Favorite MLB ballparks

[TBGKon]

Rankings from the parks I've been to:

9. U.S. Cellular Field- Experience depends on where you sit as well. Worst upper deck ever.

10. Tropicana Field- Baseball is not meant to be played indoors. Obviously not built for baseball. I hope TB gets a park soon.

Have you been to new Comiskey since the upper deck was renovated?

I am pretty sure the main reason Tropicana Field was built was to attract a baseball team. It's a baseball stadium first and foremost, always has been.

The Trop was clearly made for baseball-only. Ever wonder why the roof is tilted?

\

It's because it follows the trajectory of a typical hit baseball (higher behind home plate and tapers to lower in the outfield.

[PhantomDreamer]

The tilted roof also allows for lower air conditioning costs.

[PhantomDreamer]

A rendering of the expanded outfield landscape at Wrigley including new lights.

The bullpens will be relocated underneath the "Budweiser" bleachers

[Soarindude]

Not going to lie, that's very cool.

[Sport]

^glad you're being honest.

The "spite" scoreboards are a bad idea and may turn a lot of people off. Wouldn't be surprised to see fewer people in front of the new video screens.

[(probably)notabandwagonfan]

My problem is the bullpens being moved to a cave.

[Sport]

4. Great American Ballpark (Cincinnati) -- New field of my favorite team has really grown on me as they've added new amenities. When it opened it lacked the steamboat restaurant feature as well as a lot of the kids activities, so I felt sort of "That's it?" Over the years, though, it's really improved, and we witnessed my favorite live game experience the first series the Yankees played in Cincy since 1976, when the Reds beat Pettitte and the Bombers in a back and forth duel.

I had a similar experience during my first few visits. I was super excited that we were getting a new stadium and I was sort of let down because initially there wasn’t much to the stadium. But in the last few years the team has really grown into it. They’ve added so many cool features that weren’t there for the first five or six years and now I can’t imagine the ballpark without them. The team has also gotten much better at using the stadium to entertain fans. It’s become a much better ballpark experience in recent years. Plus The Banks was a construction pit for the first 7 years and now it’s one of my favorite parts of the city. The waterfront has really taken off and it makes a night out at a game all the more enjoyable.

[DC in Da House w/o a Doubt]

^glad you're being honest.

The "spite" scoreboards are a bad idea and may turn a lot of people off. Wouldn't be surprised to see fewer people in front of the new video screens.

I agree. I'm sure a compromise could have been made. What about putting a big video board on top of one of the buildings across the street?

I'm sure that beer ad behind right field could have been replaced by a video board. And they probably could have made it bigger than that if necessary.

r

[DC in Da House w/o a Doubt]

I'd rank the parks I've been to like so:

1) AT&T Park

2) PETCO Park (an upset over PNC! Shock the world PETCO, you go)

3) PNC Park

4) Camden Yards

5) Busch Stadium (new)

6) Chase Field (it was The BoB when I went. Much better name)

7) Great American Ballpark

8) Nationals Park

9) Citizens Bank Ballpark

10) Progressive Field

11) Angel Stadium of Anaheim

The classic's are hard to compare against these newer stadiums, so placing them in a category of their own I'd go:

1) Fenway Park

2) Wrigley Field

3) Yankee Stadium (old)

-------------------------------------

4) Busch Stadium (old)

5) RFK Stadium

6) Shea Stadium

7) Fulton County Stadium

[tajmccall]

Wrigley- Its just super charming. Sure, most of the people there don't care about the game. Can you blame them? Its just a great place to be on a May afternoon. Stuck in an unassuming neighborhood on the North side. Just a bunch of bars and brownstones then...Baseball Museum. I loved it

Target- Target field is great, especially when you take in part what it did to that part of downtown. Before, it was the end of the downtown, a discount parking lot. But in that tiny footprint, they made an absolute gem. Everything is stacked tight, but done beautifully. The place has about 10 unique sight-line experiences that make it a modern classic.

Miller- A really well built early 2000s take on a futuristic stadium. Again, like Target Field has a bunch of little sections that play as vignettes. Especially in the outfield. However you never really feel you're outside. Saying its an outdoor park is like saying your truck with a moon roof is a convertible.

County- Granted I was 8 at the time, but it was extremely charming. Old school park with the big grandstand and the sparse outfield bleachers. But it was still a great old stadium.

