Where Do You Rank The MLB Stadiums?

[walby2]

I'm surprised by how many people here have been to Rogers Centre.

[IceCap]

I haven't been to it in years (it was still the SkyDome), but I have fond memories of it. Probably just my own bias in play though.

[walby2]

I haven't been to it in years (it was still the SkyDome), but I have fond memories of it. Probably just my own bias in play though.

I think it's a really good stadium. It gets a bit of a bad rap because it was built just before the cheesy retro design elements became practically mandatory in ballparks for a good 20 year stretch, but I think it suits its purpose remarkably well.

It still blows me away that Rogers was able to buy the building for $25 million. What a steal.

[ChicagoOakland]

Rankings, from the ones I've been to:

1. Pac Bell Park. Even as a diehard A's fan, I appreciate the beauty and atmosphere of Pac Bell. No better stadium in my opinion.

2. Dodger Stadium. Even though it's a little messed up how they got the land, the stadium's atmosphere is absolutely magic. (Mind you, I last went in 2007.)

3. Petco Park. Underrated field, but it's beautiful and it's a great place to see a game.

4. Old Yankee Stadium. It was nothing special to me. I'm sure that before the '73 renovation it was legendary though.

5. New Comiskey Park. The way the outfield is designed is a little annoying at times, but the atmosphere with the sightlines and the fireworks make it a good field. However, hiking up the upper deck is no fun.

6. Wrigley Field. Field is nice, I just can't stand Cubs fans.

7. Oakland Coliseum. Don't get me wrong, I love the A's and the RF Bleacher guys, but the stadium needs to be imploded. Fast.

[jgladding]

It's lonely here at the bottom, being the only guy who's glad the Oakland Coliseum is still around. Gotta love that vast foul ground.

I will pop a bottle of champagne the day the Coliseum closes for good. The A's deserve better than the POS that place has become since 1995. I used to look forward to fall as an A's fan because playoffs were coming and the A's were going to be in it. I now loathe fall because it just means two months of torn up field and sportscasters commenting on it, players complaining about it, all thanks to the goddamn Raiders.

I feel bad for A's fans, truly. Al Davis ruined that stadium when that monstrosity was put up in the outfield. What used to be a quaint, blue-collar stadium is now just a cold, depressing dump. The Giants are killing them in terms of fan support, ever since the new yard went up. The A's deserve a nicer stadium. I have a few friends who are A's fans since the 80's and I just feel sorry for them. There's no way they can compete now. Even if they luck out and can farm a team, nobody enjoys going to that yard.

Anyone homering up on Petco? Please. It's a stucco ballpark. I don't care if it's in San Diego, there's no charm in that yard. It looks like a tract home in Rancho Cucamunga. If you are going to build a park these days, every architect knows you need brick, and lots of it.

So my rankings, based on where I've been...

1. AT&T. Yes, I am a homer. But it's a nice yard. The fact that it's always full of Giants fans is a bonus!

2. Camden Yards. The original that gave birth to the modern ballpark.

3. Dodger Stadium. Everything about it is quintessential LA. Love the 'Think Blue' in the hills now.

4. Fenway and Wrigley. There is something magical about these yards, you can just feel it.

6. Nats Park. Love the presidents and all the red white & blue. You can see the Capitol from the upper deck.

7. Petco. Honestly I don't think it's anything special. It's new and in a cool neighborhood but all I can muster is 'Meh'.

8. BOB (Arizona). Doesn't feel natural to watch baseball indoors. It just feels wrong.

9. Oakland Coliseum. Again, I feel bad for A's fans. Tailgating is all they have left.

10. Jack Murphy / Qualcomm (old Padres stadium). Shouldn't count, It wasn't really a baseball park anyway.

11. Old Yankee Stadium. Only thing it had going for it was history. It was a concrete dump.

12. Candlestick. Damn, loved tailgating there but it was a terrible place only die-hards would love. And I am a die hard.

Wow, I've been to 12 stadiums! Cool.

[bosrs1]

It's lonely here at the bottom, being the only guy who's glad the Oakland Coliseum is still around. Gotta love that vast foul ground.

I will pop a bottle of champagne the day the Coliseum closes for good. The A's deserve better than the POS that place has become since 1995. I used to look forward to fall as an A's fan because playoffs were coming and the A's were going to be in it. I now loathe fall because it just means two months of torn up field and sportscasters commenting on it, players complaining about it, all thanks to the goddamn Raiders.

