What is the Best MLB Ballpark?

Fenway Park: Home of the Red Sox

Baseball season is in full swing now and, while some fans haven't devoted their full attention to the diamond yet because of the NBA and NHL Playoffs, there have been many headlines thus far in the MLB. To me, baseball is a great game. I know many others find it boring and slow and sometimes it can drag on a bit but baseball is America's first game and since the Steroid Era has ended, the game has become great again. On Sunday I had the chance to attend a Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Chicago Cubs game at historic Wrigley Field on the northside of Chicago. The chance to take in a game at Wrigley is amazing with the ivy covered walls, fans sitting in rooftop seats and the iconic scoreboard in centerfield. It got me thinking about different ballparks of MLB teams and the question is: What is the best MLB ballpark ever?

This is a debate that will certainly have many opinions, especially between generations. I have been to 16 Major League ballparks to date so those are the ones I can speak of with first-hand knowledge. Five of the ballparks I have been to have been torn down or are no longer in use and the other eleven are currently used by their respective team. There are two different types of ballparks these days and one of them is a dying breed. There are the newer ballparks that were built after 1990 and then there are the older ones that came before then. The baseball world lost one of it's biggest charms when Old Yankee Stadium was torn down after the 2008 season but new ones are springing up every year.

Wrigley Field: Home of the Cubs

Judging from the people I have talked to, fans either love the old parks or absolutely hate them because of the inconveniences and lack of amenities. Personally I love the old ballparks of Fenway Park and Wrigley Field. I have been to Wrigley several times but every game I see there is a treat. The ivy-covered walls and scoreboard are unique to the park and to look out of the stadium and see hundreds of fans sitting on bleachers on top of buildings is something else. At Fenway I can remember getting chills as I walked on to Yawkey Way and saw the old brick of the stadium. As fans walk into the park the Green Monster rises up over the field and, despite only being 310 feet away from home plate, appears so menacing. The Red Sox fans are brilliant and the singing of Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" is not something you want to miss. Along with those two I would include Old Yankee Stadium. It's hard to describe the feeling around the Stadium. There is so much history inside the park and too many great players put on the pinstripes to name them all. While all three of these parks may have/had narrow aisles and some small, uncomfortable seating, I think it is totally worth the price of admission. Those three parks are phenomenal to be at because of the history.

Memorial Park in Old Yankee Stadium

That's not to say that I don't enjoy going to the newer ballparks. Last summer I had the opportunity to travel to Baltimore and Washington D.C. and I took in a game at Nationals Park and Camden Yards. Nationals Park is brand new and the huge video boards and interactive games around the stadium are great. Camden Yards is outstanding and I would recommend that any baseball fan makes it a point to visit it. It was built in 1992 but it has an old park feel. The B&O Railroad warehouse provides a great backdrop in right field and the city skyline is visible beyond the centerfield scoreboard. Along with the great ballpark, Baltimore is also home to the house that Babe Ruth was born in and that sits about three blocks away from Camden Yards.

Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia was also a nice park and U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago is very nice after they did some remodeling. Miller Park in Milwaukee is beautiful and the famed Sausage Race is a must-see. The newer parks definitely are nice and there are more on the way such as the Florida Marlins new park, scheduled to open next year. The features around these new parks and the views of the city skylines are the best part and each park has something unique to it.

Camden Yards: Home of the Orioles

Rarely do I visit a baseball park and walk out thinking that it was a bad place to watch a game. I think almost all parks are great with a few exceptions, such as stadiums that are used for football and baseball. Those need to go as soon as possible. I would have loved to visit older parks such as Tiger Stadium and Ebbets Field and if anybody has a comment about those two I would love to hear it. I would love to hear comments and opinions about your favorite ballpark and how many MLB parks you have been to. Below are the parks I have visited so far.

• U.S. Cellular Field (formerly known as Comiskey Park): Home of the Chicago White Sox
• Wrigley Field: Home of the Chicago Cubs
• Fenway Park: Home of the Boston Red Sox
• Old Yankee Stadium: Home of the New York Yankees [torn down in 2008]
• Busch Stadium I: Home of the St. Louis Cardinals [torn down in 2005]
• Busch Stadium II: Home of the St. Louis Cardinals
• RFK Stadium: Home of the Washington Nationals [no longer used for MLB]
• Nationals Park: Home of the Washington Nationals
• Cinergy Field (formerly known as Riverfront Stadium): Home of the Cincinnati Reds [torn down in 2002]
• Citizens Bank Park: Home of the Philadelphia Phillies
• Oriole Park at Camden Yards: Home of the Baltimore Orioles
• Turner Field: Home of the Atlanta Braves
• Progressive Field (formerly known as Jacobs Field): Home of the Cleveland Indians
• Kaufmann Stadium: Home of the Kansas City Royals
• Old County Stadium: Home of the Milwaukee Brewers [torn down in 2001]
• Miller Park: Home of the Milwaukee Brewers