Metrodome - *fart noise*

[ColeJ]

i've only ever been to wrigley and the ballpark in arlington... and i love them both, for entirely different and polar opposite reasons.

[CON40]

As a local with at least 200+ visits, I think Fenway Park is overrated. It's mystique has grown with age (last man standing) and a very clever marketing campaign about being beloved. It's a great place to watch a game IF you are in the right seats. That said, here's my humble list (from parks I've visited):

1. Wrigley Field

(big drop)

2. Camden Yards

3. Fenway Park

4. Coors Field

5. Old Yankee Stadium

6. AT&T Park

7. Tiger Stadium

8. Citizens Bank Ballpark

9. Nationals Park

10. Shea Stadium

11. Skydome

12. Tropicana Field

13. RFK Stadium

[krunyan]

I just added 2 more to my list here in the last couple of weeks. I want to get to all of them eventually. I've been lucky to have gotten rivalry games in a couple of games, here is my list:

1. Dodger Stadium- The atmosphere and history was overwhelming to me. I went to a Dodgers/Giants game even during the McCourt years and it was still awesome! The park for being as old as it is was still beautiful. And I'm sure just being in L.A. during the summer was a factor for this midwesterner.

2. Busch Stadium(III)- To me, the ultimate baseball man's ballpark. The history is everywhere and St. Louis certainly lives up to being known a baseball town. The Cardinals take over the whole downtown area (Cardinals Nation is a nice addition as well). I don't know why but I was surprised by that. They don't mess around in the StL, there is red EVERYWHERE. We went to 2 games with over 40,00 for both and didn't experience any kind of knuckleheads or dumb behavior. I loved the StL skyline and can't wait to go back.

3. Great American Ballpark- Just an overall good experience with relatively cheaper tickets. As far as views in the whole stadium, you have it good in Cincy. You see the river/Kentucky if you're facing that way. If you're in the outfield then you see the downtown skyline and the hills/UC area even though you can't see UC. The Reds have been better since earlier in my life but I would love to see that city/ballpark like I heard it was during the Big Red Machine/1990 years.

4. Turner Field- I am a Braves fan but I have heard plenty of bad/uninspiring stories about Turner so I was a little wary of it. But I had a really good experience at Turner. We sat in the outfield but got to see BP from the 1B side. I wish we could have gotten seats facing the OF because it was a great view. One thing I noticed and appreciated was how good the Turner Field staff was. There was a lot of them but they were very good. We had a lot of Cubs knuckleheads in our section and they wasted no time in getting the dummies out of there. I went with 2 buddies of mine(1 Cub fan) and he said he got tired of The Chop by about the 2nd time we did it but I had no problem with it haha. And when Kimbrel enters the game, the electricity in the building is outstanding! One cool thing I've never seen anywhere else(correct me if I'm wrong), was when the Braves bullpen guys head out to the bullpen before the game the OF sections cheer them as they come out. I had never seen that before and thought it was awesome!

5. Wrigley Field- The atmosphere/history saves this from being last on my list.I got to see a Cubs/Cardinals game and the atmosphere was awesome! I'm not a fan of Wrigley at all. While the town surrounding the stadium is cool it is a mess to drive around/park in. Of course this is coming from someone not from Chicago, I'm sure they'll have differing opinions. I don't like how part of the awesome crowd is more there to party than to watch baseball but it is what it is.

6. US Cellular Field- I don't have anything bad to say about The Cell but nothing about it stands out about it either. I wonder if I hadn't gone to a Cardinals/Cubs game then Wrigley probably is last on my list.

Stadiums I can't wait to see-

PNC Ballpark

Camden Yards

Chase Field

Angel Stadium

[Tigers6884]

I just added 2 more to my list here in the last couple of weeks. I want to get to all of them eventually. I've been lucky to have gotten rivalry games in a couple of games, here is my list:

1. Dodger Stadium- The atmosphere and history was overwhelming to me. I went to a Dodgers/Giants game even during the McCourt years and it was still awesome! The park for being as old as it is was still beautiful. And I'm sure just being in L.A. during the summer was a factor for this midwesterner.

