MLB 2019 thread

[Jockey]

I bought a ticket last week, figuring it would either be 80 degrees or 45 and rainy.  I also don't have a smartphone-- try buying a Cubs ticket without a unnatural carnal knowledgeing smartphone; it's not very easy.

Do they still have a hitching post for your horse?

[BM1090]

1. AT&T (Oracle) Park
2. Suntrust
3. Target Field
4. Coors Field
5. Wrigley
6. Busch Stadium
7. Yankee Stadium
8. Marlins Park
9. Angels
10. Miller Park
11. Great American Ball Park
12. Dodger Field
13. Guaranteed Rate

Crossing PNC off the list in July.

[SaveOD238]

Just curious, how would you guys rank the ballparks you've been to?

For me:
1) Wrigley (now that the renovations are complete)
2) New Busch
3) Minute Maid
4) Miller
5) New Yankee
6) Guaranteed Rate
7) Progressive
8) Target
9) Old Busch
10) Citi
11) Old Yankee
12) Shea
13) Astrodrome
14) Tropicana

EDIT: Forgot Cleveland

The homer-ism is strong with this one.

Here's my list:

Fenway
SunTrust (Braves)
Great American
Miller Park
Target Field
Wrigley
T-Mobile (Mariners)
Minute Maid
Comerica (Tigers)
Angel Stadium
Arlington
Chase Field
Guaranteed Rate
Oakland Colliseum
Tropicana

I've also been to the old Yankees, Mets, and Cardinals stadiums, but never made it to the new ones.

[TallTitan34]

The homer-ism is strong with this one.

The renovations have made it a whole new stadium.  Prior to the renovations, I'd put it third behind Busch and Minute Maid.  If I get a chance to go to PNC I'm pretty sure I'll move Wrigley to 2.

If Wrigley being my favorite stadium I've been to makes me a homer, so be it.

[#UnleashSean]

1. Busch
1b. Wrigley
2. Fenway
3. Twins
4. PawSox
9. Miller
50. Tropicana
99. comiskey
9999999. Soldier field

[MU82]

Not a lot of love for Camden Yards, it seems.

It and PNC are my two faves of all I've been to ... and I've been to all of 'em except new Yankees, Mets, Braves, Rangers and Marlins parks.

We have a great new minor-league park in downtown Charlotte, though it's hard for me to get seriously into AAA games because I like having a clue about the players I'm watching.

[SaveOD238]

Not a lot of love for Camden Yards, it seems.

It and PNC are my two faves of all I've been to ... and I've been to all of 'em except new Yankees, Mets, Braves, Rangers and Marlins parks.

We have a great new minor-league park in downtown Charlotte, though it's hard for me to get seriously into AAA games because I like having a clue about the players I'm watching.

Camden Yards, PNC, and whatever they renamed San Francisco are probably the three I most want to visit.  I've never heard anything bad about any of them.

[TallTitan34]

1. Busch

I am a big fan of Busch.  Beautiful stadium looking at the arch and ballpark village is like Wrigley rooftops on steroids.  I also really enjoyed the old Busch Stadium scoreboards and other items above the concourses.

It's also pretty cool if you have ballpark village rooftop seats they still let you in the actual stadium.

[BM1090]

I rated Guaranteed Rate last of the stadiums I've visited but I did enjoy both my visits there. I have yet to visit a stadium that I would consider "bad".

[Dr. Blackheart]

I rated Guaranteed Rate last of the stadiums I've visited but I did enjoy both my visits there. I have yet to visit a stadium that I would consider "bad".

Ever been to the Oakland Coliseum?

[BM1090]

Ever been to the Oakland Coliseum?

Nope. I've seen it from the outside when I went to a Warriors game at Oracle, but I have no desire to see a game there. I'll wait for the new stadium in 4-5 years.

[wadesworld]

The renovations have made it a whole new stadium.  Prior to the renovations, I'd put it third behind Busch and Minute Maid.  If I get a chance to go to PNC I'm pretty sure I'll move Wrigley to 2.

If Wrigley being my favorite stadium I've been to makes me a homer, so be it.

It makes you a homer.

[JWags85]

It makes you a homer.

Shocking opinion coming from you. Probably prefer Guaranteed Rate to Wrigley

[TallTitan34]

Shocking opinion coming from you. Probably prefer Guaranteed Rate to Wrigley

I'll take GR's food over Wrigley in a landslide.

[wadesworld]

Shocking opinion coming from you. Probably prefer Guaranteed Rate to Wrigley

I've never been to Guaranteed Rate.

Ranking Wrigley as the top stadium is beyond laughable.

[DegenerateDish]

My criteria for the below:

Sightlines, easy to get to, quality of food, atmosphere/amenities, how does it blend into the fabric of the neighborhood/city. If a team is bad, I won't knock them points. I've been to Tampa, Toronto, and Oakland quite a few times, and steadfastly refuse to go to any of those three ballparks.

