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Wednesday, April 30, 2008

SI: MLB Ballpark Rankings

Essentially, this is a measure of how satisfied fans are with their hometown ballpark experience. The happiest? Cleveland. Progressive Field, home of the Indians, finished first with Milwaukee’s Miller Park a close runner-up. The Florida Marlins brought up the rear, which is not surprising considering they play in a football stadium under the oppressively hot South Florida sun.

The Kids Are Enright (1k5v3L) Posted: April 30, 2008 at 05:42 PM | 47 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
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1. Danny Posted: April 30, 2008 at 06:15 PM (#2764329)

Well, if an Internet poll says so...

2. Guapo Posted: April 30, 2008 at 06:21 PM (#2764336)

Basically, if the Pirates ever get good, we should all quit our jobs and move to Pittsburgh.

3. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: April 30, 2008 at 06:24 PM (#2764350)

Ranking the Ballpark Rankings

1. ESPN

2. Ian Taggert's Ratings

3. Sports Illustrated

4. The Sports Road Trip

5. Tom's Ballpark Ratings

Now someone please rank the posts in this thread.

4. Fly, the most judgment-free human being on Earth Posted: April 30, 2008 at 06:26 PM (#2764355)

Equally rating promotions, team quality, and personal comfort to determine the best ballpark? That seems fair. Also, how was Fenway 29/30 for "Getting to the game?"

And the dining/drinking options near Fenway are 7/30? Really?

5. Dr Love Posted: April 30, 2008 at 06:35 PM (#2764375)

Cardinals fans voted themselves the smartest. How predictable.

6. PatrickInTheWoods, Apostate Posted: April 30, 2008 at 06:36 PM (#2764376)

Now someone please rank the posts in this thread.

3, 5, 1, 2, 4, 6

7. Fly, the most judgment-free human being on Earth Posted: April 30, 2008 at 06:39 PM (#2764383)

Comiskey was the most accessible park? That category is a joke.

8. bibigon Posted: April 30, 2008 at 06:39 PM (#2764384)

How are the Marlins last in terms of tradition? How do the Rays have more tradition than the Marlins?

9. Sam M. Posted: April 30, 2008 at 06:43 PM (#2764393)

How do the Rays have more tradition than the Marlins?

Well, the Rays have zero tradition. And if you have zero tradition, then you have a link to him. And who knows Tradition! like him???

I've been grading too long, haven't I?

10. Dizzypaco Posted: April 30, 2008 at 06:48 PM (#2764399)

I love how the Cubs, Yankees, Red Sox, and Mets, all of who draw huge numbers of fans that take public transportation to games, do poorly for "traffic."

11. Vaux, A.B.D. Posted: April 30, 2008 at 06:48 PM (#2764400)

Maybe they get negative tradition for trading off their World Series teams. I question that, but at least it makes some kind of sense.

12. RB in NYC (Now with New iPhone!) Posted: April 30, 2008 at 06:49 PM (#2764403)

I'd love to meet the 1.6% of people who think Yankees Stadium's history is "poor." I'd guess there's some overlap with the 0.6% who thought Fenway has "poor" history, and the 1.3% of geniuses who think that's also true of Wrigley.

Also, apparently fans share some posters opinion of Levski, I notice the D-Backs rank 29th in "fan intelligence"

13. The cushions are crowded for Edmundo

Posted: April 30, 2008 at 06:52 PM (#2764409)

When I lived in Overland Park, KS, about 25 miles from Kauffman, I was often home in 30 minutes from the end of the game. That's sitting in my seat until the last out is recorded end of the game. I can't believe it doesn't get a 1 in traffic.
Of course out of the 10-15 games I attended, I don't think there was a crowd over 20K.

14. Fly, the most judgment-free human being on Earth Posted: April 30, 2008 at 06:53 PM (#2764411)

I can't imagine ranking Dodger Stadium anywhere near as low as it is, either.

15. Vaux, A.B.D. Posted: April 30, 2008 at 06:54 PM (#2764417)

I went to a game there once with 24,000 or so in attendance (a Yankee game in '97), and was out of the parking lot in the wink of an eye. I lived 110 miles away and was home in two hours.

