AJC > Sports > Braves > Blog > Archives > 2007 > January > 12
Friday, January 12, 2007
Sullied Barry plays in splendid ballpark
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
OK, so ESPN.com beat me to the punch and already ranked the ballparks this week. Doesn’t matter. They only did the top five and bottom one. That’s easy, lazy, weak (just kidding, Tim K., I know you guys have done this ratings thing exhaustively in the past).
Anyway, I’m going to give you my entirely subjective 1-through-30 rankings of every current stadium in the majors _ all of which I’ve visited, for better or worse (if time spent loving animals adds years to your life, what does time spent spent in rain delays at Dolphin Stadium do?)
Take a look and let me know if you agree or disagree with any or all of my choices. Give me your top five or 10 or whatever of the ballparks you’ve been to, or just base it on what you’ve seen on TV. Hey, as a wise man said, don’t cost nothing (unlike attending a game at Fenway, which costs plenty, including at least $30-$50 to park, if you must drive).
1. AT&T Park, San Francisco: Spectacular views, great location, a varied lineup of upscale restaurant concessions, aroma of garlic fries in the cool air, fog rolling in at night, a Willie Mays statue out front … and Barry in his recliner occupying one side of the clubhouse. OK, nothing’s perfect.
2. Wrigley Field, Chicago: Surely there can be no better place in America than a day game on a sunny afternoon in Wrigleyville. It was even better when Harry was still alive and singing.
3. PNC Park, Pittsburgh: Who would’ve figured the best _ by a wide margin _ downtown view in baseball would be in Pittsburgh? Hey, and a cool Andy Warhol museum a few blocks away, though I don’t expect it’s drawing much spillover from baseball crowds.
4. Fenway Park, Boston: Steeped in splendidly preserved tradition much like Wrigley, and first-timers will be awed by the enthusiasm of baseball’s most passionate _ if slightly overbearing _ crowds. But be prepared to hit the ATM. Repeatedly.
5. Petco Park, San Diego :Downtown on the water, beautiful views, incredible weather, Rubio’s fish tacos, an old warehouse incorporated into the left field fence. Sure is purdy.
6. Camden Yards, Baltimore: It was the first of the retro-design modern ballparks, and the place looks and feels as great as ever, though the crowds have gotten smaller over the past decade of mediocrity. Save room for a stop at Boog’s BBQ beyond right field.
7. Safeco Field, Seattle: When the roof’s open on a 70-degree, sunny Pacific Northwest afternoon, this is heaven for baseball fans. The free coffee in the pressbox is the good stuff here, as you might imagine. To me, Seattle is the country’s most beautiful big city.
8. Minute Maid Park, Houston: OK, the short porch in left field’s a joke for hitters, but otherwise this is about as close to perfect as a retractable-roofed stadium can be. While it’s 105 degrees and muggy outside, it’s nice and cool inside, and there’s a huge glass wall that lets in plenty of natural light. And the crowd-level pressbox allows for a steady stream of gorgeous _ uh-um _ Texas views. Yowza.
9. Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles: The more stuff they change with their seemingly semi-annual renovations, the lower this still-splendid park falls in my book. What happened to foul territory! What’s with the post-homer strobe lights! Still, nothing like a view of downtown L.A. at night from behind the highest seating deck. Jaw-dropping. And Dodger Dogs are almost worth clogging arteries for.
10. Jacobs Field, Cleveland :Another in the first wave of modern parks with retro flourishes, this one also was done right. Cleveland enjoyed a downtown renaissance over the past 10-15 years, and the nearby Rock & Roll Hall of Fame tops off a great weekend visit.
11. Coors Field, Colorado: I love everything about the place _ well, except most of the baseball games played there, and the occasionally frigid weather. Just when the ball humidor seemed to curtail double-digit scoring, by late season it was more 12-11 slugfests.
12. Chase Field, Phoenix: If it just wasn’t so gargantuan, this retractable-roof park would rank higher. It feels like an oversized airplane hangar and still has a silly pool beyond right field. But it’s as clean as the day it opened, the food’s good (try the Mexican food concession), and it’s comfy inside when it’s 115 degrees outside.
13. The Ballpark in Arlington, Texas: Great retro-design park, but too far out in suburbia, and hotter than Hades. They did a good job adding all those facades in front of the offices out in the outfield, sealing you into an environment that doesn’t let you see the nothingness that would constitute a view if you could see beyond the outfield.
14. Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia: I’ll start by saying what an epic upgrade Ryan Howard’s launching pad is over the dingy hellhole that was Veterans Stadium. The new park feels intimate, with great views of the field from most seats. Nice cheesesteaks and downtown view, but it’s just too easy for hitters to go deep, especially to left field.
