For three years now, I’ve had the pleasure of calling the best ballpark in baseball my office.
I feel comfortable saying that now, having crossed off all 30.
A tour of baseball’s cathedrals, from the palatial to the pitiful, is an experience unique unto itself in sports — and in America.
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Sipping Cuban coffee in Little Havana while the Marlins’ gargantuan home glistens in the distance, devouring Philadelphia’s best cheesesteak in the visiting clubhouse, watching the sunset turn the sky the exact shade of the fourth deck of Dodger Stadium, walking down the steps that once led to the Polo Grounds and spotting Yankee Stadium across the river, filing out of the Braves’ new ballpark and right back in to the Waffle House across the highway, soaking in the hundreds of names covering the walls inside the Green Monster and then adding another, seeing Wrigley Field appear through the El window.
The game inspires the dream in many young fans, present company included. But the pursuit becomes about so much more. Done right, a visit to each stadium becomes its own lesson in history, culture, gastronomy, architecture and, of course, baseball.
Unlike basketball and football, where the dimensions are in the rulebook, every element of the baseball diamond (besides the distance to the pitcher’s mound, the bases and home plate) is a study in creativity. There’s a reason why, despite MLB’s diminished cultural importance, there are fewer NBA and NFL fans charting their course across America through arenas and multipurpose venues. There are countless quirks and characteristics — which inspire just as many opinions.
There is no one right ranking of Major League Baseball’s 30 ballparks. At the end of the day, it’s a little like comparing taco trucks. The worst outcome is still pretty good. No matter what, there’s a ballgame happening in front of you, the food and beverage of your choice in hand and, hopefully, the sun shining overhead.
So, after visiting Kaufmann Stadium as my 30th and final this weekend, I was asked to put together my own rankings.
Tier VI
30. Chase Field, Arizona
Peggy Hill once described Phoenix as a “monument to man’s ignorance,” no better exemplified than by the aging airplane hangar the local team plays in to avoid the summer heat. Technically, the roof is retractable but is in such a state of disrepair they don’t operate it during games.
29. Angel Stadium, Anaheim
The fake rock formation looks better on TV.
28. Tropicana Field, Tampa
The joke among scribes is that it is the best working environment in baseball. For fans, it has the same aesthetic appeal as an indoor shopping mall.
27. Oakland Coliseum
Hey, at least it’s a major-league facility. (And one with gobs of history, character and passion. Until…)
Tier V
26. Guaranteed Rate Field, Chicago
Still a considerably better venue than the team that it hosts.
25. American Family Field, Milwaukee
Better execution on the warehouse vibe than in Arizona — and consistently strong attendance despite being MLB’s smallest market — but one of the few parks located outside city centers.
24. Comerica Park, Detroit
With the recent improvements to Fenway Park (est. 1912) and Wrigley Field (est. 1914), it makes you wonder what could have been with Tiger Stadium (est. 1912, demolished 2009).
23. Progressive Field, Cleveland
OK, this one might be influenced by the ice-cold weather during our visit, or me getting locked outside the stadium.
22. Great American Ballpark, Cincinnati
Underwhelming food options detract from an otherwise pleasant setting in an underrated city. Also, between Blake Snell’s no-hitter and Tommy Pham’s slap of Joc Pederson, there’s always something for the visiting Giants fan!
21. Minute Maid Park, Houston
The world was a better place with Tal’s Hill in center field.
20. Busch Stadium, St. Louis
There’s better ribs in Memphis, better barbecue in Kansas City, better pizza in … well, you get the picture. But the good folks of St. Louis are seriously passionate about their baseball — and the view of the arch beyond center field is pretty picturesque.
Tier IV
19. Nationals Park, Washington
Pro tip: Shake Shack in center field.
18. Globe Life Park, Texas
You can also check out the Rangers’ former home, which is still standing right across the street and now hosts college football.
17. Truist Park, Atlanta
Just outside, “The Battery” is a cash cow and a model for pro teams’ new plays in real estate — the Giants included, with their Mission Rock development — with its mix of restaurants, bars and things to do, albeit none of them particularly exceptional.
16. loanDepot Park, Miami
With or without the home run sculpture, one of the most enjoyable — and unique — settings to watch a ballgame. If only Miami residents knew.
Tier III
15. Rogers Centre, Toronto
Recent renovations have turned a dated multipurpose venue into a state-of-the-art baseball-first facility. When the roof is open, the CN Tower peers overhead.
14. Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City
The stadium appears, almost out of nowhere, from a maze of twisting country roads, in easily the the majors’ most rural setting. Opened in 1973, it is also the majors’ sixth-oldest venue but doesn’t show its age, with an intimate feel and — sorry, Arizona — the league’s best (man-made) water feature.
13. Yankee Stadium, New York
All of the amenities old Yankee Stadium lacked, with none of the character.
12. Citi Field, New York
A better homage to Ebbets Field than new Yankee Stadium is to old Yankee Stadium — and has a Shake Shack.
Tier II
11. Coors Field, Colorado
Views of the Rocky Mountains from the upper deck, and an entertainment district outside that rivals San Diego’s Gaslamp.
10. Camden Yards, Baltimore
The jewel box that started the modern trend when it opened in 1992, it is starting to show its age a little.
9. T-Mobile Park, Seattle
Not the site of my first game — that would be the Kingdome — but most of my childhood memories, so putting those biases aside…it’s astonishing how well the park has aged since it opened in 1999.
8. Target Field, Minnesota
Fun fact: The only ballpark crammed into a smaller parcel of land than Oracle Park!
7. Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia
Where even regular-season games have a playoff atmosphere.
Tier I
6. PNC Park, Pittsburgh
Unmatched skyline view, but years of losing baseball have made the environment a far cry from the raucous 2014 wild card game.
5. Petco Park, San Diego
Between the weather, the food, the scoreboard entertainment and the product on the field, it’s the best in-game experience in the league.
4. Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles
The crowds only arrive late and leave early, it turns out, because the parking lot is a nightmare. But in between, it’s probably the loudest setting in baseball.
3. Fenway Park, Boston
We’ve reached the point of the list where you get goosebumps walking in for the first time.
2. Wrigley Field, Chicago
Like Fenway, they’ve done a great job of maintaining the history of the park — built in 1914! — while adding modern amenities.
1. Oracle Park, San Francisco
There’s simply no better setting. Just don’t forget a jacket.