I feel bad for A's fans, truly. Al Davis ruined that stadium when that monstrosity was put up in the outfield. What used to be a quaint, blue-collar stadium is now just a cold, depressing dump. The Giants are killing them in terms of fan support, ever since the new yard went up. The A's deserve a nicer stadium. I have a few friends who are A's fans since the 80's and I just feel sorry for them. There's no way they can compete now. Even if they luck out and can farm a team, nobody enjoys going to that yard.

Anyone homering up on Petco? Please. It's a stucco ballpark. I don't care if it's in San Diego, there's no charm in that yard. It looks like a tract home in Rancho Cucamunga. If you are going to build a park these days, every architect knows you need brick, and lots of it.

So my rankings, based on where I've been...

1. AT&T. Yes, I am a homer. But it's a nice yard. The fact that it's always full of Giants fans is a bonus!

2. Camden Yards. The original that gave birth to the modern ballpark.

3. Dodger Stadium. Everything about it is quintessential LA. Love the 'Think Blue' in the hills now.

4. Fenway and Wrigley. There is something magical about these yards, you can just feel it.

6. Nats Park. Love the presidents and all the red white & blue. You can see the Capitol from the upper deck.

7. Petco. Honestly I don't think it's anything special. It's new and in a cool neighborhood but all I can muster is 'Meh'.

8. BOB (Arizona). Doesn't feel natural to watch baseball indoors. It just feels wrong.

9. Oakland Coliseum. Again, I feel bad for A's fans. Tailgating is all they have left.

10. Jack Murphy / Qualcomm (old Padres stadium). Shouldn't count, It wasn't really a baseball park anyway.

11. Old Yankee Stadium. Only thing it had going for it was history. It was a concrete dump.

12. Candlestick. Damn, loved tailgating there but it was a terrible place only die-hards would love. And I am a die hard.

Wow, I've been to 12 stadiums! Cool.

Why build a ballpark with brick in San Diego? The area, like all of California, has never been overly heavy on brick architecture for obvious reasons, mainly it'll fall on your ass and kill you in an earthquake. This isn't the east coast. I'm glad they went with a local design with the Del Mar/La Jolla cliff sandstone (hint: it's not stucco, it's actual sandstone cladding). Going with brick would have been as fake as that overrated pile in San Francisco. And PETCO's integration into the city itself is second to none.

[raysfan24]

Would anyone be interested in a "Rank the Minor League" stadiums thread?

Thought about it.

[patsox]

Would anyone be interested in a "Rank the Minor League" stadiums thread?

I haven't been to many myself. But I'd love to see other people's opinions for future trip considerations and whatnot.

[The Six]

I haven't been to many in person.

1. Petco - Always looked humongous to me on TV, but in person isn't that intimidating. There's plenty of space to get around. There's actually good, original food, too. And you can easily walk over to/from Gaslamp.

2. Angels - It feels weird driving to a stadium and not getting stuck in traffic. The renovation really improved the place. Some seats are cramped and worn out, though. And there's a Jack in the Box there where two tacos cost $3.50. Step outside the park and they're 99¢.

3. A&T - I know I'm supposed to love this, but I just don't like braving the elements to watch a game. Take away the wind and it's pretty decent.

4. Dodgers - The sightlines are great, but everything else is terrible. Dank, crowded concourses on every level. There's simply no room. Poor food selection. Transportation to the park is always a hassle (part of that falls on the city of LA for having no decent public trans), and you have to hike halfway around the park just to enter. Why? Because you can't go in from any entrance. You have to use the entrance for your section. And don't even think about trying to walk around the park once you're inside.

[FiddySicks]

I haven't been to many in person.

1. Petco - Always looked humongous to me on TV, but in person isn't that intimidating. There's plenty of space to get around. There's actually good, original food, too. And you can easily walk over to/from Gaslamp.

2. Angels - It feels weird driving to a stadium and not getting stuck in traffic. The renovation really improved the place. Some seats are cramped and worn out, though. And there's a Jack in the Box there where two tacos cost $3.50. Step outside the park and they're 99¢.

3. A&T - I know I'm supposed to love this, but I just don't like braving the elements to watch a game. Take away the wind and it's pretty decent.

4. Dodgers - The sightlines are great, but everything else is terrible. Dank, crowded concourses on every level. There's simply no room. Poor food selection. Transportation to the park is always a hassle (part of that falls on the city of LA for having no decent public trans), and you have to hike halfway around the park just to enter. Why? Because you can't go in from any entrance. You have to use the entrance for your section. And don't even think about trying to walk around the park once you're inside.

