ballpark

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Target Field, the newest ballpark in Major League Baseball.

A baseball park, also known as a baseball stadium, ball park, or ballpark is a venue where baseball is played. It consists of the playing field and the surrounding spectator seating. While the diamond and the areas denoted by white painted lines adhere to strict rules, guidelines for the rest of the field are flexible.

The term "ballpark" sometimes refers either to the entire structure, or sometimes to just the playing field. A home run where the player makes it around the bases, and back to home plate, without the ball leaving the playing field is typically called an "inside-the-park" home run. Sometimes a home run over the fence is called "out of the ballpark," but that phrase more often means a home run that clears the stands and lands outside the building. The playing field is most often called the "ballfield," though the term is often used interchangeably with "ballpark" when referring to a small local or little-league facility.

General characteristics

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The playing field

Diagram of a baseball infield

A baseball field can be referred to as a diamond. The infield is a rigidly structured "diamond" (actually a square) of dirt containing the three bases, home plate, and the pitchers mound. The space between the bases and home is a grass surface, save for the dirt mound in the center. This differs from softball, where the infield is completely dirt.^{[citation needed]}

Two white lines run out from the home plate area, aligned with first and third bases. These are the foul lines or base lines, usually differentiated by referring to them as the first base line, or the third base line. If a ball hit by the batter lands outside of the space between these two lines, or rolls out of this space before reaching first or third base, the ball is "foul" (meaning it is dead and the play is over). If it lands between the lines, it is "fair". At the end of the lines are two foul poles, which help the umpires judge whether a ball is fair or foul. These "foul poles" are actually in fair territory, so a ball that hits them is a home run.

On either side of home plate are the batter's boxes. This is where the batter stands when at bat. Behind home is the catcher's box, where the catcher and the home plate umpire stand.

Next to first and third base are two coaches' boxes, where the first and third base coaches guide the baserunners, generally with gestures or shouts. As the baserunner faces away from the outfield when running from second base to third, they cannot see where the ball is, and must look to the third base coach on whether to run, stop, or slide. While the coach is supposed to stand within this box, the rule is rarely enforced,^{[citation needed]} although incidents of coaches getting hit with foul balls can cause some to be cautious.

Farther from the infield on either side are the dugouts, where the teams and coaches sit when they're not on the field. They are named such because, at the professional levels, this seating is below the level of the playing field so as to not block the view from prime spectator seating locations. In typical amateur parks,^{[citation needed]} the dugouts may be above-ground wooden or CMU structures with seating inside, or simply benches behind a chain link fence.

Beyond the infield and between the foul lines is a large grass outfield, generally twice the depth of the infield. The playing field is bordered by fences of varying height. The highest fences are generally those in the outfield, with the lowest fences surrounding the infield. This is due to the fact that any ball hit over the outfield fence is a home run.^{[citation needed]} Sometimes, the fence is made higher in certain areas to compensate for a close proximity to the batter.

In professional parks, the field is surrounded by an area roughly 10 feet (3.0 m) wide made of dirt or rubberized track surface called a "warning track". Originally used in Yankee Stadium in 1923 as an actual footrace track,^{[citation needed]} it is now present in all professional ballparks. This change in terrain warns a fielder, who is watching a ball in the air, that the wall is near, avoiding possible injury.

Beyond the outfield fence in professional parks is an area called the batter's eye. To ensure the batter can see the white ball, the batter's eye contains no seating, and is a darker color. This can be anything from a dark wall to a grassy slope.

Seating

Today, in Major League Baseball, a multi-tiered seating area, a grandstand, surrounds the infield. How far this seating extends down the baselines or around the foul poles varies from park to park. In minor league parks, the grandstands are notably smaller, proportional to expected sizes of crowds compared with the major leagues.

The seating beyond the outfield fence generally differs from the grandstand, though some multi-purpose or jewel box parks have the grandstand surround the entire field. This area could contain inexpensive bleacher seats, smaller grandstands, or simply inclined seating. In local ballparks, typically there are simply a set or two of aluminum bleachers on either side.^{[citation needed]}

Variations

Distinctive from "goal games" such as football and basketball, which have fixed-size playing areas, the infield is the only rigidly-laid-out part of the field. Like its British relative, cricket, there is significant flexibility in the shape and size of the rest of the playing area.

Picture of old Yankee Stadium showing its left field fence, which was famous for being farther than the right.

To prevent "cheap" home runs, ballparks at particular levels of play usually specify a minimum distance from home to the outfield fences.^{[citation needed]} Generally, the higher the skill level, the deeper the minimum dimensions must be. In the major leagues, a rule was passed in 1958^[1] that compelled any new fields built after that point to have a minimum distance of 325 feet (99 m) from home plate to the fences in left and right field, and 400 feet (120 m) to center. (Rule 1.04, Note(a)). This rule was passed to avoid situations like the Los Angeles Coliseum, which was 251 ft (77 m). down the left field line.

Picture of Fenway Park. The famed Green Monster is the left-field fence. It is the oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball.

However, with the opening of Baltimore's Camden Yards (1992), the "minimum distance" rule began to be ignored.^{[citation needed]} This may be due to two factors:^{[citation needed]} 1) The quaint, "retro" look of Camden Yards, with its irregular measurements, proved to be very popular; and 2) The traditionalist backlash against the symmetrical, multi-purpose, "cookie-cutter" stadiums (an era which seems to have ended with the opening of Toronto's Rogers Center in 1989). Since the opening of Camden Yards, many other "retro" stadiums have been built, each with asymmetrical fences. These distances vary from park to park, and can even change drastically in the same park. One of the most famous examples is the original Yankee Stadium, whose odd-shaped plot of land caused right field to be over 100 feet (30 m) shorter than left, although this difference lessened over time. The rectangular Polo Grounds (of the New York Baseball Giants) had extremely short distance down the lines, 258 ft (79 m). to right and 280 ft (85 m). to left. In contrast, the deepest part of center field was nearly 500 ft (150 m). from home plate.

