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Good to see other winning hands down how on earth did you pick these cities and leave others off? Who watches baseball in the park anyway these days.
That's about the only time I actually *do* watch, I make it to about 5-6 games a year of MLB on average, and I'll also catch a college game/little league/softball game. Baseball more than other sports is much better in person if you know the game, as you are watching the entire field, defensive shifts, base runners, inter inning warmups, etc. Football and Basketball most of the action is confined to a smaller area, translates easier to tv medium.
You'll never get the effect on tv like, "oh wow that ball is to the fence, he is rounding 2nd and think he is going to make it home, oh man that throw is going to be close" or "why the left fielder is playing a bit too far in, yep, told you right over his head"...you never see the actual action develop like you can in football/basketball on tv. Baseball is more of a skill/decision game so it's important to see the choices each team makes, football/basketball are bunched up and more physical elements to it.
Most baseball on tv just revolves around the battery and the batter. A young kid who plays might just want to focus on what a shortstop is doing and learn, he'll never see this on tv. Whereas he could definitely see what a fullback or OL is doing on tv or point guard in baskeball...etc. I could go on, but I'm sure other baseball fans get the point.
Well I'll show my hometown pride and wholeheartedly cast my vote for Petco in San Diego. Was there for the season opener last night and the ballpark and neighborhood are looking better than ever (the Pads, well- not a blowout but Volquez stumbled a bit).
As an architect and a baseball fan, HOK and Antoine Predock's design is really coming into its own- I remember seeing the presentation renderings years ago with the plants spilling over the various walls and edges of the building and how the park looked pretty raw when first opened with its sandstone cladding, stucco (no tired, retro brick for us) and white painted steel girders above. Now those renderings have come true- 30-40' vines spilling out all over the place from ledges and overhead walkways while walking inside. Bougainvillea, ornamental trees and other flowering plants flowing over or popping up at seemingly every corner. Also the towering palm trees at the edges frame up against the sandstone walls nicely.
The original design intent to evoke the feeling of the cliffs above the ocean, the blue seats and the white painted steel, the sails or clouds above really has come to fruition now with the landscaping grown in. I know there are several rolling their eyes here when it comes to talking about landscaping in a baseball park (especially the Fenway diehards haha) but hey, its San Diego, everything grows here year round so I'm especially glad the designers took advantage of it. Just because I love beautiful landscaping and thoughtful architecture doesn't mean I don't also love the game.
It is also a tight, compact and vertical design with great views of the game from just about everywhere- and its always cool to see the edge of a hundred year old brick building (the Western Metal Supply Co.) painted yellow up the corner as the left foul line and realize the whole park was designed around this original downtown landmark.
And the location can't be beat- really, really, downtown- not kinda downtown where you see the buildings in the background but can't really walk there from the park. Not surrounded at all by parking lots (a bit to the east but even then obliquely so). And the surrounding downtown neighborhoods are overflowing with bars and folks on the sidewalks before and after the game. Views of the ocean, bay, docks and trolley yard to the south and east along with the "park in the park", condo towers and office buildings towards the north and west. Also great food and pub venues in the park.
I'll admit that I haven't been to that many others here, and there are several really fine ballparks around the country- PNC is beautiful, AT&T is also nice- and some of the other newer "retro" parks are equally nice architecturally but not located as well downtown or just don't have that progressive edge to it with unexpected elements to the architecture or landscaping.
Even if the Padres are frustrating sometimes, it is always a good day or night to take the bus (or even walk from my nearby streetcar neighborhood) start off in a couple of bars and local pubs, take in the game at Petco and then who knows what else afterwards downtown.
San Diego stadium is not that good. That crap building they have in left field sucks. It looks like some one tried to go retro ala camden and then half way through changed their mind and went modern ala us cellular field. The end result being fugly. The stadium is also half empty on games and many of the fans seem more excited by the beach ball than the team on the field.
how come nobody ever talks about best football stadiums?
The NFL stadiums don't really have the quirkiness or character that their MLB counterparts do. And they all boil down to the same exact field in every location, due to the game. In baseball, you have unique angles, varying distances, even hills and outfield nooks and crannies. You can't do that in football.
