Comerica Park is never going to be as beloved or as celebrated as Tiger Stadium. It is a ballpark Donald Trump might like because there seems to be an endless font of ways for people to spend money. Owner Mike Ilitch looked at his club’s past and decided it had merit as a first course […]
Archive | Visits
Busch Stadium / St. Louis Cardinals
We really wanted to like Busch Stadium. It is, without a doubt, an improvement over the previous Busch Stadium. But despite a solid location and some nice amenities, too much value engineering and too little charm make it a nice, but not great, ballpark. FACT FACTS Year Opened: 2006 Capacity: 46,861 (includes suites and standing […]
Chase Field / Arizona Diamondbacks
There is simply no escaping an air-conditioned existence if you spend any time in Phoenix in the summer: the desert atmosphere so welcome for spring training in March becomes rather tiresome by the beginning of June, when it’s just too damn hot to be outside. At the end of the day, air conditioning is perhaps […]
Angel Stadium / Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
There was a lot made about the Disneyfication of Angel Stadium in 1998, when then-Angels owner Disney Corp. hired Populous and cutting-edge architect Robert A.M. Stern to remodel the aging facility. Though hailed as a success — the former mixed-use facility was finally reconfigured to a baseball-only venue — one thing is crystal-clear now that […]
Rangers Ballpark in Arlington / Texas Rangers
Rangers Stadium in Arlington is a sprawling, retro facility that feels more like a downtown ballpark than what it is: a surbuban facility. Year Opened: 1994 Capacity: 49,288 Architect: Design Architect, David M. Schwarz Architectural Services of Washington, D.C.; Architect of Record, HKS Dimensions: 332LL, 390LC, 400C, 407RC, 381RC, 377R, 325RL Playing Surface: Grass Website: […]
Federal Park / Covington Blue Sox
Tiny Covington missed out on a spot in the Class D Blue Grass League and instead ended up with a major-league Federal League squad. And sure enough, it couldn’t last. Federal Park was the home of the Covington Blue Sox. It opened on May 8, 1913, and could seat 6,000. It was built at a […]
Tiger Stadium / Detroit Tigers / 1912-1999
Its first day was overshadowed by the news the Titanic hit an iceberg and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean. By the time Detroit’s Tiger Stadium bade farewell 87 years, it had witnessed 11,111 home runs, six World Series, three memorable All-Star games, NFL Championship games and championship boxing fights. Along the way it served as […]