A few of mine: http://www.geocities.com/paulsminorleagueparks/Macon.htm http://www.ballparkreviews.com/birm/rickwood.htm http://www.wasecabraves.com/ http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/past/BakerBowl.htm http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/past/ShibePark.htm http://www.ballparkwatch.com/visits/duluth_huskies.htm http://www.ballparkreviews.com/eville/eville.htm http://www.ballparkreviews.com/wtownsd/wtownsd.htm http://www.ballparkreviews.com/stockton/hebert.htm
Every true fan of baseball should see at least one game in Fenway Park. Being able to see where Babe Ruth pitched, the red seat where Ted Williams hit a mammoth homer in 1946, where Fisk's homer hit the foul pole in 1975, where Bucky Bleepin' Dent hit his homer in 1978, it's all awe-inspiring.
A great one no doubt. I like how the center field stands are sliced off by the wall with windows. Nice that they never plastered wall with ads. I have for some reason loved the small minor league parks and long gone big league parks.
Bruce: Every true fan of baseball should see at least one game in Fenway Park. John: When our three daughters were early teenagers, we decided to do a two-week family trip, destination chosen by democratic means. Secret ballot. Three of us each chose one thing (Toronto, Grand Canyon, Chicago) -- and the twins remarkably both chose Fenway Park. So we spent ten days in an adjoining motel, and three of us went to six or seven games; two made a token appearance, then headed for the public library. I remember the Polo Grounds very fondly from my childhood. The 505-foot center field fence. Ernie Lombardi hitting a ball that rolled to that point, and then down a 50-foot passageway, and barely getting to third base, for his only triple of the year. Carl Furillo catching a deep fly, and throwing the runner who had tagged up, out at the plate, a bullet straight to the catcher, on the fly. And so on.
Lombardi was the Bruce Bochy of his day. When I was stationed outside Boston, we used to ride into Boston and get in the military gate at Fenway for a buck. (This was in the late 1970's, when a bleacher ticket was $3.) After a fe innings, the ushers let us filter into the box seats. Very cool. I saw Yaz's 3,000th hit that way. (Yaz was 0-for-the-week when Willie Randolph let a grounder get through to get the old man his hit....) In 1986 I was in Minneapolis for a Union seminar (as part of my 8-month doctorate ) and attended a Twins game. The Red Sox were there, and Tom Seaver was pitching. I sat in left field, and Jim Rice--never a good fielder--was playing so deep I could read the credit card in his wallet! Well, Seaver was pitching a no-no in the 6th when Roy Smalley hit one out to right. I swear that ball hit the facade above the baggie in right before I heard the crack of the bat sitting in left! I knew then I wasn't watching baseball, but some perverse imitation of it. Richie Allen: "If my horses don't eat it, I don't want to play on it." I'm hip.
Wrigley! The "friendly confines." No question. Intimate. Breezy. Near the lake (or at least reasonably so). Love the brick, and the vines on the walls. Hate the lights... even though everyone should be over that by now... I'm not! Yep... most definitely Wrigley. There's nothing quite like it.
Gregg, Great view from the plate. The other Wrigley was also interesting.http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/past/LAWrigleyField.htm
Rich: Which for me brings memories of these two parks where I grew up: http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/past/MetropolitanStadium.htm Cesar Tovar play all nine positions. Joe DiMaggio as A's coach. Mark Fidrych pitch. Tony Oliva score from second on the most busted up knees to ever play baseball. http://www.ballparkwatch.com/visits/siebert_field.htm Watching Dave Winfield in pre Padre days pitch.
I think minor-league baseball is one of the most overlooked things in professional sports. Ticket prices are WAY below MLB prices, the quality of baseball is excellent, and those kids hustle on every play. Before the kids were born, my wife & I used to go to McCoy Stadium a few times each summer to see the Pawtucket Red Sox (AAA affiliate of Boston) play. It was always a great take. Before I met my wife, I went to a few Pawtucket games in 1995, and I was able to see two former MVP's (Willie McGee and Jose Canseco) on rehab assignments, from the comfort of my $5 box seat.
Dr.Bear, A unique park that seems more suitable for football. Bullpens in outfeld play. http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/past/PoloGrounds.htm A few more of my favorites: http://www.ballparkreviews.com/frisco/frisco.htm http://www.ballparkreviews.com/pulaski/pulaski.htm http://www.ballparkreviews.com/si/si.htm http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/past/EbbetsField.htm
Mr. Engineer: SBC in San Francisco - Great park - great team. Great area. John: Agreed. But dopey name.
It doesn't even stand for anything. Like the "Robert Kennedy" in "Robert Kennedy College," it is just a random assortment of letters that have no connection to the real world. --John Bear (who knows that it used to be "Southern Bell," just as it used to be "a New York banker" -- but no longer so.)
Bruce: "I think minor-league baseball" Seems to be making a big comeback. New ballparks everywhere being built. A few of the more less than wonderful: http://mysite.verizon.net/charliesballparks/stadiums/quakertn.htm http://www.ballparkreviews.com/newarkny/newark.htm
It doesn't have the history of Fenway or Wrigley, but it is a great park in probably the best physical location in the country. Surroundings that can't be beat. Unfortunately, I can't say that I like the Giants as much as the park. Steroids and over-paid prima donnas. (And wine-and-cheese fans.) The young scrappy A's over in proletarian Oakland are more fun to watch. They are kind of like a minor league all-star team transferred to the majors. You get the impression that they like playing the game, are happy to be there, and they really appreciate their fans' support. One player on the Yankees probably makes as much as the entire A's payroll, but the A's have this amazing farm system that keeps bringing young prospects up. As far as names go, my favorite has to be Monster Park (which despite the commercial name-of-the-day will always remain Candlestick). Great name for a football stadium, even though in its Candlestick days it had to have been the worst baseball park in the majors (and remains the worst NFL park today.)
What percentage of the people who hear the name "Monster Park" associate it with the on-line resume service, Monster.com, rather than the people who are actually buying the name, the Monster cable company? I note that some sportswriters are continuing to use the appellation, "The football stadium at Candlestick Cove." Probably the same troublemakers who, when told they should use the proper name of the Oakland Coliseum ("Network Associates Coliseum") were abbreviating it in print, "Net. Ass. Coliseum").
