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Baseball park Citi Field, one of the two newest ballparks in Major League Baseball A baseball park, also known as a baseball stadium, ball park, or ballpark is the ven- ue where baseball is played. It consists of the playing field and the surrounding spectator seating. While the diamond and the areas denoted by white painted lines adhere to strict rules, the guidelines of the rest of the field are very flexible. This allows ballparks on all levels of baseball, amateur and professional, to have their own character and quirks. The term "ballpark" is sometimes used ambiguously, sometimes referring to the en- tire structure, and sometimes just the playing field. A home run which occurs when the player makes it around the bases and home without the ball leaving the playing field is typically called an "inside-the-park" home run, as opposed to a home run hit over the fence. Sometimes a home run over the fence is referred to as going "out of the ballpark", but that phrase is more often used to mean a home run which clears the stands and lands outside the building. The playing field is most often referred to as the "ballfield", although the term is often used interchangeably with "ballpark" when referring to a small local or little-league facility. General characteristics The playing field Diagram of a baseball infield The infield is a rigidly structured "diamond" (actually a square) of dirt containing the three bases, home plate, and the pitchers mound. The space between the bases and home is a grass surface, save for the dirt mound in the center. This differs from soft- ball, where the infield is completely dirt. Two white lines run out from the home plate area, aligning with first and third bases. These are the foul lines or base lines, usually differentiated by referring to them as the first base line or the third base line. If a ball hit by the batter lands outside of the space between these two lines, or rolls out of this space before reaching first or third base, the ball is "foul", meaning it is dead and the play is over. If it lands between the lines, it is "fair". At the end of the lines are two foul poles, allowing the umpires to judge whether a ball that goes out of the playing field is fair or foul. While referred to as "foul poles", they are actually in fair territory, and thus a ball that hits them is a home run. On either side of home plate are the bat- ter’s boxes. This is where the batter stands when at bat. Behind home is the catcher’s box, where the catcher and the home plate umpire stand. Next to first and third base are the two coaches’ boxes, where the first and third base coaches guide the baserunners, gener- ally with gestures or shouts. As the baserun- ner is facing away from the outfield when From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Baseball park 1 running from second base to third, they can- not see where the ball is, and they must look to the third base coach on whether to run, stop, or slide. While the coach is supposed to stand within this box, the rule is rarely en- forced, although incidents of coached getting hit with foul balls can cause some to be cautious. Farther from the infield on either side are the dugouts, where the teams and coaches sit when they’re not on the field. They are named such because at the professional levels, this seating is below the level of the playing field so as to not block the view from prime spectator seating locations. In typical amateur parks, the dugouts may be above- ground wooden or CMU structures with seat- ing inside or simply benches behind a chain link fence. Beyond the infield and between the foul lines is a large grass outfield, generally twice the depth of the infield. The playing field is bordered by fences of varying height. The highest fences are generally those in the out- field, with the lowest fences surrounding the infield. This is due to the fact that any ball that is hit over the outfield fence is a home run. Sometimes, the fence is made higher in certain areas to compensate for a close prox- imity to the batter. In professional parks, the field is surroun- ded by an area roughly 10 feet wide made of dirt or rubberized track surface called a "warning track". Originally used in Yankee Stadium in 1923 as an actual footrace track, it is now present in all professional ballparks. This change in terrain warns a fielder who is watching a ball in the air that the wall is near, avoiding possible injury. Beyond the outfield fence in any profes- sional park is an area know as the batter’s eye. To ensure that the batter can see the white ball, the batter’s eye contains no seat- ing, and is of a darker color. This can be any- thing from a dark wall to a grassy slope. Seating Today, in Major League Baseball, a multi- tiered seating area, a grandstand, surrounds the infield. How far this seating extends down the baselines or around the foul poles varies from park to park. In minor league parks, this grandstand is one-tiered, and rarely extends beyond the infield. The seating beyond the outfield fence gen- erally differs from the grandstand, although some multi-purpose or Jewel Box parks have the grandstand surround the entire field. This area could contain inexpensive bleacher seats, smaller grandstands, or simply inclined seating. In local ballparks, typically there are simply a set or two of aluminum bleachers on either side. Variations Distinctive from "goal" games such as foot- ball and soccer, in which the entire playing area is fixed in size, the infield is the only part of the field which is very rigid. Like its British relative cricket, there is significant amount of flexibility in the shape and size of the rest of the playing area. Picture of Yankee Stadium showing its left field fence, which was famous for being farther than the right In order to prevent "cheap" home runs, ballparks at particular levels of play usually specify a minimum distance from home to the outfield fences. Generally, the higher 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)). This rule was passed to avoid situations like the Los Angeles Coliseum, which was 251 ft. down the left field line. Older ballparks, such as Fenway Park, were "grandfathered" in. Despite this rule, new parks have sometimes received "special dispensation" to skirt these rules somewhat. For instance, the second Yankee Stadium, From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Baseball park 2 built 2009, used the same dimensions as the original Yankee Stadium, which had been grandfathered in. Picture of Fenway