Older ballparks, such as Fenway Park, were "grandfathered" in and allowed to keep their original dimensions. Despite this rule, new parks have sometimes received special dispensation to deviate from these rules. For instance, the second Yankee Stadium, built 2009, used the same dimensions as the original Yankee Stadium. ^[2]

The heights of the fences can also vary greatly, the most famous example being the 37-foot (11 m)-high Green Monster in Fenway Park's left field. Such tall fences are often used to stop easy home runs in a section of the ballpark where the distances from home are shorter, or where there is little space between the field and the street beyond. Some in-play scoreboards and high fences reached 50 to 60 feet (18 m), whereas a few outfields were even lined with hedges rather than normal fences or walls. The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, when set up for baseball, has a 23-foot (7.0 m) right field "fence" that is actually a relatively thin blue plastic sheet covering folded up football seats. It is often called the "Baggie" or "Hefty bag."

Some ballparks have irregularly shaped fences. While some parks may have round swooping fences or rigidly angles fences, some may have a big change in direction or and irregular angle. Some retro parks, such as Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, throw in a sudden and small inward turn (often referred to as a jog) just to give a little quirkiness to the design.^{[citation needed]}

Originally, and mostly in the jewel box parks, these variations resulted from the shape of the property where the park was constructed. If there was a street beyond left field, the distance to the left field fence would be shorter, and if the distance was too short, the fence would be higher. Now, these variations are mostly influenced by the specifications and whims of the designers. Retro parks, which try to recapture the feel of the jewel box parks, are designed to have these quirks.

Etymology

Elysian Fields

Baseball was originally played in open fields or public parks. The genesis of modern baseball is conventionally connected with Elysian Fields in Hoboken, New Jersey,^{[citation needed]} a large public park where the businessmen of New York City gathered from time to time to play organized baseball games and cricket matches, starting around the mid-1840s. The name "Field" or "Park" was typically attached to the names of the early ballparks.

With the beginnings of professional baseball, the ballfield became part of a complex including fixed spectator seating areas, and an enclosure to restrict access to paying customers, as with a fairgrounds. The name "Grounds" began to be attached to ballparks, starting with the Union Grounds in 1862.^{[citation needed]} The suffixes "Field" and "Park" were still used, but many professional ballparks were "Grounds." The last surviving major league "Grounds" was the Polo Grounds in New York City, which was razed in 1964.

The term "stadium" had been used since ancient times, typically for a running track and its seating area. As college football gained in popularity, the smaller college playing fields and/or running tracks (which also frequently had the suffix "Field") gave way to large stadiums, many of them built during the sports "boom" of the 1920s. Major league baseball enjoyed a similar boom. One of the first major league ballparks to be called a "stadium" was actually the Polo Grounds, which was temporarily renamed Brush Stadium from its reconstruction in 1911 until the death of owner John T. Brush in the 1920s. By then, the most famous baseball "stadium" of them all had been constructed: Yankee Stadium.^{[citation needed]} From that point until the retro building boom of the 1990s, the suffix "Stadium" was used for almost every new major league ballpark, and was sometimes applied to the old ones, such as Shibe Park, which was renamed Connie Mack Stadium in 1954.

The suffix "Dome" was also used for the indoor stadiums constructed from the 1960s onward. The official names of those arenas also often included the word "Stadium," such as the Houston Astrodome, whose formal name was "Harris County Domed Stadium" in 1965; the Kingdome, whose formal name was "King County Domed Stadium," and the Metrodome, for which the Minneapolis highway signs direct the driver to "Metrodome Stadium." The retro era of the 1990s and early 2000s saw a return to the original arboreal terms, even to the huge domed structures, such as Safeco Field and Miller Park.

There is little consistency in which suffix to choose, "Field" or "Park." Organizations appear to choose based on which suffix "sounds" better for a given ballpark name.^{[citation needed]} For example, Chicago's Wrigley Field was previously called "Cubs Park." Also Minute Maid Park was once "Enron Field." During the classic era, there was a tendency for more National League sites to be called "Field" and more American League sites to be called "Park," but not consistently.

Settings

Organized baseball has been a popular spectator sport from its beginning^{[citation needed]}. Seating area design is affected by many variables, including required capacity, audience access, and road traffic. Early ballparks like Elysian Fields were far from the city center. Each game was an event, and fans traveled by public transit to watch the game.

With the growth of professional leagues, and consequent growth in the quantity of games, each game became less of an event, and fan convenience became more important.^{[citation needed]} Many professional ballparks were built either near the city center, or in working-class neighborhoods, based on expected economic level of the average fan. Consequently, the classic ballparks typically had little space for automobiles, as it was expected that most fans would take mass transit to the games, a situation that still prevails at Chicago's Wrigley Field, for example. Some early ballparks, such as Brooklyn's Eastern Park, were abandoned because the trolley lines did not go out far enough and the team was not performing well enough for people to tolerate the inconvenience.

As fans became more affluent, and especially as they moved to the suburbs and bought cars, the lack of parking became an important issue. Some ballparks remedied this problem through the construction of parking garages in the vicinity, or building new ballparks with ample parking. Others built ballparks in the suburbs, typically with large parking areas. The ballpark/stadium thus became an "island" in an "ocean" of parking space.

The modern "retro" trend seeks to cover all the bases: an urban location, with plenty of parking and public transportation available.

