Baseball park
A baseball park, baseball stadium, or ball park / ballpark is the field of play in the game of baseball and the spectator seating areas (if any) and any other features connected with it.
The flexible rules about baseball fields (aside from the rigid rules of sizes of basepaths and pitcher's mound) allow ballparks to have their own individual character and quirks. This is true at all levels of baseball, amateur and professional, in countless cities and towns where the game is played. This article focuses on Major League Baseball venues, which typically have the largest seating areas and receive the broadest media coverage.
General characteristics
The infield is a rigidly structured "diamond" (actually a square) containing the bases, home plate, and the pitcher's mound. Two white foul lines run perpendicular along two of the sides from the plate, forming the boundaries of what's in play and what's out of play.
Next to first and third base, are two coach's boxes, where the first and third base coaches guide the baserunners. Farther on the other side of the foul lines are the dugouts where the teams and coaches sit when they're not out on the field.
Beyond the infield, and between the foul lines, is a large grass outfield, generally twice the depth of the infield. The other side of the outfield is set by the outfield fences, which end the field of play. There are also fences in foul territory, although these are significantly lower in most places, especially around the infield.
In modern days, a ballpark is mostly surrounded by a multi-tiered seating structure, a grandstand. This often ends a short distance into fair territory, the area beyond the outfield fences being a more open area, perhaps with a view of the buildings beyond. This open area may contain shorter disconnected grandstands, bleacher seats, scoreboards, fountains, or open-air museums, just to name a few. In some Jewelbox and multi-purpose parks, the grandstand completely surrounds the field.
Starting with Yankee Stadium in 1923 (as an actual footrace track) and now present in all ballparks, there is a dirt (or in some parks, rubberized track surface) area roughly 10 feet wide which runs all about the perimeter of the field, called the "warning track". As the name indicates, this track is intended to warn fielders (especially outfielders) that they are approaching a boundary wall of the playing field.
The term "ballpark" is sometimes used ambiguously, as either the entire structure or just the playing field. A home run which occurs within the confines of the playing field is typically called an "inside-the-park" home run, as opposed to a home run over a fence and into the seats (if any). That might be referred to as a home run "out of the ballpark". That phrase is more often used to mean a home run which clears the stands and lands outside the building.
Variations
The structure of the infield is very rigid. However, like its British relative cricket, there is significant amount of flexibility in the shape and size of the rest of the playing area. This is distinctive from "goal" games such as football and basketball, in which the entire playing area is fixed in size. In order to prevent "cheap" home runs, ballparks at particular levels of play usually specify a minimum distance from home plate to the outfield fences, along with recommendations for the size of the foul ground. Generally, the higher up the skill level, the deeper the minimum dimensions must be. In the major leagues, a rule was passed in 1958 (official rules) that compelled any new fields built after that point to have a minimum distance of 325 feet from home plate to the fences in left and right field, and 400 feet to center. (Rule 1.04, Note(a)). Despite this rule (which was passed to prevent any more situations like the Los Angeles Coliseum), the modern parks have sometimes received "special dispensation" to skirt these rules somewhat. The older parks such as Fenway Park were "grandfathered."As there is merely a minimum, and no set distance (and even the minumums aren't strictly enforced), there is a great amount of flexibility. These distances vary from park to park, and can even change drastically in the same park. This can be seen in Yankee Stadium, whose odd-shaped plot of land caused right field to be over 100 feet shorter than left, although this has lessened over the years. The Polo Grounds had very short fences on the lines. It was 258 feet to right and 280 to left, and the upper deck hung over into the infield in left. In contrast, the deepest part of center field in the bathtub-shaped Polo Grounds was nearly 500 feet from home plate.
The heights of the fences can also change greatly, the best example being the 37-foot high Green Monster in Fenway Park's left field. Such tall fences were often used to stop easy home runs in a section where the fences were shorter, or there was little space between the fence and street beyond, although this practice has lessened in more recent years. Some in-play scoreboards and high fences reached 50 to 60 feet, whereas a few outfields were even lined with hedges rather than normal fences or walls. The Metrodome, the current home of the Minnesota Twins, has a 23-foot right field "fence" which is actually a relatively thin blue plastic sheet covering folded-up football seats. It is often called the "Baggie" or the "Hefty bag".
Some parks don't even have regularly shaped fences. While some parks may have round swooping fences or rigidly angled fences, some may have a big change in direction or irregular angle. Some retro parks, such as Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, throw in a sudden inward turn (often referred to as a jog) just to give a little quirkiness to the design.
Originally, and mostly in the Jewelbox Parks, these variations were the result of the shape of the property on which the park was constructed. If there was a street beyond left field, left field would be shorter, and if the distance was too short, the fence would be higher. Now, these variations are mostly influenced by the specifications and the whims of the designers. The retro parks, which try to recapture the feel of the Jewelboxes, are designed to have these quirks and variations.
