Favorite Ballparks

[GotNitro]

I was wondering what ballparks my fellow Hangouters have traveled to, and which ones you enjoyed. Here is where I have been:

1 - Camden Yards - Not my favorite just because i love the O's. It is just down right a beautiful place.

2 - Yankee Stadium - I went there on 9/11/02 and was the ONLY O's fan in attendance. I hate the Yanks, but it was neat to visit thier stadium once for the history.

3 - Veterans Stadium (Philly ) (RIP) - Nothing really special about the place, but I had a good time there. Saw a doubleheader against Arizona the first season of interleague play, and the first game went into extra innings!

4 - Olympic Stadium (Montreal) - Was there right after the strike. Talk about empty seats.

5 - Fenway Park - I thought it was a dirty place (city & ballpark).

I was also at Memorial Stadium, but I was too young to really remember anything about it.

Those are the only pro parks I have been to. Which ones do you enjoy visiting?

[SteveA]

My favorite ballpark for sentimental reasons is Memorial Stadium, obviously. Many of my best memories from when I was 10 years old until it closed when I was 27, were made there. That was the first place I wanted to drive to when I got my drivers' license. I can think of literally hundreds of people I saw games there with that were a part of my life, and so many memories of that place.

But strictly for enjoyment of the game, I think Tiger Stadium is the best ballpark I ever visited. The upper deck seats were SO close to the field. Anyone young who has only been to the new generation of ballparks like Camden yards, where a club/luxury level forces the upper deck to be further from the field, would be utterly amazed at upper deck seats in Tiger Stadium. (And Memorial Stadium, for that matter....the first 15 rows in sections 37-41 and 1-5 were absolutely fantastic).

My favorite of the new stadiums, even moreso than Camden Yards, is Lincoln Field in Philly. It has most of the good features of Camden Yards, without seats that face the wrong way downt he foul lines, and with the ability to view the game while walking in the concourse and buying food and drink.

Stadiums I've seen MLB games at:

Fenway Park

Yankee Stadium

Veterans Stadium

Lincoln Financial Field

Memorial Stadium

Oriole Park at Camden Yards

RFK Stadium

Three Rivers Stadium

[ooops....NOT PNC Park....dont' know why I listed it originally, I guess because I have been to Heinz Field, the new

stadium that replaced 3 Rivers for football only. I have heard good things about PNC Park and want to go there]

Cleveland Municipal Stadium

Jacobs Field

Riverfront Stadium

forget the name....new stadium in Cincinnati

Tiger Stadium

Wrigley Field

New Comiskey Park

Busch Stadium (the one that just got torn down)

Tropicana Dome

I have also been to football bowl games in a couple stadiums that were/are home to major league teams:

Fulton County Stadium

Dolphins Stadium

[gocubs2118]

I can tell you which one is not my favorite. Shea Stadium is an absolute dump, I couldn't believe it when I walked into that place.

[GotNitro]

Steve, that is a fantastic list! I can only hope to be that well traveled some day. Thanks for sharing.

[DrLev]

My ballpark list (in order of my first visit):

1. Fenway Park - Dark, dank, and a heck of a place to see a baseball game.

2. McCoy Stadium (Pawtucket Red Sox) - WPA monolith of a baseball park. I saw a lot of games there with my dad and grandfather. One of the more unique stadiums you'll ever see. The dugouts are below the elevated grandstand. Kids go 'fishing' for autographs with baseballs and cards in cut-open milk cartons attached to strings! Since the renovation a few years back, the place is better than ever but retains its old-timey feel.

3. Yankee Stadium - If you haven't been, you need to go. If you think you can handle it, sit in the right field bleachers.

4. Stade Olympique/Olympic Stadium - One of the ugliest damn stadiums I've ever had the pleasure to visit.

5. Dodd Stadium (Norwich Navigators/CT Defenders) - Little single-deck AA ballpark with two dozen "skyboxes" above. Seats are exceptionally close to the field, and the atmosphere used to be pretty good when it had the Yankees affiliation. Unfortunately, it's at the top of a hill in the middle of an industrial park.

6. Yale Field (New Haven Ravens) - Really old, beautiful ballpark with seats that are unfortunately too far from the field. George Bush (the older one) pitched in this park during his time at Yale.

7. New Britain Stadium (New Britain Rock Cats) - Lackluster AA stadium. Cramped is about the only way I can describe it.

8. Oriole Park at Camden Yards - My personal favorite, and again, not just because of my fan loyalty. Great sightlines, could (obviously) use some better atmosphere, but as they say, if you build it, they will come.

9. Skydome/Rogers Centre - Interesting ballpark. I went before they replaced the Astroturf with the current artificial surface. Seats are too far from the field, but definitely a unique experience.

10. Jacobs Field/Progressive Field - Very similar to OPACY, but clearly built for a richer clientele. The three tiers of luxury boxes and the extremely high upper deck take away from the experience, but the sightlines are great throughout the stadium.

