Ballpark
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Home Team
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Date
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Score
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Atlanta Braves
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April 7
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I visited Turner Field while
in Atlanta for the Final Four. Typical MLB stadium with the Atlanta skyline
in the distance, the old fence of Atlanta Fulton County Stadium outside the
outfield gate, and the Tomahawk Chop as the highlights.
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Arizona Diamondbacks
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May 9
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Flew from Grand Rapids to
Phoenix, hiked around a couple of buttes, attended a baseball game, and got
on a bus to L.A. all in one day. Chase Field is one of the more fan friendly
and modern ballparks with a retractable roof, opening window panels, and a
pool.
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Los Angeles Dodgers
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May 10
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Went to the game with my uncle
and in true Dodger fan form we arrived in the middle of the first inning.
Dodger Stadium is the only remaining ballpark built in the 1960s. Built on a hill and surrounded by
palm trees, Dodger Stadium has a distinctive setting.
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San Francisco Giants
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May 12
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Attended the game with my
college roommate Zac. An oddly shaped outfield, kayaks on the bay, and the
downtown location give the ballpark great character. We had standing room
only tickets between right field and McCovey Cove.
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Oakland Athletics
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May 13
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Braved this game out sitting
in the right field bleachers. The Coliseum is more of a football stadium than
a ballpark but that doesn’t diminish the exuberance of the diehard A’s fans.
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Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
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May 15
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My aunt and two cousins made
the trip with me down to Orange County. Angel Stadium is a family friendly
ballpark with a rock pile and waterfall in center field and a large ‘A’ near
the highway.
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San Diego Padres
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May 16
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Ate Mexican food in Old Town
San Diego with my aunt before the game. Located in the midst of the luxury
high rises, PETCO Park feels like an outdoor mall with its sandstone
structure and flora covered concourse. The ballpark also incorporates the
identity of the city with a beach in centerfield and a warehouse down the
left field line.
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Toronto Blue Jays
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May 25
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Drove from Ann Arbor to
Toronto and made it just in time for first pitch. I was glad the roof was
open and it was cool the see the CN Tower right above me. The Astroturf and
the dirt cutouts around the bases cannot shake the indoor stadium feel.
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Boston Red Sox
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May 26
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One of the best games I saw
all year and most of the fans stayed to watch a Red Sox walkoff win. Fenway
Park is a historic park filled with great features (the green monster and the
Pesky Pole), and the Red Sox have done tremendous renovations so it continues
to look great.
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New York Mets
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May 28
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Luckily the rain cleared up
after a lengthy delay for my friend David and me to watch the Mets rally in
the ninth inning against Mariano Rivera. Citi Field is one of the newest
ballparks built in the retro ballpark theme. The Jackie Robinson rotunda,
Home Run Apple, and the Shea Bridge do a great job blending history,
tradition, and regional landmarks.
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New York Yankees
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May 29
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Another subway series game
with David. Built as a replica of old Yankee Stadium, it is rich in history
and tradition with Monument Park in center field and the Yankees Hall of
Fame. With all the premium options, I can see how the Yankees can keep that
high payroll.
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Philadelphia Phillies
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May 31
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Toured Philly and helped my
high school buddy Dan move out of his apartment. A typical ballpark with a
cast iron Liberty Bell, large play place for children, hall of fame type area
in center field, and the downtown skyline in the distance.
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Baltimore Orioles
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June 2
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Was able to stay with a
childhood friend, Lisa, but she couldn’t make it to the game. Camden Yards
was the first retro ballpark with a brick and cast iron structure and limited
foul territory. Among so many original features, the highlight is the large
warehouse in right field and the ally between the warehouse and the field.
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Washington Nationals
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June 4
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A good ending to a day of
sightseeing and museums on the national mall. Nationals Park is a modern
ballpark that goes against the grain in that it is not retro. The highlight
might be the racing President mascots.
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Milwaukee Brewers
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June 8
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Picked up my friend Chris in
Chicago and made our way up to Miller Park. The highlights of the park
include the giant yellow slide in left field and the tailgating atmosphere.
It was fitting that on “Cerveceros Night”, the chrizo was the victorious
racing sausage.
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Chicago Cubs
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June 9
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A day game at Wrigley with two
friends from high school, Gabe and Alex, who now live near Wrigleyville.
Wrigley Field has its share of iconic features: the ivy on the outfield wall
and the manual scoreboard among others. However, there is a fine line between
charm and old.
