Baseball / Slant | New Ballparks: Improvement on History, or One More Sign of the Times?

New Ballparks: Improvement on History, or One More Sign of the Times?

Every year stadiums become a source of constant bickering. Some teams pride their new stadium as the best thing ever built, while others dissect their need for a new one. The problem is, beyond the desire or need for a new ballpark, each team must deal with funding for these wallet emptying behemoths. In addition to the influx of new stadiums, many fans debate the most historic, the nicest, or even the ugliest ballpark in America. As of now, there are six ballparks that are either in progress or are set to open this season. The question is why some parks like Fenway and Wrigley can withstand the test of time, while others such as Tropicana Field are only 10 years old and are already being replaced.

Let’s take a look at some of the most historic ballparks in history:

Fenway Park (left), home of the Boston Red Sox, has been in use since 1912. Wrigley Field (right), home of the Chicago Cubs, has been in use since 1914. These two stadiums are traditionally considered some of the most popular in Major League Baseball. These two stadiums are the two oldest in the league, and are great tourist attractions in their respective cities. Both have endured multiple touch-ups, but continue to maintain their allure. Nothing attracts fans quite like the ivy of Wrigley or the Monster of Fenway.

However, as old as these stadiums are, very few modern ballparks have such a long lifespan. Among the six stadiums being replaced in the coming years, are Tropicana Field (1990), Dolphins Stadium (1987), and the Hubert Humphrey Metrodome (1982), are all being taken down after twenty five years or less of use. Clearly, in recent years something has changed that has required frequent rebuilding; not of rosters, but of stadiums.

Replacing the abhorrent RFK Stadium in Washington D.C., is Nationals Park. This new stadium which will open this coming season cost over 600 million dollars, and will be little more than an improvement over the baseball graveyard that was RFK. Containing an open concourse and outfield entrance gates, Nationals Park hopes to exemplify modernity while maintaining a type of simplicity. It will hold only 41,000 fans, but should be a great improvement considering its predecessor.

The next two stadiums, share a city. Yankee Stadium II (left) and Citi Field (right), the future homes of the New York Yankees and New York Mets will be the new crown jewels of New York City. The new Yankee Stadium will undoubtedly have some trouble replacing its eponymous predecessor in the hearts of fans. While it will maintain similar appearance and the same field dimensions, it will undoubtedly be compared to the old version from the day of its opening until it is torn down. This will be a problem because, for the steep price of 1.3 billion dollars, much of which is coming from the pockets of the Steinbrenner family, it better be pretty popular with the fans. Unfortunately, it will have much difficulty living up to the history that has occurred in Yankee Stadium. Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and the Murderer’s Row of 1927 will never play in Yankee Stadium II, so Yankees fans, try to accept this beauty for what it is, and compare it only to the other modern ballparks, which will allow it to shine in its modernity. In contrast, Citi Field, the future home of the New York Mets, will be much more modern than its predecessor Shea Stadium. Shea has been called the ugliest stadium of all time, and many disapprove of the passing aircraft from LaGuardia Airport. Citi, however, will be brand new, beautiful, and at the same time give a shout out to the city’s baseball history. Beginning with the Jackie Robinson Rotunda, which will be reminiscent of the Ebbets Field rotunda, Citi will give its fans a grand entrance. Additionally, the reduced seating will cause a price increase, but will afford fans with a great view of the game, as well as more leg room and wider seats. While many fans dislike the corporate name, the Mets are receiving 20 million dollars per year towards the 632 million dollars that the stadium will cost. My suggestion: pretend it’s spelled City. Citi and Yankee Stadium II should become tourist spots in one of the greatest cities in the world, assuming the habit of changing stadiums every 20 years doesn’t continue.

By far the most modern looking stadium in the near future will be the new Tampa Bay Rays’ stadium. Featured above, it will be open to the elements, but will have a retractable roof that will open or close in eight minutes. The retractable roof will be one of the most unique in baseball as it will consist of a light weatherproof fabric that will be pulled over the playing field by a hoist tower in centerfield. It will have all the same modern and fan friendly amenities as every other ballpark built. It will have air conditioned concourses with views of the field and the smallest upper deck in baseball. Additionally, while it would be on the site of their current spring training home, much of the financing for this stadium will come from the sale of their current stadium, and from city officials. Considering Tropicana Field is hideous, albeit modern, this stadium is a necessity for the franchise, which might finally be on the way up.

Farther off in the distance, the Oakland Athletics (left) and Minnesota Twins (right) will be building new ballparks. Right now, all that is to be seen are concept drawings, however, both appear to be both modern, and drastic improvements over their current homes. The A’s new ballpark, Cisco Field, physically resemble older ballparks, while improving upon them with modern technology. The striking thing about Cisco Field is that it will completely ignore the financial focus of a new stadium. In seating only 34,000 fans, Cisco will be by far the smallest stadium in the nation. This stadium will likely open sometime before 2012, with a specific date yet unknown. The Twins stadium on the other hand, is supposed to be a completely modern building. It will contain heating in nearly every area of the park, including concessions and restrooms. The Twins new ballpark will also include a beige limestone exterior, a Twins Hall of Fame, a restaurant and bar, 60 private suites and 4,000 club seats. A double decked grandstand in left field will be prime seating areas. In centerfield will be a family picnic area. Open air concourses throughout the ballpark, twice as large as the ones at their current stadium will allows fans never to miss a single pitch of the game. Sitting anywhere in the main grandstand, fans will have a spectacular view of the downtown Minneapolis skyline.

It appears that everywhere you look you will see a new stadium being built or designed. In every corner of the country, franchises with varying degrees of success will continue to demand more modern and “fan-friendly” stadiums. And as long as the owners have money and the cities enjoy revenue, they will continue to get them. So let’s enjoy the stadiums we have, because the truth is, it is the game we enjoy, and the site merely a thought in the backs of our minds. Baseball is the sole constant in a constantly modernizing society, and when it comes to stadiums, that’s the way it should be.

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New Ballparks: Improvement on History, or One More Sign of the Times?