Park. The famed Green Monster is the left-field fence. As there is merely a minimum, and no set distance (with even the minimums not being 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. One of the most famous examples is Yankee Stadium, whose odd-shaped plot of land caused right field to be over 100 feet shorter than left, although this difference lessened over time. The rectangular Polo Grounds had extremely short distance down the lines, 258 ft. to right and 280 ft. to left. In contrast, the deepest part of center was nearly 500 ft. from home plate. The heights of the fences can also change greatly, the most famous example being the 37-foot-high Green Monster in Fenway Park’s left field. Such tall fences are often used to stop easy home runs in a section of the ball- park where the distances from home are shorter, or where there is little space between the field and the street beyond. Some in-play scoreboards and high fences reached 50 to 60 feet, whereas a few out- fields were even lined with hedges rather than normal fences or walls. The Metrodome, when set up for baseball, 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 "Hefty bag". Some ballparks have irregularly shaped fences. While some parks may have round swooping fences or rigidly angles fences, some may have a big change in direction or and irregular angle. Some retro parks, such as Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, throw in a sudden and small inward turn (often referred to as a jog) just to give a little quirkiness to the design. Originally, and mostly in the Jewel Box 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, the distance to the left field fence would be shorter, and if the distance was too short, the fence would be higher. Now, these variations are mostly influence by the spe- cifications and whims of the designers. The retro parks, which try to recapture the feel of the Jewel Box parks, are designed to have these quirks. Etymology Elysian Fields Baseball was originally played in open fields or public parks. The genesis of modern base- ball is conventionally connected with Elysian Fields in Hoboken, New Jersey, a large public park where the businessmen of New York City gathered from time to time to play or- ganized 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 base- ball, the ballfield became part of a complex including fixed spectator seating areas, and an enclosure to restrict access to paying cus- tomers, 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. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Baseball park 3 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 play- ing 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 Stadi- um 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 "Stadi- um" 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 consist- ency in which suffix to choose, "Field" or "Park". It is apparently a decision based on which suffix "sounds" better for a given ball- park 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 spec- tator sport from the beginning. The construc- tion 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 typic- ally had little space for automobiles, as it was expected that most fans would take mass transit to the games, a situation that still pre- vails 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 espe- cially 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. Types of baseball parks Wooden ballparks The original professional baseball venues were large wooden ballparks with seats mounted on wood platforms. Although known for being constructed out of wood, they did have some iron columns for better support. There was usually one tier of inclined seat- ing, sometimes topped with either a flat roof or, in some instances, a small upper tier. The outfield was bordered by tall walls or fences covered in advertisements, much like today’s minor league parks. Sometimes, these From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Baseball park 4 The Huntington Avenue Grounds during the 1903 World Series. Huntington Avenue Grounds was the first stadium to host a mod- ern World Series game. advertisements were fronted with bleacher seats, or "bleaching boards". Wood was a short-life but inexpensive material, and there was not necessarily any expectation that pro- fessional baseball was going to be a long- term business. However, the use of wood as the primary material presented a major problem, espe- cially as baseball continued to thrive and the wooden stands aged and dried. Many parks caught fire, and some were leveled com- pletely. This problem, along with the realiza- tion that baseball was here to stay, were the major factors that drove the change to the new standard materials for ballparks: steel and concrete. Some famous wooden parks, such as the Polo Grounds III in New York and National League Park in Philadelphia, were decimated by fire and rebuilt in fire-resistant materials (Polo Grounds IV and Baker Bowl). Others were simply abandoned in favor of new structures built elsewhere. These new fire-resistant parks often lasted for many dec- ades, and (retrospectively) came to be known as "Jewel Boxes". Jewel Box ballparks The ballparks built or rebuilt of concrete and steel (albeit with wooden seats) after the days of the wooden ballpark are now known as the Jewel Box ballparks or classic parks. These parks are said by many to em- body the golden age of baseball. They are known for their green seats, large roofs, in- timate feel, and major use of exposed steel, brick, and stone. The first of these was Shibe Park, which opened in 1909 in Philadelphia. Packed house at Ebbets Field Another Philadelphia ballpark, the Baker Bowl, which opened in 1895, used steel and brick instead of wood as the primary con- struction materials, and is considered the forerunner of the Jewel Box parks. Two-tiered grandstands became much more prevalent in this era. These decks were be held up by steel pillars which obstructed view from some seats in the lower level. However, because of these supports, the up- per decks could come very close to the field, giving the ballpark the intimate feel. Two tiers was the standard for decades, until the New York Yankees built Yankee Stadium. To accommodate the large crowds Babe Ruth would draw, Yankee Stadium was the largest ballpark in baseball, and was built with three tiers. This would become the new standard until some recently built parks reverted to two. 