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.

New York’s Yankee Stadium, opened 1923: Like the Red Sox, the Yankees have a sweet regional cable television deal where they make a ton of money. But the “House that Ruth Built” has shown signs of wear and tear in recent years, with even blocks of concrete crashing down during an off-day (the same thing that happened at Wrigley Field in 2004). But like the Red Sox, the Yankees live in a city where land costs are extremely high. But there will be a new Yankee Stadium in 2009. The new "House That Ruth Built" is being built next door. 

Tampa Bay’s Tropicana Field, opened 1990: Not many fans in the Tampa Bay-St. Petersburg region have given a hoot about the lowly Devil Rays since they debuted in 1998. The 2008 season is its 11th, but unlike the past 10 dreary seasons, the baseball sun may finally be illuminating some hope upon the area. 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 15^th 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" will get some TLC in the near future.

Minnesota’s MetroDump, opened 1982: No Major League franchise has had a tougher uphill climb on trying to get a new ballpark built than the Twins – and, in baseball operations terms, they say it’s killing them. The Twinkies claim they will never be major players in the free agent market if they don’t get a new ballpark. Only the Twins and the Devil Rays now have permanently domed/closed-roof ballparks. It doesn’t help matters that the football Vikings also desire a new palace – and of course, taxpayer money is at stake. Gut tells you that a team that survived contraction and has won consecutive American League Central titles will persevere, but at some point, you wonder how much longer they’ll take the bleeding. One day, my gut tells me there will be a new ballpark in the Twin Cities – and finally it will likely be in 2010! That's because they finally worked out a funding package with the local governments after years of back-and-forth! 

Oakland’s McAfee Coliseum, opened 1966: Oakland taxpayers built 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. As a result, the A's appear to be headed south to Fremont. The earliest we’d see a new yard for the A’s would be 2011 or 2012, and the big question is this: will Oakland still be in the name?

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.