Types of baseball parks

Wooden ballparks

The Huntington Avenue Grounds during the 1903 World Series.

The first professional baseball venues were large wooden ballparks with seats mounted on wood platforms. Although known for being constructed out of wood, they featured iron columns for better support. Some included one tier of inclined seating, topped with either a flat roof or, in some instances, a small upper tier. The outfield was bordered by tall walls or fences covered in advertisements, much like today's minor league parks. These advertisements were sometimes fronted with bleacher seats, or "bleaching boards." Wood, while prone to decomposition, was a realitively inexpensive material, as there was no official governing body for professional baseball at the time. However, the use of wood as the primary material presented a major problem, especially as baseball continued to thrive Over time, the wooden stands aged and dried. Many parks caught fire, and some were leveled completely. This problem, along with the popularization of baseball and expectations for long-term use of the parks were major factors that drove the transition to the new standard materials for ballparks: steel and concrete.^{[citation needed]} Some famous wooden parks, such as the Polo Grounds III in New York and National League Park in Philadelphia, burned and were rebuilt with fire-resistant materials (Polo Grounds IV and Baker Bowl). Others were simply abandoned in favor of new structures built elsewhere. These new fire-resistant parks often lasted for many decades, and (retrospectively) came to be known as "jewel boxes."^{[citation needed]}

Jewel box ballparks

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The ballparks built or rebuilt of concrete and steel (albeit with wooden seats) after the days of the wooden ballpark are now known as the jewel box ballparks or classic parks. These parks are said by many to embody the golden age of baseball. They are known for their green seats, large roofs, intimate feel, and major use of exposed steel, brick, and stone. The first of these was Shibe Park, which opened in 1909 in Philadelphia. Another Philadelphia ballpark, the Baker Bowl, which opened in 1895, used steel and brick instead of wood as the primary construction materials, and is considered the forerunner of the jewel box parks.

Two-tiered grandstands became much more prevalent in this era. These decks were typically held up by steel pillars that obstructed the view from some seats in the lower level. However, because of these supports, the upper decks could come very close to the field, giving the ballpark a more intimate feel. Two tiers was the standard for decades, until the New York Yankees built Yankee Stadium. To accommodate the large crowds Babe Ruth drew, Yankee Stadium was the largest ballpark in baseball, and was built with three tiers. This became the new standard until some recently built parks reverted to two.

One other characteristic of these parks came about almost by accident. Most of them were built to fit the constraints of actual city blocks, resulting in asymmetrical outfield dimensions. The exceptions were Shibe Park and Comiskey Park, which were built on rectangular city blocks that were large enough to accommodate left/right field symmetry.

Although other sports, such as soccer and football were often played at these sites (the Polo Grounds and Yankee Stadium were purposely designed to accommodate football also), the focus was on baseball. In contrast to the later multi-purpose parks, the seats were generally angled in a configuration suitable for baseball. The "retro" ballparks built in the 1990s and beyond are an attempt to capture the feel of the jewel box parks. The only jewel box parks still used by Major League Baseball are Fenway Park and Wrigley Field; the only such park remaining in Nippon Professional Baseball is Koshien Stadium.

Multi-purpose ballparks

Aerial view of Three Rivers Stadium, circa 2000

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From the 1960s to the ascension of retro parks in the 1990s, baseball was dominated by multi-purpose ballparks. Also derisively known as "concrete donuts." "cookie-cutters," or "giant ashtrays," they were usually tall and circular or square structures made entirely of, usually bare, reinforced concrete. The parks were built to hold baseball as well as football, soccer, and other sports. Cleveland Stadium, which featured an oval grandstand that was more friendly to goal-centered sports like football, is considered^{[by whom?]} the ancestor to this type of design. A park built to suit all sports well, which was co-owned by the teams or the city, seemed advantageous to all. Some parks that were originally built for one sport were renovated to accommodate multiple sports.

The shape of the parks generally depended on the original use. Baseball parks that were renovated to accommodate football, like Candlestick Park and Anaheim Stadium, were usually of an odd non-geometric state. Football stadiums that were renovated to accommodate baseball, like Sun Life Stadium and Mile High Stadium, were usually of a rectangular shape. Parks that were built to serve both were usually circular and completely enclosed on all sides. These were the parks that gained multi-purpose parks the reputation as bland cookie-cutter structures. The first of these parks was RFK Stadium (named changed in January 1969 from the original DC Stadium) in the District of Columbia. RFK is unique in that it hosted two different baseball teams, and that it was the first to originally be intended for multiple sports. It is currently in use for only Major League Soccer's D.C. United and the Military Bowl, an annual college football bowl game.

A notable variance among the cookie-cutter stadia was Shea Stadium. One of the first parks designed and built for baseball and football, it did not feature an exterior of bare concrete, but was clad in steel. This steel was later painted blue, making Shea the only multi-purpose park to have an exterior that was not either gray or white. Also, the grandstand only extended just past the foul poles, and did not completely enclose the field. Plans enclosed the grandstand under a dome built on top, but engineers discovered that the structure could not handle the load. Thus the stadium simply remained with the area behind the outfield fence open.

One major innovation of the multi-purpose parks was the cantilevered upper deck. In earlier ballparks, the columns used to support the upper decks obstructed the view from some seats in the lower deck. The upper decks were extended upwards and the columns removed. However, even though the extension counterbalanced some of the weight, the upper decks could no longer extend as close to the field and had to be moved back. Also, the roofs could no longer be as large, and often only covered the top 15 or so rows. This exposed fans to the elements.

