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"When Connecticut-born Joe Connor says Fenway is the world's best baseball
stadium, he's not being a homer. The freelance baseball writer has something to go on. This baseball denizen…has
seen all the professional baseball parks in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Japan. Connor...gives examples of how
the working person can do it on a middle-class budget." – Boston Metro on "A Fan's Guide To The Ultimate Ballpark
Tour: Fully Loaded!"
"Thank you for your great tour guide to all of the baseball parks. We have been using your guide every step of the
way. It is extremely helpful." – Traci, Lake Forest, California
"Your guide was very handy – not only info about the park,
but about the surrounding area, sights, restaurants, etc. THANKS for the help!" – Jacqui, Fort Worth, Texas
"Excellent work!! Your guide is a great
piece of work. It's very informative. Thanks again for a wonderful product." – Chris, Omaha, Nebraska
“Heard you
on a San Diego radio station with "The Coach." Next time,
please repeat your Web address more than once. I was driving and couldn't write it down :-) Darn near crashed trying to find
a pen and napkin!” – Karl, Los Angeles
| JOE'S FAVORITE: FENWAY PARK |
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| OLDEST BALLPARK IN MLB, IT'S JOE'S NO. 1 |
2009: the year of two new MLB ballparks in New York, one each for
the Mets and the Yanks, and '09 is the swan song for the Twinkies at the MetroDump. Last year, the Nationals new pad opened
in D.C.
A Fan's Guide To The Ultimate
Ballpark Tour: Fully Loaded! has all the information you need to
plan your ballpark trip, from where to sit and what to eat to what mascots to look out for, what radio stations and broadcasters
to listen to, and what characters – from ushers to fans – that make each ballpark unique. This
page has some additional news on Major League ballparks, while the guide has all the planning details, including all
the planning tools – right at your fingertips. You can learn more at the About Joe's Guides page.
So many new ballparks have been built in the last 15+ years, there frankly
aren’t that many teams left to say they need a new one! Most new ballpark
projects open at least one or two years after their initial intentions are disclosed simply because they are enormous
efforts. Without further adieu then, here are “the few;
the proud; and the remaining” clubs that have a ballpark older than 1992 (when Camden Yards opened) and what their
prospects are for the future (American League teams below left; National League clubs, below, right).
| AT PNC FOR THE ALL-STAR GAME IN 2006 |
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| BIG JOE HAS BEEN TO ALL 30 MLB PARKS AND CAN HELP YOU PLAN YOUR TRIP |
Below's a sample of what the
guide looks like when you open it. See the listings on the left hand side (below)? You can click on any team and easily "hop"
to that ballpark, instead of having to scroll past endless pages!
Sample How Easy Joe's Guides Are To Use! You Will Need Acrobat Reader
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| BEWARE THE BLEACHER CREATURES... |
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| ...AT THE HOUSE THAT RUTH BUILT |
AMERICAN LEAGUE’S OLDEST YARDS: Boston’s
Fenway Park, opened 1912: The Red Sox continue to refurbish and make the most of the oldest ballpark in the Majors,
adding new seats and improving other aspects of the field and ballpark each season. Will there ever be a “new Fenway?”
No. The Red Sox have determined a new ballpark isn't worth the hassle. The cost of land in Boston is incredibly
expensive and Red Sox fans were hesitant to depart with Fenway. So Fenway will long remain the oldest and best ballpark for years
to come. Thank Goodness. Tampa Bay’s Tropicana Field,
opened 1990: Up until recently, not many fans in the Tampa Bay-St. Petersburg region gave a hoot about the
once lowly Rays since they debuted in 1998. The 2009 season is its 12th, but unlike the past seasons, the baseball
sun may finally be illuminating some hope upon the area thanks to capturing the 2008 American League Pennant. It hasn't been
easy for new owner Stuart Sternberg to resurrect the dead, but then again, the franchise can only get better. In the short-term,
Sternberg’s gang is doing everything it can to make the Trop more fan-friendly, even if it will always be the Costco
of Major League Baseball. Long-term, they'd like to build a new ballpark on the St. Petersburg bayfront. Stay tuned. Toronto’s Rogers Centre,
opened 1989: Hard to believe that Rogers Centre (formerly SkyDome) celebrated its 15th birthday in 2004
– too bad, few came to the all-invited party. When the Blue Jays have a proven winner, fans show. When the Jays don’t,
they really, really don’t show. The new ownership group has enhanced the ballpark experience, but one thing is certain:
they’ve got to start filling some seats, and not just in the summertime when hockey season is over, if they’re
going to compete long-term.