It does get a bit cold during night games, but bring a sweatshirt and you're good. The conditions at AT&T Park are downright tropical compared to Candlestick.

[Sport]

I haven't been to many in person.

1. Petco - Always looked humongous to me on TV, but in person isn't that intimidating. There's plenty of space to get around. There's actually good, original food, too. And you can easily walk over to/from Gaslamp.

2. Angels - It feels weird driving to a stadium and not getting stuck in traffic. The renovation really improved the place. Some seats are cramped and worn out, though. And there's a Jack in the Box there where two tacos cost $3.50. Step outside the park and they're 99¢.

3. A&T - I know I'm supposed to love this, but I just don't like braving the elements to watch a game. Take away the wind and it's pretty decent.

4. Dodgers - The sightlines are great, but everything else is terrible. Dank, crowded concourses on every level. There's simply no room. Poor food selection. Transportation to the park is always a hassle (part of that falls on the city of LA for having no decent public trans), and you have to hike halfway around the park just to enter. Why? Because you can't go in from any entrance. You have to use the entrance for your section. And don't even think about trying to walk around the park once you're inside.

It does get a bit cold during night games, but bring a sweatshirt and you're good. The conditions at AT&T Park are downright tropical compared to Candlestick.

I was so jealous of everyone in that stadium when the Reds were last in town. It was like 104 degrees in Cincinnati, my patio furniture was melting, I turn on the Reds game and everyone in AT&T Park is wearing a jacket. I'd rather wear a jacket than sweat through my shirt.

[BigBubba]

I haven't been to it in years (it was still the SkyDome), but I have fond memories of it. Probably just my own bias in play though.

I think it's a really good stadium. It gets a bit of a bad rap because it was built just before the cheesy retro design elements became practically mandatory in ballparks for a good 20 year stretch, but I think it suits its purpose remarkably well.

It still blows me away that Rogers was able to buy the building for $25 million. What a steal.

The thing about the SkyDome is that there's not really anything bad about it, but there's just not much good to it. Sure it's got one of the biggest (the biggest?) JumboTrons in the majors and a retractable roof, but other than that, it's nothing special. No storied history, quirky dimensions, or "fun" features (Miami's fiasco in left-centre; Mlwaukee's slide) - just a plain-Jane building. Many people say it's not a "true" ballpark because it's just a giant concrete bowl, though that's because it was designed as a multi-purpose futuristic facility, whereas many newer ballparks have been made specifically for their team with all those retro ballpark characteristics. I still don't think it's as bad as many people peg it to be, but the futuristic novelty has definitely worn off and starting to fall behind in the pack.

[crashcarson15]

I've been to 23 of the 30, plus old Riverfront in Cincinnati, RFK in Washington, and Old Yankee Stadium. I'll omit those from my ranking, though.

Note: my ranking does designate "tiers" by spaces in the ranking.

1. Target Field - Hands down the best park in the majors.

2. Petco Park - I feel like Petco should get a lot more love than it does - it's got a real nice feel to it.

3. AT&T Park - Honestly, you can't beat the location there, plus it's an absolutely gorgeous park.

4. PNC Park - Another park that gets great points for its small fan-friendly setup.

5. Fenway Park - Fenway's got an awesome atmosphere; it just feels good to be watching baseball there.

6. Camden Yards - The original neo-retro park is still one of the best.

7. Marlins Park - Call me crazy, but I love Marlins Park and all of it quirks. It fits Miami so well.

8. Great American Ball Park - Another park with a pretty small feel to it.

9. Coors Field - Maybe it's Colorado, but there are few things that beats being at a ball game and being able to watch the sun set over the Rockies.

10. Citizens Bank Park - Cheesesteaks. Plus, it's a really nice park.

11. Chase Field

12. Comerica Park

13. Nationals Park

14. Progressive Field

15. Miller Park

16. Angel Stadium

17. Dodger Stadium

18. Busch Stadium

19. Wrigley Field

20. Rogers Centre

21. Yankee Stadium

22. O.co Coliseum

23. Tropicana Field

[RyanMcD29]

I really need to get to more stadiums, because my list as of now is as follows

1. Citi Field

2. Yankee Stadium

--drop off--

3. Old Yankee Stadium (if only for Monument Park and the history around it)

4. Shea Stadium

--huge drop off--

5. Veterans Stadium

[DEAD!]