Current Major League Ballparks
Ballpark Dimensions
The numbers mean the number of feet from home plate to the wall of that part of the field. Left and Right Field normally refer to the distances along the foul lines. Left Center and Right Center are the approximate power alley figures. Center Field could mean straightaway center field or it could mean to the deepest part of the center field area. Backstop refers to the distance behind home plate to the backstop screen. These numbers
are one researcher's opinion of the true values and may differ from the numbers marked on the wall/fence by as much as 30 feet. Capacity figures may also vary.
*Dolphin Stadium is expandable to 68,000. **The Metrodome is expandable to 55,883. ***Oakland Coliseum is expandable to 60,000. ****Fenway Park is 36,984 during day games.
†At Fenway Park, straightaway center is 390 feet, but there is a corner in the fence just right of center that juts out to 420 feet.
Types of baseball parks
Names
The first baseball parks were literally open fields or public parks. The genesis of modern baseball is conventionally connected with the Elysian Fields in Hoboken, New Jersey, a large public park where the businessmen of New York City gathered from time to time to play organized baseball games and cricket matches, starting around the mid-1840s. The name "Field" or "Park" was typically attached to the names of the early ballparks.
With the beginnings of professional baseball, the ballfield became part of a complex including fixed spectator seating areas, and an enclosure to restrict access to paying customers, as with a fairgrounds. The name "Grounds" began to be attached to ballparks, starting with the Union Grounds in 1862. The suffixes "Field" and "Park" were still used, but many professional ballparks were "Grounds". The last surviving major league "Grounds" was the Polo Grounds in New York City, which was razed in 1964.
The term "Stadium" had been used since ancient times, typically for a running track and its seating area. As college football gained in popularity, the smaller college playing fields and/or running tracks (which also frequently had the suffix "Field") gave way to large stadiums, many of them built during the sports "boom" of the 1920s. Major league baseball enjoyed a similar boom. One of the first major league ballparks to be called a "Stadium" was actually the Polo Grounds, which was temporarily renamed Brush Stadium from its reconstruction in 1911 until the death of owner John T. Brush in the 1920s. By then, the most famous baseball "Stadium" of them all had been constructed: Yankee Stadium. From that point until the retro building boom of the 1990s, the suffix "Stadium" was used for almost every new major league ballpark, and was sometimes applied to the old ones, such as Shibe Park, which was renamed Connie Mack Stadium in 1954.
The suffix "Dome" was also used for the domed stadiums constructed in the 1960s-1970s-1980s. The official names of those arenas also often included the word "Stadium", such as the Houston Astrodome, whose formal name was "Harris County Domed Stadium" in 1965; the Kingdome, whose formal name was "King County Domed Stadium," and the Metrodome, for which the Minneapolis highway signs direct the driver to "Metrodome Stadium". The retro era of the 1990s and early 2000s saw a return to the original arboreal terms, even to the huge domed structures, such as Safeco Field and Miller Park.
There appears to have been no consistency in which suffix to choose, "Field" or "Park". It is apparently a decision based on which suffix "sounds" better for a given ballpark name. For example, Chicago's Wrigley Field had been previously called "Cubs Park". Also Minute Maid Park was once known as "Enron Field". During the classic era, there did seem to be a tendency for more National League sites to be called "Field" and for more American League sites to be called "Park", but this was not totally consistent either.
Settings
Organized baseball has been a popular spectator sport from the beginning. The construction of seating areas to an expected need is complemented with answers to questions about where to put the ballpark and how fans will get to the ballpark.The earliest ballparks, such as Elysian Fields, were in a location far from the city center. Each game was an event, and fans would make the effort to travel by ferry to watch the game.
With the growth of professional leagues, and consequent growth in the quantity of games, each game became less of an event, and fan convenience became an important factor. Many professional ballparks were built either near the city center or in working-class neighborhoods, based on the expected economic level of the average fan.
Consequently, the classic ballparks typically had little space for automobiles, as it was expected that most fans would take mass transit to the games, a situation that still prevails at Chicago's Wrigley Field, for example. Some early ballparks, such as Brooklyn's Eastern Park, were abandoned because the trolley lines did not go out far enough and the team was not performing well enough for people to tolerate the inconvenience.
As fans became more affluent, and especially as they moved to the suburbs and bought cars, the lack of parking became an important issue. Some ballparks remedied this problem through the construction of parking garages in the vicinity, or building new ballparks with ample parking. Others built ballparks in the suburbs, typically with large parking areas. The ballpark/stadium thus became an "island" in an "ocean" of parking space.
The modern "retro" trend seeks to cover all the bases: an urban location, with plenty of parking and public transportation available.
