Declare Yourself!

[Lions/Tigers@Cubs.OhMy!]

I've been trolling this site for weeks now and have read some interesting and insightful things. As fans of America's past-time and the parks they're played in, I want the regulars to declare their team allegiances, favorite parks, what characteristics they like in a ball park and what they hate.

I've read a lot of criticism about HOK but I must say I'd take the "retro" ball park styling over this newer modern architecture that is being seen in Cincinnati and Minnesota. I'm a huge fan of the tradition of the game and its parks and my favorite feature was the right field overhang in Detroit. Especially when they put the net up in the late sixties making a home run only accessible by hitting it into the upper deck. That said, I feel any new park built above the mason-Dixon line in this era that doesn't have a retractable roof is ridiculous. This is coming from someone who spent 700+ dollars for a seat to see the Tigers get their only World Series win last year in the cold, cold rain and snow.

So what are you thoughts? I'd like to use this forum as chance for everyone to quickly pull their opinions together for newbies like me to know who you are in the future.... what'dya think? thank!

[Elvis]

Well my team "allegiance" is with the Los Angeles Dodgers--I'm an Angelino, born and raised.As a kid I liked both the Dodgers and California Angels, but as time went on I became more of a Dodger fan, and the Anaheim name change put the final nail in the coffin.

My favorite ballpark is Chavez Ravine, simply because it's...home. So many happy memories and such a direct link, via sights, sounds and smells to my childhood. It also happens to be a fantastic ballpark that is only getting better as the years go by with the thoughtful renovations and improvements.

As some of you know my passion in life is designing and crafting concept model ballparks. I get my design inspirations from the world of architecture, not ballpark design, although I think I have a fairly keen sense of what works and what doesn't in stadium design.

I consider ballparks buildings first, worthy of great architectural design. I don't subscribe to the theory that "a ballpark must look like a ballpark", whatever that means. I like stadia, like all buildings, that exhibit originality, vision, sound design and a seamless blend of form and function. I am not a fan of tired, stale, repeat designs, and design elements, found in so many of the recently constructed ballparks, nor of schizophrenic architecture of ballparks like the one in Cincinnati.

I also have a thing for cantilevers, and often when I'm working on a design and get "stuck", I often think to myself, "What would Frank Lloyd Wright do?"

[Gary Dunaier]

My "home" ballpark is Shea Stadium. One of its design elements I like is that the seats were designed to face second base, so unless you're sitting in a Field Level box you've got a pretty good view of what's going on.

I don't like "manufactured" asymmetry. I understand and accept that the classic ballparks had them because the property they were on demanded it. But if you're building a stadium in the middle of a parking lot, you're not in a confined space and there is absolutely no reason in the world to make the field aysmmetrical!!!!! (Hello, Arlington!)

[Sean O]

I think the biggest issue with ballparks in America, and it's a problem that's been going on forever in architecture, is that people think the style is the most important part. People at this point will take a poorly designed park with red brick on the exterior over a beton brut concrete bowl or structural steel park that's actually designed well.

The red brick neoclassicism is a fad just like Richardson Romanesque for train stations of the late 19th century, Art Deco theatres of the 20s, and soulless glass blocks of the 70s and 80s. I've heard countless times upon denouncing the retro parks, about how bad the multipurpose parks of the 60s were, as if vindicating red brick as a style. And yet, when you look at Kauffman or Dodger Stadium, which have all of the benefits of the retro parks without any Postmodernism crap hanging off of it, it's clear that a well designed park will triumph in the end.

Because cities are clueless enough to continually ask HoK to design their parks, we now have ~20 parks that are all fundamentally the same. The exterior treatment doesn't matter, because is there any real difference between the Nationals new park and CitiField? Stadia around the world are being designed with incredible new technologies embedded into the structure, which greatly increase patron comfort and access, and we're stuck on whether a park has red brick or a locally mined stone tacked onto the outside.

