpart (OK, I know, I know, ribbon boards, ads on the rooftops and billboards, concession stands, etc--but you get my point).

Yankee Stadium wasn't so special for me (I had only been there once before as a kid). Maybe it's because I hate them so, or I've seen it everyday on TV pretty much or whatever, but I don't know, I just didn't feel anything like I did at Wrigley. I know it's not "Old" Yankee stadium with the Monuments in play, 360 degree facade, all that jazz, but it's still for all intents and purposes the same building.

All I know is that if Citifield could be 1/2 as nice as PNC, I'd take it...

I've always wanted to hit PNC. Every time I see it on TV it just looks beautiful and the ASG there was great. Plus almost every review I've seen of it has said it is just great. Where did you sit at it?

That sounds like a fantastic trip, by the way. It's kind of a dream of mine because the only MLB stadium I've been to is Fenway, and I love it to death but there are some other parks I've always wanted to see. Thanks for sharing.

[njmeadowlanders]

I've always wanted to hit PNC. Every time I see it on TV it just looks beautiful and the ASG there was great. Plus almost every review I've seen of it has said it is just great. Where did you sit at it?

That sounds like a fantastic trip, by the way. It's kind of a dream of mine because the only MLB stadium I've been to is Fenway, and I love it to death but there are some other parks I've always wanted to see. Thanks for sharing.

First off, I added ChiSox-Angels from a Sunday Night game back in May...3-2 ChiSox...

For the PNC Game I went to, we sat just to the right of homeplate, lower level, about 30 rows back or so...great shots presented themselves...here's just one from that game:

[njmeadowlanders]

Wrigley Field added...

[njmeadowlanders]

Miller Park is up...