2. Busch Stadium(III)- To me, the ultimate baseball man's ballpark. The history is everywhere and St. Louis certainly lives up to being known a baseball town. The Cardinals take over the whole downtown area (Cardinals Nation is a nice addition as well). I don't know why but I was surprised by that. They don't mess around in the StL, there is red EVERYWHERE. We went to 2 games with over 40,00 for both and didn't experience any kind of knuckleheads or dumb behavior. I loved the StL skyline and can't wait to go back.

3. Great American Ballpark- Just an overall good experience with relatively cheaper tickets. As far as views in the whole stadium, you have it good in Cincy. You see the river/Kentucky if you're facing that way. If you're in the outfield then you see the downtown skyline and the hills/UC area even though you can't see UC. The Reds have been better since earlier in my life but I would love to see that city/ballpark like I heard it was during the Big Red Machine/1990 years.

4. Turner Field- I am a Braves fan but I have heard plenty of bad/uninspiring stories about Turner so I was a little wary of it. But I had a really good experience at Turner. We sat in the outfield but got to see BP from the 1B side. I wish we could have gotten seats facing the OF because it was a great view. One thing I noticed and appreciated was how good the Turner Field staff was. There was a lot of them but they were very good. We had a lot of Cubs knuckleheads in our section and they wasted no time in getting the dummies out of there. I went with 2 buddies of mine(1 Cub fan) and he said he got tired of The Chop by about the 2nd time we did it but I had no problem with it haha. And when Kimbrel enters the game, the electricity in the building is outstanding! One cool thing I've never seen anywhere else(correct me if I'm wrong), was when the Braves bullpen guys head out to the bullpen before the game the OF sections cheer them as they come out. I had never seen that before and thought it was awesome!

5. Wrigley Field- The atmosphere/history saves this from being last on my list.I got to see a Cubs/Cardinals game and the atmosphere was awesome! I'm not a fan of Wrigley at all. While the town surrounding the stadium is cool it is a mess to drive around/park in. Of course this is coming from someone not from Chicago, I'm sure they'll have differing opinions. I don't like how part of the awesome crowd is more there to party than to watch baseball but it is what it is.

6. US Cellular Field- I don't have anything bad to say about The Cell but nothing about it stands out about it either. I wonder if I hadn't gone to a Cardinals/Cubs game then Wrigley probably is last on my list.

Stadiums I can't wait to see-

PNC Ballpark

Camden Yards

Chase Field

Angel Stadium

That low ranking of Wrigley…

[NYCdog]

There's a giant construction crane behind left field wall of Minute Maid Park ...is this another ballpark development like the Card's Ballpark Village?

Padres, Cards, Braves, now this ....seems as though this is the new rage in baseball. Makes you wonder why the Cubs are doing the complete opposite and blocking out their rooftop atmosphere while other teams build one.

[TBGKon]

My problem is the bullpens being moved to a cave.

Houston's visitors pen is kinds like that, but with fencing facing the field:

[tubby34]

As a local with at least 200+ visits, I think Fenway Park is overrated. It's mystique has grown with age (last man standing) and a very clever marketing campaign about being beloved. It's a great place to watch a game IF you are in the right seats. That said, here's my humble list (from parks I've visited):

1. Wrigley Field

(big drop)

2. Camden Yards

3. Fenway Park

4. Coors Field

5. Old Yankee Stadium

6. AT&T Park

7. Tiger Stadium

8. Citizens Bank Ballpark

9. Nationals Park

10. Shea Stadium

11. Skydome

12. Tropicana Field

13. RFK Stadium

What's considered the right seats at Fenway?

[MDGP]

What's considered the right seats at Fenway?

Seats that aren't in the outfield on the first-base side down to Pesky's Pole. They face center field, which can be annoying.

[Ark]

From the cookie cutter era, I love the Metrodome (not actually cookie cutter, I know), Olympic Stadium, and the Astrodome with it's old scoreboard.

I also love Skydome's view of the CN Tower.

[cajunaggie08]

There's a giant construction crane behind left field wall of Minute Maid Park ...is this another ballpark development like the Card's Ballpark Village?

Padres, Cards, Braves, now this ....seems as though this is the new rage in baseball. Makes you wonder why the Cubs are doing the complete opposite and blocking out their rooftop atmosphere while other teams build one.

Not quite. It is just a 7 story "luxury" apartment complex going in across the street. The Astros/Harris County do not own the land across the street so the team isn't involved in this development.