There is nothing genuine in the red brick to begin with, and so the entire concept is meaningless. If we were really trying to remind ourselves of the monuments of that era, we'd have parks like the Faguswërks, Daily News Building or Fallingwater.

[icee82]

My favorite team has always been the Cincinnati Reds. I have ridden the waves over 35 years through the good, the great, the bad, and the really ugly times. I have been fortunate enough to see the Reds play in five World Series which is much more than many fans can ever say.

My favorite park...or where my heart is would have to be at old Riverfront Stadium. Why? There were a lifetime of great memories made at that park although it was a cookie cutter, multi-purpose facility.

Overall...my favorite park in baseball has to be Wrigley Field. The tradition, the history, and the fanaticism of the Cubs' fans.

[Lafferty Daniel]

Welcome, Lions/Tigers@Cubs...nice name. (It'll be interesting to see Kevin Jones back with the Lions.)

I grew up in San Francisco & Minneapolis, became a Twins fan, and adopted Dodger Stadium as my home park when I moved back to California. Candlestick was the first park that I've been to, and I was too young to experience a game at the Ol' Met in Bloomington. The Metrodome never felt like home even though I had some great memories there like Game 7 of the '91 World Series.

I don't care what teams decide to build as long as it's thoughtful. Unfortunately, like the film business, it's too easy for the people involved to say no to fresh ideas.

[Yankeefan90]

My home ballpark is Yankee Stadium. I not going to state what my favorite team is, if you can't tell by the name. I love the history of Yankee Stadium, and the history of the team. It gives the Stadium that certain aura of greatness, regardless of the horrible renovation they did in the 70's. The atmosphere at the stadium is great.

I like history in a ballpark, and being able to see the action from the upper deck. I like fans that are lively in a ballpark. Although I'll be sad to see the current Stadium go, I'm looking forward to the new Stadium. I look foward to bringing that same tradition and making new history in the new place as well as bringing over the same feeling and atmosphere.

I don't like all the corporatism in a ballpark. I mean an advertisement here and there is fine but I don't like stadiums being named after McDonalds and half the sections are named after Coca-Cola and M&M's. Luxury Boxes are a bit too much in the ballparks today, and the prices are too high for the average fan. What ever happened to $5-$10 tickets and soda, hot dogs and crakerjacks all together for the price of $5-$6.

[Stray Cat]

I'm an Oakland A's fan, and the Coliseum is where I've been to the most games and seen some great players. Kirby Puckett, Carlton Fisk, Edgar Martinez, Pedro,
Jeff Bagwell, along with the A's, the list goes on and on.
The Royals are closer now and at least they play the A's.
I prefer a small stadium with lots of parking for tail gating. :gt

[Onemoredayatshea27]

Shea Stadium. Those Neon Figures flashing at night is one of the coolest things at a ballpark:D

[jimmyjimjimz]

I'm a Yankees fan. I have no clue what "home stadium" actually means, oh well. Anyway, I grew up going to Yankee Stadium, and every once in a while I'd go to Shea, and I think the best thing about Yankee Stadium is Monument Park. Every time I go to a game, I try to go to Monument Park if I have time. I also love the atmosphere around the stadium before and after the game. I went to a bar outside The Stadium with my dad just before we went inside The Stadium on July 4th. It was a great party atmosphere. I was there when they won the 1998 american league championship and the 2000 american league championship. I could imagine how the bars were back then (I wasn't 21 yet then, so I couldn't go). Especially after the 2000 ALCS. We were FINALLY gonna beat the Mets in the World Series.

What I hate about Yankee Stadium is that the halls aren't wide enough. Yankee Stadium was built in 1923. The average person in 1923 weighed probably 90-120 lbs. Right now, the average person weighs around 150-200 lbs. You got 50,000 150lb guys trying to exit a stadium that was built before World War II, someone's obviously gonna get hurt. After game 1 of the 2000 World Series, it took us about an hour and a half to walk out of the stadium. We were in the upper deck, but I feel the halls should be a little bit wider, and there should be more exits.