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 di- mensions. The exceptions were Shibe Park and Comiskey Park, which were built on rect- angular city blocks that were large enough to accommodate left/right field symmetry. Although other sports, such as soccer and football were often played at these sites (the Polo Grounds and Yankee Stadium were pur- posely designed to accommodate football also), the focus was on baseball. This differed from the later multi-purpose parks, the seats were generally angled in a configuration suit- able for baseball. The "retro" ballparks built in the 1990s and beyond are an attempt to capture the feel of the Jewel Box Parks. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Baseball park 5 Ballpark Location Team Opened Closed Demo’d Current Status American League Park Washington, DC Senators 1901 1911 1911 Destroyed by fire. Now residential. Bennett Park Detroit, MI Tigers 1896 1911 1911 Now site of Tiger Stadium. Columbia Park Philadelphia, PA Athletics 1901 1909 1913 Now residential. Eastern Park Brooklyn, NY Grooms 1891 1897 ???? Now site of a car junkyard. Exposition Park Pittsburgh, PA Pirates 1890 1909 1915 Once a railroad yard. Now parking for PNC Park. Hilltop Park Manhattan, NY Highlanders 1903 1912 1914 Now site of NewYork-Pres- byterian Hospital Huntington Avenue Grounds Boston, MA Americans 1901 1911 1912 Now site of Solomon Court at Cabot Center. Kennard Street Park Cleveland, OH Blues 1879 1884 ???? League Park Cleveland, OH Indians Spiders 1891 1909 1909 Now public park centered on original diamond. Lloyd Street Grounds Milwaukee, WI Brewers 1895 1903 ???? National League Park Cleveland, OH Blues Spiders 1887 1890 ???? National League Park Philadelphia, PA Phillies 1887 1894 1894 Destroyed by fire. Rebuilt as Baker Bowl. Now commercial. Oriole Park I Baltimore, MD Orioles 1882 1889 ???? Oriole Park II Baltimore, MD Orioles 1890 1891 ???? Oriole Park III Baltimore, MD Orioles 1891 1900 ???? Oriole Park IV Baltimore, MD Orioles 1901 1902 ???? Palace of the Fans Cincinnati, OH Reds 1902 1911 1911 Replaced on site by Cros- ley Field. Now parking and commercial. Polo Grounds I Manhattan, NY Gothams 1880 1889 1889 Destroyed by street con- struction. Now part of West 111th Street. Polo Grounds II Manhattan, NY Giants 1889 1891 1919? Now public housing. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Baseball park 6 Polo Grounds III Manhattan, NY Giants Yankees 1890 1911 1911 Destroyed by fire. Rebuilt as Polo Grounds IV. Now public housing. Recreation Park Detroit, MI Wolverines 1881 1888 1894 Now site of Detroit Medic- al Center Robison Field St. Louis, MO Cardinals 1893 1920 1926 Now site of Beaumont High School South End Grounds Boston, MA Beaneaters 1871 1914 1914 Now parking for Mass Transit station South Side Park Chicago, IL Colts White Sox 1893 1940 1940 Now site of the Chicago Housing Authority’s Went- worth Gardens Washington Park I Brooklyn, NY Grays 1883 1891 ???? Washington Park II Brooklyn, NY Superbas 1898 1913 ???? West Side Park I Chicago, IL White Stockings 1885 1891 ???? Now site of the Andrew Jackson Language Academy. West Side Park II Chicago, IL Cubs 1893 1915 1915 Now site of the University of Illinois College of Medi- cine Medical Center The only Jewel Boxes still in use for major league baseball are Fenway Park and Wrigley Field. Multi-purpose ballparks Aerial view of Three Rivers Stadium, circa 2000 From the 1960s to the ascension of retro parks in the 1990s, baseball was dominated by multi-purpose ballparks. Also derisively known as "concrete donuts", "cookie-cutters", or "giant ashtrays", they were usually tall and circular or square structures made entirely of, usually bare, reinforced concrete. The parks were built to hold baseball as well as football, soccer, and other sports. Cleveland Stadium, which featured a oval grandstand that was more friendly to goal-centered sports like football, is considered the ancest- or to this type of design. A park built to suit all sports well, which was co-owned by the teams or the city, seemed advantageous to all. Some parks that were originally built for one sport were renovated to accommodate multiple sports. The shape of the parks generally de- pended on the original use. Baseball parks that were renovated to accommodate foot- ball, like Candlestick Park and Anaheim Sta- dium, were usually of an odd non-geometric state. Football stadiums that were renovated to accommodate baseball, like Dolphin Stadi- um and Mile High Stadium, were usually of a rectangular shape. Parks that were built to serve both were usually circular and com- pletely enclosed on all sides. These were the parks that gained multi-purpose parks the reputation as bland cookie-cutter structures. A notable variance among the cookie-cut- ter stadia was Shea Stadium. One of the first parks designed and built for baseball and football, it did not feature an exterior of bare concrete, but was clad in steel. This steel was later painted blue, making Shea the only multi-purpose park to have an exterior that From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Baseball park 7 Ballpark Location Team Opened Lights installed Closed Demo’d Current Status Baker Bowl Philadelphia, PA Phillies 1895 Never 1938 1950 Now commercial. Braves Field Boston, MA Braves 1915 1946 1952 1955 Reconfigured into Nickerson Field. Comiskey Park Chicago, IL White Sox 1910 1939 1990 1991 Now parking for U.S. Cellular Field. Crosley Field Cincinnati, OH Reds 1912 1935 1970 1972 Now parking and commercial. Ebbets Field Brooklyn, NY Dodgers 1913 1938 1958 1960 Now residential. Fenway Park Boston, MA Red Sox Braves 1912 1946 ------- ------- Active. Forbes Field Pittsburgh, PA Pirates 1909 1940 1970 1971 Now site of University of Pitt- sburgh dormitories. Griffith Stadium Washington, DC Senators 1911 1941 1961 1965 Now site of the Howard University Hospital. League Park Cleveland, OH Indians 1910 Never 1946 1951 Public park. Polo Grounds IV Manhattan, NY Giants Yankees Mets 1912 1940 1964 1964 Now public housing. Shibe Park Philadelphia, PA Athletics Phillies 1909 1939 1970 1976 Now site of the Deliverance Evan- gelical Church. Sportsman’s Park St. Louis, MO Browns Cardinals 1902 1940 1966 1966 Now site of the Herbert Hoover Boys and Girls Club. Tiger Stadium Detroit, MI Tigers 1912 1948 2000 ------- Partially demol- ished in 2008. De- molition held up by preservationists. Wrigley Field Chicago, IL Cubs 1914 1988 ------- ------- Active. Yankee Sta- dium I The Bronx, NY Yankees 1923 1946 2008 ------- Renovated heavily from 1973-76. Currently being demolished. was not either gray or white. Also, the grand- stand only extended just past the foul poles, and did not completely enclose the