StadiumPage Blog

New PETCO Park Logos

2011-11-12T21:10:00.003-05:00

Overshadowed by the Marlins logo/uniform unveiling this week, the Padres unveiled new uniforms of their own this week. The new unis are pretty basic and not a huge change, but one difference I noted was the addition of this cool patch with a PETCO park skyline on it.

As you can't have corporate logos on uniforms, this doesn't have the actual ballpark name on it. However, I bet there will be another version that will be for use around the ballpark in 2012.

Since its opening in 2004, PETCO Park has used the logo on the left. In fact its on the end of every row in the ballpark. However, Petco recently changed its corporate look to the logo on the right. No doubt, they will look to re-brand the ballpark with their new look in 2012.

My guess, is you'll see some variation of the top sleeve patch with Petco's name on it.

Citi Field Renovation

2011-10-31T18:50:00.004-04:00

Image per Mets.com
The news that was first reported on Mets Blog was confirmed today by the Mets. Several renovations/changes to Citi Field's outfield walls were detailed in a conference call.

First, the outfield dimensions were revealed. While not the completely symmetrical field that was rumored, the dimensions were shortened in several of the deepest areas.

Image per Mets.com

In the above rendering, you can see the difference. The left center "corner" was simply too deep and the 16 foot original wall was a further penalty. The new wall will be a uniform 8 feet all the way from right to left in 2012. Additionally, a new wall will be built in front of the 16 foot part in left.

In Right Field, the old 415 spot just right of center in front of the bullpens will be shortened to 398. In additon, the spot in front of the Modell's Zone seating was squared off and shortened.

Beyond the dimensions, all of the interior walls will be made blue. The old backing walls will remain the "soot" black color.

Image per Mets.com
The cool thing about the new interior walls is that it allowed the Mets to add new seats. This image seems to show a row of seats much like the Green Monster seats at Fenway Park. While I'm sure they will be expensive, they should give an interesting view of the game.

Image per Mets.com
Here is another view of the new left field seating.

Image per Mets.com
Finally, here's a view of how the Modell's Zone section will look. With new seats/tables on what used to be the warning track, the group sales section should be able to have its capacity expanded. Also it now features standing room on what used to be the warning track.

Overall, I think these are good moves. The talk of every ESPN/FOX national game that featured the Mets at home was on how difficult the ballpark was. That can't be good for attracting players and the hitters' confidence. The new dimensions do not make it a "hitter's paradise" though. Mets GM Sandy Alderson mentioned that the change should put Citi Field in the middle.

The change to blue walls is ok with me. The black walls were distinctive, but many Mets fans have been clamoring for blue for a while now. Its good to see the organization listening. (Now maybe they can listen for our calls to sign Reyes...)

You can see all of these images in a slideshow at Mets.com or on StadiumPage.com.

Citi Field Fences

2011-10-25T18:28:00.003-04:00

As reported on Mets Blog, work on moving in the Citi Field fences has already begun.

Image per Mets Blog

As Sandy Alderson mentioned in during one of the final Mets broadcasts of 2011, the changes wouldn't be subtle. He wasn't kidding! It looks like Citi is going from one of the most radical/quirky outfields to a perfectly rounded one. I'm a bit mixed on this, but overall I think its a good move:

PROS:
- Some of the quirks seemed pointless from the beginning.
- The Mets hitters were obviously affected by the old dimensions. As Yogi Berra said, "99% of the game is half mental" If the hitters are more comfortable, they will play better.
- Maybe the Mets decide to go all out and replace the black fences with fan favorite blue fences.
- It should create some cool "on field" type seating in left field and right field.
- They may re-do the bullpens again. From many angles in the park, its hard to see who is warming in the 'pen.

CONS:
- To be blunt, (Dickey aside) the Mets' pitching stinks. This can only make it worse.
- I actually like the black fences.
- No more "overhang" in Right field. It was a bit contrived anyway.

I'll try to take a tour sometime in early 2012 to get some pictures before opening day and post them here and on StadiumPage.com.

Figural Row Ends - Volume 5 - NL West

2011-10-20T20:00:00.007-04:00

Continuing the "Figural Row Ends" series, next profiled is the National League West. All five parks have were either built or renovated since 1995 and have interesting designs on their row ends.

AT&T Park

AT&T Park (formerly known as Pacific Bell Park and SBC Park) has been the home of the San Francisco Giants since 2000. Their row end design is quite simple. Just the Giants SF cap logo with a diamond and crossing bats. With all of the name changes that the park has had, the team was quite fortunate to go with a team-centric design rather than the sponsor's name.

Chase Field

Chase Field (formerly Bank One Ballpark), like AT&T went with a team-centric design. With the park's name change and team identity changes since 1998, the "A" logo actually is still relevant and in use.

Coors Field

Coors Field has been the home of the Rockies since their third season in 1995. All of the stadium's seats are green except for one row in the upper deck which is purple (pictured). Coors' row ends utilize a modified version of the Rockies primary logo with the flying ball/mountain/arch.

Dodger Stadium

When Dodger Stadium opened in 1962, the seats were the same color scheme as now but made of wood. Sometime in the late 70's early 80's the colors changed and the wood seats were replaced with plastic. Neither the first nor second generation of Dodgers Stadium seats had row ends. In 2006, the stadium's original color scheme was restored and with it the team added their "LA" logo to the row ends.

Of all the bad the McCourt ownership has brought to the franchise, if they did one good thing it was the color scheme restoration.

PETCO Park

Opened in 2004, PETCO Park is the newest ballpark in the NL West. Like the others, it too has a cool row end design. Unlike the others though, PETCO's actually have the corporate sponsor's name on them.

Though the name of the company hasn't changed, Petco (corporation) recently announced a re-branding. In the past the company's name was always represented in all caps. In the new version, its all lowercase. As far as I know, the Padres haven't changed the ballpark logo (which features the "all caps" Petco wordmark) yet.

Dedication Plaques - Volume 3 - Target Field

2011-10-19T20:00:00.000-04:00

Target Field Dedication Plaque
I took a great trip to Minnesota late this summer to visit the one year old Target Field. Its a great ballpark and a HUGE upgrade from the Metrodome. The Twins really paid alot of attention to little details which made nice park a great one.

This plaque, dedicated to the people of Minnesota, is located on the main entrance plaza. Its near the ticket windows to the right of the "Gate 29" entrance. As usual, the plaque lists the owners of the Twins, various local politicians that made financing possible and the designers and builders of the stadium. (I believe this is the first major league ballpark that uses the new Populous name. Citi Field's plaque lists "HOK Sport" as the architect.)

An interesting touch is the laser engraved image of Target Field itself. I've never seen something like that on a dedication plaque. The plaque seems to be made of regular sheet metal with all of the names/images engraved on it. Teams seem to be getting away from the heavy brass plaques that older parks had and are now going with ones of this type of metal and plastic like at Citi Field.

You can check out all of my photos from Target Field at StadiumPage.com.