16. Sam M. Posted: April 30, 2008 at 06:55 PM (#2764418)

I'd love to meet the 1.6% of people who think Yankees Stadium's history is "poor."

Maybe those are those are the ones who go all the way back to the '20s, and who have never forgiven the '70s renovation. If your yardstick is having seen the Stadium the way it was when Ruth and Dickey and DiMaggio and Gehrig played there, then maybe in relative terms, the history of the version we all know today is (by comparison) . . . poor.

I mean, what wouldn't YOU give to be able to go back and watch a game sitting there in 1927? Now, that's some history.

17. AJM Posted: April 30, 2008 at 06:56 PM (#2764420)

I notice the D-Backs rank 29th in "fan intelligence"

Judging by Mark Grace and the crowd shots, 29th is way too high.

18. Fly, the most judgment-free human being on Earth Posted: April 30, 2008 at 06:59 PM (#2764426)

Maybe those are those are the ones who go all the way back to the '20s, and who have never forgiven the '70s renovation. If your yardstick is having seen the Stadium the way it was when Ruth and Dickey and DiMaggio and Gehrig played there, then maybe in relative terms, the history of the version we all know today is (by comparison) . . . poor.

But even with that, you might get a mere "Above average" at Yankee Stadium. Certainly not poor.

Also, re: traffic. The category also encompasses public transportation and parking availability. Both of which Fenway does great at, so I don't understand the low ranking.

19. Chris DeRosa Posted: April 30, 2008 at 07:02 PM (#2764428)

It probably says something about the assumptions governing modern ballpark design that SI asked fans to rate so many facets of the experience other than their "view of the field," or the "amount of seating affording fans good views of the action" or something like that.

20. Sam M. Posted: April 30, 2008 at 07:02 PM (#2764429)

But even with that, you might get a mere "Above average" at Yankee Stadium. Certainly not poor.

Yeah, I know. I gave it my best shot.

21. Bob Dernier Cri

Posted: April 30, 2008 at 07:03 PM (#2764430)

Gee, the Rangers sure draw a lot of fans who consider the whole experience pretty miserable, especially considering that the team stinks. Perhaps all this really means is that most ballparks are nice places to be. I mean, even Shea Stadium would probably rank ahead of my favorite Key Foods Checkout Lines or Social Security Office Waiting Rooms or Mall Parking Lots of Long Island.

22. The Kids Are Enright (1k5v3L)

Posted: April 30, 2008 at 07:10 PM (#2764441)

Also, apparently fans share some posters opinion of Levski, I notice the D-Backs rank 29th in "fan intelligence"

What exactly do you mean? Just for the record, I agree with that ranking as far as a significant number of Dbacks fans at Chase are concerned.

23. The cushions are crowded for Edmundo

Posted: April 30, 2008 at 07:11 PM (#2764442)

Social Security Office Waiting Rooms
IRS waiting rooms are a blast, too. I have to write up my experiences with the IRS in the mid-80s when I suffered what we would call Identity Theft these days.

24. Padraic Posted: April 30, 2008 at 07:17 PM (#2764448)

And the Phils beat out the Mets again! This time for least hospitable park.

How sad is it that the 124 yo Phils and 107 yo White Sox just beat out the Mariners for tradition?

25. Answer Guy Posted: April 30, 2008 at 07:17 PM (#2764449)

I love how the Cubs, Yankees, Red Sox, and Mets, all of who draw huge numbers of fans that take public transportation to games, do poorly for "traffic."

Perhaps there are lots of people who are bitter that they can't just drive to the ballpark, park there, and drive away quickly, conveniently, and cheaply - which could never be done at those ballparks no matter what the team/ballpark owners did.

A lot of it depends on methodology. It would seem weird that, say, a bunch of mostly New York area Yankee fans would complain about that with regards to Yankee Stadium. They can't reasonably expect a smooth car trip into the city.

Kenmore Square after a Red Sox game is something of a madhouse. To me, that means it's a vital, happening place and I'm inclined to stick around for a while and take it in. To people like my parents, who live out in Worcester and drive in and out, it's an incentive to make like Dodger fans and leave the game in 7th inning to beat the traffic onto the Mass Pike.

