Where have you seen MLB games? The Ballpark Thread

[Wells]

I'm fortunate enough to have witnessed a game at many MLB parks across the country and I have a goal of hopefully seeing all of them before my last day on Earth... Fortunately I've been able to tear through quite a few before I turned 33 this past January.. Here's my list and a short description of my impression of each park I've attended:

 

Fenway Park - Do I really need to get into detail here? One thing I can say is that of all the places I've seen a game, no place compares to the electricity that the fans generate on their own.. there's truly something special about it and we should be proud to say we OWN it.

 

Metrodome - Easily the worst place I ever saw a game. It was the closest park to me for the past 10 years until Target Field opened up in 2010. Sightlines were crap, lights too bright, seats aligned for football.. Dome Dogs were cool though and getting a ticket was easy (and cheap) as hell.

 

Target Field - nice replacement for the 'Dome.. good sightlines and the price isn't terrible for a new Park.. concourses aren't as big as I think they should be but at least you can see the field from almost anywhere.. upper deck in LF is too steep and you can't see the warning track up there.. Legend's Club is the best place to sit if you catch a game here

 

Wrigley Field - It's like someone decided to plop an old park in the middle of a village. If you wanna see how Grandpa went to a game then this is it.. no fancy scoreboards and the only time the PA gets loud is during the 7th inning stretch.. the field itself is gorgeous though.. Cubs fans seem more interested in beer than baseball though.. also, getting here is a real pain in the ass. good luck finding parking.. it's way worse than The Fens in that regard.

 

US Cellular Field - This place has some loud and rowdy fans.. There's nothing here that blows your mind but it's quite suitable for a game.. it's easy to get to and the atmosphere can get pretty electric. I think ChiSox fans care more than Cubbies fans. Doing it on the Southside feels more dangerous as well.. in a fun way.

 

Progressive Field - This place is pretty amazing. Sightlines are almost perfect and it's the easiest park to drive to that I've ever been. The Angels were in town this night but for some reason all they wanted to do between innings on the video board is s*** on the Yankees (not that it's a bad thing haha).. Video board is tremendous as well. Tribe fans are lucky to have it.

 

Great American Ballpark - I'd like to get back to this one someday as the weather made it hard to enjoy. But I did like it. It's close to downtown and parking is kind of confusing (lots are underneath some of the highways that wrap around Cincy) but the riverboat is cool and I like that it was built on the river. The upper deck seemed very high here and there's an odd break in it above the 3rd base on deck circle. they did a really good job in maintaining the history of the Oldest Professional Baseball Team though. I felt like Cincinnati was a baseball town while I was there.

 

PNC Park - If it wasn't for my bias toward the Red Sox I'd put PNC at the TOP of the list. This is the perfect place to watch a baseball game HANDS DOWN and if you ever wanna see the Sox on the road I highly recommend it. BEST sightlines and being able to park across the Allegheny River and walk across the Clemente Bridge on your way in is also fantastic as you can see directly into the field as you walk across. Excellent job on facing the skyline too. Too bad Pittsburgh doesn't field a major league team here.

 

Citizen's Bank Ballpark - Philly has awesome fans and the legends of heckling are true as far as I'm concerned. It's a lot of brick in one place but the park itself is beautiful and you feel very close to the action no matter where you are. You can also hang out directly above the bullpen and see pitchers warming up closer than anywhere I've been. It's kinda far from the city but why do people need to go into Philadelphia anyway?

 

Old Yankee Stadium - This was a MONSTROUS place to see a game. The size of it blew me away the 1st time. I hated the concourses though and wasn't too keen on the bleachers being separated from the rest of the place. Monument Park was pretty cool to see but I'm not a huge fan of blue for a ballpark. Green makes it easier to see everything IMO. I was also there for the Final Game. It was just a giant. Intimidating is a good word.

 

Tropicana Field - For a dome it isn't that bad.. It's still a dome though. I thought the sightlines were pretty good here and getting in was EASY and AWESOME (scored $120 luxury seat for $20) .. It's kinda like walking into a large strip mall when you walk through the doors though.. The Park is in a real s*** hole of a neighborhood as well and I was thankful that my car didn't get broken into when I returned. I was never a fan of regular season baseball in Florida anyway.

 

Kauffman Stadium - I love this ballpark but if you want stuff to do around it before the game then I hope hanging out in a parking lot and staring at Arrowhead Stadium is your idea of a good time.. there is NOTHING around Kauffman besides 2 hotels and a BP.. you can drive 25 minutes into Kansas City and check out the Negro League Museum though.. I enjoyed it

 

I'll be seeing Coors Field for the first time next week and I'm pretty excited about it.. 55,000 seats may have been a bit much though.. we'll see

 

If anyone wants to add there $0.02 to this feel free.. Any parks you've been too that weren't mentioned here? Anything I didn't mention about a place that you remember from one of the parks mentioned? I just wanted to have a ballpark discussion thread

 

[wyo-sox]

First big league game I went to about ten years ago was Twins Yankees in the dome. More recently I caught a couple games in Cinncinati. Most recently I saw the Red Sox play at Target Field.

 

My future plans..... We can fly from Wyoming to Los Angeles for next to nothing so wife and I are planning our vacation next year there when the Red Sox play the Angels. And some day of course when finances allow I will make the trip to Fenway.

[ORS]

In the order that I went to them....

 

Memorial Park (before Camden)

Camden Yards

Coors Field

Tropicana Park

Fenway Park

Minute Maid Park

 

I hope to get up to Arlington next year to catch a Rangers/Sox game. And the next time I'm in DC (dad lives there and it's the home office of the company I work for) during the summer, I'll catch Nats game.