Another Sporcle Quiz

2011-10-19T07:59:00.000-04:00

I put together another ballpark-related Sporcle quiz. This time about statues.

Check it out: www.sporcle.com

Sporcle Quiz

2011-10-17T22:27:00.003-04:00

Sporcle.com is a great brainteaser site. There's tons of cool quizzes about any topic you can think of. I just put together a pretty lengthy quiz about the ballparks that hosted the final game of each World Series.

Check it out at Sporcle.com

Ballpark Statues - Vol. 1 - PNC Park

2011-10-16T15:27:00.000-04:00

Honus Wagner Statue @ PNC
Though we now think of the Pittsburgh Pirates as one of the worst teams in baseball, they have a very long history (est. 1887) with 13 hall of famers. Due to this, PNC Park has the best collection of statues in the majors. The best Pirate of them all and one of baseball's greatest players ever was Honus Wagner. His statue greets fans as they approach PNC's home plate rotunda entrance.

The statue was originally dedicated in 1955. According to the inscription on the statue's base, it was moved from Shenley Park to Three Rivers Stadium in 1972. It was later moved to its current location in 2001.

Roberto Clemente
The statue for Roberto Clemente is located at the foot of the Roberto Clemente Bridge just outside of the centerfield gate of PNC Park. Dedicated in 1994, Clemente's statue was originally outside of Three Rivers Stadium's gate B. It was moved to its present location at PNC Park in 2001.

Willie Stargell
Willie Stargell's statue is located a short distance from Clemente's by the left field gate at PNC. It was dedicated on April 7, 2001. Just two days before his death.

Bill Mazeroski
The Bill Mazeroski statue is located outside of the right field entrance of PNC Park. It was dedicated in 2010. Next to the statue is an original section of brick from Forbes Field's outfield wall with "406 FT" painted on it. His walk off home run that ended the 1960 World Series cleared the fence near the 406 FT marker.

Barney Dreyfuss Memorial
The four statues outside the park aren't the only ones at PNC. If you enter through the home plate rotunda and head up the stairs to the lower concourse, you'll be greeted by this monument to Barney Dreyfuss.

Dreyfuss was the owner of the Pirates from 1900-1932. He's credited with the creation of the modern (AL vs NL) World Series. He also headed up the development and construction of Forbes Field in the early 1900's. Forbes Field was the first "steel and concrete" stadium ever built.

This monument was placed in center field at Forbes Field after his death in 1932. It was moved to Three Rivers Stadium in 1970 and moved again to PNC Park in 2001.

Ralph Kiner's Hands
An interesting and unique sculpture sits below the pedestrian rotunda in left field. This is a bronze casting of Ralph Kiner's hands. Most Mets fans like me know Kiner as the Mets announcer since 1962, but he was also one of the best hitters of the 1950's. Kiner hit 369 homers in just ten seasons.

Carl Barger Bust
The final memorial (that I will cover here) is the Carl Barger Bust. Barger was the Pirates President from 1987-1991. He left to help get the expansion Florida Marlins off the ground. Barger died of an aneurysm in 1992, months short of the Marlins first game. A great fan of Joe DiMaggio, Barger actually has the number 5 retired in his honor by the Marlins. This bust is located behind the center field bleachers.

That's actually not it! At the entrance on the third base side of PNC Park, there is an alcove known as "Highmark Legacy Square". In this spot there are statues of seven legendary players of the Negro Leagues that played in Pittsburgh. I'll cover that at another time.

So that's a total of fourteen statues/memorials at PNC Park. I don't think any other ballpark comes close!

See pictures of these statues memorials HERE.
Check out all of my PNC Park photos HERE.

Stadium Remains- Part Seven - Metropolitan Stadium

2011-10-15T13:18:00.006-04:00

Metropolitan Stadium
Metropolitan Stadium was home of the Minnesota Twins from their inception in 1961 through the end of the 1981 season. At that point the Twins (and the NFL Vikings) moved to the Metrodome. The stadium was abandoned for a few years before its demolition in 1985. The site of the stadium remained an unmarked vacant lot until 1992 when the massive Mall of America opened.

Home Plate Marker
As I always do when visiting MLB cities, I try to find the remains and/or historic markers of old ballparks. This one was actually quite easy to find as its in the middle of the largest shopping mall in the country. The home plate marker (pictured above) is located inside of an indoor amusement park called "Nickelodeon Universe".

"Log Flume" Ride with Old Stadium Seat
Located 520 feet from the home plate marker is the Log Flume ride. Up on the wall beyond the ride is a seat from the old stadium.

Metropolitan Stadium Seat with Killebrew banner
The seat represents the longest home run in the history of the Met. Hit by Harmon Killebrew on June 3, 1957, the home run traveled 520 feet into the far reaches of the stadium's bleachers. There is also a small plaque detailing Killebrew's achievements at the Log Flume.

Nickelodeon Universe Map with location of the Seat and Home Plate
This is probably the easiest stadium marker to visit. It is located just off the main north/south highway only a few miles south of Minneapolis. The theme park does not charge admission to enter and is located in the center of the gigantic shopping mall.

To see other images of the Met markers click HERE.

Check out images of Metropolitan Stadium before demolition at The Stadium Graveyard.

Unrealized Concepts - Volume 6 - Tropicana Field Renovation

2011-10-13T20:03:00.003-04:00

In 2010, after the the Rays failed to get financing for the Major League Downtown stadium project, a local group called the ABC Coalition commissioned a feasibility study toward renovating Tropicana Field. These drawings are the result.

One study looked at the possibility of removal of the current fabric roof and replacing it with a retractable dome. This would have allowed for open air during sunny days, natural grass, and no more catwalks. It was a particularly expensive plan and was not pursued.

The next three photos show how a renovated park would look with the current roof. This would be the view from the first base concourse. Currently, the Trop's lower concourses are "closed". The renovations would allow for an open concourse like most newer parks have. Also, if you look to the outfield in the picture, the study proposed opening up the back wall and allowing views of the outside world.

This would be the view of the seating behind home plate. The press box would be moved to where upper level seating is now and suites/clubs made out of the lower level. It actually looks alot like the area behind the plate at Citi Field.

Finally, here's a view from behind home plate. Its cool to be able to see beyond the fences, but honestly there's not much to see in that part of St. Petersburg. Plus you still have the ugly roof and catwalks. It wasn't clear if natural grass was to be part of this plan.

Ultimately, this was rejected (correctly in my view) by the Rays. The Trop isn't particularly terrible, but it was built in the 1980's and is closer to 70's disasters like Three Rivers and Veterans Stadium than Camden Yards.

A really good book by Jonah Keri, "The Extra 2%", goes through all of the difficulties the Rays face in St. Pete. Its not centrally located to where the population is and most fans need to travel across a bridge to get there. The team would be much better off waiting out the economic situation and trying again on a Tampa project like the Major League Downtown concept from 2008/2009.

