MY FIVE FAVORITE BALLPARKS!

A friend of mine posted a picture of herself sitting happily on the Budweiser Roof Deck in Fenway Park and I immediately got ballpark envy.  Kenny Chesney recorded a song this summer called “When I See This Bar” and one of the lines that I just love is “Pieces of my past slowly slip away, but time just stands still when I walk in this place.” That’s how I feel about ballparks.  They carry with them memories and feelings of games, players and family.  They are monuments to the games and records set over the years.  They are our living rooms, dining rooms and kitchens.  They are our homes, they are our fields of dreams, and they witness the magic of the games of yesterday, today and tomorrow.  You see, ballparks have their own attitudes, their own personalities and their own special flare.  And they are all on display for the spectator who walks through the tunnel that leads to the green fields of America’s pastime.  They are our ballparks and I have my five favs! 

My disclaimer is of course that Yankee Stadium is my favorite ballpark because it is home to the best team in the world- The New York Yankees.  So outside of Yankee Stadium, there are my “other” favorites who are forever in my head, give me chills and make me happy to be a baseball fan.

My #1 Favorite 

Wrigley Field, Chicago, circa 1914 (formerly Weeghman Park and Cubs Park) 

The ivy-filled outfield, roof top views and daytime games make Wrigley Field a unique place to watch a game.  The last time the Cubs were in the World Series was 1945, but fans far and wide continue to fill the ballpark every season, believing that the curse of the goat will be broken and the Cubbies will win the Series.  Wrigley has always been a “friendly to hitters ballpark”, particularly to sluggers Ernie Banks who hit 512 homers with the Cubs and of course Sammy Sosa who slammed 60 or more homeruns in three different seasons.

What’s special?  The Cubs fly a flag on the center field scoreboard after each game- white means the Cubs won and blue means they lost.  And until August 8, 1988, Wrigley Field only hosted day games because the lights were never installed following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The then owner donated the money earmarked for the stadium lights to the war effort.  Wrigley Field is vintage as the second oldest ballpark in baseball and it is must see for baseball fans. 

My #2  Favorite

Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, MD circa 1992 

The statues memorializing the best Oriole players of all time, the village like atmosphere and the proximity of the seats to the action on the field make Camden Yards an incredible experience for fans old and young.  The greatest moment at Camden Yards has to be September 6, 1995 when Cal Ripken, Jr. played his 2131 consecutive game breaking the Iron Horse, Lou Gehrig’s all-time record. 

Screaming Earl Weaver still echoes the walls of the beautiful ballpark, a monument to the greats of the game in Jim Palmer, Frank Robinson and I will even throw in our very own broadcaster Ken Singleton.  Camden Yards quickly became the template for the construction of the new ballparks built over the last twenty years including our very own Yankee Stadium.  You feel like you are on the field, in the middle of the action, with the way the seats are positioned.  And a Natty Boh brew is never far away with the bars and pubs affixed around the interior of the ballpark.  Oriole Park at Camden Yards, a fun place to watch a game and tie one on with friends. 

My #3 Favorite

PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA circa 2001

Even though I relished the visit I made to Three Rivers Stadium back in the late 90s, PNC Park in Pittsburgh is absolutely beautiful with the bridges and rivers in the outfield and the city skyline overseeing the architecture of the ballpark.  PNC Park is a great stop on fans’ ballpark tours across the country.

The irregularly shaped field immortalizes its most famous player, Roberto Clemente with an outfield wall that rises up 21 feet behind right field.  The urban-based venue welcomes pedestrians walking to the ballpark from the Clemente Bridge, which is closed to vehicular traffic on game days.  It is also a very intimate ballpark with the highest seat just 88 feet from the field giving every fan a great view of the action. 

My #4 Favorite

Royals Stadium, Kansas City, MO, (also known as Kauffman Stadium) circa 1973 

I have always wanted to go this park.  I really don’t know why because so many people complain about it, but I have to say, I have always been attracted to the fountains in the outfield, the crown scoreboard in center field and just the team itself who really gave us a run for our money in the seventies and eighties.  I am a George Brett fan- there I have said it.

And I am still a George Brett fan following last year’s All Star Game hosted by Royals Stadium.  There is something regal about the 40 year-old ballpark, it’s classy and clean from my vantage point- my living room couch, but truthfully, the newly integrated Outfield Experience gives fans new and exciting vantage points to view the game including new outfield box seats next to the vintage fountains and a trendy bar called the Miller Light Fountain Bar.  The stadium outfield also has the popular Pepsi Porch and Sonic Slam standing room area nearby the fountains.  It’s a party at Royals Stadium, with lots to see and experience. 

My #5 Favorite

Fenway Park, Boston, MA

The only home of the Boston Red Sox, the oldest ball park in baseball and the most historic, most exhilarating place to watch a game. Fenway Park is in a word electric.  Even if you are not a Red Sox fan, like me, you can quickly become a Fenway fan when to step into the streets surrounding the vintage ball park.  It’s a party in the streets every time the Sox are home as the vicinity around the stadium is closed off to non-gamers and ticket holders are greeted by turnstiles in the streets about an hour and half before game time.

The sights and sounds of good ‘ol American baseball reign loud and clear in the streets of Yawkey and Ted Williams Way.  The Ted Williams statue stands proudly behind the infamous Green Monster and the old ticket booths add to the charm of the ball field.  And if you are lucky enough to score tickets on the Monsta, you will see the most amazing view of the game in all of baseball.  You may also spy the only red seat in the park- a dedication to Ted Williams’ last homerun in Fenway and bellow the eighth inning rendition of Sweet Caroline.  Fenway is the place to be all summer long in Boston. 

So, that’s my five favs!  I am sure you have your own favs- share them with us!  Those creaky and shiny stadiums all have a story- and there is no better story than the ones you create with your family and friends at the ballpark.

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Opinion Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof




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