[jopete19]

My goal in life is to visit all MLB Stadiums. Here's the list i've been too:

 

Kauffman Stadium

Target Field

Wrigley Field

Fenway Park

US Cellular

 

My favorite personally has to be Target Field. I love the location.

[Flynnatic10]

Progessive Field- Guardians won 5-4 against the Yankees!

[Wells]

Well.. I recently came back from Denver and saw Coors Field.. great place.. easy to get to and they actually let you bring your own drinks and food cooler in the stadium.. I wasn't big on the PA guy as he seemed very drab so I don't know if it was the team or if that's "just the way it is" these days..

 

anyway I had tickets in the upper deck behind home and moved down by the 3rd.. ushers came to make sure I didn't have Rock Pile tickets and when he saw I didn't he basically told me I could go closer to the field.. so that was nice.. great sightlines here too.. the bullpen reminded me of the one in Philly where you can stand above the relievers and talk s*** if you like..

 

there's also a row in the upper deck that's all purple seats around the park.. those indicate that you're sitting at one mile above sea level.. and BP is amazing there

[jacksonianmarch]

Fenway, Shea Stadium, old Yankee Stadium, new Yankee Stadium, Chase Field

[jacksonianmarch]

Wells, if you thought the old YS was massive, wait until you see the new one. It is easily the most impressive ballpark I have been in. Chase Field is the second. What a nice field, climate controlled and cheap as hell. 25 bucks got me a 1st row seat

[Divinity]

old/new Yankee Stadium, Shea Stadium, Citi Field

[TheMeanWalrus]

Fenway Park - easily 200 games since my first on July 27, 1976, a 9-8 over Cleveland, if memory serves me right. Other big games at Fenway:

 

- 9/27/86 Bruce Hurst 9 inning shutout beating Toronto 2-0 puts the Sox on the brink of the AL East title

 

- and the next day .... 9/28/86, Oil Can Boyd beats Toronto 12-2 to clinch the East. If anyone has this on tape, 15 yr old TMW is in the crowd holding a "Red Sox Will Bring the Angels Down to Earth" sign

 

- 10/6/90 - My first playoff game, the birth of Mrs Dave Stewart as all world superstar Gutless Roger Clemens comes out in the 6th inning and the Sox get pounded, 10-1 or something like that

 

- 10/16/99 - down 2-0 in the ALCS to the Yankees, the Matchup of the Decade, Clemens vs Pedro on a gorgeous fall afternoon on Boston. Pedro strikes out 12 over 7 innings allowing two hits, Clemens, predictably, can't handle the big stage and is yanked after giving up 6 in two innings

 

- 10/13/03 - Game 4 ALCS, Tim Wakefield beats the Yanks 3-2

 

- 10/6/04 - Game 2, ALDS, Pedro beats the Angels

 

- 10/12/07 - Game 1 ALCS, Sox pound Sabathia, Beckett shuts down Cleveland

 

And the coup de gras ....

 

10/25/07 - Game 2 of the World Series, Schiling out-duels Ubaldo Jiminez 2-1

 

Back to the topic .... other stadiums:

2. Olympic Stadium in Montreal

3. Candlestick Parkin San Fran

4. Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland

5. The Big A in Anaheim (old stadium)

6. The new Angel Field in Anaheim

7. Yankee Stadium in the Bronx

8. Camden Yards in Baltimore

9. Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia

10. Shea Stadium in Queens

[iortiz]

I haven't been in a ballpark not even once. But next year I swear I'll be in Fenway, doesn't matter how or what, but I'll be there, count on that.

[Cocos Disciples]

Fenway, Old YS, New YS, Shea, Camden, Nationals, Citizens Bank, Wrigley, US Cellular, Turner, Safeco, Coors.

 

Been to each of them once, except Fenway (a lot) and Camden (5ish).

 

On MeanWalrus' note, the most memorable games I've been to are: Game 5 of the 2004 ALCS, Game 1 of the 2007 WS, Game 4 of the 2003 ALCS, Dice-K's first game at Fenway (against Felix Hernandez, too), and a game in 2001 (maybe) when Scott Hatteberg hit a grand slam and hit into a triple play. That has to be the only time that's happened, right?

[yankees228]

I've been to every current stadium except for Washington. Also been to about ten old stadiums.

[Divinity]

Any reason in particular for skipping Washington?

[yankees228]

Any reason in particular for skipping Washington?

 

Just haven't found the opportunity to get the new one ... I will eventually. I've been to RFK though. Definitely looking forward to National Park though, I've heard good things.

[jacksonianmarch]

Was at citizens bank park tonite and watched the phils clinch. Kinda cool

[Wells]

Was at citizens bank park tonite and watched the phils clinch. Kinda cool

 

I love that place.. they did a really nice job in Philly

[jacksonianmarch]

And eating a Tony Luke's cheesesteak or pork sandwich doesnt hurt either

[3rdManOut]

I have been to Fenway (of course), Shea and the old Yankee Stadium. Also have been to Wrigley Field. For those that have been to both the old and new Yankee Stadiums, which one did you like better?

[jopete19]

I've been to every current stadium except for Washington. Also been to about ten old stadiums.

 

How long did it take you to visit all of them?

[MDF3530]

I know this thread has been done (to death) before, but I'll play:

 

US Cellular

Wrigley

Comiskey Park (RIP)

 

Also went to Olympic Stadium in Montreal, but not for a baseball game.

 

Also, on road trips to California and Canada and the East Coast, have driven by Jack Murphy, Dodger Stadium, Anaheim Stadium, Candlestick Park, Oakland Coliseum, Exhibition Stadium, Old Yankee Stadium and Fenway.