field. Plans were that the grandstand would be en- closed and a dome built on top, but it was discovered that the structure could not From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Baseball park 8 handle it. Thus the stadium simply remained with the area behind the outfield fence open. One major innovation of the multi-purpose parks was the cantilevered upper deck. In earlier ballparks, the columns used to sup- port the upper decks obstructed the view from some seats in the lower deck. The upper decks were extended upwards and the columns removed. However, even though the extension counterbalanced some of the weight, the upper decks could no longer ex- tend as close to the field and had to be moved back. Also, the roofs could no longer be as large, and often only covered the top 15 or so rows. This exposed fans to the elements. Besides the drawbacks of the cantilever design, there were other issues with these parks. With few exceptions, seating was angled to face the center of the field of play, rather than home plate. Luxury boxes, which were a part of football culture, were now in- troduced to baseball, and were usually placed below the upper decks, pushing upper deck seating farther from the field. The capa- cities of these stadiums were staggeringly large, due to football’s smaller schedule drawing a larger crowd per game. Because of this, even crowds of 40,000, a fair amount for baseball, seemed sparse. Often the only times they looked full were on opening day and playoff games. Due to the rectangular shape needed for football or soccer, outfield dimen- sions were generally symmetrical, and even seats at field level down the lines could be far from the action. Despite being cost-effective, these problems eventually caused the parks to become unfashionable. In fact, only two of the 14 purely multi- purpose parks are still in use by baseball today: LandShark Stadium and Oakland Coli- seum. The Marlins are planning on moving into a new baseball-only stadium in the next 5 years. *A baseball-only ballpark converted to a multi-purpose stadium. **A football-only stadium converted to a multi-purpose stadium. Modern ballparks While most teams turned to multi-purpose parks, some instead chose to instead build baseball-only parks. While these modern ballparks shirked some of the conventions of multi-purpose parks, they did include some of Kauffman Stadium’s grandstand the new features. The most notable influ- ences were the cantilevered upper decks, the use of seating colors other than green, and fairly plain concrete exteriors. The most im- portant things, though, were that they had a more intimate feel to them, and they were built for baseball. While the multi-purpose parks have become all but extinct, some mod- ern parks, such as Dodger Stadium and Kauffman Stadium, have been hailed for aging beautifully. Rather than build new parks, the teams have decided instead to ren- ovate the current structures, adding a few newer conveniences. Several of the modern parks built as such have remained in use, with no indication of being demolished. While Cleveland Stadium is the ancestor to the multi-purpose ballpark, the ancestor of the modern ballpark is Milwaukee County Stadium. It was the first to feature a symmet- rical, round outfield fence. It also featured the rounded V-shaped grandstand and color- ful seats that are common among all modern parks. Coincidentally, it was also to be one of the earlier examples of a converted park as well. It was supposed to replace a minor league facility, and serve as home of the minor league team until a major league fran- chise could be lured to the city. However, the Braves came to Milwaukee earlier than ex- pected, and the minor league team never played in the stadium. The first two truly modern ballparks were built by the two New York teams who moved to California, the Giants and the Dodgers. Candlestick Park was created first, but was converted to a multi-purpose park to accom- modate the 49ers. Dodger Stadium has been upgraded a number of times, but remains baseball-only and its original design is still largely intact. Anaheim Stadium, which was initially modeled closely on Dodger Stadium, was From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Baseball park 9 Ballpark Location Team Opened Closed Demo’d Current Status Anaheim Stadium* Anaheim, CA Angels 1966 ------- ------- Active. Renovated heavily from 1979-80 and then 1996-98. Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium Atlanta, GA Braves 1966 1996 1997 Now parking for Turner Field. Busch Memori- al Stadium St. Louis, MO Cardinals 1966 2005 2005 Plaza area for Busch Sta- dium III. Candlestick Park* San Fran- cisco, CA Giants 1960 ------- ------- Active. Closed for base- ball in 2000. Cleveland Mu- nicipal Stadium Cleveland, OH Indians 1931 1995 1996 Now site of Cleveland Browns Stadium. Canadian Na- tional Exhibi- tion Stadium** Toronto, ON Blue Jays 1959 1989 1999 Now site of BMO Field. LandShark Stadium** Miami Gar- dens, FL Marlins 1987 ------- ------- Active. Marlins to move to new ballpark in 2011. Memorial Stadium* Baltimore, MD Orioles 1950 1997 2001 Now residential. Mile High Stadium* Denver, CO Rockies 1948 2001 2002 Now parking for Invesco Field at Mile High. Oakland- Alameda County Coliseum Oakland, CA Athletics 1966 ------- ------- Active. Qualcomm Stadium** San Diego, CA Padres 1967 ------- ------- Active. Closed for base- ball in 2003. Robert F. Kennedy Me- morial Stadium Washington, DC Senators Nationals 1961 ------- ------- Active. Closed for base- ball in 2007. Riverfront Stadium Cincinnati, OH Reds 1970 2002 2002 Now Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum. Shea Stadium Queens, NY Mets Yankees 1964 2008 2009 Now parking for Citi Field. Three Rivers Stadium Pittsburgh, PA Pirates 1970 2000 2001 Now parking for Heinz Field and PNC Park. Philadelphia Veterans Stadium Philadelphia, PA Phillies 1971 2003 2004 Now parking for Citizens Bank Park and the Wachovia Spectrum. expanded for football as was Candlestick, but once the Rams departed, most of the extra outfield seating was peeled back, returning the structure to more like its original design. Yankee Stadium is an exceptional case. Yankee Stadium was a Jewel Box park, albeit a very large one. It was showing its age in the 70’s, and the stadium was extensively renovated during 1973-75, converting it into more of a modern style ballpark. Many of the characteristics that defined it as a classical Jewel Box were also retained, so the re- modeled Stadium straddled both categories. U.S. Cellular Field was the last modern ballpark to be built. A series of renovations have been made, and it is now be considered to be a retro-classic ballpark. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Baseball park 10 Ballpark Location Team Opened Closed Demo’d Current Status Dodger Stadium Los Angeles, CA Dodgers 1962 ------- ------- Active Anaheim Stadium Anaheim, CA Angels 1966 ------- ------- Active. Renovated heavily from 1979-80 and then 1996-98. Kauffman Stadium Kansas City, MO Royals 1973 ------- ------- Active. U.S. Cel- lular Field Chicago, IL White Sox 1991 ------- ------- Active. Renovated heavily from 2001-09. Yankee Stadium I The Bronx, NY Yankees 1923 2008 ------- Renovated heavily from 1973-76. Currently being demolished. Temporary and Converted ballparks Los Angeles Coliseum, temporary home for the Dodgers. With the 60’s came the first expansion teams. While some teams expanded in cities where there were established teams with facilities that could be shared, not all were as fortu- nate. This led to the emergence of two dis- tinct subsets of parks in the major leagues: temporary ballparks and converted ballparks. In some cases, there are plans to build a new ballpark for the expansion team, but it will not be completed until a few years after the team is established. This may be for a few reasons, such as delays or a desire to hold off until the deal is settled. In this case, an es- tablished building is used as a temporary home, often a minor league park. The first temporary ballparks were not actually used by expansion teams but by established fran- chises. When the Dodgers and Giants moved to California from New York, they played in Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and Seals Stadium respectively while Dodger Stadium and Candlestick Park were being built. The other case is when, rather than build- ing a new park, the city renovates an existing minor league or college facility, expanding it to fit a major league team. These converted ballparks are different from football stadia that were converted to facilitate baseball in that converted ballparks were originally built to be baseball only, albeit for a non-major league level. Early converted ballparks were Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, Municipal Stadium in Kansas City, and Metropolitan Stadium in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area. All three were expanded minor league facilities, although Baltimore and the Met were constructed with the idea of expanding to major league level in mind. Kansas City was a true established minor league park that was substantially expanded to accom- modate major league size crowds. These two types of ballpark are distinct because of their use, not their design. Be- cause of this, a temporary or converted ball- park can also be any of the other types: Jewel Box, modern, multi-purpose, etc. Indoor ballparks Montreal’s Olympic Stadium From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Baseball park 11 Ballpark Location Team Opened Closed Demo’d Current Status Kansas City Municipal Stadium Kansas City, MO Athletics Royals 1923 1972 1976 Now municipal parking. Arlington Stadium Arlington, TX Rangers 1965 1993 1994 Now parking for Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Colt Stadium Houston, TX Colt .45’s 1962 1964 1970 Dismantled and rebuilt in Mexico as Mexican League park. Jarry Park Stadium Montreal, QC Expos 1969 1976 1993 Converted to Stade Uniprix Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA Dodgers 1923 ------- ------- Active. Closed for baseball in 1961. Metropolitan Stadium Bloomington, MN Twins 1956 1981 1985 Now site of the Mall of America. Milwaukee County Stadium Milwaukee, WI Braves Brewers 1953 2000 2001 Now site of Helfaer Field along with parking for Miller Park. Seals Stadium San Fran- cisco, CA Giants 1931 1959 1959 Now a shopping center. Sick’s Stadium Seattle, WA Pilots 1938 1976 1979 Now a Lowe’s store. Wrigley Field Los Angeles, CA Angels 1925 1965 1966 Now Gilbert Lindsay Park. Although mostly multi-purpose parks, a unique and important type of ballpark is the indoor park. These parks were covered with a fixed roof, usually a hard concrete dome. Reasons to build indoor parks were varied. The Astrodome, the first indoor sports arena ever built, was built to escape the hot and very humid climate of Houston. The King- dome was built to escape Seattle’s constant rains. There was little to no outside light, causing the use one of the most distinguish- ing aspects of an indoor park: artificial turf. Without enough light to grow grass, turf had to be installed, and this affected the game. Turf was harder, and thus a ball hit on the ground would move faster and bounce high. This, coupled with the usually dull white or gray roofs that could camoflague a fly ball, caused what Twins fans called a "dome-field advantage". A park of note is Olympic Stadium in Montreal. The park was designed with a large tower that loomed over top. Cables came down from the top of the tower to con- nect to the large oval center of the roof. This oval center was supposed to be lifted by the cables, opening the park up if the weather was pleasant. However, the mechanism never worked correctly, and what was supposed to be a retractable roof became a fixed one. Indoor parks faced many of the same problems of the multi-purpose parks, which was compounded with the added problem of playing an outdoors sport indoors. Thus, in- door parks are also a dying breed. The Metrodome and Tropicana Field are the only indoor parks left where baseball is played, and both are soon to be replaced. However, while indoor parks are passe in America, this impression does not translate overseas. This is especially true in Japan, where half of the Nippon Professional Base- ball teams play in domes, with no plans to va- cate to a more "appealing" home. The most well known example is likely the Tokyo Dome. Retractable roof ballparks As mentioned before, the indoor parks were built for several different reasons, chief among those weather. However, as multi-pur- pose parks became unfashionable, so did the From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Baseball park 12 Ballpark Location Team Opened Closed Demo’d Current Status The Astrodome Houston, TX Astros 1962 2004 ------- Structure still standing. Future use unknown. The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Minneapolis, MN Twins 1982 ------- ------- Active. Twins to move to Target Field in 2010. The Kingdome Seattle, WA Mariners 1976 2000 2000 Now site of Qwest Field. Olympic Stadium Montreal, QC Expos 1976 ------- ------- Active. Closed for base- ball in 2004. Tropicana Field St. Peters- burg, FL Rays 1990 ------- ------- Active. Rays to move to new ballpark in indefin- ite future. Miller Park drab indoor parks. Therefore, retractable roof parks were born. These allowed shelter from the elements, but still could be opened on a nice day. To be able to support the roof, most were closed in on all sides like multi- purpose and indoor parks, but as all retract- able roof parks except Rogers Centre are baseball only, every square foot does not need to be filled with seating, and there is plenty of room for open spaces or windows that look outside. Because the roof needs to go somewhere when not covering the field, a distinguishing characteristic of the retract- able roof park is a large extension of the in- terior spaces to either one side of the field or both sides that the roof sits on when retrac- ted. The only exception to this is Miller Park whose fan-shaped roof folds in upon itself and hangs behind the stands down the foul lines. Often, when retracted, the roof still hangs over the field, casting large shad- ows.This is countered at Miller Park by large panes of glass under the roof. While most seats up when the roof is closed, other are at least partially open, with large gaps that don’t let in harsh weather, but don’t give the feel of being inside. All these parks except Rogers Centre feature natural grass. The first retractable roof park was Rogers Centre. It managed to succeed where prede- cessor Olympic Park failed, building a multi- section roof that folded upon itself, retracting over the hotel in center field. Retractable roof parks can vary greatly, from the utilitarian and unadorned, such as Rogers Centre and Chase Field, to those in- fused with retro elements, such as Safeco Field and Minute Maid Park. *Tentative name. **Tentative date. Retro-classic ballparks Camden Yards, the original retro park In 1992, Oriole Park at Camden Yards opened in Baltimore. Going in a different dir- ection than the multi-purpose and modern ballparks, Camden Yards hearkened back to the old Jewel Box parks. This began the building of a series of parks known as the retro-classic ballparks, or, simply, retro ballparks. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Baseball park 13 Ballpark Location Team Opened Closed Demo’d Current Status Chase Field Phoenix, AZ Diamondbacks 1998 ------- ------- Active. Marlins’ Ballpark* Miami, FL Marlins 2012** ------- ------- Future ballpark. Miller Park Milwaukee, WI Brewers 2001 ------- ------- Active. Minute Maid Park Houston, TX Astros 2000 ------- ------- Active. Rays Ballpark* St. Peters- burg, FL Rays Undetermined ------- ------- Future ballpark. Rogers Centre Toronto, ON Blue Jays 1989 ------- ------- Active. Safeco Field Seattle, WA Mariners 1999 ------- ------- Active The retro parks were built with all the lux- uries of the newer parks, such as luxury boxes and more restrooms and concession areas, along with new additions, such as in- door concourses that are open to the field, al- lowing fans to always have a view of the game. However, the aesthetics shifted back to Jewel Box conventions, which included the use of green seats, bricks, stone, and green- painted exposed steel. A major divergence from the Jewel Boxes was the layout of the grandstand. The focus was now on everyone in the park having a good view. Columns were missing as with the modern parks, but the upper deck was drawn back and shrunk, while the middle tiers grew in size, causing a stepped effect. The canti- levered upper deck was no longer a large ne- cessity. However, since these new upper decks were drawn back, the shape of the in- clined seating was clearly expressed on the exterior, a feature that is a hallmark of mod- ern parks. Like the Jewel Box parks, the outfield fences were angled rather than the gradual curve or the newer parks, and often had quirky dimensions. The requirements for min- imum distance to the outfield fences were rarely enforced during this time. Teams with multi-purpose and indoor parks longed for this beautiful and classic look, and began systematically demolishing them and moving to either retro-classic, re- tractable roof, or retro-modern parks. Since Camden Yards opened, 2/3rds of all major league teams have opened new ballparks, each of which contain unique features. The most important feature was that all of them were baseball-only. U.S. Cellular Field has an unfortunate place in history. It was the last modern park built, built a year before Camden Yards. Just missing the retro movement, it was now viewed as obsolete only a year into its life. The White Sox responded with a series of renovations to give the park more retro charm. This included the changing from a cantilever upper deck to a flat roof with columns, and the change from a symmetrical fence to a more unique-shaped asymmetrical fence. Retro-modern ballparks Nationals Park, a retro park with modern exterior While Camden Yards has influenced every ballpark built after it, not all have followed completely in its path. These are the retro- modern ballparks. Progressive Field was built two years after Camden Yards, and featured the angular, asymmetrical fences of varying heights, a smaller upper deck, and stepped tiers. While the interior has all the hallmarks of a retro From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Baseball park 14 Ballpark Location Team Opened Closed Demo’d Current Status AT&T Park San Fran- cisco, CA Giants 2000 ------- ------- Active. Busch Stadium III St. Louis, MO Cardinals 2006 ------- ------- Active. Citi Field Queens, NY Mets 2009 ------- ------- Active Citizens Bank Park Philadelphia, PA Phillies 2004 ------- ------- Active. Comerica Park Detroit, MI Tigers 2000 ------- ------- Active. Coors Field Denver, CO Rockies 1995 ------- ------- Active. Oriole Park at Camden Yards Baltimore, MD Orioles 1992 ------- ------- Active. PNC Park Pittsburgh, PA Pirates 2001 ------- ------- Active. Rangers Ballpark in Arlington Arlington, TX Rangers 1994 ------- ------- Active. Turner Field Atlanta GA Braves 1996 ------- ------- Active. U.S. Cellular Field Chicago, IL White Sox 1991 ------- ------- Active. Renovated heavily from 2001-09. Yankee Stadium II The Bronx, NY Yankees 2009 ------- ------- Active. park, the exterior did not feature the look of the Jewel Box parks. It could not truly be called a retro-classic park. There have been a few parks that followed in this style. Rather than brick, the exteriors heavily feature white or gray-painted steel and glass. If there is any masonry, it is sand- stone or limestone. Angel Stadium has seen many changes throughout the years. It was originally a mod- ern park, but when the NFL’s Rams move to Los Angeles and set up shop in what was then Anaheim Stadium, the first round of renovations began. The grandstand was ex- panded to completely enclose the stadium, turning it into a classic multi-purpose park. The Rams left in 1994, leaving the Angels alone in the large, 65,000 seat stadium. 