Check out all of the renderings of the Trop Renovation project HERE
Check out renderings of the Major League Downtown project HERE

Unrealized Concepts - Volume 5 - Miller Park Concepts

2011-10-10T18:42:00.005-04:00

With Miller Park hosting game 2 of the NLCS tonight, I thought it would be cool to look over some unused concepts. There were several different designs, most of which utilized a roof. I don't know alot of the backstory of these, but its still an interesting look at some unused designs.

I actually saw this design a few years before Miller opened. It is very much an homage to Ebbets Field. Even more so than Citi Field which opened years later. This does not seem to incorporate a roof, but is a really nice looking design. Who knows what Citi Field would have become if the Brewers went in this direction.

This design shares alot of similarities to Toronto's Skydome/Rogers Centre and newer retractable parks like Safeco Field and Minute Maid Park. The stadium bowl is similar to Toronto while a one direction roof is much like Seattle and Houston.

With this design, we move closer to Miller Park's final form. A roof that sits above the first and third base lines and retracts together over the playing field. The difference from the final form is the extension of the roof past the stadium bowl.

This last concept reminds me of alot of european soccer venues. The dome is still retractable, but is held up by several large posts. It almost seems like a circus tent.

By the time construction commenced, the Brewers had settled on this final form. Miller really is a nice stadium with a great atmosphere. The park is known for its festive tailgate scene and when the team is playing well (like 2011) they fill the building. The large window walls behind the first and third base upper decks let in a lot of natural light, so even if the dome is closed it doesn't seem like a tomb.

Check out the full page of unrealized Miller Concepts: HERE

Check out the pre-open Miller renderings: HERE

New Marlins Ballpark

2011-10-07T22:38:00.009-04:00

Lots of little details have been leaking out about the New Marlins Ballpark. The dome is progressing quite nicely as you can see in this webcam capture below.

Another detail that leaked this week is the figural row ends for the ballpark. With no naming sponsor for the park yet, the Fish seem to be going with their new "M" logo for the ends:
Image Per Uni-Watch

Also released this week is the Marlins new "Home Run Celebration" art piece. The Mets' apple is great. I like the Phillies' neon bell, Bernie's slide etc, but this thing is weird. Judge for yourself...

Per Biz of Baseball
I lived in Miami for four years (undergrad at U of Miami) and as strange as the new logo and HR celebration seem, they really do represent the city quite well. The park is set to open on April 4, 2012 vs the Cardinals. I hope to get down there sometime in the first few months of the season.

Check out construction progress: Here
Check out renderings: Here

Re-boot!

2011-10-06T22:34:00.000-04:00

I'm thinking of starting up the blog again this offseason. Keep an eye on this space and let me know what you think of the new layout.

Yankee Stadium Demolition - 05/05/10

2010-05-05T21:10:00.003-04:00

I was out at the Yankee game today (pitiful Orioles pitching...) and took some photos of the Old Yankee Stadium demolition site. At this point, here really isn't very much left. Just one small portion of the exterior wall is still standing (gate 6). The debris field is still quite large with many grapplers cleaning up the mess. The last piece of outer wall has been like this for about a week. My assumption is that the demolition crew is waiting until after the Yankee homestand is over to pull it down. With today's 7-5 win, the homestand is over, so the last piece of the old park probably doesn't have too many days left.

I've uploaded nearly 30 photos and 2 videos to StadiumPage.com today. You can get them through the main site or directly through THIS LINK.

Yankee Stadium (1923) - Exterior Ornamentation

2010-05-03T19:30:00.003-04:00

Yankee Stadium - Gate 2

One of the cool features of the recently departed original Yankee Stadium (the last piece is set to fall within days) was the exterior ornamentation. While alot of the details were lost in the 70's renovation, some of them were kept on the old Gate 2 entrance.

Here is a closeup of the "balcony". I don't know how it worked in the original stadium, but after the 70's renovation, there was really nothing behind it. It wasn't like there were offices or a room behind it. I believe it was always just for decoration. If you look closely at the three "seals", the two on the left and right feature a pair of baseballs, while the center seal features a "primative" version of the Yankees' interlocking NY logo.

In a recent visit to the NYC Times Square ESPN Zone restaurant, I noticed the above on display. It is an original seal, probably from gate 4 or 6 that was saved during the 70's renovations. I assume they were colored like this prior to the renovation, but painted grey in the 70's. During the recent demolition, the balconies and the seals were saved, so you may see them show up in the new Stadium's museum or even Cooperstown.

Another interesting exterior feature of the old Stadium was the "Eagle Seals". Originally, there were two of these stationed at gates 2, 4, and 6. Like the balconies, these were removed during the 70's renovation. Two of the eagles were saved, refurbished and posted above the press/club entrance that was just to the left of the post-renovation gate 4.

Check out these and thousands of other photos at StadiumPage.com

Figural Row Ends - Volume 4 - AL East

2010-04-28T19:42:00.003-04:00

Continuing the "Figural Row Ends" series, next profiled is the American League East. Four of the five parks have figural row ends and all four opened after 1990. Fenway Park, which opened in 1914, does not have them.

Yankee Stadium

The new Yankee Stadium's row ends feature the Yanks' interlocking NY logo throughout the park. The park opened in 2009 and has already hosted a World Series.

Rogers Centre

Rogers Centre opened in 1991 as the Skydome. The row ends originally featured the Skydome logo, but when the name was changed a few years ago, each dome logo was covered up by the grey plastic Rogers Centre Logo. On a few of the rows in the upper deck, fans actually removed the grey plastic and you can see the original Skydome logos.

Tropicana Field

Tropicana Field's row ends do not feature the current logo for the park or even the Rays logo. The logo on the row ends is actually the Florida Suncoast Dome logo. This was the name and logo of the dome when it first opened in the early 1990's.

Oriole Park at Camden Yards

The row ends at Camden Yards feature the Orioles "Baltimore Baseball Club" logo. I've heard that the player in the middle is supposed to represent Hall of Famer Wee Willier Keeler who played for the National League Baltimore Orioles in the late 1800's. Its a classic logo and its cast into the steel of each row end. A very nice touch at an incredible ballpark.

Fenway Park

Fenway Park does not have row ends in any part of the ballpark. Although row ends were at ballparks from the early 1900's, Fenway's original grandstand seats do not have them. Most of the rest of the seats were replaced from the 1970's on, but also do not feature figurals.

Check out these and thousands of other photos at StadiumPage.com.

Unrealized Concepts - Volume 4 - Yankee Stadium Renovation (1998)

2010-04-18T18:57:00.002-04:00

In 1998, just at the beginning of the current Yankees run, there were many ideas floated for a new ballpark. Most alternatives involved the Yanks leaving the Bronx to either Manhattan (their home for their first 22 years) or the New Jersey Meadowlands. This proposal was different in that it not only kept the team in the Bronx, but in Yankee Stadium.

The plan was floated by the Bronx Boro President Fernando Ferrer. It involved reintroducing many of the Stadium's classic features including the Frieze above the upper deck and the exterior facade.

