Best stadium in baseball

It's right off not one but two interstate highways. How is that tough to find?

 

1. Dodger Stadium. Plenty of parking, scenic view beyond the outfield, weather is seldom bad for baseball. Used to have affordable ticket prices, not sure if that's still the case.

2. Fenway Park. Just screams "classic baseball." Main flaws I found were that the seats were older as well (overweight people need not apply), and the whole "Sweet Caroline" thing. "Bada ba da um, bad dum, um, bah da . . . TOUCHING MEEE!!!!!! TOUCHING YOOOUUUU!!!!!!!" Learn the words, and also learn that it's not something that's unique to your little corner of the baseball world.

3. Angel Stadium. Many of the same reasons as Dodger Stadium. Extra points for Little Thunder Mountain.

4. Wrigley Field. World's Largest Sports Bar. But a great setting for baseball, and really a fun experience.

5. Kansas City. Was shocked at how much I liked it. Plenty of parking, and a unique outfield at the time. Tickets easy to obtain at a reasonable price. Points off for the highway running behind it, and for its proximity to the home of the KC Chiefs.

Others:

- New Comisky or whatever they call it now. Nothing special.
- Oakland. Just blech. But tickets are easy to get, and cheap.
- St. Louis. 17 bucks for standing room only tickets. Thanks, but no thanks. Park has a neat look to it, though.

Honorable mention to Old Yankee Stadium. Just great.

Dishonorable mention to old Shea, Cinergy Field and Qualcomm in San Diego.

 

Off topic, but Sweet Caroline is the worst song ever created.

 

I haven't been to any of the newest ones (last 10 years), but I love Arizona's stadium, San Francisco's and Colorado's.

For history, Fenway and Wrigley are great.

 

Memphis ... Rendezvous ... JACKPOT!

 

Wrigley is the easy choice. Fenway is close for atmosphere. Of the new stadiums, really liked Camden Yards, Safeco is pretty good in the roof division.

 

Basically, I've been to many of the Midwest stadiums, plus Arizona and Colorado. And in July I'm heading over to Seattle to catch a White Sox game with the family. Really looking forward to enjoying a game in Safeco Field.

My top 3:

1. OLD Comiskey Park. This is nostalgia talking, but also, you were right on top of the field -- just like old Tigers Stadium. My dad used to get tickets in the upper deck, near Nancy Faust's organ, and that was a great view, plus great foul ball territory.

2. Comerica Park. Not as close to the action as Tiger Stadium, but the lower deck had some great views. And the eats were fantastic -- maybe I was just really hungry that day. The statues and outfield attractions were cool, too.

3. Wrigley. If you can handle parking adventure and yuppies fiddling with their gadgets throughout the game, it's a great park to watch baseball -- provided you're not shoved under one of the balconies or behind a post. And it's always fun to go and root against the Cubs.

And among minor league stadiums, John O'Donnell Stadium in Davenport, Iowa, is tough to beat since they renovated it in the mid-2000s. If the game gets boring, great views of Mississippi River craft going through Lock and Dam 15.

 

I hit the Rendezvous when I was in Memphis. I know some on this board have slammed it but for this frostbitten Canuckistani it was a great dining experience.

 

I've been to 12 current stadiums. Wrigley Field is my favorite.

 

First two places I've attended a major-league game were Wrigley and Fenway, but I tend to dig the old stadiums because I like the setting and the atmosphere there much better than the newer ones. I prefer a good setting, even if there are a few posts blocking my view.

The HOK-era new stadiums are nice and have some good amenities, but have the feel of a shopping mall. The 1960s-70s donut stadiums I've been to were the worst of both worlds -- pretty utilitarian (no real fan amenities), but also had a concrete canyon setting that wasn't very inviting.

Therefore, I'd put on top of my list (of places I've been to):
Wrigley, Fenway ... minor-league division: the now-defunct parks in Indy and Louisville. I've actually gone out of my way to watch summer collegiate and high school games at places like the 1930s-built McBride Stadium in Richmond, IN, and the League of Their Own stadium in Huntingburg, IN, and enjoyed both.

Of the modern parks, Milwaukee's Miller Park is the nicest that I've been to. Cincinnati's GABP has a nice setting and concept, but nothing that makes it stand out. I'd like to get to Kauffmann & PNC, which get good marks.

Worst stadiums I'd ever been to were Riverfront & RFK ... they were pretty much identical in their concrete blandness, lack of character and, well, dirtiness.

 

AT&T Park, San Francisco. Great views, splash hits, the Arcade, garlic fries, great neighborhood and the best one, it's NOT Candlestick Park!

Haven't been to Dodger Stadium, but informed sources tell me access is the WORST, or at least that's the excuse I'm given for everyone showing up in the third inning and leaving in the seventh.