What I don't like about other stadiums:
I don't like that there's a pool in Arizona, I think it's really dangerous to swim in a pool when you can possibly get hit with a ball when you're underwater. If they moved the pool up to the top of the building, that would be much better, and safer.

I don't like that most stadiums are getting corporate names now. If 20 years from now I gotta go see the Knicks play at The Cablevision Garden, that'll be a sad day.

Obviously food prices and ticket prices and beer prices are way too high. It'd be nice if Major League Baseball did a promotion with all the food vendors at the stadiums and did like a retro price month or something like that.

[Gary Dunaier]

I have no clue what "home stadium" actually means, oh well.
Your "home" ballpark is the one you go to most frequently. As a Mets fan :dismay: , that means Shea Stadium is my "home" ballpark.

Your "home" ballpark has to be an existing facility. Once Citi Field opens, that will become my "home" ballpark (presuming I'll be able to get tickets).

[jimmyjimjimz]

Your "home" ballpark is the one you go to most frequently. As a Mets fan :dismay: , that means Shea Stadium is my "home" ballpark.

Your "home" ballpark has to be an existing facility. Once Citi Field opens, that will become my "home" ballpark (presuming I'll be able to get tickets).

ok so then my home ballpark is Yankee Stadium. My away ballpark I guess would be Shea, or The Garden. Does The Garden count? I've been to The Garden more often than Shea in the past 10 years.

[stlfan]

Well, I am a St. Louis Cardinals fan, whether they play good or bad. I bleed Cardinal red. I've been living in St. Louis since I was 2. I grew up going to games at Busch Stadium II. I have been a ballpark fanatic ever since I visited the Cardinals Hall of Fame when I was 6 or 7. They had 2 scale models of old Sportsmans Park and Busch Stadium II and that is when I got hooked. The following Easter my parents bought me "Take Me Out to the Ballpark: Revised 2nd Edition." I have been collecting ballpark books ever since and trying to go to as many ballparks as possible.

It is hard to say what my favorite ballpark is. I guess I would have to say Busch Stadium III because it is home to my Cardinals. Busch II was my favorite before since I grew up going to games there with my parents and my grandpa. Busch III quickly overtook Busch II because finally baseball in St. Louis finally has a beautiful view of downtown. Busch II was great and in my opinion the best of the cookie-cutters. Busch III still has the same smell and atmosphere as the old place but it is a great upgrade to a baseball only facility. The fact that the Cardinals quickly created great history in the new place has definately helped the transition.

I have been to many ballparks in the country but here are my top 5 not including Busch II or III.

1. Camden Yards - I remember walking through the tunnel and seeing the field. I felt like a kid again and felt that this must have been what it was like when people walked into Yankee Stadium when it first opened. I was there in 1993 and went to the game right before the All-Star Game. I also went to the homerun derby.

2. Fenway Park - Ever since I was a kid and saw pictures, etc. of Fenway with its green monster I have longed to go there. In 1994 I went on a family trip to Cleveland, Cooperstown and Boston. We went on a tour and the highlight was walking on the field and touching the green monster. I also was with my cousin who had press passes so we were on the field prior to the game and got great seats in section 21, row 10 right behind home plate.

3. Yankee Stadium - I know it was the renovated version (since I was born after it was renovated) but I still was in awe. Just walking into the building and seeing the field was like a religious experience. Ok, I hate the Yankees, but I respect their tradition and most of all Yankee Stadium. Again this trip my cousin and I had press passes and were down on the field prior to the game.

4. Tiger Stadium - My dad had grown up in Detriot and went to games all the time as a kid. It was great going to a game with he and my mom back in 1993. My dad's family up there has connections and we sat in the first row of the upper deck behind (or shall I say above) the visitors dugout. Truely amazing how close one is to the action there.

