Their Take/Our Take: The 10 Best Ballparks in America

PHOTO: PNC Park, Home of the Pittsburgh Pirates (courtesy Pittsburgh Pirates Facebook page)

TripAdvisor announced the top Major League Baseball ballparks last week, via the TripAdvisor Popularity Index.

Classics like Fenway Park and Wrigley Field were highlighted, as well as modern favorites such as AT&T Park and PNC Park.

The top 10 parks, according to the Popularity Index, were (in order): PNC Park, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, AT&T Park, Fenway Park, Busch Stadium, Target Field, Kauffman Stadium, Wrigley Field, Comerica Park and Safeco Field.

But if TravelPulse had to pick the top 10 ballparks to visit, what would the distinguished travel site suggest?

Fortunately for you, I played high school baseball and I know what I’m talking about.

Here are TravelPulse’s 10 Best Ballparks in America.

10. Coors Field, Denver, Colorado (TripAdvisor rank: not listed)

Coors Field used to basically host a home run contest every year due to the high elevation of Denver, which was part of its allure (well, not for pitchers).

While the balls are now humidified, leading to fewer home runs (Coors Field ranked eighth in home runs per game in 2013), the park is still a place pitchers would rather stay away from (including the Colorado Rockies staff) and it offers plenty more.

The $300 million stadium looks beautiful, and the colorful skyline can look downright spectacular around sunset.

 

9. Target Field, Minneapolis, Minnesota (TripAdvisor rank: 6)

Home to the Minnesota Twins since 2010, Target Field has a number of things going for it.

For one, Minnie and Paul—the original logo of the Twins—shake hands and illuminate when the Twins hit a home run, a nice prop to help distinguish the park.

Add its distinct limestone décor, delectable restaurants and great bars, and strobe lights, and it’s no wonder why Target Field has made a name for itself.

And if you’re worried about cold weather, just make sure you situate yourself near left-center, where the park has fire pits overlooking great views of Minneapolis.

8. Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York (TripAdvisor rank: not listed)

While the new Yankee Stadium isn’t the House that Ruth Built, it still boasts some of the old park’s history, including Monument Park, which features Yankees’ retired numbers and statues and plaques dedicated to Yankees greats.

But, to me, Yankee Stadium doesn’t make the top five because it’s somewhat stuck in the middle. It’s newer and more accommodating to fans, but it also loses its luster a bit because it isn’t the Yankee Stadium, which held an incredible amount of baseball lore. Plus, if you’re going to make a new stadium, may as well make it truly unique, instead of basically modeling it after the old stadium.

All told, Yankee Stadium is still a stadium you have to go to as a baseball fan, but it doesn’t stack up to some of the newer parks, and it’s also incredibly expensive.

7. Busch Stadium, Saint Louis, Missouri (TripAdvisor rank: 5)

The "New Busch Stadium”—a retro-style park opened in 2006—defines itself with its panoramic views of the St. Louis skyline and the iconic Gateway Arch alone.

But it also just opened up Ballpark Village, a 100,000-square-foot entertainment complex that includes the Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum and a sports bar.

You will also find statues of legendary Cardinals players like Stan Musial outside the stadium, and the green patch of grass in center field is a nice touch (fans regularly jump onto the grass to chase home runs).

Plus, there’s something about seeing a sea of red that adds a different dimension to the park.

6. Safeco Field, Seattle, Washington (TripAdvisor rank: 10)

First and foremost, Safeco Field offers stunning views of the Seattle skyline, the Olympic Mountains and the Puget Sound (the sunsets are incredible).

But, beyond that, the stadium showcases a retractable roof weighing in at 22 million pounds that is a sight to behold (and when you’re in rainy Seattle, that’s kind of needed).

That’s in addition to some stunning art, like a nine-foot-tall bronze baseball mitt, a chandelier made of 1,000 resin baseball bats and quilts resembling each Major League team made of recycled metal (including state license plates).

Seattle’s delicious food is also included, from sushi to garlic fries.

5. Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois (TripAdvisor rank: 8)

OK, so Wrigley Field may not be the coziest ballpark in America, considering it was built in 1914 and it’s based in a place dubbed “The Windy City.”

But its ivy-covered outfield wall is truly one-of-a-kind. It not only looks cool, but baseballs (and gloves) have also been swallowed up by it, meaning anything can happen in this stadium.

Add in a classic hand-turned scoreboard and a storied tradition of having celebrities sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the 7th inning stretch, and Wrigley Field beams with character.

Look past the stadium’s dimensions and you may just catch a glimpse of partiers in (and on) the neighboring buildings.

4. Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, Maryland (TripAdvisor rank: 2)

Opened in 1992, Camden Yards marked a historic step toward a new era of baseball stadiums, featuring a retro design with a brick exterior and an asymmetrical playing field.

On the other hand, the stadium still has an old-time feel, as well as some deeply embedded history. Cal Ripken Jr.’s record-setting 2,131st consecutive game was witnessed at the park in 1995. On top of that, Babe Ruth’s father once owned a café where centerfield currently stands, and Babe Ruth's birthplace is located just two blocks from the park.

Camden Yards was groundbreaking when it opened in 1992, setting the stage for a series of stadiums that incorporated the surrounding neighborhoods and showcased local cuisine.

It’s basically neck-and-neck with my No. 3 stadium…

3. Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts (TripAdvisor rank: 4)

First of all, Fenway Park is Major League Baseball’s oldest ballpark, dating all the way back to 1912 when most ballplayers wore high socks and spectators wore suits and top hats.

But that’s just one of the many things that make Fenway Park so intriguing.

Of course, you have the legendary Green Monster, which awards those who hit 300-foot popups and denies those who hit screaming line drives.

You have the famous (or infamous) “Pesky’s Pole” in right field, where balls appear to—and can—curve around the foul pole for a home run.

There’s also a single red seat where Ted Williams hit the park's longest home run (502 feet), a triangular region in right-center field that extends to 420 feet from home plate and a short fence outfielders have been known to tumble over when going for a catch.

So much history. So much awesome.

 

2. PNC Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (TripAdvisor rank: 1) 

Located on Pittsburgh's North Shore, PNC Park is a fantastic place to watch a game (especially for Pirates fans, who finally have a good team again).

The panoramic views are spectacular—whether you are gazing at the Steel City skyline, the Allegheny River, or the yellow Roberto Clemente Bridge—and the views of the game aren’t bad, either (the highest seat in the stadium is only 88 feet away from the field).

Some of the local food here is also mouth-watering, from the potato pirogues to the Primanti Brothers sandwiches stuffed with French fries and coleslaw.

It’s also one of the few stadiums in Major League Baseball where sluggers can knock balls into the neighboring water, and the pierogi mascot races are simply the best.

1. AT&T Park, San Francisco, California (TripAdvisor rank: 3)

You can’t talk about AT&T Park without talking about the incredible views. Depending on where you sit, you can see both the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge across the water, and seats are situated close to the action.

Couple that with a 26-foot-tall baseball glove sculpture, a Coca Cola bottle you can slide down, a brick façade extending from right field to right-center field, a miniature AT&T park where kids can play Wiffle ball in left-center, a signature San Francisco cable car, and the ability to hit it out of the park into McCovey Cove (where boaters and kayakers await), and you have yourself America’s No. 1 baseball stadium. Heck, water cannons even blast water straight up into the air when a slugger knocks the ball into the cove.

Oh yeah, and San Francisco’s fantastic food isn’t left out, either. The park’s Gilroy Garlic Fries have been a favorite amongst fans ever since the park was introduced in 2000, and there’s plenty more to enjoy.

Follow me on Twitter @RyanRudnansky.