Bucket List – Ballparks

Back in the winter, I did a series of posts on Bucket List Stadiums for Football, Basketball and Hockey. The time wasn’t right for Baseball, but now that we are in the middle of summer, it certainly is. Ballparks are the genre that attracts the most amount of stadium road trippers as that group exceeds all the other sports combined. Warm weather and nostalgia are likely reasons why, but the main one is that baseball has a different type of fan. There are several people I know that love baseball dearly and pay little attention to all other sports. For me, while I certainly enjoy a ballpark visit, the length and dullness of the games put the watching of the sport live much lower than the other ones. There are still some beauties out there though that I love to see…

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Alex Box Stadium – LSU Tigers:  If you watched the College World Series this year, you’ll know why. Home of some of the best fans in college baseball, though the fans from two lines down may argue this.
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AT&T Stadium – San Francisco Giants:  Picturesque ballpark with right-field on the waterfront. Great support too as crowds haven’t waned even when the Giants do poorly (which can’t be said for many other MLB teams).
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Baum Stadium – Arkansas Razorbacks:  Similarly crazy passionate fan base to LSU. Those that get bored at times with baseball (like me), certainly won’t be so at a Hogs game. Lots of fun.
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BB&T Ballpark – Charlotte Knights:  Wonderful new ballpark in downtown Charlotte that has a major-league feel in miniature form.
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Blue Wahoos Stadium – Pensacola Blue Wahoos:  The design is basic, but it is the view and location that makes this bucket list worthy. Great spot right on the Bay and near the center of the city.
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Camden Yards – Baltimore Orioles:  The ballpark that changed sports stadiums forever. It still stands the test of time 25 years later.
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Dodger Stadium – Los Angeles Dodgers:  Janet Marie Smith is in the process of working her magic here.
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Doug Kingsmore Stadium – Clemson Tigers:  Aesthetically beautiful with a great design on a pleasant campus in Upstate South Carolina. Clemson is hot right now on the sports scene and expect to see a lot of orange.
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Dudy Noble Field – Mississippi State Bulldogs:  The biggest on-campus stadium in college baseball is known for their Left Field Lounge, a tailgating and in-game experience like no other in the sport.
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Fenway Park – Boston Red Sox:  An icon that has wonderfully moved into the 21st century.
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Frontier Field – Rochester Red Wings:  Best food in the minors! I got spoiled coming here often growing up in Rochester. Food certainly has stepped up in the last dozen years, but nothing comes close to the variety and quality at Frontier.
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Grayson Stadium – Savannah Bananas:  Thank you Summer-Collegiate Leagues for saving this ballpark. An absolute classic built in 1926. I love the ceiling fans underneath the overhang!
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Huntington Park – Columbus Clippers:  Great ballpark in a great city and a great neighborhood (the Arena District).
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McCoy Stadium – Pawtucket Red Sox:  Enjoy it while you can as Red Sox owners plot their move. Not many like these are left at the affiliated minor-league level.
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MCU Park – Brooklyn Cyclones:  Coney Island and the Atlantic Ocean are within a view of this ballpark, which you will be hard pressed to find one that fits in better with a neighborhood
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Modern Woodmen Park – Quad Cities River Bandits:  Right along the Mississippi River. Seriously, right on it, as in they have flooded multiple times. Not a fan of how the place has become a circus with the addition of a Ferris Wheel, but the setting is picturesque.
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Parkview Field – Fort Wayne Tin Caps:  Often a winner in Stadium Journey‘s “Best Ballpark”, this is a success story in terms of downtown development because of a ballpark.
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PNC Park – Pittsburgh Pirates:  Everything about this ballpark is done right. And for a fan of city skylines, this one is right up my alley.
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Riverwalk Stadium – Montgomery Biscuits:  Many ballparks go with the train theme, but none do it better than Montgomery. The stadium makes use of a pre-existing train shed for the exterior.
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Regions Field – Birmingham Barons:  Excellent use of a city’s history with the incorporation of steel in the design elements.
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Smith’s Ballpark – Salt Lake Bees:  Just look at that View!!!
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Target Field – Minnesota Twins:  All the new ballparks built within the last 10 years are great, but this one stands out above the rest.
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TD Ameritrade Park – College World Series:  Only because of the event it hosts. This is an otherwise soul-less ballpark that replaced a stadium still dearly missed (Rosenblatt). Thanks, NCAA
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UPMC Park – Erie Seawolves:  A neat park where tight confines dictated the design, leading to a completely different third base side from the first base one. Well worth going to the latter side and sitting in the upper deck.
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Wahconah Park – Pittsfield Suns:  One of the very few remaining with a wooden grandstand.
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Wrigley Field – Chicago Cubs:  The video boards and advertising somewhat take away from what was a unique professional sports experience in North America. Still an incredible ballpark and experience.
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