An interesting feature that was eventually incorporated into the new Yankee Stadium is above. It seems to be quite similar to the "Great Hall" at the new park. Basically a glass wall which extends the concourse out onto what was then Ruppert Plaza.

The plan was never really accepted by the Yankees though. It never really got past the proposal stage. While its a shame the Yankees didn't stay in the original Stadium, at least they are still in the Bronx.

You can see these and more images of this proposal at StadiumPage.com.

Stadium Remains - Part Six - Polo Grounds

2010-04-11T18:24:00.002-04:00

The sixth ballpark profiled in the "Stadium Remains" series is The Polo Grounds. The Polo Grounds was the home of the New York Giants from 1890-1957. Additionally, the Yankees (from 1913-1922) and the Mets (from 1962-1963) called the park home. The old park was also home to the football Giants and Jets/Titans. In the picture above from Google Maps you can see the layout of what remains if you would like to visit yourself

The only monument to the actual park is a plaque (pictured above) that is located on the north-west of the four towers. Home plate on the plaque actually faces the wrong direction. If you are looking directly at the plaque from close up, you would actually be standing in the lefty batter's box.

Just to the west of the Polo Grounds Towers which replaced the park is the Brush Staircase. This staircase was built in the early 1900's to allow residents of the neighborhood on the other side of Coogan's Bluff to access the Polo Grounds easily. It is still there today, but is in a state of disrepair. A few years ago, there were some articles that the SF Giants, the Mets, Yankees, NY Giants and Jets had donated money to the city for a repair. As of March 2010, no repairs have been made. When I visited, the stairwell was fenced off and un-passable.

One of the legends of the Polo Grounds was Coogan's Bluff. This was an elevated area just to the West of the park. It was high enough that people could stand on the rocks and see the game below without paying admission.

This is a closeup of the two buildings in the previous picture. Between the two towers, you get a glimpse of the old Yankee Stadium. One month after my visit, that view is no more. Yankee Stadium has just a few pieces of it still standing and will soon join the Polo Grounds in the list of extinct ballparks. If you do look just to the left, you can actually see the new Yankee Stadium.

It really isn't a bad neighborhood. If you would like to make a visit like I did, just go at a normal hour and be smart. It is easily accessable by car and the B Subway line. (155th Street Station)

You can see these and more pictures of The Polo Grounds' Remains at StadiumPage.com.

Figural Row Ends - Volume 3 - NL Central

2010-04-07T20:23:00.005-04:00

Continuing the "Figural Row Ends" series, next profiled is the National League Central. Five of the six parks were built since 2000 and have figural row ends. Wrigley Field, which opened in 1914, does not have them.

Great American Ball Park

Great American Ball Park's row ends feature the Reds' "wishbone c" logo throughout the park. GABP is one of only two parks in the majors to feature red seats.

Busch Stadium

The other red seat park is Busch Stadium. Busch's row ends are quite nice. They have the Cards' "bird on bat" logo cast into the seat post and the features of the logo painted on. It is clearly one of the best and well thought out in the entire league.

Miller Park

Miller Park has green seats and throughout the park on the row ends feature the above logo. It appears to be a giant batter hovering over the Miller Park dome. I don't know the significance of the logo, but it is also on the park's dedication plaque.

Minute Maid Park

Minute Maid Park, formerly Enron Field, features the above row ends. Luckily for the Astros, they did not incorporate the Enron Field logo on to the row ends. This logo is actually also the logo for Houston's Union Station, the rail station that neighbors MMP. I don't know if this logo is a historic one or if it only dates back to the renovation of Union Station that was part of the ballpark's construction. In the planning stages of the ballpark, it was actually known as "The Ballpark at Union Station".

PNC Park

PNC Park is one of the better parks in MLB. It features a simple Pirates logo on its row ends. Since yellow or black would be odd seat color choices for a MLB park, they went with blue. (The neighboring Heinz Field football stadium actually does have yellow seats.)

Wrigley Field

As I mentioned above, Wrigley Field does not have row end figurals. Since all of its seats are plastic, the seat posts likely only date back to the 1970's which was a dead period of sorts for these ornaments. I have never seen any pre-plastic era seats for Wrigley that feature these.

Check out these and thousands of other photos at StadiumPage.com.

Opening Day at Citi Field

2010-04-05T21:17:00.003-04:00

It was a great day out at Citi Field today (unless you were a Marlins fan...). With the large crowd, the new Mets Hall of Fame had a long wait to enter it. With that, I wasn't able to get in there this time. Hopefully later this week. But now to some of the bigger changes at Citi that I was able to see.

One of the first things you will see on the field level concourse is an increase in Mets memorabilia. In the image above, there are large cards of past Mets. The Ebbets Clubs behind home plate were renamed the "Champions Club" as well. Lots of the unpainted concrete (especially in the stairwells) were painted orange and blue.

The center field large video board had some changes as well. Some of the uglier ads are gone and replaced by some more understated ads. Specifically, many readers mentioned in emails that they disliked the two large Arpielle ads to the left and right of the board. These were replaced by SHARP Electronics ads.

The bridge in right center field was renamed today. It was dedicated as the Shea Bridge. This was named after William Shea, the man tasked with bringing National League baseball back to New York after the departure of the Giants and Dodgers.

A big change is the lowering of the center field wall to an even height of eight feet. In the image above, any ball hit over the orange line is considered a homer. In 2009, balls needed to clear the high point of the wall for home runs. I don't think this will have much effect on the games. Only a few balls hit the wall in dead center in 09, so there won't be more than a few disputes due to it.

One more change is the changes in the concessions. Above, you can see a new "Box Frites" location. On on the opposite side is a Blue Smoke location. Also on the Promenade food court is a duplicate of large beer stand in the fanfest area. Additionally, there are many spots with beer on tap.

Be sure to check out all of the changes for yourself in 2010. If you can avoid some of the bad seats, Citi Field is a great place to see a game. I've been to 29 different parks, and by far Citi has the best food in the league.

Happy Opening Day!!

2010-04-05T00:01:00.002-04:00

Opening Day Bunting at Shea Stadium in 2008

It's the best day of the baseball year. Enjoy all of the games. I'll be out at Citi Field. (My 11th consecutive Mets home opener. 13th straight opening day overall.) I'm hoping for a comeback year for the Mets.

No matter who you root for, its the one day everyone is in first place.

Be sure to check the blog and StadiumPage.com Monday evening for new Citi Field images.

Changes at Citi Field

2010-04-02T19:56:00.003-04:00

Any reader of StadiumPage.com and this blog probably knows already, but the Mets have made many changes to Citi Field for 2010. I never had a problem with Citi as it was, but the minor addition of "Mets Stuff" is ok too. I was definitely disappointed that the museum wasn't there from the start. However, I suppose it was a huge task just to get the park game ready, so 1 year late isn't that bad.

Some of the bigger changes:
- New Mets Museum: As promised, the Mets constructed a new museum just off of the rotunda. Some readers have passed along photos and it looks great.