15. Comerica Park, Detroit: Another well-designed new park, but they need to lose about 20 of those giant tiger statues at the entrances. I mean, was someone hallucinating when they came up with that menagerie? It feels like you’re entering the Detroit zoo.
16. Turner Field, Atlanta : Ah, my home away from home. Sorry about the rating, corporate owners. The ginormous video board is absolutely addictive, the field dimensions are fair, the in-game entertainment has improved each year. But concessions are still overpriced, MARTA doesn’t stop here, the synergy with Cartoon Network and all that is grating for those without children, and they really messed up by blocking the view of downtown Atlanta with the 755 Club, which should’ve been located in right field. Oh, and visitors tell me over and over that there aren’t any nice restaurants, bars or upscale hotels within safe walking distance.
17. Yankee Stadium, New York: Some of yuse guys are gonna get on me for the low ranking of “The Stadium,” I’m sure. Whatever. Yes, the place is steeped in history, but unlike Fenway and Wrigley, this stadium has been repeatedly renovated to the point of tackiness, and the ear-splitting music and endless advertisements pretty well wreck the nostalgia.
18. Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City: This 70s-era stadium is still a unique, gorgeous park; so what if it lacks enough revenue-raising luxury boxes? Like Dodger Stadium, they built this place with a vision and good taste, not like all the cookie-cutter multi-purpose dumps.
19. Great American Ballpark, Cincinnati: Another huge upgrade over the team’s old stadium (Riverfront), but it’s way too hitter-friendly and that river view beyond the outfield is flat-out boring. And one other thing, Cincy: Cinammon doesn’t belong in chili. Period.
20. Angel Stadium, Anaheim: Renovations made in the 1990s helped, but who decided fake rock beyond the outfield fence was the way to go? Seriously, who made that decision?
21. U.S. Cellular Field, Chicago: They should’ve just renovated Old Comiskey across the way, but this is a decent park, especially after they lessened the steep grade on the previously vertigo-inducing upper-deck seats.
22. Miller Park, Milwaukee: That fan-style retractable roof’s a bit of an eyesore, and the brats aren’t as good as they were at old County Stadium, but this place is actually not bad. And if you’ve never spent a weekend in downtown Milwaukee … well, good for you. The ballpark’s not downtown, so you won’t have to.
23. Busch Stadium, St. Louis: What a disappointment this new ballpark was for arguably America’s best baseball town. This one lacks old Busch Stadium’s charm, and the open, unheated, un-air conditioned pressbox is a cruel, cruel joke. A pox on Busch!
24. Rogers Centre, Toronto: The stadium formerly known as SkyDome no longer seems like a grand peek at the future. It seems more like a lot of poured concrete with artificial turf.
25. McAfee Coliseum, Oakland: That towering “Mount Davis” (so named for Raiders owner Al Davis) that is the new center-field seating deck was the hideous cherry added to top this charmless multi-purpose sundae. If driving, please lock your doors.
26. Shea Stadium, New York: Construction of the Mets’ new ballpark is underway in the parking lot of decrepit Shea. The new place can’t open soon enough; by the way, wonder if they’ll keep that lovely row of auto chop shops … er, body shops, across the street? Niiice.
27. Metrodome, Minneapolis: Multi-purpose stadiums are bad enough, but add a non-retractable roof and they’re far worse. Don’t ya love it when the football hash marks are visible? Beautiful.
28. Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg: To their credit, someone has worked hard to make the most antiseptic, misnamed domed stadium in America a bit more inviting than before, but it’s still a really bad, boring place to watch a game, and everything just feels cut-rate in there. It’s about as much a “Field” as my house is a “palatial estate.”
29. RFK Stadium, Washington: This multi-purpose concrete relic of the 1960s looks dated, feels dirty, and smells dank in the crowded concourses, but thankfully it’s only a temporary home until the Nats’ (stupid shortened nickname) new park is scheduled to open in 2008. By the way, Stan Kasten rules! (never know when you might need a handout someday)
30. Dolphin Stadium, Miami: It’s a not-so-great place for football and godawful place for baseball, featuring oppressive heat and humidity, countless sections of orange, empty upper-deck seats, daily showers that wash away batting practice, bad concession food, and the Mermaids, a team of “dancers” who look like they came over from the first shift at a low-end strip club on Biscayne Blvd. to desecrate baseball tradition with every shake of the hips. (OK, but the Mermaids still aren’t enough to pull this stadium out of No. 30).
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