Wooden ballparks
The original major league parks were large wooden ballparks with the seats mounted on wood platforms, although wooden parks some had iron columns for better support. There was usually only one deck, which was sometimes topped by either a flat roof or a small upper tier. The outfield was bordered by tall walls or fences covered with advertisements, sometimes fronted with bleacher seats ("bleaching boards"). Wood was a short-life but inexpensive material, and there was not necessarily any expectation that professional baseball was a long-term business.
However, the use of wood as the primary material set up a potentially major problem, especially as baseball continued to thrive and the wooden stands aged and dried. Many parks caught fire, and some were levelled completely. This problem, along with the realization that professional baseball was here to stay, were major factors that drove the change to steel and concrete construction. Some famous wooden parks, such as the Polo Grounds, burned to the ground and were rebuilt in fire-resistant materials. Others were simply abandoned in favor of new structures built elsewhere. Their replacements often lasted many decades and (retrospectively) came to be called "Jewel Boxes". The last of the primarily-wooden ballparks in the major leagues was Robison Field, which was closed in 1920.
Other examples of wooden ballparks include Huntington Avenue Grounds, South End Grounds, Hilltop Park, Recreation Park, Bennett Park, Exposition Park, West Side Park, Hanlan's Point Stadium, Sunlight Park and South Side Park.
Jewel Box Parks
The parks built or rebuilt in concrete and steel (albeit with wooden seats) after the days of the wooden ballpark are now known as the Jewel Box Parks or classic parks. These parks are said by many to embody the golden age of baseball. They are known for their green seats, large roofs, intimate feel, and major use of exposed steel, brick, and stone. The first of these steel-and-concrete fields was Shibe Park, opened in 1909 in Philadelphia.One other characteristic of these parks came about almost by accident. Most of them were built to fit the constraints of actual city blocks, resulting in asymmetrical outfield dimensions.
Although other sports, such as soccer and football were often played at these sites, the focus was on baseball, unlike the later multi-purpose parks, and so the seats were generally angled in a configuration suitable for baseball. The "retro" ballparks built in the 1990s and beyond are an attempt to capture the feel of the Jewel Box Parks.
Many (as well as their wooden predecessors) have plaques or monuments on their sites. Remnants of some Jewel Boxes still exist, such as Forbes Field, League Park and Braves Field. The only Jewel Boxes still in use for major league baseball are Fenway Park and Wrigley Field.
Other examples of Jewel Boxes include Yankee Stadium (before its renovation in the 1970s), the Polo Grounds, Ebbets Field, Shibe Park, Crosley Field, the fourth version of Sportsman's Park, Comiskey Park, Maple Leaf Stadium and Tiger Stadium.
Multi-purpose stadiums
From the 1960s to the 1990s, baseball was dominated by multi-purpose stadiums. Also known as "concrete donuts", "cookie-cutters", or "giant ashtrays", they were usually tall circular or square structures made entirely of reinforced concrete (one notable exception is Shea Stadium). The parks were built to hold baseball as well as football, soccer, and other sports. Cleveland Stadium, built in 1932, is considered an ancestor to this type of design.
However, these stadiums posed many problems for baseball. With few exceptions, seats were pointed toward the center of the field rather than home plate. Luxury boxes--in some cases, several levels deep--pushed the upper deck far from the action (as far as 600 feet from the plate in some cases). Often, seating capacity was so large (especially at Cleveland Stadium) that even crowds of 40,000 seemed sparse because baseball games don't draw as many people per game as the other tenants. Often, the only times that these stadiums were filled to anywhere near capacity were for opening day and the playoffs. Due to the need to accommodate other sports, outfield dimensions were almost always symmetrical; in many cases, even the seats right at field level were pushed back from the action. While cost effective to put all teams in one park, these problems eventually caused the parks to become unfashionable.
One other modification—cantilevered upper decks—did not work nearly as well as hoped. Many of the Jewel Box parks had badly obstructed views due to support poles for the upper deck. Cantilevering was thought to be the solution. In practice, this sometimes had the effect of putting fans in the upper deck farther from the field (especially when luxury boxes hung below them), and limited their protection from the elements.
Some multi-purpose parks, such as Dolphin Stadium, were originally built for football. Others, such as Candlestick Park, began as baseball-only parks.
A subset of the multipurpose stadiums were the so called cookie-cutter stadiums which were all very similar in design. They featured a completely circular or nearly circular design, football fields that were placed home plate to center field over the baseball field, tall outer structures and often used artificial turf. The first of these stadiums was RFK Stadium. It was followed during the 1960s and 1970s by Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, Riverfront Stadium, Busch Memorial Stadium, Three Rivers Stadium, and Veterans Stadium. The Astrodome, the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome and the Kingdome are also often considered part of the cookie-cutter subset due to their design conforming to the standard with the addition of a roof. Shea Stadium is also often included in the cookie-cutter subset due to shared design characteristics with the standard cookie-cutter parks. All of these stadiums have either been replaced, refitted to be football-only or, in the case of Shea Stadium and the Metrodome, due to be replaced with baseball-only parks in the near future.