11. Veterans Stadium - It is what it is. An unadulterated baseball experience (minus the artificial surface). I have to admit I liked it.

12. Pac Bell Park/SBC Park/AT&T Park - Didn't see a game there, but took the tour. It's essentially identical to OPACY, if you add an extra level of luxury boxes between the club level and the upper deck, cut out the left field stands, add a big baseball glove with a Coke bottle, and replace the warehouse with water.

13. RFK Stadium - Not the best place to see a game, but the upper deck is nice and close to the field because of the extreme cantilevering. Sightlines from the outfield upper deck seats were awful and the outfield was enormous. I don't think they'll miss it much.

14. Shea Stadium - Adequate. Boring. Lots of ramps. Glad I got to it.

15. Prince Georges Stadium (Bowie Baysox) - Almost a clone of Dodd Stadium (see above). Your basic Eastern League AA ballpark.

16. Ripken Stadium (Aberdeen Ironbirds) - Your basic AA ballpark, jazzed up by the Ripken name for short-season A with the middle aisle that is a characteristic of almost all NY-Penn League ballparks. A gem.

I think that's everything, but it probably isn't.

[OrangeJerseys]

I really like AT&T Park in San Fran. Every seat's gotta be a good one. It's a lot like Camden Yards.

I had to add that Memorial will always be my favorite. There is no magic like 54,000 O's fanatics.

[Boy Howdy]

I practically grew up in Memorial Stadium, so that'll always be my #1.

Here are the current MLB parks I've visited in the order in which I'd enjoy them (I use the names I got used to - Can't keep up with the changes):

Oriole Park at Camden Yards - I was skeptical on my first visit, but it blew me away and my mind's never changed

Yankee Stadium - Classic & the palpable sense of historyPac-Bell (Giants)(

Shea Stadium - I actually like it. Deafening planes overhead & all.

Pac-Bell (Giants) - got to love having the bay out beyond right field

Skydome - Saw it open, closed & closing mid-game. Loved the city & got to go on the field for camera day

Turner Field - The park was nice and all, but the best part was the Orioles sweeping the Braves in 1997

Ballpark at Arlington - Just too much, trying too hard, didn't work for me

[JCK]

PNC - A+

Camden - A

Fenway - A

Jacobs - B+

Busch - B+

Old Tiger Stad. - B+

Shea - B-

RFK - C+

SkyDome - C

Veterans - D

[JEWCY]

PNC-A-would be A plus if food didn't suck

Camden Yards-A

Kauffman Stadium-A-awesome stadium if you have never been, go. novelty

Turner Field-B+

Jacobs Field-B+

U.S. Cellular Field-B+-like the steep seats, like Turner, very underrated

Comerica Park-B

Old Busch Stadium-B

Skydome-D

Shea Stadium-D

[jeffstonefan]

Camden Yards

PNC Park

Memorial Stadium

Dodger Stadium

Wrigley

Citizens Bank-Phils

Yankee Stadium

Fenway

Old Busch Stadium

New Comiskey Park

Metrodome

Three Rivers Stadium

FL Marlins

Shea

RFK

The last four on my list were all dumps. I liked the others and would visit again.

[Rolotomassie]

Been to:

OPACY

Memorial Stadium

Busch Stadium

Shea

Candlestick

Metrodome

Wrigley

Oakland Coliseum

New Comiskey

Best is definitely OPACY, but Wrigley was special too. Worst was Metrodome, with Oakland a close second.

[Woody Held]

ok here's my major league list

OPACY

Memorial stadium

Yankee Stadium

Fenway Park

Wrigley

Petco park

3 rivers

PNC park

Great American ballpark(Reds)

Anaheim Angels

RFK

Veterns stadium

Jacobs field

Comerica Park

Busch stadium (old)

Old Comisky Park

Old indians stadium

Sky dome

My favorite of the newer parks are PNC in Pittsburgh and Comerica in Detroit

[hburg to bmore]

I like PNC for the view of downtown and being right on the water. Went to Coors Field last year and while nothing blew me away the view of the mountains was really something. I also like how Coors was right in downtown. Turner Field in Atlanta nothing really stood out to me. I guess you could just say it was a decent park. Citizens Bank in Philadelphia while it was a nice park was lacking a view big time.

[Who's On 1st]

Memorial Stadium( Favorite) Grew up with it.....

OPACY

Prince Georges Stadium (Bowie Baysox) AA

RFK

Cleveland Municipal Stadium

RiverBats Louisville Ky. AAA

Hagerstown MD Municipal Stadium (The Suns) A

Trenton NJ AA

Going to Spring Training

Hoping to go to Norfolk AAA this year.....

[The Rick]

If those who have been to Fenway wouldn't mind sending me a PM regarding how easy/hard/expensive it was to make a trip to Fenway, it would be greatly appreciated.

I've been to:

Camden Yards

PNC Park

RFK

Yankee Stadium

Camden is my favorite (bias), but PNC Park is amazing. If they ever have a winning team that city will be a baseball fan's dream.