Besides the drawbacks of the cantilever design, there were other issues with these parks. With few exceptions, seating was angled to face the center of the field of play, rather than home plate. Luxury boxes, which were a part of football culture, were now introduced to baseball, and were usually placed below the upper decks, pushing upper deck seating farther from the field. The furthest seats in these parks were 500 feet (150 m) or more from the plate. The capacities of these stadiums were staggeringly large, due to football's smaller schedule drawing a larger crowd per game. However, they were usually far too large for baseball, further diminishing their intimacy. Even crowds of 40,000, a fair amount for baseball, seemed sparse. Often the only times they looked full were on opening day and playoff games. Due to the rectangular shape needed for football or soccer, outfield dimensions were generally symmetrical, and even seats at field level down the lines could be far from the action. Despite being cost-effective, these problems eventually caused the parks to become unfashionable.

Such stadiums weren't much better for football. The "cookie-cutters" with swiveling, field-level sections proved problematic. Because the front rows were too close to the field, the fans had difficulty seeing over the football benches. This was evident in the movable seating sections in RFK Stadium, where fans in those sections often stood up on their seats to get a better view. Toronto's Rogers Center overcomes this simply by covering those seats, not bothering to sell them.

In fact, only one of the 14 purely multi-purpose parks is still in use by baseball today: O.co Coliseum. The Athletics plan to move out of O.co Coliseum and build a new ballpark of their own in the future.

*A baseball-only ballpark converted to a multi-purpose stadium.

**A football-only stadium converted to a multi-purpose stadium.

Modern ballparks

While most teams turned to multi-purpose parks, some chose to build baseball-only parks. While these modern ballparks shirked some of the conventions of multi-purpose parks, they did include some of the new features. The most notable influences were the cantilevered upper decks, the use of seating colors other than green, and fairly plain concrete exteriors. The most important things, though, were that they had a more intimate feel to them, and they were built for baseball. While the multi-purpose parks have become all but extinct, some modern parks, such as Dodger Stadium and Kauffman Stadium, have been hailed for aging beautifully. Rather than build new parks, the teams have decided instead to renovate the current structures, adding a few newer conveniences. Several of the modern parks built as such have remained in use, with no indication of being demolished.

While Cleveland Stadium is the ancestor to the multi-purpose ballpark, the ancestor of the modern ballpark is Milwaukee County Stadium. It was the first to feature a symmetrical, round outfield fence. It also featured the rounded V-shaped grandstand and colorful seats that are common among all modern parks. Coincidentally, it was also to be one of the earlier examples of a converted park as well. It was supposed to replace a minor league facility, and serve as home of the minor league team until a major league franchise could be lured to the city. However, the Braves came to Milwaukee earlier than expected, and the minor league team never played in the stadium.

The first two truly modern ballparks were built by the two New York teams who moved to California, the Giants and the Dodgers. Candlestick Park was created first, but was converted to a multi-purpose park to accommodate the 49ers. Dodger Stadium has been upgraded a number of times, but remains baseball-only and its original design is still largely intact.

Anaheim Stadium, which was initially modeled closely on Dodger Stadium, was expanded for football as was Candlestick, but once the Rams departed, most of the extra outfield seating was peeled back, returning the structure to more like its original design.

The original Yankee Stadium is an exceptional case. Yankee Stadium was a jewel box park, albeit a very large one. It was showing its age in the 70's, and the stadium was extensively renovated during 1973-75, converting it into more of a modern style ballpark. Many of the characteristics that defined it as a classical jewel box were also retained, so the remodeled Stadium straddled both categories.

U.S. Cellular Field was the last modern ballpark to be built in North America. A series of renovations have been made to make it appear more like a retro-classic ballpark.

Another special case is Meiji Jingu Stadium in Japan. It was built in the jewel box era, but was heavily renovated in the early 1960s to meet NPB standards, making it more of a modern park.

Temporary and converted ballparks

With the 1960s came the first expansion teams. While some teams expanded in cities where there were established teams with facilities that could be shared, not all were as fortunate. This led to the emergence of two distinct subsets of parks in the major leagues: temporary ballparks and converted ballparks.

In some cases, there are plans to build a new ballpark for the expansion team, but it will not be completed until a few years after the team is established. This may be for a few reasons, such as delays or a desire to hold off until the deal is settled. In this case, an established building is used as a temporary home, often a minor league park. The first temporary ballparks were not actually used by expansion teams but by established franchises. When the Dodgers and Giants moved to California from New York, they played in Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and Seals Stadium respectively while Dodger Stadium and Candlestick Park were being built.

The other case is when, rather than building a new park, the city renovates an existing minor league or college facility, expanding it to fit a major league team. These converted ballparks are different from football stadia that were converted to facilitate baseball in that converted ballparks were originally built to be baseball only, albeit for a non-major league level. Early converted ballparks were Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, Municipal Stadium in Kansas City, and Metropolitan Stadium in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area. All three were expanded minor league facilities, although Baltimore and the Met were constructed with the idea of expanding to major league level in mind. Kansas City was a true established minor league park that was substantially expanded to accommodate major league size crowds.

These two types of ballpark are distinct because of their use, not their design. Because of this, a temporary or converted ballpark can also be any of the other types: jewel box, modern, multi-purpose, etc.

Indoor ballparks

Tropicana Field, currently the only active indoor MLB baseball park

An important type of ballpark is the indoor park. These parks were covered with a fixed roof, usually a hard concrete dome. Reasons to build indoor parks were varied. The Astrodome, the first indoor sports stadium ever built, was built to escape the hot and very humid climate of Houston; the Kingdome was built to escape Seattle's constant rains. There is little to no natural light in these parks necessitating the use of one of the most distinguishing aspects of an indoor park: artificial turf. Since there was not enough light to grow grass, artificial turf was installed, and this affected the game. Artificial turf was harder, and thus a ball hit on the ground moved faster and bounced high. This, coupled with the usually dull white or gray roofs that could camouflage a fly ball, caused what Twins fans called a "dome-field advantage."