5. Comerica Park - I have heard people on this board badmouth Comerica, but I think it is mainly badmouthed because of what it replaced. It is a very nice intament ballpark. Sure it isn't as intament as Tiger was but it doesn't overdo itself with luxury suites and I like that it is only double decked. Peple also have gripes with the farris wheel and other attractions, but they are enough out of the way that they don't distract if you are there to watch a game.

Well, I know that's more than was asked but I thought I would just give more insight as to who I am and what I like.

[curb my enthusiasm]

I am a Yankee fan. I have mixed feelings about Yankee Stadium. It looks great on the exterior and interior, but the concourses are terrible. It's dark, smelly, and you have a claustrophoic feeling walking down the halls underneath the stands. I refuse to sit anywhere in the upper deck except for directly behind home plate. As many of you know, if you sit alongside either baseline, you can't see about a third of the outfield.

I understand the history of Yankee Stadium, but it's time for a new one. After visiting Citizens Bank Park two years ago, I know what us Yankee fans are missing out on. Many people say that the New Yankee Stadium won't be as good, but I think it will be spectacular. And you can't really tell much from the pictures. Wait until it's completely built before judging it.

My least favorite of the new ballparks is Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati. I don't know what it is, but I don't think it looks all that nice. It almost has kind of a generic feel to it.

My two favorite new ballparks are PETCO Park and AT&T Park in San Francisco. I've got to get out to California someday so that I can visit them. But the next ballpark I want to see is Camden Yards in Baltimore. It's been around for at least a decade and a half, and I still haven't seen a game there yet. Being the first "retro" ballpark, it's also still one of the best, judging from what I've seen in high definition television.

My biggest pet peeve about all of these retro ballparks is that they almost always use the same boring dark green color for the seats. I know I said I didn't like GABP, but at least they used red seats.

[Lions/Tigers@Cubs.OhMy!]

Wow, everyone... thanks for your posts. I'm always amazed at what makes people fans of a certain team. It's amazing how often it's more then their general location.
To Lafferty: Yeah, I'm excited about Jones, especially after yesterday! I guess I should explain my name so I'm not thought to be the biggest bandwagon jumper of all time. My entire family (both parental sides) lived and lives in Detroit. My parents both lived there until I was three when we moved to a suburb of Chicago. I was seven when the Tigers won the World Series and I remember watching it with my dad declaring Alan Trammell my favorite player and the Tigers my favorite Team. I also remember my dad brainwashing mea s a child.... "you root for two teams in Chicago. The Cubs and who ever is playing the White Sox" (His first game at Briggs Stadium, when he was a kid, the Tigers lost to W.Sox in extra innings). As I grew older, and living so close to Chicago, I walked away from baseball for a few years when the strike happened, only to be sucked back in during the McGuire/Sosa home run race which also somehow tricked me into also becoming a tortured Cubs fan.
There is a long fater son history in my family with baseball and it was brought to mind last Saturday when my father and I went to the sox Tigers game. He told a guy behind us that he went to the '68 World Series with his dad and he went to the '06 Series with his Son. I guess, that's why even though I watch the Cubs everyday, I'm still a die hard Detroit sports fan.
That said, Wrigley would be my "Home Stadium" though I believe I've been to both Comerica and Tiger Stadium more times. I don't like Comerica because the elevation in the lower section isn't high enough to see through the person sitting infront of you and the upper deck site lines are just weird in most places of the park. As I stated before, my favorite seat ever was in right field of Tiger Stadium hanging over the field.
As for Wrigley, my best friends is one of those fanatical guys that I haven't seen not wearing some Cubs logo in probably 10 years... When I take him to any of the new stadiums.... he usually sighs and says... it's time... they have to do something about Wrigley.

[PeteU]

I was born and raised a Baltimore Orioles fan, and they will first and foremost be considered "my" team, the team I will root for in each and every imaginable circumstance.