26. RB in NYC (Now with New iPhone!) Posted: April 30, 2008 at 07:22 PM (#2764455)

Maybe those are those are the ones who go all the way back to the '20s, and who have never forgiven the '70s renovation. If your yardstick is having seen the Stadium the way it was when Ruth and Dickey and DiMaggio and Gehrig played there, then maybe in relative terms, the history of the version we all know today is (by comparison) . . . poor.

Other things which are poor: George Soros, in relative terms to Bill Gates.

27. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: April 30, 2008 at 07:32 PM (#2764463)

I don't know how the Rangers rank below the Royals in "team quality." 100 loss seasons in 4 of the last years? Maybe we have lower expectations than Dallas natives.

KC also shouldn't be #19 in traffic. We're one of the smallest cities in MLB, with some of the lowest attendance. There is virtually no traffic to speak of, as Edmundo can attest to. But I guess everyone complains about their traffic. And KC has a large number of rural transplants. So yes, KC traffic is worse than Topeka's, but its nowhere near Chicago's or DC's.

I'd also like to meet the 3.8% that think KC has a good neighborhood around KC, and has excellent public transport. I'm wondering if its the Taco Bell or the Denny's they love frequenting before and after games, or if its the juvenile corrections facility that provides the full ballpark experience. As far as public transport, yes, one bus going to the stadium that take a circuitous route and an hour to get there is awfully convenient.

28. Boots Day Posted: April 30, 2008 at 07:34 PM (#2764467)

It's nice to see Coors Field rank so highly. It really is a pleasant place to watch a game: good sightlines, easy to get to, convenient parking, easy to get around in, nice view of the mountains. The weather is generally pretty favorable too.

It ranks low in Fan IQ, which I can't really argue with but doesn't affect me one way or the other, and promotions, which I also don't really care about. If you disregarded those things, it'd be even higher.

29. Answer Guy Posted: April 30, 2008 at 07:37 PM (#2764470)

Concur on Coors Field. I like the neighborhood it's in as well; Answer Brother lives just around the corner from there.

I'd give Baltimore high marks all around for having good surroundings, good road and transit access, and a nice experience - while acknowledging that the team has sucked for a decade now and doesn't seem to be improving much.

30. Dr Love Posted: April 30, 2008 at 07:39 PM (#2764473)

I'd also like to meet the 3.8% that think KC has a good neighborhood around KC, and has excellent public transport.

They define "neighborhood" as the quality of bars and restaurants around the stadium. Poor choice of words.

31. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: April 30, 2008 at 07:43 PM (#2764476)

They define "neighborhood" as the quality of bars and restaurants around the stadium. Poor choice of words.

I realize that. There are no bars, and the only restaurants around Kauffman are the aforementioned Taco Bell and Dennys. So I'm wondering who these 3.8% chalupa-eating Denny's lovers are.

32. RB in NYC (Now with New iPhone!) Posted: April 30, 2008 at 07:44 PM (#2764477)

It's nice to see Coors Field rank so highly. It really is a pleasant place to watch a game: good sightlines, easy to get to, convenient parking, easy to get around in, nice view of the mountains. The weather is generally pretty favorable too.

Concur on Coors Field. I like the neighborhood it's in as well; Answer Brother lives just around the corner from there.

Oh, I'm glad to hear all that. I'm going to a game in a few weeks.

33. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: April 30, 2008 at 07:55 PM (#2764488)

The Pirates are only 10th out of 30 for "tradition"? The team that STARTED THE WORLD SERIES? Keerist.

"Also, how was Fenway 29/30 for "Getting to the game?"

Too high, or too low?

My dad has tried to drive by Fenway several times while in Boston on business trips, and he always has to turn around and go back after like two hours.

34. Sparkles Peterson Posted: April 30, 2008 at 07:56 PM (#2764489)

Detroit fans rated the Tigers #1 in "Team Quality." I'm pretty sure either that ranking or their "Fan IQ" needs to be adjusted downwards.

