What are the ugliest parks in baseball?

By On April 10, 2012 · 6 Comments · In General Musings

Buzzfeed this week ranked the ugliest ballparks in the MLB. The list:

  1. Tropicana Field (Tampa Bay Rays)
  2. Minute Made Park (Houston Astros)
  3. Marlins Park (Miami Marlins)
  4. Chase Field (Arizona Diamondbacks)
  5. Angels Stadium of Anaheim (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim)
  6. Kauffman Stadium (Kansas City Royals)
  7. Oakland Coliseum (Oakland Athletics)
  8. Rogers Centre (Toronto Blue Jays)

A friend made a great point about this list: MLB really has come a long way. Twenty years ago, a list of the ugliest ballparks would include quite a few clunkers. Basically any stadium built before 1990 was horrendously ugly, except for a few old gems. On that list, only Tropicana Field and maybe the Oakland Coliseum are truly ugly ballparks. Marlins Park has an ugly centerpiece, and Kauffman has an ugly scoreboard, but these are rectifiable problems.

My list would be a little different. Dodger Stadium has not acquired old world charm for its age. Its still the same boring, round, grey stadium that so many of its peers also were. I’m actually a big fan of Minute Made Park.

I’ve enjoyed every game I have watched in Rogers Center, but Toronto is on the verge of ruining that experience. Because of fights breaking out frequently, Toronto will be “severely curtailing” alcohol sales. Toronto fans can’t help but go all Tie Domi on each other.

How about a list of most beautiful ballparks? Why concentrate on the ugly? Here are my top-10 most beautiful ballparks. I’ve been to a few of them, but for the most part I’m going on pictures here. My favorites:

  1. Camden Yards (Baltimore Orioles)
  2. PNC Park (Pittsburgh Pirates)
  3. Safeco Field (Seattle Mariners)
  4. Busch Stadium (St. Louis Cardinals)
  5. Wrigley Field (Chicago Cubs)
  6. Miller Park (Milwaukee Brewers)
  7. Minute Made Park (Houston Astros)
Push comes to shove, I probably pick PNC Park as the best.
But that’s me. Your thoughts?

 
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6 Responses to What are the ugliest parks in baseball?

  1. Max says:
    April 10, 2012 at 2:37 pm

    Of the ones on your list, I’ve been to Wrigley, Camden Yards and PNC Park. PNC isn’t bad, but for me part of the allure of a ballpark is history and unfortunately PNC has none. Camden has a little and Wrigley is on the list of ballpark monuments.

    Reply
  2. V. says:
    April 10, 2012 at 3:16 pm

    #1 on my wishlist to visit is the SF Giants ballpark. The view and the surrounding area look great.

    Reply
  3. roadrider says:
    April 10, 2012 at 3:47 pm

    Eh, the lime green outfield walls in the Marlins park are enough to make me gag. Don’t get me started on the “thing” in CF.

    As much as I appreciate the need for the retractable roofs in certain climates and applaud the demise of artificial turf no park with such a roof would ever make it onto my “most beautiful” list.

    Reply
  4. says:
    April 10, 2012 at 4:25 pm

    If the Rays are looking to replace the Trop, I’ll gladly contribute. Not only ugly, but the worst place to play baseball in the World!

    Reply
  5. tanzo says:
    April 11, 2012 at 12:58 pm

    PNC Park is the best to watch a game. Not a bad seat in the whole place!
    Camden Yards 2nd.

    I don’t like the new yankee stadium. Seats are not angled to home plate. I sat between 3rd and LF and my seats faced right field. The same at the Red’s new park.
    Wrigley Field had too many columns and a dark basement feeling behind home plate, lower level.

    Reply

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