However, upon moving to South Florida, I've grown a strong affinity towards the Florida Marlins, especially after the excitement of 2003. They will always be my National League team, and unless their World Series opponent is the Orioles, they are who I will be following on a daily basis and rooting for.

With those two teams in mind, 2007 was a very long, long year. I don't know if it feels worse to be an Orioles/Marlins fan right now, or a Mets fan.

I can't say a whole lot from personal experience as to my favorite park, as I've only been to three MLB parks in my lifetime--Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Memorial Stadium, and Dolphin Stadium. I can tell you that Oriole Park at Camden Yards is indeed very, very nice. But Memorial Stadium had a lot of character and charm to it. And Dolphin Stadium can be surprisingly enjoyable, especially if you've had the opportunity of seeing a postseason game there (as I have).

But in terms of favorite parks, I'd really have to say I would be hard up in saying anything is better than the looks of PNC Park. That place seems to be as ideal a location for a ballgame as you could ever find. I'd love to catch a game there sometime.

What do I like in ballparks? That's a good question. I'm not one to be hung up on one feature of a ballpark or another i.e. the upper deck structure, viewpoints from concession stands, seat colors, etc. I do think a ballpark should be right for its setting. Kauffman Stadium and Dodger Stadium work as pretty straight forward symetrical ballparks thanks in part to their surroundings, which give off a calm, pastoral vibe. On the other hand, the assymetry of the dimensions and fence heights of urban ballparks like Oriole Park or PNC works well when you have a busy city scape beyond the outfield.

I do like ballparks that are built for baseball. The multipurpose era was admirable in attempting to save cites money, but it resulted in some really horrible stadiums which were great neither for baseball or football but rather mediocre for both sports.

What do I dislike? I'll never have much admiration of the 1960s-1970s cookie cutter ashtrays. RFK, Fulton-County, Busch II, Riverfront, Three Rivers, Veterans--these were all terrible, terrible ballparks. Some great moments in baseball history may have played out in some of the places, and the fans of those teams may have some good memories of the place, but as ballparks they were all miserable failures. I think to Riverfront Stadium and I cannot think of one thing in that place that was distinguishing, that made the fan say this is Riverfront Stadium. It was a round bowl of concrete with astroturf in the center, and the only thing one could look at was levels and levels of concrete seating decks.

The worst thing about these parks was that at least for Busch II, Riverfront and Three Rivers, these were stadiums located in idylic locations, either in downtown, on the river, or both. Yet they did absolutely nothing to capitalize on this scenery. And there are those who could voice their personal displeasure with the design of a new ballpark like Great American or the Nationals new ballpark, but I still think one would be crazy to say the Reds or the Nationals are worse off than being in Riverfront and RFK.

[Danielh41]

I'm a Rockies fan first and foremost ever since I went to the first two games in franchise history. I was living in New York at the time, and the Rockies began their first season with two games against the Mets at Shea Stadium. I only lived in New York for less than a year before moving back to Fort Worth. I did spend a year in Colorado (long enough to go to the first game ever played at Coors Field -- all freezing 14 innings of it). I've lived in Fort Worth since 1995, but I still follow the Rockies very closely.

My home park is Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. I went to about 12 games there this year (as well as 2 at Coors Field and 1 at Minute Maid Park). My favorite park is, of course, Coors Field. It's a beautiful park and very fan friendly. The scoreboard is great, and the mountain stream in the bullpens is a nice touch. Rangers Ballpark is beautiful, but isn't so fan friendly. The scoreboard is up on the roof above right field, invisible to at least a quarter of the seats. The field can't be seen from the main concourse, so you have to watch the game on little television monitors while standing in line for concessions. And the parking is very expensive for a place where real estate is not at a premium (I usually park at a nearby Wal-mart and walk to the Ballpark).

Another park that I really like is Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. I went to a game there last season, and I was impressed by the architecture of the park (although the concourses were too narrow and the bathrooms could use some updating).

