

If baseball is America’s national pastime, then the ballpark is America’s sanctuary, the quintessential playground for this country’s taste in sports, architecture, business, and general consumerism. The experience is just not like this at a football, basketball, or hockey game. Even consider where your own attention is at any given moment and how much you enjoy the game’s leisurely spirit versus the actual action on the field. Note how many people are just relaxing or talking to each other. Note how many people you see exploring the concourses during a crucial inning. Note how many people are just staring out into the scenery at any given time. If you consider yourself a die-hard baseball fan, take time to just look around you at a ballgame. And it’s central to the fan experience in a way venues for every other sport are not. That’s all true, but I think the “why” stretches beyond that.īaseball is a 10 billion dollar a year industry, and I’d argue its venue is central to the game’s appeal, at least for people actually attending the game. If I was asked in an interview about my website, I would say something like, “this project synthesizes all of my hobbies/passions into one activity, particularly the game of baseball, sports business, travel, architecture, and urban planning.”
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I could have used this time to teach myself another language or learn how to play an instrument. On its face, it’s hard to ignore the frivolity of this entire exercise. It’s difficult to pinpoint why I’m so obsessed with baseball stadiums. For new visitors, I hope these assessments crystalize the sterling reputation of the greatest ballparks and raise the profile of some underrated ones. My rankings and ratings are from the perspective of the person in the stands (i.e., not players, media), and they mostly align with the consensus view, a few outliers notwithstanding.įor longtime readers, this will finally compile my rankings/ratings into one list. While I’ve attended all 30 MLB Ballparks, this is the first time I’ve outlined the rankings and ratings all at once. _After spending countless hours at major league stadiums across North America for the past 15 years and writing over 100,000 words on the topic, this sure is overdue. Published: August 21, 2018, updated for ballpark changes on June 12, 2019
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For those who follow their teams: exhibition games in Las Vegas.Ĭhanges for the 2022 spring-training season are highlighted, including upgrade plans at Tempe Diablo Stadium, renovations at Scottsdale Stadium, and new ballpark amenities.Best MLB Ballparks: Ranking and Rating the Major League Ballparks, 2019 Edition, Part 1 _A deep dive into all 30 MLB Stadiums Also included: Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks Phoenix Municipal Stadium, home of the Arizona State University Sun Devils, and GCU Ballpark, home of the GCU Antelopes. This book covers the 15 Cactus League teams playing out of 10 training camps: American Family Fields of Phoenix (Milwaukee Brewers), Camelback Ranch-Glendale (Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers), Goodyear Ballpark (Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Guardians), Hohokam Stadium (Oakland Athletics), Peoria Stadium (San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners), Salt River Fields at Talking Stick (Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies), Scottsdale Stadium (San Francisco Giants), Sloan Park (Chicago Cubs), Surprise Stadium (Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers), and Tempe Diablo Stadium (Los Angeles Angels). Casual fans head to spring training in search of the perfect Arizona experience, happy to sip a brew at the outfield bar. Hardcore baseball fans scout their favorite teams and eagerly track every open roster spot. This book is meant for all types of spring-training fans. Every team in spring training has a shot to contend for a title, as life on the diamond begins anew. And why not? Spring training is a time of new beginnings, when the baseball world preps for another season, as rookies fight for roster spots and veterans prep for another campaign. After almost two years of COVID-19 shutdowns, we’re all hoping and praying spring training 2022 will be a convincing return to normalcy.