I haven't been to it in years (it was still the SkyDome), but I have fond memories of it. Probably just my own bias in play though.

I think it's a really good stadium. It gets a bit of a bad rap because it was built just before the cheesy retro design elements became practically mandatory in ballparks for a good 20 year stretch, but I think it suits its purpose remarkably well.

It still blows me away that Rogers was able to buy the building for $25 million. What a steal.

The thing about the SkyDome is that there's not really anything bad about it, but there's just not much good to it. Sure it's got one of the biggest (the biggest?) JumboTrons in the majors and a retractable roof, but other than that, it's nothing special. No storied history, quirky dimensions, or "fun" features (Miami's fiasco in left-centre; Mlwaukee's slide) - just a plain-Jane building. Many people say it's not a "true" ballpark because it's just a giant concrete bowl, though that's because it was designed as a multi-purpose futuristic facility, whereas many newer ballparks have been made specifically for their team with all those retro ballpark characteristics. I still don't think it's as bad as many people peg it to be, but the futuristic novelty has definitely worn off and starting to fall behind in the pack.

I think had they not stuck in the hotel, it would have given the ball park a great footprint to work with. The "jumbotron" would have been more to the top and back of the stadium, thus eliminating the obstruction for people in the upper deck and the upper deck seating may not have had such a steep incline and the outfield sightlines would have vastly improved.

[winghaz]

I've been to Coors Field, and it's a great ballpark. But it dropped lower on my list because I bought a Coors beer there, and it was warm. I mean, you'd think that that ballpark would have its beer really icy cold.

[raysfan24]

How long to you give Toronto till they build a new stadium?

[SFGiants58]

How long to you give Toronto till they build a new stadium?

I'd say about 3-5 years. Enough time to realize how the Rogers Center doesn't work well for baseball, and enough time to navigate through Toronto politics and real estate to get the land for a baseball-only stadium (I assume that the Argonauts are happy with the Rogers Center).

[Funky Bunky]

How long to you give Toronto till they build a new stadium?

I'd say about 3-5 years. Enough time to realize how the Rogers Center doesn't work well for baseball, and enough time to navigate through Toronto politics and real estate to get the land for a baseball-only stadium (I assume that the Argonauts are happy with the Rogers Center).

I think it'll be more like 7-10, maybe 15 years. It just doesn't seem like Rogers puts that much money into the team, and I think they'll try to get as much time out of that stadium as they can. It's not that old, and it's decent enough.

[walby2]

How long to you give Toronto till they build a new stadium?

I'd say about 3-5 years. Enough time to realize how the Rogers Center doesn't work well for baseball, and enough time to navigate through Toronto politics and real estate to get the land for a baseball-only stadium (I assume that the Argonauts are happy with the Rogers Center).

I think it'll be more like 7-10, maybe 15 years. It just doesn't seem like Rogers puts that much money into the team, and I think they'll try to get as much time out of that stadium as they can. It's not that old, and it's decent enough.

I think it'll be at least 15 years. The reality is that Rogers Centre has the revenue generating essentials like tons of skyboxes, club seats, restaurants and lounges, etc. It isn't like the old post-war stadiums that lacked all of those kinds of things and were therefore considered obsolete 25 years after they were built.

And more to the point, Rogers bought the joint for $25 million back in 2004 (about the same price as what you'd pay today for 30 average homes in central Toronto). When you get a stadium for almost free, the Blue Jays become a very profitable enterprise. If you have to make payments on a new $500 million stadium, it becomes much less appealing from a business standpoint. (And no one is going to give Rogers a new taxpayer-funded stadium.) So there is good incentive for Rogers to keep the Jays there for as long as possible.

As for the Argos, they can't get out of Rogers Centre fast enough. Their crowds are typically in the 20 to 25 thousand range, which is far too small to create any real atmosphere in the place. They desperately need a smaller football-only facility like the Montreal Alouettes have. The trouble is that the Argos squandered their chances at teaming up with a) the University of Toronto and their new facility, b ) York University and their new facility and c) Toronto FC and their new facility, so now they're pretty much hooped since the Argos really can't afford to build a suitable stadium on their own. Combine that with the fact that Rogers acts like they're out to get the Argos (their home schedule at Rogers Centre is easily the worst of any pro football team that I'm aware of), and it's a bad situation for the double blue.