Chicago’s U.S. Cellular Field, opened 1991: The White
Sox got it so bad with their new ballpark in 1991 that they later inked a naming rights deal with U.S. Cellular to fix parts
of the original mess, like an upper deck that used to give fans instant vertigo. Sox fans seem pleased with the improvements,
and the franchise isn’t going anywhere else anytime soon.
Kansas City’s Kauffman Stadium,
opened 1973: One of the smallest and most underrated fan-friendly ballparks in baseball may still look as new and
as pretty as it did when it opened in the Nixon Administration, but the Royals claim the place needs some love for them to
stay put. Voters, however, didn’t see it that way in November 2004 when they opted not to support funding for improvements.
A similar ballot measure on the April 2006 ballot proved a winner however, so "The K" got some TLC which
the fans witnessed in '09. Oakland’s Coliseum,
opened 1966: Oakland taxpayers rebuilt a basketball arena not too long ago, and a lot of the city could use money
to spruce up many parts of its rundown confines and not a new ballpark for millionaires. The A's have struggled to find a
solution. Anaheim’s
Angel Stadium, opened 1966: Although it opened the same year as the Coliseum in Oakland, Angel Stadium feels new,
thanks to a renovation after the football Rams bolted town for Saint Louis. The Athletics don’t have that luxury, with
the Raiders sharing the Coliseum. The "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim" seem happy with the renovations and there’s
no talk of a new ballpark.
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THE NATIONAL LEAGUE’S OLDEST YARDS: Florida’s Land Shark Stadium,
opened 1987: Of all the teams that have been trying to get a new ballpark, the Marlins probably have the biggest
selling points and the most need. The hot, humid and rainy weather in South Florida in the summer simply does not make it
fun for baseball fans, and a retractable roof would solve this problem. Since a basketball and a hockey arena have
also opened in the last 10 years or so in the area (and the hockey players previously were on strike!), taxpayers
aren’t exactly thrilled at facing the reality of a new public expense. But, of course, it will happen. The Marlins are
building a new ballpark on the site of the former Orange Bowl, with a slated opening of 2012. Chicago’s Wrigley Field,
opened 1914: Despite concrete coming down in 2004 (along with yet another disappointing Cubs season), there are no
plans to build a new ballpark for the Cubbies. In fact, the Cubs are poised to follow the Red Sox model of maximizing the
old yard. More bleacher seats are being added, and other improvements have been made. Like the Yankees and Red Sox, the Cubs
benefit from a large television contract for their revenue. Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium, opened 1962:
Hard to believe, but the beautiful ballpark on the hill above downtown Tinsel Town is the fourth oldest in the Majors. It
still looks brand new, and despite a lot of speculation, it’s hard to imagine the Dodgers new ownership mounting a new
ballpark campaign anytime soon. Judging by their actions, it appears the Dodgers are also following the route of the Red Sox
and Cubs in upgrading their existing ballpark every year.
| WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN FOR MONTREAL |
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| A BROCHURE TOUTING A DOWNTOWN BALLPARK IN THE ISLAND CITY |
| THOSE WERE THE DAYS: ENRON AND THE ASTROS |
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| 'STROS BOSS DRAYTON MCLANE POSES WITH KEN LAY BEFORE ENRON'S COLLAPSE |
| LONG LIVE HARRY: LEGACY REIGNS AT WRIGLEY |
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| NO TRIP COMPLETE WITHOUT A VISIT TO THE FRIENDLY CONFINES TO SOAK IN TRADITION, THANKS TO CARAY |
| BY GONE ERA: NO MORE BASEBALL DONUTS... |
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| THE MURPH IN SAN DIEGO, LIKE MANY, NO LONGER HOSTS MLB BECAUSE OF DONUT-SHAPED DESIGN |
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Since 2001, Home of Joe Connor's
Highly-Acclaimed Ballpark Guides!
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