A park of note is Olympic Stadium in Montreal. The park was designed with a large tower that loomed over top. Cables came down from the top of the tower to connect to the large oval center of the roof. This oval center was supposed to be lifted by the cables, opening the park up if the weather was pleasant. However, the mechanism never worked correctly, and what was supposed to be a retractable roof was initially never used and then later became permanently fixed, making the stadium a strictly indoor facility.

Indoor parks faced many of the same problems of the multi-purpose parks, which was compounded with the added problem of playing an outdoors sport indoors. Tropicana Field is the only indoor park left hosting a Major League Baseball team, and may be replaced in the near future. However, while indoor parks are considered outdated in North America, this is not the case elsewhere. In Japan, half of the Nippon Professional Baseball teams play in domes, with no plans to move. The most well-known example is likely the Tokyo Dome.

Retractable-roof ballparks

Safeco Field, with the roof open

As mentioned above, the indoor parks were built for several different reasons, chief among those weather. However, as multi-purpose parks became unfashionable, so did the drab indoor parks. This led to the creation of retractable-roof parks. These allowed shelter from the elements, but still could be opened on a nice day. To be able to support the roof, most were closed in on all sides like multi-purpose and indoor parks, but as all retractable-roof parks except Rogers Centre are baseball only, every square foot does not need to be filled with seating, and there is plenty of room for open spaces or windows that look outside. Because the roof needs to go somewhere when not covering the field, a distinguishing characteristic of the retractable roof park is a large extension of the interior spaces to either one side of the field or both sides that the roof sits on when retracted. The only exception to this is Miller Park whose fan-shaped roof folds in upon itself and hangs behind the stands down the foul lines. Often, when retracted, the roof still hangs over the field, casting large shadows. This is countered at Miller Park by large panes of glass under the roof. While most seats up when the roof is closed, other are at least partially open, with large gaps that do not let in harsh weather, but don't give the feel of being inside. Except for Rogers Centre, all of these parks feature natural grass.

The first retractable roof park built is Rogers Centre. It managed to succeed where Montreal's Olympic Stadium failed, building a multi-section roof that folded upon itself, retracting over the hotel in center field.

Retractable-roof parks can vary greatly, from the utilitarian and unadorned, such as Rogers Centre and Chase Field, to those infused with retro elements, such as Safeco Field and Minute Maid Park.

*Tentative name.

**Tentative date.

Retro-classic ballparks

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In 1992, Oriole Park at Camden Yards opened in Baltimore. Going in a different direction than the multi-purpose and modern ballparks, Camden Yards hearkened back to the old jewel box parks. This began the building of a series of parks known as the retro-classic ballparks, or, simply, retro ballparks.

The retro parks were built with all the luxuries of the newer parks, such as luxury boxes and more restrooms and concession areas, along with new additions, such as indoor concourses that are open to the field, allowing fans to always have a view of the game. However (except for a few exceptions harkening back to the wooden ballpark era Dr Pepper Ballpark), the aesthetics shifted back to jewel box conventions, which included the use of green seats, bricks, stone, and green-painted exposed steel.

A major divergence from jewel boxes was the layout of the grandstand. The focus was now on everyone in the park having a good view. Columns were missing as with the modern parks, but the upper deck was drawn back and shrunk, while the middle tiers grew in size, causing a stepped effect. The cantilevered upper deck was no longer a large necessity. However, since these new upper decks were drawn back, the shape of the inclined seating was clearly expressed on the exterior, a feature that is a hallmark of modern parks.

Like the jewel box parks, the outfield fences were angled rather than the gradual curve or the newer parks, and often had quirky dimensions. The requirements for minimum distance to the outfield fences were rarely enforced during this time.

Teams with multi-purpose and indoor parks longed for this beautiful and classic look, and began systematically demolishing them and moving to either retro-classic, retractable roof, or retro-modern parks. Since Camden Yards opened, 2/3 of all major league teams have opened new ballparks, each of which contain unique features. The most important feature was that all of them were baseball-only.

U.S. Cellular Field has an unfortunate place in history. It was the last modern park built, built a year before Camden Yards. Just missing the retro movement, it was viewed as obsolete only a year into its life. The White Sox responded with a series of renovations to give the park more retro charm. This included the changing from a cantilever upper deck to a flat roof with columns, and the change from a symmetrical fence to a more unique-shaped asymmetrical fence.

Retro-modern ballparks

Nationals Park, a retro park with modern exterior

While Camden Yards influenced every ballpark built after it, not all follow its design. Those that deviate to incorporate more modern-looking elements are called retro-modern ballparks.

Progressive Field was built two years after Camden Yards, and featured the angular, asymmetrical fences of varying heights, a smaller upper deck, and stepped tiers. While the interior has all the hallmarks of a retro park, the exterior did not feature the look of the jewel box parks. It could not truly be called a retro-classic park.

There have been a few parks that followed in this style. Rather than brick, the exteriors heavily feature white or gray-painted steel and glass. If there is any masonry, it is sandstone or limestone.

Angel Stadium has seen many changes throughout the years. It was originally a modern park, similar to the Angels' previous home, Dodger Stadium. When the NFL's Rams left the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and set up shop in what was then Anaheim Stadium, the first round of renovations began. The grandstand was expanded to completely enclose the stadium, turning it into a classic multi-purpose park. The Rams left in 1994, leaving the Angels alone in the large, 65,000 seat stadium. After a two-year renovation, the steel was painted green, and what concrete remained was painted sandstone, including the sweeping curve of the entrance plaza. The seating configuration was significantly altered, most notably by tearing out most of the outfield seating except for parts of the lower decks in left and right fields, to more closely resemble the original design from the park's first 15 years. The finished product was a retro-modern ballpark.