[sflnyc]

TEAMS
My teams are in the Marlins, Mets, Yankees and Phillies. Why? Because I’ve lived in all 3 places and have friends/relatives in all 3 cities, hence my user name. Didn’t live in Philly long enough but have a soft spot for their teams also (1980 was great year in all 4 sports). Due to the closeness (90 miles), always wanted the Mets and Phillies to develop a rivalry like the Yankees and Red Sox. Hasn’t happened obviously but maybe 2007 will change everything.

To answer any questions on the Mets – Yankees thing, yes one can like both teams, no matter what anyone says. When I first started following sports, I wanted every team in every sport that wore an NY (or “NJ”) to win because it meant my town was winning. I’ve carried that feeling to this day. I bear no ill will towards any NYC-NJ teams (except the J-E-T-S), and wish them well except when they are playing the Miami teams. Same kind of thing with college sports. I'm the Miami side of a UM-FSU family, but we both agree that we dislike the UF Gators.

BALLPARKS
Personally, I’m beginning to hate all the new retro parks (hmmm, maybe I should start a thread on that) because it is basically the cookie-cutter generation revisited, but with red bricks on the wall. Personally, I would rather see modern architecture on my parks (like with all the new football stadiums) than everybody trying to go back to 1947, when the majority of the people on this earth weren’t even born yet.

Give me a Dodger Stadium (my favorite park) any day of the week. My second favorite park has always been Royals Stadium (that’s what I’m calling it). It and it’s neighboring Arrowhead Stadium always looked to me as cutting edge architecture. In my youth, I didn’t like any baseball stadium that seated less than 50,000 (I liked big stadiums like the Vet and Cleveland) but Royals Stadium was able to touch my heart and still does to this day.

[Gary Dunaier]

I'm a Rockies fan first and foremost ever since I went to the first two games in franchise history. I was living in New York at the time, and the Rockies began their first season with two games against the Mets at Shea Stadium.
I was at those games as well. My seat was in the upper deck on the third base side, and I got pictures of the first pitch and the Rockies' first hit.

Apart from the fact that programs sold out almost faster than tickets to a Springsteen concert, one of my biggest memories of that game was seeing fans continue to come down the subway ramp even after the game had started. (I had a good view of it from my seat.) I wondered if the latecomers had any idea of this game's significance: not only was it a home opener, but it was the very first game in the history of a brand new Major League Baseball club! How many times do you get the opportunity to see something like that?

I also remember waiting on line for a hot dog when Dante Bichette hit the Rockies' very first home run. As soon as I heard it and recognized the moment (or maybe the radio broadcasters mentioned it, I don't recall) I got off the line, ran outside, and was able to get a picture of him touching the plate to score that historic run. I wonder what happened to the ball... the picnic bleachers were empty that day, save for one guy who (I presume) was a stadium worker.

Personally, I’m beginning to hate all the new retro parks (hmmm, maybe I should start a thread on that) because it is basically the cookie-cutter generation revisited, but with red bricks on the wall.
I think the biggest thing I dislike about Citi Field's cookie-cutterness is that all of the seats will not only be the same color, but they'll be the same color as all of the seats in the other "retro" parks. If they made the different sections/pricing levels/&c. different colors, it would not only give Citi Field its own identity within the "retro" cookie-cutter genre, but it would also honor Shea Stadium's different colored seats on each level.

[sflnyc]

My second favorite park has always been Royals Stadium (that’s what I’m calling it). It and it’s neighboring Arrowhead Stadium always looked to me as cutting edge architecture. In my youth, I didn’t like any baseball stadium that seated less than 50,000 (I liked big stadiums like the Vet and Cleveland) but Royals Stadium was able to touch my heart and still does to this day.

Quoting myself, here is an absolutely georgeous shot from the halycon days of the late 1970's and early 1980's. Well, everything is perfect except for the astroturf.