Foreign Ballparks

[heavesrock]

Basically I'll post in here once every couple days with some pictures and info on various ballparks around the world. Any contributions are welcome:

Please note I did not take any of these pictures.


Seibu (Formerly Goodwill) Dome
Location: Saitama, Japan
Team: Seibu Lions
Capacity: 35,879
Surface: Turf



Stadium information:

Dimensions
Left: 328
Center: 400
Right: 328

In 1979, the Seibu Department stores corporation purchased the Crown Fighter Lions from the island of Kyushu in southern Japan, and moved them to Saitama, near Tokyo. The stadium wasn't always a dome. In 1998, the owners decided to put a roof on, citing heavy mist and frequent rain as the reason. Instead of fully enclosing the stadium, all sides are open to the elements. The outfield section is a berm as in many minor league stadiums in the US, only made of artificial turf.



Team Information:

Full name: Saitama Seibu Lions
Japan Series titles: 9 (1982, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 2004)
Players you might have heard of (currently on roster): Craig Brazell, Hiram Bocachica
Manager: Hisanobu Watanabe
Notable Former Players: Kaz Matsui, Daisuke Matsuzaka

[Kentucky Bomber]

A small band of hardy souls play baseball in Australia, usually to the derision of their countrymen, although a couple of them (Dave Nilsson, Graham Lloyd, etc) have made it to the Majors. Their annual tournament, played around Christmas time (Aussie summer) is called the Claxton Shield and its home is in Perth, Western Australia. The park is called Baseball Park (what else?) and here it is, in a concept of its expansion. Seats 500, with 3500 standees. As I said, a small band of hardy souls...

[Yoda]

Yokohama Stadium:
http://www.arrakeen.ch/asia2006/CIMG1994.JPG
http://www.worldstadiums.com/stadium_pictures/asia/japan/kanto/yokohama_stadium1.jpg

Home of the Baystars



Jingu Stadium: Home of the Swallows
http://home.n00.itscom.net/kbt-t/jpg_npb_cl/jingu01.jpg
http://www.mopupduty.com/meijijingu.jpg
http://friarforum.com/uploaded_images/winner-715930.jpg :applaud:

[Manhattan]

A small band of hardy souls play baseball in Australia, usually to the derision of their countrymen, although a couple of them (Dave Nilsson, Graham Lloyd, etc) have made it to the Majors. Their annual tournament, played around Christmas time (Aussie summer) is called the Claxton Shield and its home is in Perth, Western Australia. The park is called Baseball Park (what else?) and here it is, in a concept of its expansion. Seats 500, with 3500 standees. As I said, a small band of hardy souls...


I have not seen any foreign ballparks. I will let everyone know when I will see a foreign ballpark.

[LetsGoMets687]

Does this one count? :laugh

[heavesrock]

Hasn't the Claxton Shield been changed to being played all across Australia?

[Chevy114]

Which japanesse stadium is the one where the field moves outside the stadium like the nfl cardinals stadium?

[Urbanshocker13]

Koshien Stadium, Japan Home of the Hanshin Tigers, built in 1924 oldest park in Japan.
http://www2.gol.com/users/michaelo/Koshien.html
http://www.baseball-fever.com/images/attach/jpg.gif
http://www.baseball-fever.com/images/attach/jpg.gif
http://www.baseball-fever.com/images/attach/jpg.gif

[Urbanshocker13]

Koshien Stadium field:
http://www.baseball-fever.com/images/attach/jpg.gif

[HoldenV8]

Some pictures of Australian baseball 'stadiums'.

The first 2 are of the secondary venue used for the 2000 Sydney Olympics. This is the Blacktown Baseball Stadium. It holds 5,000 people (seats 1,200) & was built in 1999 (I think).



These 6 show the main venue of the 2000 Olympic Baseball, the Sydney Showground. Today it is no longer used as a baseball stadium, though it could easily do so. It is a sporting/concert/showground multi purpose arena that seats 21,000 and has a 30,000 capacity for concerts. It was built in 1998. For you Americans, this is where the USA won its so far only Baseball Gold Medal in Olympic history. This could easily pass for a minor league venue if you didn't know you were in Sydney.