Current Major League ballparks

The cardinal outfield dimensions, along with the backstop.

The numbers mean the number of feet from home plate to the wall of that part of the field. Left and Right Field normally refer to the distances along the foul lines. Left Center and Right Center are the approximate power alley figures. Center Field could mean straightaway center field or it could mean to the deepest part of the center field area. Backstop refers to the distance behind home plate to the backstop screen. These numbers ^[3] are one researcher's opinion of the true values and may differ from the numbers marked on the wall/fence by as much as 30 feet (9.1 m). Capacity^[4] figures may also vary.

*O.co Coliseum is expandable to 60,000. **Tropicana Field is expandable to 45,000. ***Fenway Park is 39,512 during day games.

†Actual distance to center field is 400 feet (120 m); the 395 feet (120 m) markings are to the left and right of dead center.^[5]

††At Fenway Park, straightaway center is 390 feet (120 m), but there is a corner in the fence just right of center that juts out to 420 feet (130 m).

†††Distance to center field. Distance to deep center field is 410 feet (120 m)

Unique features and quirks of current major league parks

Fenway Park's Green Monster

Wrigley's ivy, bleachers, rooftop seats, and scoreboard

Dodger Stadium's varicolored seats

O.co Coliseum's Mount Davis, the unused seats covered by tarps

U.S. Cellular Field with its iconic "exploding scoreboard" in center field

Progressive Field with its Little Green Monster in left field

The two of Tropicana Field's infamous catwalks towards the infield

Chase Field, the only park to have air conditioning while the roof is open

AT&T's open view of the Bay and McCovey Cove

Comerica Park, the brick wall and monument park in center field and Ford Field beyond the grandstand in left

Minute Maid Park, with Tal's Hill in deep center

One side of Miller Park's fan-shaped roof and its large panes of glass

PNC Park's Roberto Clemente Bridge

"The Gap" at Great American Ballpark

PETCO Park, the Western Metal Supply Building in left

Busch Stadium's view of downtown St. Louis

Citi Field, with its orange foul poles and the Home Run Apple in center field

Yankee Stadium, with the frieze hung from the roof over the grandstand, the batter's eye bar in center, and Monument Park beneath it

• Fenway Park (Boston Red Sox) - Fenway is quite possibly the most notoriously quirky ballpark. The aforementioned 37-foot (11 m) Green Monster in left field, which includes a field-level manually-operated scoreboard and a ladder, leads to unpredictable ricochets. So do the oddly-angled fences in center and right field. While the Monster in left dominates the park, Fenway's right field is also notable. Known as "the belly," right field is 380 at its deepest point, a large divergence from the short left field. The curve of the fence comes in as it nears "Pesky's Pole," named for former Red Sox player Johnny Pesky, and the distance from home plate to the foul pole is only 302 feet (92 m). Strangely enough, despite this being the shortest foul line in baseball, home runs in this area are relatively rare.

• Wrigley Field (Chicago Cubs) - Wrigley is the only ballpark left in use that has a brick outfield fence. This fence is covered in Wrigley's trademark ivy. From time to time, a batted ball becomes lodged in the vines, which is ruled a ground rule double. Because there are streets close beyond the outfield fences, there is little room for seating or other structures, making the park very open in the outfield. This, coupled with the park's proximity to Lake Michigan, which affects the wind currents from day to day or even hour to hour, can change the dynamic of the park. When the wind is blowing in, the park becomes a pitcher's park, despite the cozy power alleys. When the wind is blowing out, however, it becomes a hitters park. The openness of the ballpark also allows residents of the buildings across the street to get an unobstructed view of the field. Some owners even have installed small sections of inclined seating on top of the buildings. Wrigley was the last major league park to install field lights, with the first night home game being played in 1988.

• Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles Dodgers) - The view beyond the outfield is dominated by hills and the San Gabriel Mountains, and on one of the hills, large block letters have been erected that spell out "THINK BLUE," reminiscent of the Hollywood Sign (which can be seen from the top deck of the stadium facing away from the field). The setting sun often reflects off the hills and can give the pitchers a distinct advantage, which the Dodgers have capitalized upon frequently. The Dodger Stadium grandstand is sculpted into the side of a man-made hill, in the fashion of the ancient Roman amphitheaters. This enabled the construction of multileveled terraced parking lots, which allow patrons to park their cars on the same level as their seats, thus minimizing vertical climbing and the need for elevators, escalators and ramps. One perceived drawback of this design is that it does not allow spectators to easily move from one seating level to another. The top of a ten-story elevator shaft bearing the Dodger logo rises behind home plate atop the upper seating level. The massive tiers consist of varicolored seats (orange, yellow, teal and blue), and the right and left field seats consist of little-league-style bleachers topped by a wavy roof. Dodger Stadium has become famous for the no-gimmick, nostalgic baseball atmosphere created by the aesthetic simplicity of the ballpark's design. The slogan for the stadium is "Blue Heaven on Earth."

• Angel Stadium of Anaheim (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) - Beyond the left field fence is a rock outcropping with water running down the center of it. At the top is three rocks forming an "A." The roof over the dugouts continues, connecting the two to form a dugout-level seating. The parking lot contains a large "A" with a halo, which once held the stadium's scoreboard. There are also two giant red caps at the front gate.

• O.co Coliseum (Oakland Athletics) - The Coliseum is dominated by a section of seating derisively known as "Mount Davis." To lure the Raiders football team from Los Angeles back to Oakland, seats needed to be added to satisfy owner Al Davis. Thus, the 6-floor seating area was added, blocking the view of the mountains beyond.