Today, the only multi-purpose stadiums still in use for baseball are the Metrodome, Dolphin Stadium, Oakland Coliseum, and Rogers Centre.
Modern stadiums
While most teams turned to multi-purpose parks, some instead chose to build baseball-only parks. While these modern stadiums went away from the Jewel Box Parks, and incorporated aspects from the multi-purpose parks (such as seating colors other than green and fairly plain concrete exteriors), they had a more intimate feel to them, and, more importantly, were built for baseball. While the multi-purpose parks have become all but extinct, some modern parks, such as Dodger Stadium and Kauffman Stadium, have been hailed for aging beautifully over the decades. Modern parks can be often be identified by cantilevered upper decks, which forgo the larger roofs of Jewel Box Parks with steel columns for smaller roofs that only cover the top rows. Candlestick Park is considered the first modern park, as it was the first to be built entirely of reinforced concrete. It was expanded in 1971 to accommodate football and is now considered a multipurpose stadium.In the 70's, Yankee Stadium, a Jewel Box Park, was rebuilt. As a result, it is arguably considered a modern park, though it retains many of the characteristics of a Jewel Box. (It is slated to be replaced by a second Yankee Stadium, a retro park (see below)).
Examples include Dodger Stadium, Angel Stadium, Kauffman Stadium, U.S. Cellular Field, and Yankee Stadium (post-renovation).
Indoor parks
Although mostly multi-purpose parks, a unique and important type of ballpark is the indoor park. Mostly domes, these parks were covered with a fixed roof. Reasons for this varied. The Astrodome was built to escape parching heat, while the Kingdome was built to escape constant rains. There was little to no outside light, and this caused one of the most distinguishing aspects of an indoor park, the use of artificial turf rather than grass.A park of note is Olympic Stadium in Montreal. The park was designed with a large tower over it, cables coming down to connect to the large oval center of the roof which was supposed to raise when the weather outside was pleasant. However, it never worked, and so what was supposed to be a retractable roof park became an indoor one. The Expos abandoned Canada after the 2004 season, relocating to Washington, D.C. as the Nationals. The Minnesota Twins are building a new open air baseball park to replace the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.
The Metrodome and Tropicana Field are the only active indoor baseball stadiums. Other examples include the Astrodome, the Kingdome and Olympic Stadium.
Retractable roof parks
As mentioned before, the indoor parks were built for several different reasons, chief among those weather. However, as multi-purpose parks became unfashionable, so did the drab indoor parks. Therefore, retractable roof parks were born. These parks allowed shelter from the elements, but could be opened on a nice day. To be able to support the roof, most of these parks were closed in on all sides, although the walls feature openings or windows. Because the roofs need to go somewhere when retracted, most retractable roof parks have a large structure on one side of the park itself, which is used for things such as retail or parking. Notable exceptions include Rogers Centre and Miller Park, whose roofs fold upon themselves in a way that takes up little space when open. The roofs often still hang over the sides of the park, and cast large shadows on the field or stands. This is countered at Miller Park by large panes of glass under the roof.
While most of these parks seal up airtight when the roof is closed, others are at least partially open. The most recently-built parks use natural grass.
Retractable roof parks can either be utilitarian and unadorned, such as Rogers Centre, or infused with retro elements, such as Minute Maid Park.
Examples include Rogers Centre, Chase Field, Safeco Field, Minute Maid Park, and Miller Park.
Retro-classic ballparks
In 1992, Oriole Park at Camden Yards opened in Baltimore as the new home of the Baltimore Orioles. Going in a different direction than the multi-purpose and modern stadiums, Camden Yards harkened back to the old Jewel Box Parks. This began the building of a series of parks known as the retro-classic or simply retro ballparks.
The retro parks shifted back to the use of green seats, use of exposed steel, brick, and stone, and quirky dimensions and features common in the Jewel Box era. The 325/400-foot rule mentioned above has been rarely enforced during this time.
Teams with multi-purpose parks longed for the beautiful and classic look, and began systematically demolishing them and moving to either retro or retractable roof parks. Since Camden Yards opened, 2/3rds of all major league teams have opened new ballparks, each of which contain unique features. Also, each of them were made to be baseball-only.
U.S. Cellular Field, home of the Chicago White Sox, was the last modern park, and was built a year before Camden Yards was built. Just missing the retro movement, it was now viewed as obsolete, and a series of renovations were done, including the changing from a centilever to a flat roof with columns, and the change from a symmetrical outfield to an asymmetrical one.
