Best ballpark? Right here(ballparks rated)

Chicago Tribune ^ | April 22, 2003 | Paul Sullivan

[anncoulteriscool]

I duly concede nothing can beat Fred McGriff's ongoing quest to be the first player to hit a home run in 42 major-league ballparks.

It takes plenty of talent and a keen sense of self-importance to try so hard to become the answer to a trivia question.

But I'm afraid McGriff inadvertently has overshadowed my own quest to be the first sportswriter to eat junk food in every major-league park, an anti-Atkins odyssey that came to a conclusion last weekend at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.

[ForOurFuture]

Camden is a great park, but no park is great enough to fill its seats when its home to the laughingstock of its league. At least not for long. This season, OPACY has seen another record low-attendance nearly every other home game. And to fill the void created by an unwatchable team, the PA controller sees it neccessary to pound your ears with those stupid, motonotonous beats and tunes between every pitch. It can drive you mad.

But it's baseball.

On a related note, I go crazy every time I hear OPACY mentioned as a "bandbox", or "homerun hitters dream". Its reputation as a strong hitters park is unfounded. Just becasue its small doesn't mean it's hitters advantage. Statistically, it is actually a pitcher's park. And that's not just because the O's can't hit worth a damn.

[crz]

Yup! Wrigley is one of the last of the great old time parks. And a fan gets real close to the play in the front seats. Wrigley should become a national historic monument..why? Because of the Cubs and thier baseball history. They wouldnt be the Cubs if they didnt break your heart.

[lonestar]

I go to a LOT of NCAA baseball games.

Everybody should go to the College World Series at least once. I did and loved it.

[njmaugbill]

2 words:

Yankee Stadium

[nutmeg]

ping!

[Tall_Texan]

It needs to be "Boo Bird Park".

[HitmanLV]

...certainly home of the best chronically second place team in the world. ;-)

[baseballmom]

Catch the Spirit! Enjoy the electrifying ballpark atmosphere. Join the fun. Share the experience. Embrace the opportunity. Live the dream.

A World-Class Ballpark in Philadelphia!

The 43,000-seat, state-of-the-art Phillies Ballpark will undoubtedly be the ultimate baseball and entertainment experience. Featuring natural grass and a dirt playing field ... a scenic view of the Philadelphia skyline ... an open-air atmosphere and more, the Phillies Ballpark will be an exciting destination for all fans.

The Ballpark is located on a 21-acre site in South Philadelphia - on the north side of Pattison Avenue, between 11th and Darien Streets.

This new venue, which opens in April 2004, will combine the essence of Philadelphia's rich tradition of sports architecture with an unmistakably modern 21st century style.

Designed To Be The Very Best

As fans approach the Ballpark, they are immediately greeted with a breathtaking view of a Philadelphia-styled sports-facility clad in red steel, brick and stone. At home plate, third base and first base, there will be 50-foot high glass enclosed towers that when lighted glow at night.

When walking toward the corner plazas, the steel framed seating bowl and light towers will flank the primary entrances, creating a key visual element in the Ballpark's architecture. This remarkable sight is certain to become one of the most well known landmarks in Philadelphia.

Adding to the Ballpark's many fan-specific design elements is a unique opportunity to catch a glimpse of the field from outside the gates. This design was enabled by a walk-around open-air concourse that was intentionally created to keep fans connected to the game at all times. So when fans enter the gates and approach the main concourse, the enticing preview of the grass-and-dirt field will quickly come to full view.

The main concourse, just a few feet from each gated entrance, is located at street level - no more ramps to access this very popular area! The four primary entrances lead directly to the airy main concourse and an open view of the playing field. In fact, nearly half of the fans entering the Ballpark will step down to their field level seats to watch their favorite Phillies perform on a playing field that's 23' below street level.

One of the many features that make this Ballpark exceptional is its intimate environment, created by two leading architectural firms Ewing Cole Cherry Brott (ECCB), Philadelphia, PA, and HOK Sport+Venue+Event (HOK), Kansas City, MO.

With the goals of placing fans closer to the action and maximizing sightlines to the field, the architects decided to combine "bowl" style seating with a field that is recessed 23' below street level. Inspired by the classic plans of Baker Bowl, home of the Phillies until 1938, and Connie Mack Stadium (formerly Shibe Park), which housed the team until 1971, the seating bowl features a cantilevered structure - another design element that ensures fans are placed right on top of the action.

Just the fact that the Phillies Ballpark could fit inside Veterans Stadium - with plenty of room to spare - is a clear indication of how intimate the Ballpark truly is.

355 Days til the opening of the new Ballpark. Can't Wait !!! Feedback - Questions and/or comments on the New Ballpark? E-mail us at newballpark@phillies.com.

