Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Best of the Best

Sorry for the delay, but a family vacation got in the way. These are the Go-Go parks. You should make every attempt to attend a game at all of these stadiums. They run the gambit from the oldest to some of the newest stadiums, but they all have one thing in common. They each enhance the fan experience, making visiting a game even that much more exciting. So here are my top 5 parks:

The Top 5

  1. Wrigley Field, Chicago - Where else is a Wednesday afternoon game against the Rockies feel like game 7 of a post season series? Good seats help here, but there is so much energy both inside and outside the stadium, I dare you not to enjoy yourself. The fans go to have fun and fun is had by all. Check out my 10 second clip of the last play of the game.
  2. Fenway, Boston - Go early and soak up Yawkey Way. The build up outside the stadium is like a great warm up act at a concert. It gets the blood pumping and you are so excited when you enter the stadium, it makes the first pitch exciting.
  3. PNC Park, Pittsburgh - Absolutely the best stadium. Too bad the team has been bad for many years. The back drop of the city at sunset is stunning and surreal. They have great food, not a bad seat in the park, fun stuff around the stadium, what's not too like?
  4. AT&T Park, San Francisco - The view of the bay from the upper decks is wonderful. The place smells of garlic and although the upper decks are pretty high, the whole complex is small and includes free views from the right field fence. The park itself has enough quirks but they don't come across as gimics. A short porch in right is complemented with a deep right field gap. Angles make things interesting yet left field seems so symmetrical. It also helps that the Giants are my favorite team.
  5. Petco, San Diego - Both Petco and Comerica in Detroit dared to be different. The Tigers embedded the Tiger logos throughout the stadium making it unique. The Padres took on the California Beach and recreated it in the stadium by using sand colors rather than red brick and green steel. Their park in the park is great and they paid homage to older stadiums by incorporating existing buildings into the park. Even cascading plants in the concourse areas give you that Californian feel.

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