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Chicago White Sox
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June 10
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My friend Mizo and I waited
out a long fog delay on the south side of Chicago. “The Cell” looks huge from
the exterior and the three large video boards don’t make the inside feel any
smaller (even if one view of one is partially blocked).
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Minnesota Twins
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June 11
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This was my fourth ballpark in
four days. I loved the location and the character of the ballpark most
notably the limestone structure and the flowerbox in left field. While some
stadiums feel isolated from their surroundings, Target Field is a great
example of how my favorite ballparks intertwine the city and baseball.
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Houston Astros
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July 1
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After a long couple of days of
driving, I finally got to Houston for the ballgame. This ballpark is
certainly unique: the Crawford box in left field, the hill in center field,
and the pillars, train and windows in left field. Unfortunately, the Astros
were terrible this year and the small crowd didn’t have much to cheer about.
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Texas Rangers
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July 2
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Walked around the Forth Worth
Stockyards then met my friend KB for the game. From the hotdogs at the
concessions to the grandstands in left and from the office building in centerfield
to the white façade, everything is bigger in Texas.
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Kansas City Royals
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July 5
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After of a couple days with my
cousin in Oklahoma, I met up with my friend Chris and his fiancé Amanda in
Kansas City. Kauffman Stadium might have been the biggest surprise on my journey:
the fountains in the outfield, the expansive bowl-like upper deck, and Royals
Hall of Fame all exceeded my expectations.
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St. Louis Cardinals
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July 6
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Went to the top of the Gateway
Arch in the morning and the ballgame in the afternoon. The view from the
upper deck behind home plate is one of the finest in the league, but the
brick structure, covered concourse, and construction site across the street
made the ballpark feel a little isolated from the rest of the city.
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Detroit Tigers
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July 10
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Went to my hometown ballpark
after work with a few of my friends. I love the stone Tiger sculptures, the
openness to the city, and the geometry of the playing field, but the food
selection was without a doubt lacking.
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Colorado Rockies
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July 27
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My brother drove up from his
summer job in New Mexico and we spent the weekend at my Granny’s place. We
struggled up a pair of 14,000 ft mountains in the morning and made it to the
game at night. The mountain view, evergreens in the bullpen, and the ring of
purple seats at 5,280’ elevation do the Rocky Mountains justice.
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Tampa Bay Rays
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August 2
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Flew from Detroit to Tampa in
the morning, waited out a thunderstorm in downtown Tampa, then headed across
the bay to the Trop. The ray touch tank, the Ted Williams memorabilia, and
walking on the field after the game were pretty cool, but the stadium felt
like a carnival with a baseball field in the middle.
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Miami Marlins
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August 3
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Drove across the peninsula to
Miami and the site of the old Orange Bowl for the Marlins game. With the
retractable roof closed and the rain obscuring the view of downtown, Marlins
Park felt more like a domed football field than a ballpark. However, Marlins
Park is anything but bland with a bobble-head museum, Cuban food at the
concessions, a South Beach style club, and the sculpture in centerfield.
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Cincinnati Reds
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August 24
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First of two ballparks on a
weekend trip to Ohio. The waterfront location, steam engine power stacks in
centerfield, the terrace at the main entrance, and the steep seats in right
field are the main highlights. I was a little disappointed they charged for
the Reds Hall of Fame.
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Cleveland Indians
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August 25
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Second ballpark of the weekend
in Ohio. The dual path
concourse, giant scoreboard, high outfield walls, cheap concessions, and the
downtown skyline were all noteworthy. Although the crowd was small, John
Adams and his drum were in attendance.
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Pittsburgh Pirates
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September 22
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Visited Ben, another former
college roommate for the weekend in Pittsburgh. Although other ballparks may
be retro-themed, located on the water, exhibit a downtown view, and contain
an unconventionally shaped outfield, PNC Park does all of them top-notch.
Throw in the Jolly Roger flags and it was a great experience.
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Seattle Mariners
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September 27
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A vacation to Seattle with
friends from both high school and college to knock ballpark #30 of the
list. Although it technically
has a retractable roof, Safeco Field looks and feels like an open-air stadium
but has an umbrella in case of rain.
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30 Parks in '13
Chronicling my trip to all 30 MLB ballparks during the 2013 season.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Ballpark: 30 in Review
I have tried to consolidate my experience at each of the 30 MLB ballparks in just a couple of sentences. Although I initially intended to write these summaries immediately after I completed the trip, I ended up putting them off until now. Thus, on a positive, these summaries are the lasting impressions I have from each of the 30 ballparks.
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