1998 brought about another renovation, this time the steel was painted green, and what con- crete remained was painted sandstone, in- cluding the sweeping curve of the entrance plaza. The finished product was a retro-mod- ern ballpark. *Tentative date. Current Major League ballparks The cardinal outfield dimensions, along with the backstop. 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 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Baseball park 15 Ballpark Location Team Opened Closed Demo’d Current Status Angel Stadi- um of Anaheim Anaheim, CA Angels 1966 ------- ------- Active. Renovated heavily from 1979-80 and then 1996-98. Great Amer- ican Ball Park Cincinnati, OH Reds 2003 ------- ------- Active. Nationals Park Washington, DC Nationals 2008 ------- ------- Active. PETCO Park San Diego, CA Padres 2004 ------- ------- Active. Progressive Field Cleveland, OH Indians 1994 ------- ------- Active. Target Field Minneapolis, MN Twins 2010* ------- ------- Future Ballpark. 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 [1] 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[2] figures may also vary. *LandShark 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. Unique features and quirks of current major league parks Fenway Park’s Green Monster • (Boston Red Sox) - Fenway is quite possibly the most notoriously quirky ballpark. The aforementioned 37-foot Wrigley’s ivy, bleachers, rooftop seats, and scoreboard Dodger Stadium’s oddly colored seats Green Monster in left field, which includes a field-level manually-operated scoreboard and a ladder, leads to unpredictable ricochets. So do the oddly-angled fences in center and right field. While the Monster in left dominates the park, Fenway’s right field is also notable. Known as "the belly", right field is 380 at its deepest point, a large divergence from the short left field. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Baseball park 16 Stadium Team City Cap. LF LC CF RC RF BS Angel Stadium of Anaheim Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Anaheim, CA 45,050 330’ 382’ 400’ 365’ 330’ 59’ AT&T Park San Francisco Giants San Fran- cisco, CA 41,503 339’ 368’ 399’ 378 ‘ 309’ 48’ Busch Stadium St. Louis Cardinals St. Louis, MO 46,861 335’ 375’ 400’ 375 ‘ 335’ 55’ Chase Field Arizona Diamondbacks Phoenix, AZ 49,033 330’ 376’ 407’ 376 ‘ 335’ 58’ Citi Field New York Mets Queens, NY 42,000 335’ 379’ 408’ 383’ 330’ 45’ Citizens Bank Park Philadelphia Phillies Philadelphia, PA 43,647 329’ 355’ 401’ 357 ‘ 330’ 60’ Comerica Park Detroit Tigers Detroit, MI 41,782 345’ 370’ 420’ 388 ‘ 330’ 62’ Coors Field Colorado Rockies Denver, CO 50,445 347’ 390’ 415’ 382 ‘ 350’ 54’ Dodger Stadium Los Angeles Dodgers Los Angeles, CA 56,000 330’ 368’ 400’ 368 ‘ 330’ 53’ Fenway Park Boston Red Sox Boston, MA 37,400**** 310’ 335’ 390’† 380 ‘ 302’ 54’ Great American Ball Park Cincinnati Reds Cincinnati, OH 42,059 328’ 365’ 404’ 365 ‘ 325’ 52’ Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Minnesota Twins Minneapolis, MN 46,564** 343’ 370’ 408’ 352 ‘ 327’ 60’ Kauffman Stadium Kansas City Royals Kansas City, MO 38,030 330’ 375’ 410’ 375‘ 330’ 50’ LandShark Stadium Florida Marlins Miami Gar- dens, FL 38,560* 330’ 360’ 434’ 373 ‘ 345’ 55’ Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Oakland Athletics Oakland, CA 35,067*** 330’ 362’ 400’ 362 ‘ 330’ 66’ Miller Park Milwaukee Brewers Milwaukee, WI 42,200 344’ 370’ 400’ 374‘ 337’ 54’ Minute Maid Park Houston Astros Houston, TX 40,950 315’ 335’ 436’ 365 ‘ 326’ 56’ Nationals Park Washington Nationals Washington, DC 41,888 336’ 377’ 402’ 370’ 335’ 53’2" Oriole Park at Camden Yards Baltimore Orioles Baltimore, MD 48,876 333’ 364’ 410’ 373‘ 318’ 58’ PETCO Park San Diego Padres San Diego, CA 42,445 334’ 378’ 396’ 387 ‘ 322’ 45’ PNC Park Pittsburgh Pirates Pittsburgh, PA 38,496 325’ 389’ 399’ 364 ‘ 320’ 55’ Progressive Field Cleveland Indians Cleveland, OH 43,345 325’ 360’ 405’ 375‘ 325’ 60’ From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Baseball park 17 Rangers Ballpark in Arlington Texas Rangers Arlington, TX 49,115 330’ 380’ 400’ 380 ‘ 330’ 60’ Rogers Centre Toronto Blue Jays Toronto, ON 49,539 328’ 375’ 400’ 375’ 328’ 60’ Safeco Field Seattle Mariners Seattle, WA 47,116 331’ 375’ 405’ 365‘ 326’ 62’ Tropicana Field Tampa Bay Rays St. Peters- burg, FL 36,048 315’ 370’ 404’ 370‘ 322’ 50’ Turner Field Atlanta Braves Atlanta, GA 50,096 335’ 380’ 400’ 390‘ 330’ 55’ U.S. Cellular Field Chicago White Sox Chicago, IL 40,615 335’ 375’ 400’ 375 ‘ 330’ 60’ Wrigley Field Chicago Cubs Chicago, IL 41,118 355’ 368’ 400’ 368 ‘ 353’ 60’ Yankee Stadium New York Yankees The Bronx, NY 52,325 318’ 399’ 408’ 385‘ 314’ 52’4" Oakland Coliseum’s Mount Davis, the unused seats covered by tarps The Metrodome’s white roof The curve of the fence comes in as it nears "Pesky’s Pole", named for former Red Sox player Johnny Pesky, and the distance from home plate to the foul pole is only 302 feet. U.S. Cellular Field with its iconic "exploding scoreboard" in center field Progressive Field with its Little Green Mon- ster in left field • (Chicago Cubs) - Wrigley is the only ballpark left in use that has a brick outfield fence. This fence is covered in From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Baseball park 18 The two of Tropicana Field’s infamous cat- walks towards the infield Chase Field, the only park to have air condi- tioning while the roof is open AT&T’s open view of the Bay and McCovey Cove Wrigley’s trademark ivy. From time to time, a batted ball will become lodged in the vines, which is ruled a ground rule double. Because of there being streets close beyond the outfield fences, there was little room for seating or other Comerica Park, the brick wall and monument park in center field and Ford Field beyond the grandstand in left Minute Maid Park, with Tal’s Hill in deep center One side of Miller Park’s fan-shaped roof and its large panes of glass PNC Park’s Roberto Clemente Bridge structures, making the park very open in the outfield. This, coupled with the park’s close proximity to Lake Michigan, which affects the wind currents from day to day or even hour to hour, can change the dynamic of the park. When the wind is blowing in, the park becomes a pitcher’s park, despite the cozy power alleys. When the wind is blowing out, however, it becomes a hitters park. The openness of From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Baseball park 19 PETCO Park, the Western Metal Supply Building in left Busch Stadium’s view of downtown St. Louis Yankee Stadium, with the frieze hung from the roof over the grandstand, the batter’s eye bar in center, and Monument Park beneath it the ballpark also allows residents of the buildings across the street to get an unobstructed view of the field. Some owners even have installed small sections of inclined seating on top of the buildings. Wrigley was the last major league park to install field lights, with the first night home game being played in 1988. • (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" reminiscent of the Hollywood Sign. 