1. Oracle/SF Giants - Perfect. If you haven't been, go. Absolutely fantastic.
2. PNC/Pirates - Gives Oracle a run for it's money, it could not have been designed into the heart of Pittsburgh any better. Best sightlines in baseball for the entire park, they did a great job designing to make it intimate.
3. Petco - Maybe some recency bias, but that place was awesome. The openness of the outfield flowing into the Gaslamp Quarter is terrific.
4. Dodger Stadium - Of the 3 old ballparks, this place is the most unique, tv doesn't do justice to how gigantic this place is and how it's wonderfully built into a mountain. Pain in the butt to get to though.
5. Wrigley - The oldtimers who hate the renovations be damned, this place is so much better now. Obviously a bucket list place.
6. Fenway - I'll put an asterisk here, I went in early 2000's, Pedro pitched a gem, Manny hit a bomb over the monster, I don't know if I can go back after that perfection. Yawkey Way pre/post game fantastic.
7. Coors - It's starting to age a bit, but it's in a near perfect spot in LoDo. It's a must to get there for BP.
8. Target Field - I contemplated putting this higher, I really like this place. I thought the food options could be better (I'm a picky eater though), but for anyone in WI/IL, this should be a place to get to easily to check out.
9. Busch - Place bleeds Cardinal red, I don't know if there's another stadium more interwoven to it's team/market. Awesome location, I wouldn't argue if someone thinks it should be higher.
10. Minute Maid - I like this place, it's fun, the location isn't great, but the atmosphere and sightlines are enjoyable. It's quirky as hell, that's for sure.
11. T-Mobile - The roof necessitates this place being a little bit bigger than it otherwise probably should be, great food.
12. Camden Yards - The neighborhood draws it back some, also the seating isn't as comfortable as it should be. I still very much enjoy the place, but newer parks have move passed it.
13. Comerica - I like this place, I've never had a bad time there, I get that people might think it's a little too wonky
14. Guaranteed Rate - Neighborhood obviously is a draw back, and this is my home park, but the food, sightlines make this very worthwhile to visit. One thing they got right that some of the newer parks struggled with is you can see the field from the entire concourse, even behind home plate (most newer stadiums have a club at that location)
15. Citizens Bank - Knock here is the location, it's just meh. Food also is underwhelming here, the sightlines and atmosphere are quality though.
16. Yankee Stadium (New) - It's okay, I don't hate it, but I wish the most decorated franchise in baseball had a bit more "umph" to the place.
17. Progressive Field - I went there a couple of weeks ago, and had a decent time, but it's starting to show some age. Needs to be more accessible.
18. Miller Park - Location is meh, although I'm not a tailgater (I can see a big tailgater having this place a lot higher). Food is good, sightlines are ok, felt for a long time like this place was trying to find its identity.
19. Nationals - This place should be way higher, this is the one stadium where since the team is "newer", it really lacks an identity. The food selection is solid, especially in the outfield, but whenever I go here, it's not something I say "I need to get back here"
20. Diamondbacks - Maybe if I was in the pool, it'd be better. It's not great.
21. Globe Life - I was really surprised how poor this place is. I thought a few years ago it was odd they were trying to replace it, but it's a dump.

[CTWarrior]

Ever been to the Oakland Coliseum?

I went to Oakland in 2015 with my wife and son (he was maybe 21 at the time) and happened to see the game where Kershaw had a little bit of a meltdown, throwing the ball into the dugout at one point.  It was very nostalgic for me as it reminded me of games in NY and Boston in the 70s.  Unruly drunks everywhere.  Horrible foul language, fights and brawls everywhere.  The whole row about three rows behind us was ejected from the park.  My wife and son were appalled but I weirdly enjoyed being in that environment. 

That was one of my favorite baseball trips ever (Aug 2015).  We flew out to Seattle and spent 3 days there and had a great time.  Then flew down to SF and spent 4 days there and caught a game at SF and Oakland.  Needless to say there was a huge difference between Seattle/San Francisco and Oakland, which is just an old concrete bowl with nothing very interesting about it, although they did have a Big and Tall Gift Shop, which I appreciated.

In Seattle we saw Hisashi Iwakuma throw a no-hitter against the Orioles.  In San Francisco we saw Madison Bumgarner throw a complete game 3 hit shutout with 14 strikeouts and hit a home run himself.  In Oakland we saw Kershaw throw 7 innings and allow only one run only to have the A's comeback with three in the 8th off the bullpen and win it in extras.

[CTWarrior]

I've seen 23 teams play at home in a total of 30 parks.  I still need to see Arizona, Colorado, Detroit, Toronto, Cincinnati, Houston and Texas, and the new parks in Atlanta, Miami and Minnesota (though not sure if I'll try to get to these).  My goal is to see all the teams play in there home park, but not necessarily their current one.  I expect to get to Detroit, Toronto (and back to Wrigley) this year.  We've missed going on trips last few years for health reasons.