- McFadden's Restaurant: From what I've seen, it won't be ready for Opening Day, but there will be a new bar/restuarant in the building directly below the FanFest area.

- New Location for Old Apple: The old Apple has been moved from the spot behind the visitors bullpen to "Mets Plaza" outside of the rotunda.

- New Bullpen Configuration: Relievers from both teams will now be throwing toward the outfield wall.

- Lower Center Field Wall: This news was out since January, but the outfield wall will be a uniform eight feet from the Modell's Zone to Left Field.

- Bigger "Mets" Presence: This was a big complaint from day 1 by many. There are tons of new banners/pennants/etc inside and outside the park.

- Ebbets Club No More: The pricey Ebbets Club sections were renamed "Champions Club" one side being 1969 themed, the other 1986 themed.

- Greater Access to Clubs: If you have a ticket anywhere but Promenade IF or OF Reserved, there is at least one club you are eligible for.

- New Fanwalk Bricks: The new sections of bricks are now "Mets Moments" themed. My brick is actually in the Todd Pratt 1999 NLDS clincher section. (A game I was at!)

I'm sure there's some other stuff I'm missing. I'll be at the game on Monday taking tons of pictuers. Be sure to check StadiumPage.com and this blog on Monday evening for all the images.

Yankee Stadium Demolition - 03/22/10

2010-03-22T19:55:00.004-04:00

Yankee Stadium demolition has progressed over the past week. They are down to the last few sections of upper deck which will probably be gone by the end of the week. From there they will likely move onto dismantling the outer walls.

Check out the above image and about 50 others at StadiumPage.com.

Yankee Stadium Demolition - 03/13/10

2010-03-13T15:01:00.003-05:00

Demolition continued at the old ballpark even with today's nasty weather in the New York area. The upper deck continues to be cut into small pieces so they can be torn down. In the video above, you can see the grappler cutting into the concrete so to make small pieces to pull down.

I took about 50 pictures and the above video. Check out these and the whole set at StadiumPage.com.

Yankee Stadium Demolition - 03/06/10

2010-03-06T15:42:00.002-05:00

I made another visit to the site of the old Yankee Stadium today. Demolition has progressed quite a bit in the four weeks since I visited last. The majority of the back "bleacher wall" has been torn down, so you can get a unblocked view into the stadium now. Unfortunately for me, the Manhattan bound #4 train platform was closed so I couldn't get any shots straight into the park.

They seem to be shearing the upper deck concrete into small sections that can be removed individually. I didn't see any demolition in progress, so I'm unsure what they are doing exactly. Although demolition is progressing well, I do expect some part of the stadium to be standing on Opening Day. With that, baseball fans should be able to get at least one more glance at the old ballpark.

You can see full size versions of these two photos and another 29 shots in the Yankee Stadium Demolition section of StadiumPage.com.

Stadium Remains - Part Five - Fulton County Stadium

2010-03-04T20:57:00.004-05:00

Fulton County Stadium was the home of the Atlanta Braves from 1966-1996. It was a basic no-frills multipurpose stadium which also served as the home of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons. As you can see from the Google Map above, Fulton was located just to the north of the site of Turner Field (the Braves current home).

Though Fulton County Stadium was demolished in mid-1997, the park was actually still standing the first time I went to Atlanta in June 1997.

By the time I made my second visit, for the 2000 All Star Game, Fulton County Stadium was gone and the Braves had put together a nice monument to the old park. The outline of the infield and outfield was placed in the parking lot. Also, the spot where Hank Aaron's record setting 715th was marked with a replica fence and sign. As it is a short walking distance from the new ballpark, it is very easy to see this historic site.

Check out these and thousands of other photos at StadiumPage.com.

Figural Row Ends - Volume 2 - AL Central

2010-03-01T21:07:00.006-05:00

Continuing the "Figural Row Ends" series, next profiled is the American League Central. All five parks were either built or renovated since 1994 and all have figural row ends.

Target Field

The new home of the AL Central champions is Target Field. The seat posts are of the same model as Citi Field, and as such have "sticker" logos. As you can see in this picture, the Twins installed wooden seats in some of the club areas. An interesting throwback to ballparks of the past. The only other current parks with any wooden seats are Fenway Park and Dodger Stadium.

Comerica Park

Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers, also has an interesting row end setup. They depict a tiger in a batting stance. This is actually a throwback to the original row ends at Tiger Stadium (then known as Briggs Stadium). Its a really nice touch that appears on every seat row in the ballpark.

US Cellular Field

US Cellular Field was renovated in parts throughout the 2000's. The park opened with non-descript blue seat posts which had no figural row ends. (At right in the above image.) After the renovations, all rows in the park now are dark green with various White Sox logos. The above picture features the 80's "Sox" logo.

Progressive Field

The row ends at Progressive Field in Cleveland have an outline of the field's dimensions with the silhouette of a batter mid swing.

Kauffman Stadium

With Kauffman Stadium's recent renovation which was completed for opening Day 2009, all seats now are blue with a painted on Royals logo.

Check out these and thousands of other photos at StadiumPage.com.

Dedication Plaques - Volume 2 - Angel Stadium

2010-02-27T21:28:00.002-05:00

Original Anaheim Stadium Plaque

Anaheim Stadium opened in 1966 as the home of the Angels. Its original plaque actually lacks a few items normally on building dedication plaques. First, there is no opening date. Second, the official name of the ballpark is not on the plaque. One interesting part of it is at the very bottom. The general contractor company is listed as Del E. Webb Corporation. Webb, who made his fortune in construction, was the owner of the New York Yankees from 1945 to 1964.

1998 "Re-Dedication" Plaque

In 1998, renovations were made to re-make Anaheim Stadium into a baseball-only facility. With that, the new owners erected a new dedication plaque. Along with the renovation came a new name: Edison International Field. The Edison Field name only lasted through the 2003 season when the naming rights deal was not renewed. At that point it was renamed Angel Stadium of Anaheim.

Location of the Two Plaques

The two plaques are located on the left and right of the main home plate entrance to Angel Stadium. By 2006, when I visited Angel Stadium, there was no third plaque for the current name.

Check out these images and many more of Angel Stadium at StadiumPage.com.

Figural Row Ends - Volume 1 - NL East

2010-02-25T19:06:00.005-05:00

"Figural Row Ends" (aka Figural Seats) are the logos that are cast on the end of a row at a ballpark. I'm sure they go unnoticed by most fans, but they're an interesting touch that really personalizes the ballpark. Sometimes they have the park's logo and sometimes the team's logo. While a lot of the multipurpose stadiums from the 60's and 70's did not have this feature, the tradition goes back to baseball's beginnings. They were seen in parks as far back as Cincinnati's Crosley Field and New York's Polo Grounds.

In this blog entry, I'll go through the figural row ends of the National League East.

