I’ve been to all of those except the old park in Cleveland and generally agree with everything you said. I highly recommend a trip to Coors and Safeco, Fenway of course, and the new park in Washington, after they get some decent players.

Agree with you completely on Kauffman and GABP.  Kauffman is drop dead gorgeous.  I’m a Reds fan living in NYC, so I only make it out to GABP once a year or so for a game, and it wasn’t until 2007 when I finally realized that it was a nice place to watch a game.  The Reds Hall of Fame is really what sets it apart, however.  The Yankees know where to stick “Monument Park”—we have a friggin museum!

Goodness, lets see if I can remember.

My first ballpark was Shea Stadium.  My grandfather took me to see a Yankee game there when Steinbrenner was remodling across the river.  I’ve been back a number of times and continued to think it was an incredibly noisy dump.  Very steep seating though did get the cheap seats fairly close to the action.

When the Yanks moved back to the Bronx, Gramps took me there too.  Even though I am an avowed Yank hater, I loved the crowds—they combined passion with knowledge that I didn’t feel elsewhere.  I have been back plenty and while I don’t think much of it as a park, still get the same feeling of intense watching from the fans who, elsewhere, seem less enthralled by games than by the dot races on the scoreboards.

My folks moved to the suburbs of the Twin Cities when I was young.  I saw a lot of the Carew-era Twins games and one of my fondest memories as a child was being at the old Metropolitan Stadium in the summer of ‘77 when Sir Rodney went over .400 for the first time that summer.  The upper deck was an old iron construction that, when the fans were into the game would shake; that day I thought it would fall.  We also went to a bunch of Viking games, but more than thirty years later, I’m still getting over the freezing cold of being in the upper deck a couple of rows from the top right at the open end of the horseshoe.

I was in college within driving distance of Boston and went to a bunch of games there in the years of Oil Can and Big Foot.  I’m a pretty big guy—around 6’3” and was then about 225—and was definitely crowded sitting in even the best of seats.  But every baseball fan should see a game from the box seats right next to third base.

Extended family has lived in San Diego since Nate Colbert and Randy Jones wore the mustard and brown.  The Murph, before it was remodled for the Chargers and the fence pulled in, was death for a slugger and frankly not much of a park.  But I have plenty of fond memories, including a summer romance at age 15 with a girl who had a crush on Terry Kennedy.

I still get to San Diego fairly often and go to games at Petco, but in case my wife is reading I no longer go with that long lost Kennedy fan.  I’ve had great seats and enjoyed games there.  I also like the idea of the sandbox seats in right field, but for a day game, the sun off the plexiglass and sand made it impossible to see any action.

I live on the outskirts of Atlanta.  The Ted is nice, but nothing remarkable.  Just one more food court surrounding a ball field.

But wow is it better than the old and not lamented Fulton County.  Multi-purpose stadium whose only semi-redeeming feature was Chief Noc-A-Homa’s teepee.

I’ve been to other new mallparks in Cleveland and Baltimore.  Camden seems to fit into the surrounding area of the inner harbor.  The Jake is just ploped down and doesn’t quite fit.  Plus any stadium with Boog Powell personally working the bbq pit, like he does in Baltimore, is a treat.

I’ve also been to whatever they call the park in Cincy that replaced Riverfront.  There wasn’t a corner they didn’t cut in building that place, is there?  I’ve only been to one game there.  It was a really cheap give-away day with 3-
D Javier Valentin baseball cards the lavish gift.  Wouldn’t you know it, that career sclubeenie hit two homers, both right to the section of seats in RCF where we were sitting, and had another long fly ball that almost went out.

I really enjoyed going to games Baltimore’s old Memorial Stadium.  When they were good, Wild Bill Hagity was fun—O R I O L E S!  When they weren’t, it was still enjoyable to drive into the middle of a middle class residential neighborhood and suddenly come across a ballpark.

I went to RFK in D.C. to see the Nats.  I liked how convenient it was to the metro, but the park had no character.

The worst park I’ve ever been to is easily the Kingdome in Seattle.  Dark and dingy.  It felt like going to see a movie in a third rate theater rather than going to see a ballgame.  After the beauty of Seattle and the Mt. Hood area, putting that mistake of a park down by the railroad tracks was just a crime.

And I saw a game between the Angels and Expos in Hiram Botham stadium in Puerto Rico.  Its not really on par with the MLB stadiums, but the fans were excited and fun.

Hey Ron, don’t forget 18th and Vine in KC. The Negro League HOF on one corner, and the Jazz Museum across the street. And both just a short walk from Arthur Bryant’s.

Dodger Dogs: Something changed. I would swear in a court of law, they used to be outstanding. I don’t know if they make them differently, or use a different brand or supplier or what, but, you’re right, Dodger Dogs now are just ordinary.

I’m a neophyte with regards to the # of ballparks, like the guy who got married right out of college or something.

However, PacBell (or whatever it is called now) is gorgeous place to see a ballgame.  I toured the whole place, down to the cages under the first base seats and even weaseled my way to the front row by the dugout during an interleague with the A’s.  The setting (by the water) just makes it incredible.

I really think the giant riverboat the Reds added in the outfield does a lot for the stadium. Before it was an empty black hole.

True about Fenway.  Nowhere else can you feel like you’re watching turn of the (last) century baseball, even more so than Wrigley.  To see a pitcher push off of a mound that was used on a regular basis by BABE FRIGGIN’ RUTH!  It’s been a good decade since I’ve been there (I saw Wadw Boggs make his return to Beantown in a DEVIL Rays uni), but I still get chills thinking about walking up tp my rooftop seats with an Italian Sausage in one hand and, believe it or not, a Sam Adams in the other…..

I’ve only been to 5 but it’s my goal to see them all eventually!

5. Olympic Stadium: seen at least a dozen games there including the second last one. Nothing good to say…
4. Yankee Stadium: went last summer, obviously a shrine but too expensive and as a stadium I can see why they’re replacing it.
3. Camden Yards: went there 2 days after seeing Nationals Park. It’s nice but starting to show its age and a clear 2nd behind the DC stadium
2. Rogers Centre: A bit sterile, sure, but a great place to watch a game.
1. Nationals Park: wow, what a nice facility. Too bad there was no one there.

Thanks for the kind words about Angel Stadium!  I’ve been to 14 stadiums and it’s definitely still one of my favorites.

Best looking inside: Kauffman - the grass just seems greener

Best looking outside: Ballpark at Arlington/Camden Yards

Most unique: Minute Maid - I really enjoyed this park for its quirks

Best atmosphere: tie between Wrigley and Busch

Worst - US Cellular or whatever the White Sox park is called - I hated everything about that place