Jonah Keri recently made a list of his favorite stadiums and I got to thinking about how I've been blessed to go to a lot of baseball games over the years on my journeys...mostly major league, but a few minor league games as well. Part of the allure of baseball is the parks in which they play; every one is different. Not all are created equal. It's not just that the outfield dimensions are different, but that the feel is different. Can you really say that about a basketball arena or a football stadium?
So here, with as little comment as possible, and in no particular order, are the major league baseball parks I've been to in order to see a game. Many of them no longer exist. Many of them have changed names many times thanks to corporate branding, so I don't always remember the names. Many of them I visited when I was kid when my dad would have veterinary conferences in these cities. Many others I visited in 1992 when on my two-month road trip to nowhere after college. Mostly the years are approximate.
Note: after thinking about it for about an hour, I had to annotate the list just a bit...
Kauffman (nee Royals) Stadium, Kansas City (many times, c.1976-2012); it was a better stadium when it was just baseball and fountains. Now it's too busy with all the videoboards and the stuff beyond the outfield walls.
Petco Park, San Diego (2013); went to this just a few weeks ago. From the outer upper concourse you can see the bridge where they filmed the scene in Anchorman where Jack Black throws off Ron Burgundy's dog.
Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles (1980); memorable for me because I saw the great J.R. Richard pitch against the Dodgers a few weeks before he had his massive stroke. I still remember his greatness, even though I was only 9 at the time.
Anaheim Stadium (c.1983)
Oakland Alameda Colosseum (c.1986)
Safeco Field, Seattle (c.2001)
Arlington Stadium, Rangers (several times)
The newer stadium the Rangers play in (several times)
old Busch Stadium, St. Louis (1997); I saw Mark McGuire hit one of his 70 steroid-induced homers that night. Even better, the Royals won the game. :)
Atlanta Fulton-County Stadium (c.1977)
Shea Stadium, New York (2001); two weeks before 9/11, my friend Rob and I were watching the game against the Giants (I think this was the year Bonds hit 73, maybe not), and flying over the stadium at regular intervals were planes coming in or going out from LaGuardia airport. I remember distinctly thinking how close these jets were and how easy it would be to crash a plane into the stadium. It still gives me chills.
Yankee Stadium, New York (c.1982)
Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia (1992)
Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati (1992); I remember parking two spots away from where Marge Schott, the owner of the Reds, had her parking spot. Her car seemed way too exposed.
Tigers Stadium (1992); I remember a young Ken Griffey junior turning around to the people sitting in the center field bleachers and flipping them off.
The old cavernous stadium the Indians played in, Cleveland (1992)
Comiskey Park, Chicago (c.1985)
Olympic Stadium, Montreal (1992); most massive and ugly concrete slab ever constructed.
Camden Park, Baltimore (several times); probably the best stadium I've been to.
It's not the greatest list in the world. A few stadiums that supposedly make the top of the must-see lists (Wrigley, Fenway) are not on it. A few of them were dumps (old Tiger stadium comes particularly to mind). But it's still not a bad list...19 different parks in all, and still half a life to go.