• Kauffman Stadium (Kansas City Royals) - Kauffman is best known for having a 322-foot (98 m) fountain and waterfall display, known as the Water Spectacular, the largest privately-funded fountain in the world. The fountains are on display before and after the game and in-between innings, while the waterfalls are constantly flowing. The stadium is also noted for having the best hitter's background in the American League.

• Rogers Centre (Toronto Blue Jays)- The first retractable roof over a baseball stadium rests here, and is a unique system, with the larger section folding into a smaller semicircle that looms over the field. Under this sits glassed-in seating and one of the world's largest Jumbotron screens. The CN Tower next door stands tall over the park. This stadium is the last of the "squared-circle" designs that were similar to the abandoned Qualcomm Stadium and the now-demolished Veterans Stadium.

• U.S. Cellular Field (Chicago White Sox) - The old Comiskey Park was well known for what was known as the "Exploding Scoreboard." This scoreboard was re-incarnated in the new park. Holding a huge video screen, the scoreboard features sound effects and fireworks that go off after wins and home runs and is topped by iconic spinning pinwheels.

• Oriole Park at Camden Yards (Baltimore Orioles) - Camden Yards is the park that began the retro ballpark craze (although the minor-league Coca-Cola Field in Buffalo, designed by the same firm, predates Camden Yards by four years). Its green seats, its brick and steel finish, and its irregular grandstand configuration all hearken back to the old days. Beyond the bleachers in right and right center is a wall of brick columns with black iron gates. Beyond that looms the large B&O warehouse, a very prominent feature of the park.

• Progressive Field (Cleveland Indians) - Cleveland has a 19-foot (5.8 m) left field wall, known as "The Little Green Monster," complete with a digital scoreboard embedded in the wall, installed in 2004.

• Rangers Ballpark in Arlington (Texas Rangers) - The exterior is a solid one of brick and features stone longhorn steer heads. The stadium is completely closed in, with offices walling in the space beyond the outfield. This can create a swirling wind effect that gives some hits a bit of aerodynamic lift. Right-center field fence has an inward "jog," a feature of artificial quirkiness that several recent ballparks include.

• Coors Field (Colorado Rockies) - While most stadiums' batter's eyes are dark colored walls or patches of grass, Coors Field takes the opportunity to feature a scene of Colorado nature. The area, which sits in front of a tall green wall, is a large rock outcropping with a few ponds and waterfalls, and a number of evergreen trees. Atop this "rockpile" is a standalone and very distant bleacher section. The higher altitude and lower air density of Denver also figure into the uniqueness of the ballpark.

• Turner Field (Atlanta Braves) - It started out as the stadium for the 1996 Olympics, and soon afterward was turned (as planned) into the new stadium for the Braves. The outline of the stands that once extended far beyond the outfield fences is expressed by a line of columns, the extra area forming the Grand Entry Plaza that welcomes many Braves fans.

• Tropicana Field (Tampa Bay Rays) - Tropicana Field is a field that has had its share of criticisms, the biggest having to do with its catwalks. Four catwalks encircle the dome's interior, with the two towards the infield being in play. A ball hit off of them can be caught for an out. The two towards the outfield are out of play and, when hit, are either a home run or a foul ball, depending on where it hits in relation to the foul poles. Unlike most former MLB facilities with artificial turf, the park has a full dirt infield, rather than limiting dirt to "sliding pits" around each base.

• Chase Field (Arizona Diamondbacks) - Due to the hot Phoenix weather, Chase is fully air conditioned. It also has a pool in the outfield, which can be rented by spectators. The field itself is graced by a distinctive dirt strip between home plate and the pitching mound. Once uniformly common in early baseball parks, this strip is present in only two modern parks (Comerica Park being the other).

• Safeco Field (Seattle Mariners) - Safeco has a retractable roof. While most retractable roofs form a complete enclosure, Safeco's forms more of an umbrella. The roof is supported by large steel structures that run on tracks, and these structures are very open, barely obscuring the view to the outside. The stadium is shielded from the rain but is still very open.

• AT&T Park (San Francisco Giants) - An arm of San Francisco Bay is just outside of the right field fence. The area is called McCovey Cove (named for former Giants slugger Willie McCovey), and is often filled with boaters hoping to catch baseballs hit out of the park (a baseball initially floats in water), just as fans used to leave the right field bleachers at Candlestick Park and gather on the flat ground when McCovey came to bat. The right field line is rather close, and although the wall angles away sharply, a "jog" in right-center neutralizes that angle somewhat. Underneath this 24-foot (7.3 m) high brick wall is an area where fans can watch (a maximum of three inning) the ballgame for free. There is a special scoreboard near the right field wall that counts how many fair balls have been hit into the bay during game play by the San Francisco Giants (called "Splash Hits"). Many of those have been hit by Barry Bonds, the left-handed slugger whose presence strongly influenced the design of the ballpark, as legend says Yankee Stadium's short porch was for Babe Ruth. The grass field is one of a few ballparks to not have patterns mowed into it creating what the Giants called "an authentic old-time feel" to the ballpark. Beyond the center-field wall and below the batters-eye the groundskeepers have planted an avocado tree.

• Comerica Park (Detroit Tigers) - Two brick walls flank the batter's eye, the names of those important to the organization and the Tigers' retired numbers painted in white on them. Above the left field wall, Comerica has its own monument park filled with large statues to the Tiger greats. Over the left field stands, one can see Ford Field looming, which was built in the same project as the park. The scoreboard is topped by two large tigers, and, when a home run is hit, their eyes light up and the sound of a tiger growl is played over the speakers. Beyond the outfield is a great view of downtown Detroit, including the Wyland Whale mural, although this was covered with a Verizon ad during the 2006 postseason. The problem with this is that downtown is south of the stadium and therefore gives the majority of the spectators and the batter an eyeful of sunlight as the sun sets. The park started its life with an extremely deep left-center field, but the fences have since been changed. The field itself is graced by a distinctive dirt strip between home plate and the pitching mound. Once uniformly common in early baseball parks, this strip is present in only two modern parks (Chase Field being the other).