Citizens Bank Park

Starting with the three-time defending champs of the NL East, the Citizens Bank Park row ends feature the team's logo. With the ballpark's large neon liberty bell that rings for home runs, it was natural for the Phillies to use the liberty bell logo on the seat ends. Along with the bell is the Phillies script logo.

Citi Field

The NL East's newest ballpark, Citi Field, features two different row ends. The two logos alternate from row to row. One row has the Mets logo and the next has the Citi Field logo. Unlike most of the row ends in the league, Citi Field's are actually just a blank circle on the iron with a big sticker on it. While it seems cheap, its probably a good idea to have replacable logos when your naming sponsor is basically under government control.

Turner Field

The row ends at Turner Field in Atlanta are very interesting. The red script Braves logo catches the eye, but behind it seems to be a silhouette of the great Hank Aaron in a home run swing. Behind Hammerin' Hank is the outline of a baseball field. Its all cast in iron right on the row end.

Nationals Ballpark

Nationals Ballpark keeps it pretty simple. A simple version of the Nationals' "Curly W" logo is cast onto the side of the seat post.

SunLife Stadium

At SunLife Stadium (formerly Dolphin Stadium and Landshark Stadium), the row ends feature the logo not of the stadium or the Marlins, but the logo of Marlins current landlord the Miami Dolphins. With the Marlins slated to open their new park in 2012 this will change.

Check out these and many other images at StadiumPage.com.

Unrealized Concepts - Volume 3 - Labatt Park

2010-02-23T20:03:00.004-05:00

Shortly after Jeffery Loria took over the Montreal Expos, plans were announced for a new ballpark in downtown Montreal. For the Expos' entire tenure in Montreal they had played in the "upgraded" Jarry Park and the cavernous Olympic Stadium. The plan called for a unique baseball only stadium. Unlike most of the new parks which opened in the late 90's, the new park would have a steel skin rather than brick.

Oddly, the announcement of the stadium came complete with the park's name Labatt Park. The park would be located within the "downtown" area of Montreal and was slated to have an incredible skyline view.

Unfortunately, the Expos were not able to get a financing deal in place and Labatt Park never came to be. The Expos were sold to MLB in a strange three team transaction where Loria came to own the Marlins and the Marlins owners bought the Red Sox.

Nationals Park

The rest was history. After a few years in Montreal under MLB control, the Expos were moved to Washington D.C. and became the Nationals. Oddly enough, in 2008 the Nationals opened their new ballpark which has a steel exterior which is very similar to the proposed Labatt Park design.

You can see these and more images of Labatt Park at StadiumPage.com.

Stadium Remains - Part Four - Milwaukee County Stadium

2010-02-21T21:21:00.011-05:00

Milwaukee County Stadium opened in 1953 when the Boston Braves moved to Milwaukee. The Braves played there from 1953 until they moved to Atlanta after the 1965 season. Milwaukee went without its own major league team until 1970 when the bankrupt Seattle Pilots moved to County Stadium to be the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers played in County Stadium from 1970 until 2000 until they opened Miller Park in the old stadium's parking lot in 2001.

Most of the old County Stadium field is now occupied by Helfaer Field. Helfaer is a little league sized ballpark that is used by local youth teams. On Brewers game days, the park is open to anyone to play catch or have a quick game.

Located in the third base walkway/concourse of Helfaer Field is the marker for County Stadium's home plate. Apparently, there is also a marker beyond Helfaer's left field that marks the approximate landing spot of Hank Aaron's 755th and final home run. I don't know if this was dedicated after my visit in 2005, or if I was just unaware of it. Either way, I don't have any pictures of that marker.

Located just to the north of the home plate marker is a memorial to the Milwaukee Braves. Its a really nice piece made of black and grey granite. It shows the players from the first and last Braves games and also marks the Braves' only World Championship. This is still Milwaukee's only World Championship, a seven game series which was actually clinched in Yankee Stadium. Interestingly, the Yankees returned the favor in 1958 by taking game seven at County Stadium to win the 1958 World Series.

It's a really nice set up and well worth visiting if you're going to a game at Miller Park. Although the stadium saw only 43 full seasons, it was the site of three World Series and many home runs by the great Hank Aaron.

See these images and more at StadiumPage.com.

Dedication Plaques - Volume 1 - Shea Stadium

2010-02-19T18:00:00.004-05:00

One thing I always try to find whenever I visit a ballpark is the park's dedication plaque. Most ballparks have them, but they're sometimes difficult to find.

Shea Stadium's plaque was located near the Gate E ticket window. Like all dedication plaques, Shea's shows its full proper name (William A. Shea Municipal Stadium). In addition, the plaque highlights the civic leaders of the time starting with the NYC mayor, comptroller, etc. Also listed was Robert Moses. While he played a large role in the Dodgers and Giants leaving New York in 1957, he was also the main proponent of the placement a ballpark in Queens. The site was actually offered to the Dodgers, but they declined and moved to Los Angeles.

Also listed on the plaque is Shea Stadium's Engineer/Architect Praeger-Kavanagh-Waterbury. PKG was involved in the design of other ballparks such as Dodger Stadium and the 1970's renovation of Yankee Stadium.

Finally, the most important item listed on the plaque is the year of dedication, 1964. These plaques are often overlooked, but they're something I always look for when visiting a park for the first time.

Ballpark Wall Colors - Keep The Black!

2010-02-18T17:00:00.007-05:00

Like with ballpark seat colors, green is by far the color of choice in major league ballparks. More than two-thirds of the 30 major league ballparks have green walls.

Twenty One MLB parks have green walls: Angel Stadium, Fenway Park, Rangers Ballpark, Target Field, Comerica Park, Safeco Field, Tropicana Field, U.S. Cellular Field, Kauffman Stadium, Progressive Field, Oriole Park, Citizens Bank Park, Coors Field, Busch Stadium, AT&T Park, Great American Ballpark, Minute Maid Park, Chase Field, PNC Park and Nationals Park.

Blue walls are the second-most used in MLB. Unlike green though, there is actually variety of shades of blue in use. Yankee Stadium has uses a navy blue color. Turner Field, Rogers Centre, and Miller Park have more of a royal blue color. Dodger Stadium seems to have almost a powder blue color. The walls at Petco Park in San Diego are a very very dark blue. (***I'm not 100% sure of this, it is possible that they are black.)

Citi Field is the lone ballpark in the majors with black walls. While many Mets fans feel they should revert to the royal blue color that was used at Shea Stadium, I find the black walls to be striking and unique. Whenever you see the black walls in a highlight package, you instantly know what park it is. In a league where 90% of the ballparks use green or blue walls this exception is refreshing. While I think the Mets should wear their traditional blue caps more (especially with the road uniforms), I hope the black walls stay for a long time.

In my opinion one of the best traditions in sports is the brick walls covered in ivy at Wrigley Field. While they're somewhat unsafe for outfielders early in the year before the ivy grows in, its a unique feature of the second oldest park in the majors.