Examples include Camden Yards, Progressive Field, Coors Field, Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, AT&T Park, Comerica Park, PNC Park, Citizens Bank Park, Busch Stadium, Nationals Park, Citi Field.
Miller Park, Minute Maid Park, Safeco Field, and Chase Field are examples of retro-classic ballparks that feature retractable roofs.
List of Baseball Parks
A list of parks by type/style:
Wooden ballparks
| Stadium | Location | Current Status |
|---|---|---|
| Recreation Park | Detroit | demolished 1894 - now surrounded by Detroit Medical Center |
| Polo Grounds | Manhattan | demolished 1964; now site of public housing project |
| Robison Field | St. Louis | demolished 1926 |
| Huntington Avenue Grounds | Boston | demolished 1912; now site of Solomon Court at Cabot Center |
| South End Grounds | Boston | demolished 1914 |
| Hilltop Park | Manhattan | demolished 1914 |
| Bennett Park | Detroit | demolished 1911-1912 - site of Tiger Stadium (Detroit) (Navin Field) |
| Exposition Park | Pittsburgh | closed 1909; demolished after 1915, later a railroad yard and now a parking lot for PNC Park |
| West Side Park | Chicago | demolished 1915 - now site of University of Illinois College of Medicine Medical Center |
| Hanlan's Point Stadium | Toronto | destroyed by fire 1903; now Hanlan's Point Park |
| Sunlight Park | Toronto | abandoned 1896; now park and highway ramp |
| South Side Park | Chicago | demolished 1940 - now the Chicago Housing Authority's Wentworth Gardens |
Jewel Box Parks
| Stadium | Location | Current Status |
|---|---|---|
| Shibe Park | Philadelphia | demolished 1976 - now the site of an evangelical church |
| Forbes Field | Pittsburgh | demolished 1971 |
| League Park | Cleveland | demolished 1952 - now public park with baseball diamond |
| Braves Field | Boston | demolished 1965 - rebuilt as Nickerson Field |
| Fenway Park | Boston | active |
| Wrigley Field | Chicago | active |
| Yankee Stadium | The Bronx | closed 2008 - to be demolished 2009 and replaced by New Yankee Stadium |
| Polo Grounds | Manhattan | demolished 1964 |
| Ebbets Field | Brooklyn | demolished 1960 |
| Crosley Field | Cincinnati | demolished 1972 |
| Sportsman's Park | St. Louis | demolished 1966; now home to Herbert Hoover Boys and Girls Club |
| Comiskey Park | Chicago | demolished 1991 - now parking lot to U.S. Cellular Field |
| Maple Leaf Stadium | Toronto | demolished 1960 - now site of apartments |
| Tiger Stadium | Detroit | closed - currently being demolished |
Multi-purpose stadiums
| Stadium | Location | Current Status |
|---|---|---|
| The Astrodome | Houston | closed 2003 |
| Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium | Atlanta | demolished 1997; now parking lot for Turner Field |
| Busch Memorial Stadium | St. Louis | demolished 2005; site partially occupied by Busch Stadium |
| Candlestick Park | San Francisco | active - still used by San Francisco 49ers |
| Cleveland Municipal Stadium | Cleveland | demolished 1996; now site of Cleveland Browns Stadium |
| Dolphin Stadium | Miami Gardens | active; Marlins planning to move to a new stadium in 2011 |
| Kingdome | Seattle | demolished 2000; site of Qwest Field |
| Oakland Coliseum | Oakland | active; A's planning to move into a new stadium around 2012 |
| Metrodome | Minneapolis | active; Twins scheduled to move to a new stadium in 2010 |
| Milwaukee County Stadium | Milwaukee | demolished 2001; infield and some surrounding area now a Little League facility known as Helfaer Field, remainder of site now parking for Miller Park |
| Olympic Stadium | Montreal | active - no longer for baseball |
| Riverfront Stadium | Cincinnati | demolished 2002; site of Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum |
| Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium | Washington, DC | active - no baseball since 2007 |
| Rogers Centre | Toronto | active |
| Shea Stadium | Flushing | closed; to be replaced by Citi Field in 2009 |
| Three Rivers Stadium | Pittsburgh | demolished 2001; open area |
| Veterans Stadium | Philadelphia | demolished 2004; now parking lot and sporting facilities |
Modern stadiums
| Stadium | Location | Current Status |
|---|---|---|
| Dodger Stadium | Los Angeles | active |
| Kauffman Stadium | Kansas City | active |
| Candlestick Park | San Francisco | active - football only |
| rebuilt Yankee Stadium (arguably) | The Bronx | closed 2008 - to be demolished in 2009 |
| Angel Stadium | Anaheim | active |
| U.S. Cellular Field | Chicago | active |
Indoor parks
| Stadium | Location | Current Status |
|---|---|---|
| Astrodome | Houston | closed after 1999 season; |
| Kingdome | Seattle | demolished 2000; site of Qwest Field |
| Metrodome | Minneapolis | active |
| Olympic Stadium | Montreal | active - no longer for baseball |
| Tropicana Field | St. Petersburg | active |
Retractable roof parks
| Stadium | Location | Current Status |