These last 2 I have show the Melbourne Ballpark. Another venue that holds 5,000 (seats 3,900), it was built in 1990. As you can see from the overhead (Google Earth) capture, it has an Astroturf infield and a natural grass outfield.

[Transplanted Fan]

The Sydney Baseball Stadium/Showground was obviously built with Aussie rules football and cricket in mind.

[Philtration]

Koshien looks cool but strange that the infield is all dirt. I really don't like the other Japanese stadiums.
To much Houston Astrodome like for me and I hate artificial turf.

[HoldenV8]

The Sydney Baseball Stadium/Showground was obviously built with Aussie rules football and cricket in mind.

Actually no. It was never built for Aussie Rules or cricket. It was always intended as a replacement for the old Sydney Showground (located in Moore Park adjacent to the Sydney Cricket Ground. The old showground was also Australia's most famous dirt oval speedway and is now the home of Fox Studios Australia). The Royal Agricultural Society in Sydney moved its HQ from Moore Park to Homebush Bay (the Olympic park site). The main arena shown here was designed as a baseball stadium for the Olympics in 2000 and as a state of the art showground arena.

Actually, local level Aussie rules football is played there during Australia's football season but that is a minor thing. Cricket isn't played there. The outer track is also used occasionally as a speedway for bikes & speedcars.

[Pelt]

Estadio Monterrey, Mexico.

[PeteU]

I was watching a documentary on ESPN about Bobby Valentine managing in Japan and I must say, the Japanese ballgame looks like a true experience. Lots of rythmic chanting and clapping. There's almost an art to it all.

[Yoda]

I was watching a documentary on ESPN about Bobby Valentine managing in Japan and I must say, the Japanese ballgame looks like a true experience. Lots of rythmic chanting and clapping. There's almost an art to it all.

Yeah all we do is yell, curse, and boo :p

[NYBase]

Dominican Republic

Estadio Quisqueya - Licey Tigers





Estadio Cibao - Aguilas Cibaeñas




Estadio Julian Javier - Gigantes de San Francisco de Macoris

[PeteU]

Here is the Foro Sol in Mexico City:



Looks like your ordinary ballpark right?

Well, not in the off-season:



They actually have a race track running through the ballpark for car races. One of the strangest multipurpose stadiums you'll ever come across.

Another view of the Foro Sol:

[Philtration]

Estadio Latino Americano - Havana Cuba
Must have been some great games played here.

[Transplanted Fan]

Which japanesse stadium is the one where the field moves outside the stadium like the nfl cardinals stadium?

That would be the Sapporo Dome, home to the Nippon Ham Fighters and site of three matches in the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

[placount]

the baseball is played on artificial turf, but the football(soccer) is played on real grass thats kept outside.

[Chevy114]

So the turf is lower than the grass? They just move the grass overtop of the turf?

[stlfan]

No, when they want to covert from soccer to baseball, they roll the soccer field outside and then lay the artificial turf down of the baseball field. When they want to convert back to soccer they take up the baseball field and store it somewhere, then roll the soccer field back in. You can see in one of the pics where it's just a concrete floor with the outlines of the sliding pits.

[abelorfao]

Japan's Nagoya Dome

[abelorfao]

Japan's Seibu Dome

[abelorfao]

Japan's Osaka Dome

[abelorfao]

Japan's Tokyo Dome

[abelorfao]

Japan's Koshien Stadium

[abelorfao]

[Lafferty Daniel]

Japan's Osaka Dome



:applaud::applaud::applaud::applaud: for putting the luxury suites above the upper deck. Take notes HoK.

[sheffred]

Rotterdam's Neptunus Family Stadion, capacity 6,000, in the Netherlands.

[placount]

how popular is baseball in the netherlands?

[sheffred]

Baseball is a minor sport in the Netherlands, with Soccer (by a long way), field hockey, and volleyball being more popular.

