Merged: Best/Worst Ballparks -- Rank Your Ballparks

[NJReds]

Coming from out-of-town, I have to say that I liked GAB better then Camden Yards.

Camden's neighborhood is nothing to speak of, either. The "buildings" that it looks out onto are a few hotels. The warehouse is a nice touch (and beats out the smokestacks by a longshot), but it was wall-to-wall people down that street...very difficult to get to vendors. And the concourse inside the park was a bit narrow. It's much easier to get around GAB.

The hotels in downtown Cincy were better and lower priced then the hotels in downtown Baltimore. I've heard that it's better to stay on the Kentucky side, anyway -- which I may try next time I travel to Cincinnati.

[wheels]

While I have critisims of The Great American Ballpark, and I agree with alot of what's being said on this thread, I also like GAB.

Alot.

It's wide open and breezy, yet delightfully intimate. There's no doubt that when you go there, you'll be taking in America's Pastime.

I just feel gooood when I'm there. Maybe it's riverboats with the caliope's playing as the game's going on, maybe it's the little rag timey type bands that are playing before and after the games. It does feel like Baseball to me.

Would I love for them to splurge on some paint to cover that hideous exposed concrete? Sure.

Would I like to see 'em spruce up the area surrounding the park? Yup.

But those onion wheels are really, daggone cool.

[KearnsyEars]

Yankee Stadium
Jacobs Field
GABP

[deltachi8]

Just the ones I have been to:

1) PNC
2) Fenway
3) Camden Yards

[George Foster]

I know very few people would agree with me but I wish they had built GAB in Northern KY and had the skyline of Cincinnati in the outfield like it is in Pittsburgh. That is a great stadium, with the best view from homeplate in baseball, its worth the trip. I think GAB is nothing special, it could have been better.

Does anybody remember the above-ground-pool that Atlanta Fulton Co. Stadium had in the outfield in the early 80's? They were beggin' fans to come see those bad teams! I do miss WTBS showing all the Braves games. I am a life long Reds fans, but I learned "the game" by watching all of those Braves games as a kid. The Reds were only on TV during certain road series. The only home Reds games I got to see on TV was when the Braves played in Cincy. All ESPN shows are Boston, Boston, Boston...I'm sick of it.

My favorite 3 stadiums:

1) Chicago 2) Pittsburgh 3) New York (Yankee Stadium)

[REDJAKE]

Original Pac Bell in the city most beautiful for me to see a game just an amazing setting for an evening out at the ballpark.My son gets railing seats on second deck over third base i don't even care who is playing that is my mecca.Hard for me to pick a bad one there all good just some better than others. Hmm where have we heard that before?GO CINCY!!!!!

[GullyFoyle]

To add my rankings for the ballparks I've been to:

Top Tier: Fenway, SBC/Pac Bell, Safeco, GABP
(minors: Louisville, Dayton, Sacramento)

Middle: Yankee
(minors: Providence)

Bottom: Coliseum-Oakland

The only thing I'll add is about the Colesium since it seems to be a less seen one. Your typical cement stadium but with more personality than the Riverfront design. Went to see the Reds when they were in town and Griffey was chasing 500 and was able to get great tickets. Have gone back a couple of times and have enjoyed myself but mainly because you can get great seats on the cheap. This makes up for the overall poor architecture, but this is probably true everywhere

Anyone else care to mention their minor league stadium thoughts?

[reds1869]

1. PNC Park
2. Jacobs Field
3. Pac Bell

[VI_RedsFan]

1. Fenway
2. GABP
3. Wrigley (I really don't want to say this because I hate the cubs and their fans, but it is a great ballpark)

[indyred]

Cool read here......My goal is to someday hit them all.........as of right now here are my rankings.....
1. PNC Park.......like most in here have said.....it's just about perfect....if you haven't been there....go and step on it.......
2. Miller Park...I loved it there.....roof was open when I went, so that helped..it's big......love the exterior and brick work....nice statues of Yount and Aaron outside........the outfield area is cool...with bernie's slide (should have incorporated the mug in there)....nice walkways out there, cool scoreboard........
3. GAB.....I like the place and agree with other's have posted about it...more could have been done........i could see if it came before some of these other's..but already knowing how some of these other parks were done and people loved them....why be so different.......I like nook and cranies in the field as well...GAB is just such a standard short field.....i wish outfield had a really deep area.....the white look from outside makes it look so sterile......
4. Yankee Stadium........i'm kinda bais towards the new parks......it's nice and for history it's great.....hallways were real small......
5. Wrigley Field.....went there when I was in college about 10 years ago....sat in the outfield.....nothing special, but for history again....it was fun to see the ivy walls.......great atmosphere, poor amenties.....
6. Tropicana Field........It's a better dome than my last place stadium....seemed like a shopping mall there.........
7. Metrodome........growing up in Minnesota it was park i went to the most.....i remember being pretty little and first time going there thinking it was the coolest thing ever having a dome stadium and being there.......but that wore off and I grew to hate the place..especially when you see other parks........

My next new park visit is going to be Jacobs Field this summer.....It seems to have mixed reviews in here so far......any tips for visiting there....i'll take them...