• Minute Maid Park (Houston Astros) - A train filled with giant oranges (a reference to the Juice Train) runs forward and back along the left outfield when home runs are hit. Center field features an uphill incline known as "Tal's Hill", much like old Crosley Field in Cincinnati and the former Duffy's Cliff at Fenway Park in Boston, although it was created as a decoration, as opposed to being required due to the grade of the land. It is the only park in major league baseball with a flagpole in play, another purely decorative feature borrowed from the old Tiger Stadium in Detroit. First baseman Richie Sexson, then of the Milwaukee Brewers, is the only player to have hit the flagpole during a game. Its cozy dimensions, especially in left field, have led to its being called the "Juice Box." The Astros have been competitive in the early years of the ballpark, and the stadium fans can be very noisy when the roof is closed.

• Miller Park (Milwaukee Brewers) - Like Safeco Field, Miller Park has a retractable roof. In the left field corner houses "Bernie's Dugout," the home of the Brewers mascot, Bernie Brewer. At the beginning of the game, after every Brewers home run, and if the Brewers win, fireworks go off and Bernie slides down his slide. He also hangs "K"s to signify strikeouts. In 2006, a picnic area was added in right field. The retractable roof is unique in that it folds and unfolds like a fan, from a single pivot point, rather than sliding in parallel sections as most do. The arc-shaped trusses needed to support this roof make the ballpark nearly twice as high as it would be without a roof, dominating its surroundings.

• PNC Park (Pittsburgh Pirates) - The park was built on the Allegheny River, and its low walls behind the outfield seats allow for a stunning view of the river and skyline of downtown Pittsburgh that rests on the other side. Located directly outside the park is the Roberto Clemente Bridge, named in honor of the Pirates' legend, which is closed to traffic during games and serves as a pedestrian bridge.

• Great American Ball Park (Cincinnati Reds) - Sitting on the Ohio River, the park has the same relationship to the water that AT&T and PNC have. Beyond the right-center fence sits two large steamboat smokestacks that belch smoke, flash lights, and shoot fireworks when the Reds hit a home run and win games. The most prominent feature is a large gap in the grandstand. As the outfield is towards the river, and away from downtown Cincinnati, there is a large gap in the grandstands that allow a view out to the city from the park and vice-versa. To one side of the gap, there are three seating levels, and on the other, there are two.

• Citizens Bank Park (Philadelphia Phillies) - Citizens Bank Park has a giant Liberty Bell that lights up and rings as it moves from side to side. Outfield fence has a "jog" similar to the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, except it's in left-center.

• PETCO Park (San Diego Padres) - A challenging factor in the design of this stadium was the presence of a historic structure, the Western Metal Supply Company Building, on the proposed ballpark site. Instead of being demolished, the building was integrated into the stadium, with the team store on the first floor and the other floors converted to suites. In fact, its southeast corner serves as the left field foul pole.

• Busch Stadium (St. Louis Cardinals) - The stadium is very open, allowing a great view of St. Louis, including its iconic arch. The old manual scoreboards that showed the scores around the league, were installed up on the walls of the inside concourse, still in the same configuration they were in the day the Cardinals played their last game in the old stadium.

• Nationals Park (Washington Nationals) - The park, located on the Anacostia River, provides views of the river as well as the dome of the Capitol Building and Washington Monument. The seats in center field are lined along the rear with cherry trees, like those that dominate the landscape of the Potomac shoreline a few miles away - the initial blooming of the trees, a significant event for the city, usually coincides with the opening of the baseball season.

• Citi Field (New York Mets) - Citi Field is the only ballpark in the majors that does not have yellow foul poles, as its poles are instead painted orange, a trait it shares with its predecessor, Shea Stadium. The exterior facade is reminiscent of Ebbets Field, and leads into the Jackie Robinson Rotunda, which honors the Brooklyn Dodgers' legend. The most famous quirk of Citi Field, a Mets tradition that has been present since 1982, is the home-run apple. Now in straightaway center in the middle of the batter's eye, there is a concrete housing. When the Mets hit a home run, the giant apple, which has a Mets logo on the front that lights up, rises from its housing.

• Yankee Stadium (New York Yankees) - The batter's eye in center field is a sports bar with tinted windows. Under this bar is Monument Park, an outdoor museum dedicated to the history of the team, which includes plaques, the retired numbers, and the six eponymous monuments, plaques placed on slabs of marble. The exterior is designed to resemble the old Yankee Stadium, but is actually a shell, with an open "Great Hall" between the exterior and the structure of the actual stadium. An iconic feature of the old stadium is the arched frieze, which is now placed back to its original position as the fascia of the roof.

• Target Field (Minnesota Twins) - The ballpark features local limestone, heated viewing areas and a heated field. In center field, a modernized version of the original "Minnie and Paul Shaking Hands" logo has mechanical features when a Twins player hits a home run. The sign lights up with strobe lights surrounding the Minnesota state outline and Minne and Paul.

See also

• List of baseball parks by capacity
• List of Major League Baseball stadiums
• List of U.S. baseball stadiums by capacity
• List of terraces at baseball venues

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Baseball venues

• Baseball Park facts, figures, photos, and more at Ballparks.com
• A map of Baseball Stadiums in USA and Canada