|---|---|---|
| Rogers Centre | Toronto | active |
| Miller Park | Milwaukee | active |
| Minute Maid Park | Houston | active |
| Chase Field | Phoenix | active |
| Safeco Field | Seattle | active |
Retro-classic ballparks
| Stadium | Location | Current Status |
|---|---|---|
| Oriole Park at Camden Yards | Baltimore | active |
| Progressive Field | Cleveland | active |
| Coors Field | Denver | active |
| Rangers Ballpark in Arlington | Arlington | active |
| Turner Field | Atlanta | active |
| AT&T Park | San Francisco | active |
| Comerica Park | Detroit | active |
| PNC Park | Pittsburgh | active |
| Great American Ballpark | Cincinnati | active |
| Citizens Bank Park | Philadelphia | active |
| PETCO Park | San Diego | active |
| Busch Stadium | St. Louis | active |
| Nationals Park | Washington, D.C. | active |
| New Yankee Stadium | New York | under construction |
| Citi Field | New York | under construction |
| Target Field | Minneapolis | under construction |
Retro-Retractable Roof Parks
| Stadium | Location | Current Status |
|---|---|---|
| Chase Field | Phoenix | active |
| Safeco Field | Seattle | active |
| Minute Maid Park | Houston | active |
| Miller Park | Milwaukee | active |
Converted Ball Parks
| Stadium | Location | Current Status |
|---|---|---|
| Braves Field | Boston | Active - Converted to a Football Stadium Nickerson Field |
| Exhibition Stadium | Toronto | demolished 1999 - now home to BMO Field |
| Jarry Park Stadium | Montreal | active - converted as a tennis facility. |
Unique features and quirks of current major league parks
- Fenway Park (Boston Red Sox) - Quite possibly the most notoriously quirky ballpark. The aforementioned 37-foot Green Monster — which includes a field-level scoreboard and an elevated ladder (which has no use because of the new seats on top) — leads to unpredicatable ricochets, as do the oddly-angled boundaries in right and center field. Fenway used to have a mound of dirt in left field that caused an outfielder to have to run uphill. It was called "Duffy's Cliff" after left fielder Duffy Lewis. Fenway's right field is also notable, with "Pesky's Pole" (named for former Red Sox, Johnny Pesky) just 302 feet from home plate, but then the fence runs virtually straight away from home to 380 in deep right.
- Wrigley Field (Chicago Cubs) - The brick wall surrounding the outfield is covered with ivy, a perennial that leafs out in early-mid May and drops its leaves in early October. The rest of the year, the vines are bare. From time to time, a batted ball will become lodged in the vines, or even its bare branches, and become a Ground rule double. The park's close proximity to Lake Michigan affects the wind currents from day to day or even hour to hour. When the wind is blowing in, the park becomes a pitcher's park despite its cozy power alleys. When the wind is blowing out, however, it becomes a hitter's park. The lack of a second deck in the outfield seating enhances the wind effects. It also allows residents of the flats across the streets to get relatively unobstructed views of the field, and some owners have even installed small grandstands on top of their buildings. Wrigley Field was the last MLB park to install field lights; the first night home game for the Cubs took place in 1988.
- Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles Dodgers) - The view beyond the outfield is dominated by hills, and on one of these hills sits large block letters that spell out "THINK BLUE". There is also a large pillar sticking out beyond home plate atop the upper level seats, that bears the Dodgers logo. The setting sun reflects off those hills and can give the pitchers a distinct advantage, which the Dodgers have capitalized upon frequently.
- Angel Stadium of Anaheim (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) - Beyond the left field fence is a rock outcropping with water running down the center of it. At the top is three logs forming an "A". The roof over the dugouts continues, connecting the two to form a dugout-level seating. The parking lot contains a large "A" with a halo, which once held the stadium's scoreboard. There are also two giant red caps at the front gate.
- Oakland Coliseum (Oakland Athletics) - The Oakland Coliseum is absolutely dominated by a section of seating derisively known as "Mount Davis". In order to lure the Raiders football team from Los Angeles back to Oakland, seats needed to be added to satisfy owner Al Davis. Thus, the 6-floor seating area was added, blocking the view of the mountains beyond.
- Kauffman Stadium (Kansas City Royals) - The stadium is noted for having the best hitters background in the American League and for having a 322-foot fountain, the largest privately-funded fountain in the world. Great Royal players such as Amos Otis, Frank White, Hal McRae, Bret Saberhagen, and George Brett gained fame as players playing in this ballpark.
