Visiting Big League Baseball Stadiums: Take Me Out to the Ball Game
Major League baseball is rediscovering center cities again. New stadiums have been built in Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and San Francisco. Is there a better way to spend a sunny weekend afternoon or a pleasant evening than at one of these modern ballparks?
Diehard fans will drive miles to follow their favorite teams. In fact, fans all over the country are flocking to the new stadiums designed to look like early 20th century ball fields, minus all of the poles that obstructed the view. There are even modern additions such as elevators.
There is another advantage to heading out to a distant ballpark in another city. You can have a family reunion. My brother-in -law, who lives in the suburbs of Washington, DC, grew up in Indiana. He has never lost his fanatic loyalty to the Chicago Cubs, which after decades of agony, now field a good team. Recently, my brother-in-law packed his son, my wife, and me (his own wife abhors the game) into the family car for a three-hour ride to Pittsburgh to watch the Cubs and their great home-run hitter, Sammy Sosa, play the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Reunion at the Ball Park
We met the Indiana branch of the family at a beautiful downtown hotel overlooking the Allegheny River. Those fans had driven six hours from the Chicago and Indianapolis areas for the game. We were so close to the two-year-old PNC Stadium on the other side of the river that we walked the quarter of a mile over the bridge, named after the late Pirates legend, Roberto Clemente, to the game.
The view of the Pittsburgh skyline from the ballpark was magnificent, thank goodness. However, Cubs fans had a long night. Chicago lost 8-2 and the great Sosa struck out four times.
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
In some cases, it's fun to go to the ball park even if the home team never wins—the Baltimore Orioles, for example. The Orioles have finished in fourth place in a five-team division for many years in a row, but they have a world-class stadium which was built in 1992. The biggest problem in building the stadium was deciding on a name. The Orioles management naturally wanted to call the place Oriole Park but the mayor thought Camden Yards, the name of the railroad yard that used to occupy the spot, would be more appropriate. So the stadium is called Oriole Park at Camden Yards, probably the longest name of any sports stadium in the country. The ball park is downtown, right at the Inner Harbor, a bustling area of shops and restaurants. Try the seafood places featuring Maryland crab cakes.
The Jake
In Cleveland, Jacobs Field is located along the lakefront. This stadium is named after the Cleveland Indians owner, Dick Jacobs. It is affectionately known as "The Jake." Due to its location, there is a good view of the city and Lake Erie.
Ballpark by the Bay
In San Francisco, home of the prodigious home-run hitter, Barry Bonds, the new ball field is called Pacific Bell Park. Not only do the fans get to see probably the greatest player in the game today but the view—of San Francisco Bay—is as spectacular as any in the big leagues.
Some Good Old Stadiums
Now, let's not forget some of the old stadiums that have stood the test of time, like Wrigley Field, Chicago, which opened in 1916. It is named after William Wrigley, of chewing gum fame, and for years had no night games because people in the neighborhood objected to the lights. The Cubs didn't install lights until 1988.
Wrigley Field houses some of the most raucous fans west of Philadelphia. The fans, like the ball park, are throwbacks to a bygone era, often tossing home run balls hit by visiting players back on the field in disgust.
The House That Ruth Built
Yankee Stadium, home of the most winning team in big league history, where giants like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Joe DiMaggio once played, is still a beacon of success in The Bronx. Though the New York football teams have moved across the Hudson to New Jersey, the Yankees have stayed where they are; it just wouldn't sound right to call the Bronx Bombers the Jersey Bombers, now would it? However, the Stadium, as New Yorkers call it, was upgraded in 1976 when pillars obstructing the view were removed.
A Final Note
Wherever you go, expect a rendition or two of the most famous baseball song ever written. I am speaking of course of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." This immortal ditty was penned by Jack Norworth and Albert von Tilzer a century ago and is still loved by baseball fans today.
Online Resources
Books
Find these books online at Barnes and Noble.com.
- The Ballpark Book: A Journey Through the Fields of Baseball Magic. Ron Smith. Sporting News Publishing Company. March 2003
- Take Me out to the Ballpark: An Illustrated Tour of Baseball Parks Past and Present. Josh Leventhal and Jessica M. MacMurray. Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, Inc. September 2000
- Blue Skies, Green Fields: A Celebration of 50 Major League Baseball Stadiumss. Ira Rosen. Crown Publishing Group. October 2001