So they have to go by architecture. With that in mind:
1. Qwest Field (Seattle)
2. Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City)
3. Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte)
College football has many more historic stadiums with quirky features and dynamic surroundings.
1. Folsom Field (Colorado)
2. Ohio Stadium (Ohio State)
3. Husky Stadium (Washington)
yeah - i absolutely love stadiums and find the college football stadiums to be more interesting than NFL stadiums ..... both in design, age & location
So for the NFL you have design, atmosphere, sight lines for the game, cityscape, etc
However, it's not nearly as romantic as baseball
hockey/basketball arenas are another tough area to judge ..... i've been in some bad ones and in some excellent ones ..... i also miss some of the old ones that have been demolished ..... but again, the building just isn't as much a part of the experience (with some exceptions - places like the forum, garden, etc)
No but seriously. Marlins Ballpark. I know baseball is ALLLL about history. The MLB is more history oriented than the NBA and NFL. Both NBA and NFL are all about changing with the times and getting more viewers for the mighty dollar(which I don't see as a bad thing per se). So I know the greatness of a stadium, especially when it comes to baseball, will always be measured by it's history. But seriously, the answer here is Marlins Ballpark. Convertible Domed roof, great view of Miami Skyline(awesome looking at night), Fishtank's as wall barriers, location in the vibrant Barrio of Little Havana. I know when this thread was made Marlins Ballpark didn't exist yet, but it's Marlins Ballpark.
Well I'll show my hometown pride and wholeheartedly cast my vote for Petco in San Diego. Was there for the season opener last night and the ballpark and neighborhood are looking better than ever (the Pads, well- not a blowout but Volquez stumbled a bit).
As an architect and a baseball fan, HOK and Antoine Predock's design is really coming into its own- I remember seeing the presentation renderings years ago with the plants spilling over the various walls and edges of the building and how the park looked pretty raw when first opened with its sandstone cladding, stucco (no tired, retro brick for us) and white painted steel girders above. Now those renderings have come true- 30-40' vines spilling out all over the place from ledges and overhead walkways while walking inside. Bougainvillea, ornamental trees and other flowering plants flowing over or popping up at seemingly every corner. Also the towering palm trees at the edges frame up against the sandstone walls nicely.
The original design intent to evoke the feeling of the cliffs above the ocean, the blue seats and the white painted steel, the sails or clouds above really has come to fruition now with the landscaping grown in. I know there are several rolling their eyes here when it comes to talking about landscaping in a baseball park (especially the Fenway diehards haha) but hey, its San Diego, everything grows here year round so I'm especially glad the designers took advantage of it. Just because I love beautiful landscaping and thoughtful architecture doesn't mean I don't also love the game.
It is also a tight, compact and vertical design with great views of the game from just about everywhere- and its always cool to see the edge of a hundred year old brick building (the Western Metal Supply Co.) painted yellow up the corner as the left foul line and realize the whole park was designed around this original downtown landmark.
And the location can't be beat- really, really, downtown- not kinda downtown where you see the buildings in the background but can't really walk there from the park. Not surrounded at all by parking lots (a bit to the east but even then obliquely so). And the surrounding downtown neighborhoods are overflowing with bars and folks on the sidewalks before and after the game. Views of the ocean, bay, docks and trolley yard to the south and east along with the "park in the park", condo towers and office buildings towards the north and west. Also great food and pub venues in the park.
I'll admit that I haven't been to that many others here, and there are several really fine ballparks around the country- PNC is beautiful, AT&T is also nice- and some of the other newer "retro" parks are equally nice architecturally but not located as well downtown or just don't have that progressive edge to it with unexpected elements to the architecture or landscaping.
Even if the Padres are frustrating sometimes, it is always a good day or night to take the bus (or even walk from my nearby streetcar neighborhood) start off in a couple of bars and local pubs, take in the game at Petco and then who knows what else afterwards downtown.
Nice post, I loved going to games at Petco. I think the stadium combined with the location makes it the best ballpark in California. Great area to go out before and after the game. I also really like that rooftop bar that looks down on Petco, Altitude.
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