1.  PNC/Pittsburgh - Great views from inside the park
2.  Oracle/SF
3.  Kauffman/Kansas City - Fountains, friendly vibe, cheap, my wife would fly back to KC just for the Cherry Limeade
4.  Old (pre 1973) Yankee Stadium - Famous façade, monuments in deep center 463 to dead center.  Wonderful park.
5.  Fenway/Boston - Small uncomfortable seats, but just beautiful.  Sat in the Monster Seats last year.  Very comfortable interesting view of park, probably wouldn't do it again
6.  Dodger Stadium/LA - Traffic miserable, but you can feel the history and a great place to watch a game
7.  Pregressive/Cleveland - Nice location, walkable from many hotels, Camden Yards plus 3%
8.  Citizens Bank/Philadelphia - Bonus points for being able to talk with Greg Luzinski for a few minutes both times I went.  The guy is way smaller than you would think
9.  Camden Yards/Baltimore (last three are very similar, Cle and Phi are slightly improved versions of Camden Yards)
10.  Busch/St. Louis - beautiful park with the Arch in the distance, fried ravioli overrated though
11. Miller Park/Milwaukee - My brother liked this place a lot more than I did, saw my game with roof closed, which is probably why I liked it less
12.  Turner Field/Atlanta - they already moved out, the place still felt brand spanking new in 2016
13.  Wrigley Field - History, Ivy, love the old scoreboard in center, otherwise was disappointed (will be back this summer as I will be in Chicago for wife's family reunion)
14.  Seattle - Very nice, very common for the new parks except for the roof which is more of an umbrella than part of the stadium
15.  Petco/San Diego - Nice restaurants and bars in area right around the park, but park itself is just OK
16.  Yankee Stadium (from 1976) - Kind of boring, but monument park in the outfield was still great
17.  New Comiskey - I was there before Frank Thomas statue, but was sad that a franchise that old had statues of Luis Aparacio and Nellie Fox.  Is that the best you can do in 100+ years?
18.  Nationals Park/Washington - Also nice restaurants around it, but pretty non-descript.  Went there four years ago and barely remember it.
19.  Angel Stadium/Anaheim - Too Disneyfied with the fake looking rocks in the outfield.  Can't beat the weather
20.  Yankee Stadium (current) - not as open as other new stadiums, goods seats are ridiculously priced.  It gets worse every time they change.  Yankee Clipper train is nice, though
21.  Citifield/Mets - For some strange reason a monument to the Brooklyn Dodgers
22.  Candlestick Park/SF - Crazy weather.  I went to a 4 PM game and was roasting in the third inning and was freezing by the end of the game.
23.  County Stadium/Milwaukee - Was in college so always had fun, but nothing special about the park
24.  Atlanta Fulton County Stadium - Also non-descript
25.  Old Comiskey - Saw it in the early 80s, just don't remember it that well
26.  Metrodome/Minnesota - Interesting to be in the inflated dome, but baseball had no business there
27.  Oakland Coliseum - Big concrete monstrosity in a boring neighborhood.
28.  Shea Stadium/New York, Oakland but with terrible traffic
29.  Miami/Joe Robbie - A terrible place to watch a game
30.  Tropicana Field/Tampa Bay - Dreary place with hardly any fans, and they are disinterested.  It was a depressing place to watch a game

[MU82]

I liked the SF Giants ballpark, but I thought it was a little kitchy.

PNC is a pure baseball experience -- a delightful ballpark, perfectly sized and kept up, with an amazing view of an extremely underrated city.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

I've never been to Guaranteed Rate.

Ranking Wrigley as the top stadium is beyond laughable.

LOL

[wadesworld]

LOL

Agreed.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Agreed.

Your opinion on anything related to the Cubs is meaningless. When was the last time you were at Wrigley?

Wrigley North is nice but has its flaws.

[Cheeks]

No I just think in today's day and age people should use one.  Or stop complaining about the businesses that decide to use the technology.

I bought one for my mom, the phones they target to the elderly, but her Parkinson’s is so bad when she shakes in her hands she cannot use it.  At her senior center, most are age 70 and above, I would gather 10% have a smart phone.  That is a generation that wasn’t raised on it.  For the same reason this cashless craze is now being rebuffed by local and state governments because there are large swaths of people that will never go cashless for technological reasons as well as financial.  Tech is great, but not all can afford or use.   

Why not support both customer models and avoid the complaints altogether?

[MU82]

I bought one for my mom, the phones they target to the elderly, but her Parkinson’s is so bad when she shakes in her hands she cannot use it.  At her senior center, most are age 70 and above, I would gather 10% have a smart phone.  That is a generation that wasn’t raised on it.  For the same reason this cashless craze is now being rebuffed by local and state governments because there are large swaths of people that will never go cashless for technological reasons as well as financial.  Tech is great, but not all can afford or use.   

Why not support both customer models and avoid the complaints altogether?

This is an excellent comment, chicos. I hope the old technology will be available for a long time, because many still need it.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

I bought one for my mom, the phones they target to the elderly, but her Parkinson’s is so bad when she shakes in her hands she cannot use it.  At her senior center, most are age 70 and above, I would gather 10% have a smart phone.  That is a generation that wasn’t raised on it.  For the same reason this cashless craze is now being rebuffed by local and state governments because there are large swaths of people that will never go cashless for technological reasons as well as financial.  Tech is great, but not all can afford or use.   

Why not support both customer models and avoid the complaints altogether?

The market has spoken. Your mom isn’t their target audience.