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. Dodger Stadium has become famous for the no- gimmick, nostalgic baseball atmosphere created by the aesthetic simplicity of the ballpark. The massive tiers consist of oddly colored seats (orange, yellow, teal and blue), and the right and left field seats consist of little-league-style bleachers. The slogan for the stadium is "Blue Heaven on Earth." • (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 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. • (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. • (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 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Baseball park 20 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 trying to follow the flight of a batted ball. Designed with primarily football in mind, the result is a rectangular, rather than a square or oval, outfield. • (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. • (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 next door stands tall over the park. This stadium is the last of the "squared-circle" designs that were similar to the abandoned Qualcomm Stadium and the now-demolished Veterans Stadium. • (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. • (Baltimore Orioles) - Camden Yards is the park that began the retro ballpark craze (although the minor-league Coca-Cola Field in Buffalo, designed by the same firm, predates Camden Yards by four years). 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. • (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. • (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. • (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 also figure into the uniqueness of the ballpark. • (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. • (Tampa Bay Rays) - Tropicana Field is a field that has had its share of criticisms, the biggest having 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. • (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 (Comerica Park being the other). • (Seattle Mariners) - Safeco has a retractable roof. While most retractable From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Baseball park 21 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. • (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. • (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. 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 (Chase Field being the other). • (Houston Astros) - A train filled with giant oranges runs forward and back along the left outfield when home runs are hit. 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, although 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. • (Milwaukee Brewers) - Like Safeco Field, Miller Park has a retractable roof. In the left field corner houses "Bernie’s Dugout", 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. • (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. Located directly outside the park is the Roberto Clemente Bridge, built in honor of the Pirates’ legend, which is closed to traffic during games and serves as a pedestrian bridge. • (Cincinnati Reds) - Sitting on the Ohio River, the park has the same relationship From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Baseball park 22 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 when the Reds hit a home run and win games. 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. • (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. • (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. • (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. • (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. • (New York Mets) - Citi Field is the only ballpark in the majors that does not have yellow foul poles, as its poles are instead painted orange, a trait it shares with its predecessor, Shea Stadium. The exterior facade is reminiscent of Ebbets Field, and leads into the Jackie Robinson Rotunda, which honors the Brooklyn Dodgers’ legend. The most famous quirk of Citi Field, a Mets tradition that has been present since 1982, is the home run apple. Now in straightaway center in the middle of the batter’s eye, there is a concrete housing. When the Mets hit a home run, the giant apple, which has a Mets logo on the front that lights up, raises from its housing. • (New York Yankees) - Yankee Stadium may have the distinction of being the only park to have the exact same outfield dimensions as its predecessor. The batter’s eye in center field is a sports bar with tinted windows. Under this bar is Monument Park, an outdoor museum dedicated to the history of the team, which includes plaques, the retired numbers, and the six eponymous monuments, plaques placed on slabs of marble. The exterior is designed to resemble the old Yankee Stadium, but is actually a shell, with an open "Great Hall" between the exterior and the structure of the actual stadium. An iconic feature of the old stadium is the arched frieze, which is now placed back to its original position as the fascia of the roof. 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 • A slideshow of Major League Baseball parks. SwitchYard Media. • A map of Baseball Stadiums in USA and Canada 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 • Kokernot Field, Alpine, Texas Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baseball_park" Categories: Baseball venues, Sports venues From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Baseball park 23 This page was last modified on 22 May 2009, at 21:22 (UTC). All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax- deductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Baseball park 24