35. David Wrightwing obstructionist Posted: April 30, 2008 at 07:59 PM (#2764493)

It's nice to see Coors Field rank so highly

Agreed, the bars are good and the waitresses are very friendly which is nice. I haven't been to more than a handful of ML parks but I can't imagine getting around one any easier than Coors even when its a packed house. Also getting out of parking is pretty easy and I-25 is so close.

The IQ is definately one of the worst, I have become a pro at biting my lip.

I just realized today the Mets come here twice this year, a month apart.

36. Fly, the most judgment-free human being on Earth Posted: April 30, 2008 at 08:04 PM (#2764497)

My dad has tried to drive by Fenway several times while in Boston on business trips, and he always has to turn around and go back after like two hours.

Way too low. Any evening game has free parking within a half mile walk, decent-to-good public transport to/from most places in eastern Mass, and of course, it's smack dab in the middle of the city, so you can walk there from most places anyway. Driving up to the park is insane, but driving to games is very do-able. I almost always drive, and have no trouble getting out afterwards, with very minimal traffic.

The Pirates are only 10th out of 30 for "tradition"? The team that STARTED THE WORLD SERIES? Keerist.

Not the Pirates, the park. I can see that. It's beautiful, but not necessarily super tradition soaked, yet.

37. Slivers of Maranville (SdeB) Posted: April 30, 2008 at 08:06 PM (#2764499)

I see all the two-team towns (including Oakland/San Francisco) do poorly on the "hospitality to opposing fans." Well duh. Of course Cubs and White Sox fans hate each other.

38. Rich Rifkin I Posted: April 30, 2008 at 08:18 PM (#2764514)

How is it that Detroit gets ranked first for "team quality"?

39. DKDC Posted: April 30, 2008 at 08:39 PM (#2764534)

I'd give Baltimore high marks all around for having good surroundings, good road and transit access, and a nice experience - while acknowledging that the team has sucked for a decade now and doesn't seem to be improving much.

Check the standings, dude.

Note: to anyone reading this thread after April 30, 2008, please disregard the above.

40. Bob Dernier Cri

Posted: April 30, 2008 at 08:47 PM (#2764545)

How is it that Detroit gets ranked first for "team quality"?

They're a quality bunch of guys.

41. Vaux, A.B.D. Posted: April 30, 2008 at 08:49 PM (#2764549)

I've been to that Taco Bell!

42. The cushions are crowded for Edmundo

Posted: April 30, 2008 at 09:03 PM (#2764563)

Do they still do the Friday night fireworks in KC? I haven't been there since '00. That was a pretty impressive display they put on.

43. Moneyball can't buy you love (Joey B.) Posted: April 30, 2008 at 09:06 PM (#2764565)

Ummmm, could someone tell CNN/SI that the Nationals aren't playing in RFK Stadium any more?

EDIT: I see now that the surveys were taken in March, so this is effectively a poll for the stadiums LAST year.

44. BeanoCook Posted: May 01, 2008 at 04:44 AM (#2764818)

I love how the Cubs, Yankees, Red Sox, and Mets, all of who draw huge numbers of fans that take public transportation to games, do poorly for "traffic."

Sounds about right. All of these places have atrocious traffic.

45. BeanoCook Posted: May 01, 2008 at 04:46 AM (#2764820)

I went to a game there once with 24,000 or so in attendance (a Yankee game in '97), and was out of the parking lot in the wink of an eye. I lived 110 miles away and was home in two hours.

Sadly, I've been to Yankee games, 30 miles from my house and got home in 2 hrs. That is traffic.

46. BeanoCook Posted: May 01, 2008 at 04:50 AM (#2764822)

Oh, I'm glad to hear all that. I'm going to a game in a few weeks.

I've been to about 15 ball parks, in 12 or 13 cities. I have to say, everything about the Coors experience is excellent. One of my favorite parks.

47. kubiwan Posted: May 01, 2008 at 11:47 AM (#2764902)

the only restaurants around Kauffman are the aforementioned Taco Bell and Dennys.

How could you forget about the Subway located inside the Conoco(?) gas station/convenience store on the east side of the stadium?

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