- The Metrodome (Minnesota Twins) - In addition to the blue plastic screen in right, the Metrodome once had a giant inflated mockup of a Land O'Lakes gallon milk bottle just outside of the right field fence. The stadium also has speakers hanging from the roof which sometimes figure into play. Over the years the roof has become more and more soiled, and can be a nightmare for outfielders unfamiliar with it that are trying to follow the flight of a batted ball. Designed with primarily football in mind, the result is a rectangular, rather an a square or oval, outfield.
- Rogers Centre (Toronto Blue Jays)- The first retractable roof over a baseball stadium rests here, and is a unique system, with the larger section folding into a smaller semi-circle that looms over the field. Under this sits glassed-in seating and one of the world's largest Jumbotron screens. The CN Tower stands tall over the park, which was built next to its base. This stadium is the last of the "squared-circle" designs that were similar to the abandoned Qualcomm Stadium and the now-demolished Veterans Stadium.
- U.S. Cellular Field (Chicago White Sox) - The old Comiskey Park was well known for what was known as the "Exploding Scoreboard". This scoreboard was re-incarnated in the new park, although in a smaller version. Holding a huge video screen, the scoreboard features sound effects and fireworks that go off after wins and home runs, and is topped by iconic spinning pinwheels.
- Oriole Park at Camden Yards (Baltimore Orioles) - Camden Yards is the park that began the retro ballpark craze. Its green seats, its brick and steel finish, and its irregular grandstand configuration all hearken back to the old days. Beyond the bleachers in left and left center is a wall of brick columns with black iron gates. Beyond that looms the large B&O warehouse, a very prominent feature of the park.
- Dolphin Stadium (Florida Marlins)- Designed for football, with modifications to allow a baseball field. Left field is necessarily cozy, neutralized somewhat by a 33-foot high fence across most, though not all, of left field. The fence is known as the "Teal Tower" and often knocks down potential home runs in the power alley.
- Progressive Field (Cleveland Indians) - Cleveland has a 19-foot left field wall, known as "The Little Green Monster," complete with a digital scoreboard embedded in the wall, installed in 2004.
- Rangers Ballpark in Arlington (Texas Rangers) - The exterior is a solid one of brick and features stone longhorn steer heads. The stadium is completely closed in, with offices walling in the space beyond the outfield. This can create a swirling wind effect that gives some hits a bit of lift they would not get otherwise. Right-center field fence has an inward "jog", a feature of artificial quirkiness that several recent ballparks have included.
- Coors Field (Colorado Rockies) - While most stadiums' batter's eyes are dark colored walls or patches of grass, Coors Field takes the opportunity to feature a scene of Colorado nature. The area, which sits in front of a tall green wall, is a large rock outcropping with a few ponds and waterfalls, and a number of evergreen trees. Atop this "rockpile" is a standalone and very distant bleacher section. The higher altitude and lower air density of Denver, as with other higher-altitude cities such as Atlanta, also figure into the uniqueness of the ballpark.
- Turner Field (Atlanta Braves) - It started out as the stadium for the 1996 Olympics, and soon afterward was turned (as planned) into the new stadium for the Braves. The outline of the stands that once extended far beyond the outfield fences is expressed by a line of columns, the extra area forming the Grand Entry Plaza that welcomes many Braves fans.
- Tropicana Field (Tampa Bay Rays) - Tropicana Field is a field that has had its share of criticisms. The major one has to do with its catwalks. Four catwalks encircle the dome's interior, with the two towards the infield being in play. A ball hit off of them can be caught for an out. The two towards the outfield are out of play, and, when hit, are either a home run or a foul ball, depending on where it hits in relation to the foul poles.
- Chase Field (Arizona Diamondbacks) - Due to the hot Phoenix weather, Chase is fully air conditioned. It is the only park in baseball to mix a retractable roof, air conditioning, and a grass playing field. It also has a pool in the outfield, which can be rented by spectators. The field itself is graced by a distinctive dirt strip between home plate and the pitching mound. Once uniformly common in early baseball parks, this strip is present in only two modern parks.
- Safeco Field (Seattle Mariners) - Safeco has a retractable roof. While most retractable roofs form a complete enclosure, Safeco's forms more of an umbrella. The roof is supported by large steel structures that run on tracks, and these structures are very open, barely obscuring the view to the outside. The stadium is shielded from the rain, but is still very open.
- AT&T Park (San Francisco Giants) - An arm of San Francisco Bay is just outside of the right field fence. The area is called McCovey Cove (named for former Giants slugger Willie McCovey), and is often filled with boaters hoping to catch baseballs hit out of the park (a baseball will float in the water initially), just as fans used to empty the right field bleachers at Candlestick Park and gather on the flat ground when McCovey would come to bat. The right field line is rather close, and although the wall angles away sharply, a "jog" in right-center neutralizes that angle somewhat. There is a special scoreboard near the right field wall that counts how many fair balls have been hit into the bay during game play by the San Francisco Giants (called "Splash Hits"). Many of those have been hit by Barry Bonds, the left-handed slugger whose presence strongly influenced the design of the ballpark, as legend says Yankee Stadium's short porch was for Ruth.