Finally, we have the teal walls of Sun Life Stadium. While the Marlins don't use much teal in their uniforms anymore, they have chosen to keep the teal walls throughout their stay at this multi-named multipurpose stadium. Looking at the first renderings of their new retractable-dome that will open in 2012, the Marlins seem to be ready to join the green wall majority in a few years.

Shea's Last Day

2010-02-18T08:45:00.003-05:00

Today marks one year since the last sections of Shea Stadium were demolished. The final part of the demolition was captured in the photos above by Gary Dunaier. You can see more photos from February 18, 2009 on StadiumPage.com. Also, be sure to check out Gary's countless volumes of New York ballpark photos at Flickr.

Unrealized Concepts - Volume 2 - New Fenway Park

2010-02-17T19:25:00.001-05:00

In 1999, in order to "stay competitive" the Red Sox announced plans to replace Fenway Park. The dimensions and wall heights were to be the same as the current Fenway but plans called for expansion of seating and additions of luxury areas and suties. From the looks of the design drawings/models that were released it seemed like "Fenway on Steroids". It really brings to mind exactly what their hated rivals, the Yankees, ended up doing in replacing Yankee Stadium.

Also like the new Yankee Stadium, the new Fenway Park was to be located just a short distance from its predecessor. In an attempt to quiet the project's detractors, the Sox plan was to keep portions of the old park like the monster and most of the infield area.

The plan never really gained traction in Boston due to financing issues and the Save Fenway Park movement. It died completely once the new Henry/Lucchino ownership decided to take on a massive renovation of the existing Fenway Park. Eleven years and over 500 sellouts (at the highest ticket prices in the league) later, its clear that the renovation was the right choice. Fenway Park is now nearing its 100th birthday (it was finished in 1912), hopefully it will see another hundred.

You can see these and more images of the New Fenway Park plan at StadiumPage.com.

Website Update - 02/16/10

2010-02-17T19:22:00.000-05:00

Added many images to the Yankee Stadium (09) Monument Park, Museum, Field Level, Displays, Great Hall and Outside pages.

Yankee Stadium Demolition - 02/15/10

2010-02-15T15:59:00.005-05:00

The demolition of the old Yankee Stadium continues, and it seems like they are making progress. At this point the seating plank for the field and loge levels has been demolished. The upper deck is basically intact except for what seems to be the last section. The stairwell "pod" next to the left field end has been removed which caused that part to be demolished. Most of the exterior remains. If I were to guess, there will still be a considerable amount of the structure left when the season begins in April. However, if the pace is increased, it could be done before then.

I was in the area today and took over 40 photos of the old ballpark. Check out larger versions of these two photos and the other 38 or so at StadiumPage.com.

Unrealized Concepts - Volume 1 - Mets Dome

2010-02-14T19:31:00.004-05:00

Back in 1998, before Citi Field's current design was finalized, the Mets plans were to have a ballpark with a retractable roof. The picture above is a later version of the dome plan. This one is more modern with more glass and steel.

This is the original model from 1998. There are many similarities to Citi Field's final design: Ebbets inspired brick arches; rotunda behind home plate; and overhang in right field.

The big difference is the presence of the retractable dome. Since we only get a few rainouts a year in New York, it wasn't entirely necessary. While it would be nice not to have the threat of a delay or rainout, the bad affect on the turf and the "indoor" feeling wouldn't be good.

The big advancement with this design was the retractable field. If you look at Minute Maid field, they seem to have problems keeping the grass green at times. The Mets answer to this was a field that rolled out into the parking lot. This way the field got the light it needed and also was protected from non-baseball events. (basketball, trade shows, concerts etc.)

As it took the Mets almost ten years to get "shovels in the ground" on the project, things changed. The roof was nixed due to cost issues. Without the roof, the rolling field was more or less unnecessary. Although the rolling field concept seems strange, the Arizona Cardinals actually implemented the same concept in their new University of Phoenix Stadium.

You can see more images of the Mets Dome concept at StadiumPage.com.

Stadium Remains - Part Three - Comiskey Park

2010-02-13T12:31:00.005-05:00

The third ballpark profiled in the "Stadium Remains" series is Comiskey Park. Comiskey was the home of the Chicago White Sox from 1910-1990. The old park was located just to the north of the White Sox new home, U.S. Cellular Field. In the picture above from Google Maps the brown circle marks the spot of Comiskey Park's home plate.

It is a fairly simple monument to the old ballpark. A white marker for home plate and outlines of batter's boxes an foul lines.

As the old Comiskey site is now a parking lot for US Cellular, it is a great spot for White Sox fans to tailgate before a game.

You can see more pictures of Comiskey Park and U.S. Cellular Field at StadiumPage.com.

Seat Colors

2010-02-11T17:17:00.002-05:00

Throughout baseball history green has always been associated with ballparks. The terms "green diamonds" and "green cathedrals" don't just refer to the field. By far, green is the most used color for seats in the 30 current MLB ballparks.

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The dominant seat color in MLB is green. In 16 of the 30 current MLB parks, green is the main color for seats.

Ballparks primarily with green seats: Citi Field, Safeco Field, Progressive Field, Comerica Park, Camden Yards, Angel Stadium, U.S. Cellular Field, Wrigley Field, Miller Park, Chase Field, AT&T Park, Target Field, Coors Field, Minute Maid Park, Rangers Ballpark, Target Field, and the Oakland Coliseum.

Note: Coors Field has a row of seats in the upper deck that are purple. The new Target Field's club level contains some seats that are natural wood.

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Most of the rest of the ballparks have blue seats. Nine parks have seats that are primarily blue.

Ballparks with blue seats: PNC Park, Yankee Stadium, Kauffman Stadium, Citizens Bank Park, Tropicana Field, Rogers Centre, Nationals Park, Petco Park and Turner Field

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Two ballparks have mainly red seats. Great American Ballpark and Busch Stadium. This makes sense as the teams that play there are the Reds and Cardinals...

Note: Busch Stadium has some green seats in its club areas.

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Two teams fit into the "mix" category:
Dodger Stadium: Pictured above, Dodger Stadium has a different seat color for each level. The field level has yellow seats while the Loge level has orange, Reserve has a pastel green color, and the Top Deck has blue seats.

Fenway Park: Fenway has three different seat colors. The grandstand has dark blue wooden seats, the field boxes and loge seats are red, and the bleachers are green.

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The Florida Marlins play at what is now called Sun Life Stadium. The vast majority of the seats are orange. Some club level seats are a teal color.

Stadium Remains - Part Two - Shea Stadium

2010-02-10T15:43:00.005-05:00

By popular demand, here is a profile of Shea Stadium's "remains". As Citi Field was built in Shea Stadium's parking lot, Shea Stadium's remains are in Citi's parking lot. In the picture above, taken from the last row of Citi Field's Promenade, you can see the plate, all three bases and the pitcher's mound. Home plate is at the top. The parking lot was set up quite well and no cars park directly over any of the markers. They're quite easy to find and you can see dozens of fans checking them out and posing for pictures before every game. The markers are quite nice, made what seems to be a solid brass material. Each has one of the neon figures that used to adorn the bright blue Shea facade.

