It’s not considered a prime example of the retro ballpark at work, but the Atlanta Braves have worked hard over the last 15 years to transform Turner Field from a bland, corporate ballpark to a place where team and regional baseball history are celebrated, and where fans can have a good time watching a game. […]
Archive | Visits
JetBlue Park at Fenway South / Boston Red Sox
The ballpark has been open for less than a week, but JetBlue Park, the new spring home of the Boston Red Sox, is drawing praise for easy accessibility and a Florida-themed design. FAST FACTS Year Opened: 2012Capacity: 11,000Budget: $77.8 million (includes $20 million for land and $7.2 million for design)Architect: PopulousConstruction: Manhattan Kraft ConstructionConcessions: AramarkDimensions: […]
AT&T Park / San Francisco Giants
The concourses are surprisingly narrow, the traffic outside the ballpark stifling and you’re likely spend part of a game peering at the action through a light mist. Having said that, one thing is clear: watching a San Francisco Giants game at AT&T Park is one of the greatest experiences in Major League Baseball, one that […]
Digital Domain Park / New York Mets / St. Lucie Mets
The trend in spring-training facilities is to locate new ballparks in the midst of megadevelopments that could be located anywhere. While these new ballparks have the amenities fans expect, they’re generic in nature. Maybe we’re a little too nostalgic, but we want the spring-training experience when we head to Florida: we want the palm trees, […]
Surprise Stadium / Kansas City Royals / Texas Rangers
It’s a little off the beaten track, but Billy Parker Field at Surprise Stadium, the spring home of the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals, is a top-notch place to see a spring-training ballgame: The sightlines are gorgeous, the concourses are wide, and the ballpark design is striking. FAST FACTS Capacity: 10,714Architect: PopulousYear Opened: 2003Dimensions: […]
Joker Marchant Stadium / Detroit Tigers / Lakeland Flying Tigers
Tiger Town is the last great traditional spring-training site still used in Florida. The Tigers have been training in Lakeland since 1934 (taking a break for the war years, of course) and playing in Joker Marchant Stadium since 1966. In those many years Tiger Town has evolved into a complete training complex that includes the […]
Tempe Diablo Stadium / Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
It is the most scenic ballpark in the Cactus League, bar none. With buttes beyond the left-field fence, a striking Spanish-style exterior and a relatively remote location that paradoxically offers easy freeway access, Tempe Diablo Stadium is a gem, a must-visit for anyone hitting Phoenix in March. FAST FACTS Year Opened: 1968; renovated several times […]
City of Palms Park / Boston Red Sox
This will be the last spring the Boston Red Sox are training at City of Palms Park in Fort Myers. It’s not been an especially distinguished run in terms of ballpark architecture and amenities, as City of Palms Park and a nearby training complex were cramped, outdated facilities. Here’s a look at City of Palms […]
Ballpark Visit: Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies
With a host of MLB ballparks opening in recent years, it's easy to lose Citizens Bank Park, the home of the Philadelphia Phillies, in the shuffle. The ballpark has aged extremely well since its 2004 opening, however, and it's still among the top echelon of MLB ballparks. We revisit Citizens Bank Park to see how […]
Ballpark Visit: Citizens Bank Park / Philadelphia Phillies / 3
Is Citizens Bank Park the best ballpark in baseball? While its location keeps it from being considered the best overall ballpark, it certainly is one of the best. Page 3: Food and Drink, Handicapped Seating FOOD AND DRINK AT CITIZENS BANK PARK Apparently it is mandatory for a ballpark to have a BBQ stand, a […]
Citizens Bank Park / Philadelphia Phillies
Is Citizens Bank Park the best ballpark in baseball? While its location keeps it from being considered the best overall ballpark, it certainly is in the top echelon of Major League Baseball ballparks. With the place crammed regularly with enthusiastic fans, it’s also one of the most popular MLB ballparks, and after eight seasons, it’s […]
McKechnie Field / Pittsburgh Pirates / Bradenton Marauders
It is authentically old, without the faux sheen of retro features so prevalent in new spring-training complexes these days. Built in 1923 for the St. Louis Cardinals and still known by many oldtimers as the former spring home of the Milwaukee Braves and Atlanta Braves, McKechnie Field is basically the same ballpark where Roberto Clemente […]
Ballpark Visit: Huggins-Stengel Field at Crescent Lake Park
We visit the former spring-training home of the New York Yankees: Huggins-Stengel Field at Crescent Lake Park. Dedicated in 1925 by St. Petersburg Mayor Al Lang, Huggins-Stengel Field was the heart of spring training for generations of baseball fans and is still a fun place to catch a baseball game. The two historic markers and […]