- Comerica Park (Detroit Tigers) - Two brick walls flank the batter's eye, the names of those important to the organization and the Tigers' retired numbers painted in white on them. Above the left field wall, Comerica has its own monument park filled with large statues to the Tiger greats. Over the left field stands, one can see Ford Field looming, which was built in the same project as the park. The scoreboard is topped by two large tigers, and when a home run is hit, their eyes light up and the sound of a tiger growl is played over the speakers. Beyond the outfield is a great view of downtown Detroit, including the Wyland Whale mural, although this was covered with a Verizon ad during the 2006 postseason. The problem with this is that downtown is south of the stadium, and therefore gives the majority of the spectators and the batter an eyeful of sunlight as the sun sets. The park started its life with an extremely deep left-center field, but the fences have since been changed.
- Minute Maid Park (Houston Astros) - A train filled with giant oranges runs forward and back along the left outfield when home runs are hit. Also, center field features an uphill incline known as "Tal's Hill", much like old Crosley Field in Cincinnati and the former Duffy's Cliff at Fenway Park in Boston except that it was created as a decoration as opposed to being required due to the grade of the land. It is the only park in major league baseball with a flagpole in play, another purely decorative feature borrowed from the old Tiger Stadium in Detroit. First baseman Richie Sexson, then of the Milwaukee Brewers, is the only player to have hit the flagpole during a game. Its cozy dimensions, especially in left field, have led to its being called the "Juice Box". The Astros have been competitive in the early years of the ballpark, and the stadium fans can be very noisy when the roof is closed.
- Miller Park (Milwaukee Brewers) - Like Safeco Field, Miller Park has a retractable roof. In the left field corner houses "Bernie's Dugout", which is the home of the Brewers mascot, Bernie Brewer. At the beginning of the game, after every Brewers home run, and if the Brewers win, fireworks go off and Bernie slides down his slide. He also hangs "K"s to signify strikeouts. In 2006, a picnic area was added in right field. The retractable roof is unique in that it folds and unfolds like a fan, from a single pivot point, rather than sliding in parallel sections as most do. The arc-shaped trusses needed to support this roof make the ballpark nearly twice as high as it would be without a roof, dominating its surroundings.
- PNC Park (Pittsburgh Pirates) - The park was built on the Allegheny River, and its low walls behind the outfield seats allow for a stunning view of the river and skyline of downtown Pittsburgh that rests on the other side.
- Great American Ball Park (Cincinnati Reds) - Sitting on the Ohio River, the park has the same relationship to the water that AT&T and PNC have. Beyond the right-center fence sits two large steamboat smokestacks that belch smoke, flash lights, and shoot fireworks to incite the crowd or celebrate an act of the home team. The most prominent feature is a large gap in the grandstand. As the outfield is towards the river, and away from downtown Cincinnati, there is a large gap in the grandstands that allow a view out to the city from the park, and vice-versa. To one side of the gap, there are three seating levels, and on the other, there are two.
- Citizens Bank Park (Philadelphia Phillies) - Citizens Bank Park has a giant Liberty Bell that lights up and rings as it moves from side to side. Outfield fence has a "jog" similar to the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, except it's in left-center.
- PETCO Park (San Diego Padres) - A challenging factor in the design of this stadium was the presence of a historic structure, the Western Metal Supply Company Building, on the proposed ballpark site. Instead of being demolished, the building was integrated into the stadium, with the team store on the first floor and the other floors converted to suites. In fact, its southeast corner serves as the left field foul pole.
- Busch Stadium (St. Louis Cardinals) - The stadium is very open, allowing a great view of St. Louis, including its iconic arch. The old manual scoreboards that showed the scores around the league, were installed up on the walls of the inside concourse, still in the same configuration they were in the day the Cardinals played their last game in the old stadium.
- Nationals Park (Washington Nationals) - The park, located on the Anacostia River, provides views of the river as well as the dome of the Capitol Building and Washington Monument. The seats in left field are lined along the rear with cherry trees.
External links
- Baseball Park facts, figures, photos, and more at Ballparks.com
- Satellite and Aerial Photography of American League Stadiums
- Satellite and Aerial Photos of National League Stadiums
See also
- List of baseball parks by capacity
- List of Major League Baseball stadiums
- List of U.S. baseball stadiums by capacity
- List of Jewel Box Parks
- List of terraces at baseball venues
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Last updated on Saturday October 11, 2008 at 18:26:02 PDT (GMT -0700)
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