However, the Dutch are perennial European champions, produce the occasional major leaguer (hello, Andruw Jones! Jones comes from Curaçao, which is a constituent part of the kingdom of the Netherlands) and plenty of minor leaguers. They are very competitive in the Olympics and the Baseball world cup (beating, for example, Cuba in the 2000 Olympics and finishing 4th in the World cup in 2007)

There are hundreds of baseball clubs in the Netherlands, and have a full gamut of age -related and open teams. The 8 team Dutch Major League plays approximately 3 games each per week. There are 2 major bi-annual tournaments, where international teams from around the world are invited. There are 2 decent ball parks: the one I have submitted pictures from in Rotterdam, and Pim Mulier Stadion in Haarlem, which is similar in configuration. The Dutch TV networks show the occasional game.

2 English-language links for you:

A good sight for baseball as a whole in the Netherlands:

http://home.planet.nl/~stoov/

This year's international tournament in Haarlem:

http://www.honkbalweek.nl/index.php?hhw=&lang=eng&id=&event=&team=

[natron20]

1st post here. Just found the site last night and love it!

I was an exchange student in Japan and was able to attend a Hanshin Tigers game and let me tell you it was an experience unlike anything else. It was awesome. The stadium is amazing. Just a wonderful piece of history. I saw a pretty sweet game too. It was Hideki Matsui's second season in the league so he was the superstar for the biggest team in Japan, the Giants. I can't remember how Matsui did in this game but much to my delight the Tigers won the game with a walk off home run in the bottom of the 9th.

If you want to get an idea of what a Hanshin Tigers game is like go to youtube and do a quick search.

[stlfan]

I found this image online of Intercontinental Stadium in Taiwan. Pretty unique looking.

[The House That Ruth Built]

I find it amazing that Japan is so far ahead of us with their technology yet the ballpark architecture is 2 decades behind us!

[Williamsburg2599]

I find it amazing that Japan is so far ahead of us with their technology yet the ballpark architecture is 2 decades behind us!

I wouldn't say that at all, there stadiums are just different.

[schulzte]

The Seibu Dome might be the most attractive permanently domed baseball stadium in the world. I think some of these Japanese stadia are really unique once you get past the astroturf.

[Bobby_Ayala]

Australia should be on any mans itinerary. Fine talent.:applaud:

[NYBase]

Took this from a friends Myspace page...

It's in a small farm town in Santiago, Dominican Republic

[coasterbill]

Apparently the Tokyo dome is built next to an amusement park and shopping mall. The whole area has been dubbed "Tokyo Dome City" and it looks like a really cool place to hang out before and after a game.

(Dome on the left, 262 foot Thunder Dolphin rollercoaster in the background)




(During the construction of the hubless ferris wheel and the Thunder Dolphin).

[NYFan1stYankFan2nd]

Apparently the Tokyo dome is built next to an amusement park and shopping mall. The whole area has been dubbed "Tokyo Dome City" and it looks like a really cool place to hang out before and after a game.

(Dome on the left, 262 foot Thunder Dolphin rollercoaster in the background)




(During the construction of the hubless ferris wheel and the Thunder Dolphin).


You coasterhead you! :laugh

I'll outride you on the Brooklyn Cyclone anyday. You'll get so sick of Superman:Ride Of Steel up in Springfield Mass you wish you never got near it! :rofl:

Seriously though, if you're the coaster fanatic your handle suggests, nice to know there's one like me on here. There's few and far between up in Connecticut - where a coaster is something you put a drink on. ;)

Now I have two reasons to go visit Japan - Thunder Dolphin and Nagashima-Spaland's "Steel Dragon 2K".

[NYFan1stYankFan2nd]

That would be the Sapporo Dome, home to the Nippon Ham Fighters and site of three matches in the 2002 FIFA World Cup.






Man, seventh inning stretch...to go take a walk up to where that woman is standing and just see forever. That is one cool cantilever element!

[Bobby_Ayala]

Nippon Ham Fighters home park?

[DrBear]

Nippon Ham Fighters home park?

Yes...the team is the Fighters, sponsored by Nippon Ham. A U.S. equivalent might be the Budweiser Cardinals, the Tribune Cubs or the Little Caesars Tigers.