Here is home plate. This is the exact spot where Ray Knight triumphantly leapt onto to score the winning run in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series.

Here is the marker for the pitcher's mound. Yes, the official term in the baseball rulebook is "pitcher's plate".

Just to the south is the first base marker.

Ninety feet away is the marker for second base.

And finally, here's third base.

This is the second of an ongoing series. You can see these and thousands of other photos of current and former ballparks at StadiumPage.com.

Citi Field CF Wall - Mockup

2010-02-10T15:28:00.003-05:00

As I mentioned yesterday, the Mets are changing the Citi Field center field wall for 2010. From the descriptions in the articles, I think this is what it will look like. I don't think it was done to get more home runs, more just to make the wall fairer. Really, the only point of having the wall jump to 16 feet in dead center field was to create a batter's eye to block the apple. No reason to have the HR line that high.

I don't recall too many balls hitting the wall that far out in 2009, so I don't think it will affect play much in 2010.

Citi Field CF Wall

2010-02-09T16:41:00.003-05:00

The Mets confirmed that the Center Field wall at Citi Field will be lowered to a uniform eight feet per a story on Mets.com.

My assumption is that this means that the length of fence from just to the RF side of the apple out to the bullpen chain-link fence will be eight feet high all the way across. Above the 8 feet of padding will still be 4-8 feet of concrete wall. (4 feet everywhere but the area in front of the apple which juts up another 4 feet) Hopefuly there will be some contrast in color or there will be many replay delays and confused umpires in 2010.

Website Issue - 02/08/09

2010-02-08T23:17:00.005-05:00

There seems to be some problem with the main StadiumPage.com URL. To access the site for now, go to www.stadiumpage.com/index.html

Sorry for the inconvience.

UPDATE: As of 12:30 AM 02/09/10, all seems ok with the URL...

Website Update - 02/06/10

2010-02-06T19:51:00.000-05:00

Made a few updates to the "Models & Drawings"area

Ballpark Logos

2010-02-06T13:59:00.004-05:00

One great thing about baseball and sports in general is the logos. Many people don't realize, but just about every MLB park has its own logo. The teams use them for ballpark signs and promotional efforts. The logos end up being a key part of StadiumPage.com in that they act as the link to each park's photos. Here are a few of my favorite ballpark logos

While incorporating the sponsor's logo, it still conveys the fact that its the sign for a ballpark. Simple but effective.

This one is nice because although it is a naming rights deal, if you weren't aware of the Safeco brand, you may not realize. Also it incorporates the Mariners' compass logo, which is one of the best in the game.

This is more of an anniversary logo, but I still consider it a ballpark logo. I like how it incorporates the old look of Shea from 1964 through the early 80's on the left side along with the 1980's forward blue/neon look.

One of the few ballpark logos that actually has an image of the park in it. I think its also supposed to look like a political campaign button which is appropriate to Washington DC.

This is a rarely seen alternate version of the Citizens Bank Park logo. It incorporates the signature Neon Liberty Bell from Right Field along with the field's shape. Simple and effective. The Phillies should use this version more.

Like Miller Park, this one is able to incorporate the sponsor's logo with the club's. The growling tiger along with the bats and the ballpark's signature steel arches are all present. A nice way to sum up an underrated ballpark.

Its too bad that the original Yankee Stadium gates were lost in the 1970's renovation. The designer did a nice job pulling them into this final season logo. Great logo for one of the classic parks.

That's just some of my favorites. You can see more on StadiumPage.com .

Stadium Remains - Part One - Forbes Field

2010-02-05T19:23:00.006-05:00

One thing I like while visiting parks in other cities is tracking down the "remains" of past ballparks. Most teams/cities place markers or leave part of the ballpark in place.

Forbes Field Home Plate
Forbes Field was the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1909-1971. It was located on the University of Pittsburgh campus. Once Three Rivers Stadium opened, Forbes was demolished to make way for Pitt's student union building. The former site of home plate is located inside the building.

Forbes Field Outfield Wall
A short distance away from the building, a portion of the outfield wall and the flagpole were left in place.

There is also a brick line that outlines the former outfield wall.

See more of the Forbes Field site at StadiumPage.com

A year ago...

2010-02-04T18:35:00.005-05:00

Its been just about a year since Shea Stadium entered the final stages of demolition. The photo above is from February 7, 2009. By this point, only about 1/3 of the "horseshoe" was still standing with nearly all of the concrete seating plank demolished. Basically all that was left was the structural steel.

It was definitely an interesting time. StadiumPage.com was churning incredible traffic numbers which caused the site to completely shut down for days at a time due to fans looking to see the latest phases of demolition. We were getting linked to and mentioned all over the press including the NY Times and Daily News. Pretty amazing for a little site that I run by myself.

Anyway, that was a year ago. Just 14 days until Spring Training and 2 months to Opening Day 2010!!

Stadium Ratings/Rankings - I

2010-02-03T20:37:00.007-05:00

In the 12 years StadiumPage.com has been active, I've never felt the need to rank/rate the ballparks I've been to. In my view, anywhere they play baseball is ok with me. Regardless, everyone has favorites and these are mine:
(In no particular order)

- Citi Field: It gets alot of criticism for being "too Dodgers" and some questionable siteline decisions, but it really is a great park. The outside and rotunda entrance are really well done. It has interesting outfield fence dimensions, which while somewhat "gimmicky" lead to a different type of game being played. Of the 28 parks I've been to, Citi has by far the best concessions. Once the Mets get a top caliber team in the place, the minor problems will be forgotten.

- AT&T Park: The view of the San Francisco Bay is incredible. SF is a great town in general and the ballpark really fits in well. I haven't there since its inaugural season in 2000, but I'm sure it has aged well in the past 10 years.

- Oriole Park at Camden Yards: Its the park that started a revolution. I really like the "steel and brick" parks, so as the original I find this one great. Unlike alot of the newer descendants, this park is gimmick free. When you go inside, it seems like its been there for 50 years rather than the 18 or so that it has been open.

- Fenway Park: Of the "classic parks" this is my favorite. Unlike the original Yankee Stadium, Fenway's many facelifts haven't taken away its ageless charm. It really fits in its neighborhood, if you didn't know better you would think that its just another warehouse or office building. The Green Monster and other quirks make it incredibly interesting.

- PNC Park: PNC has the best skyline view of them all. Plus it has the view of the river and the Clemente bridge beyond the RF fence. Its limestone exterior is unique and differentiates it further from the others.

These are my favorites, what do you think?

StadiumPage Blog

2010-02-03T17:50:00.001-05:00

Hi,

Welcome to the blog version of StadiumPage.com. I'll try to make daily or weekly posts regarding updates to the website, my thoughts on stadiums/ballparks, and special features on favorite/hated ballpark elements.

Like StadiumPage.com it is intended to focus on the ballparks, but with a bit of writing that the website doesn't have.

Eric