[clockwork]

The best retrofit park in the world isn't retro at all, but the real McCoy-- Chicago's own Wrigley Field.

I can't believe it took 25 posts for someone to acknowlege the best ball park in America...and I'm from Atlanta. Going to Wrigley is like going to a shrine to the sport...like going to Wimbledon for tennis or the Masters for golf...it doesn't get any better.

[Mr. Mojo]

Dodger Stadium, hands down.

[SamAdams76]

I grew up in Boston and as a kid (when tickets were much, much, cheaper) I would go to Fenway dozens of times a year. During the 1977-79 period, I went to easily half the games that were played. Those were my high school years and I used to go by myself quite often as I lived right by the subway on Revere Beach. I'd hop a train (usually after work at the supermarket) to Kenmore station and would buy a $3.00 bleacher ticket. For an extra dollar, I'd get a "grandstand pass" and could find any open seat I wanted in the grandstand. But usually, by the 7th or 8th inning, I'd be in the first few rows of box seats. (This was before the ushers started checking ticket stubs.) I used to develop an eye for "business types" who would vacate their seats early so they could beat the traffic home and I'd be in one of their seats before they hit the exit.

I have a lot of fond memories for Fenway from those years. My most memorable experience was the pennant race of 1978. If you remember, the Sox were 14 games up on the Yankees at the All-Star break but by the end of August, they blew their lead. It came down to the wire on the very last game of the season against Toronto and I was there for it. I remember that the Red Sox were a game behind and they not only had to win that game but the Yankees had to lose. So we all kept one eye on the game and the other eye on the scoreboard out in left field. As a prank, the guy behind the scoreboard put up 10 runs for the team the Yankees were playing (I think it was Cleveland) and the crowd went through the roof. But it came quickly down again and you could hear the entire ballpark groan. In the end, the Yankees did lose and the Red Sox won thanks to Luis Tiant. BTW, we didn't know it at the time, but that was the last game Tiant ever pitched in a Red Sox uniform.

For the playoff game the next day, I couldn't even get a bleacher ticket. I was heartbroken. But I hung out behind the Green Monster listening to the game on the radio and eating sausages from the street vendors. When Bucky Dent hit that pop fly home run, I headed to the subway home. I knew at that point, it was all over.

Over the past 20 years, I've become less attached to Fenway. Probably because it is so damn expensive these days. I took my son to a game last year and blew over $100 before all was said and done. The seats sure seem a lot smaller too, when you're 40-years old and well over 200 pounds. I think it's time for a new ballpark in Boston. I've gone to Camden Yards in Baltimore and that is a first-class facility. We should get something like that up here.

[Oystir]

Closing weekend at Tiger Stadium

[timydnuc]

Wrigley Field! They haven't changed the grease in the hot dog frier since 1946. The taste is perfect! 4 beers and 3 hot dogs means something is transferred to you by DNA.

I'm the original Cubs fan....OK! It's my neurvona! God, I hate the lights!

[TheRedSoxWinThePennant]

wow that looks nice

[Maigrey]

I thought you would love to chime in on this thread!

[Non-Sequitur]

I'll agree with him that Kauffman Field in KC is the best of the pre-1990 parks. The Royals run a family friendly organization, too. Kids run the bases on Sundays, every foul ball hit to the ball boys and every last out of the inning automatically gets tossed to the kids in the stands. The grilled brats and the Boulevard beer complete the picture. And the fact that my boys are 14-3 isn't bad, either.

And I have no problems ranking Kauffman over Wrigley, either. I grew up in Chicago and I remember Wrigley in the pre-Tribune, pre-yuppie days. Then is was a great place to see a game, they always had at least 10,000 day-of-game seats for sale, the bleachers were a buck-fifty, and you weren't blasted every 10 minutes by some trivia or other brought to you by so-and-so, the official whatever of the Chicago Cubs. It's changed too much to enjoy anymore.

[anncoulteriscool]

When I lived in Columbus Ohio I could have gone to some minor league games then but I never went (probably because I was spoiked watching the Big red Machines of the Cincinnati reds in the 70's). But now I kinda wish I had gone. I went to a minor league game in Macon, GA a few years ago and that was fun.

[Cap'n Crunch]

Hey Philly! Give Jim Thome back to us here in Cleveland.

[pnz1]

I mentioned Wrigley in post 4. Luckily I went while Harry was still there..

[anncoulteriscool]

Well I think if you want the deal where you can listen to any game you have to pay $19.95 and you have to upgrade to Windows 98. Maybe for the $11.95 deal you just need a real player upgrade...If I did that I'd choose Marty and Joe in Cincinnati!