Visiting every Major League Baseball Stadium
I've only been to 30 of the 30 active parks, with the Atlanta Braves new stadium and the Coors Field in Denver being the last two. Visiting the parks has been a great way to get a slice of Americana as each stadium visit also means checking out another part of our great country. You learn a lot about the locals when you go to a ballgame with them. The trips are also an opportunity to take in local culture, food scene, and museums of these places.
Of the ones I've visited, here are my favorites:
Fenway Park (Boston) Pictured above - The seats are maybe the least comfortable in the league, but the park has a most iconic wall (how many walls can you name?), a history about as long as baseball itself, and probably the most die-hard baseball fans. There is some indescribable feeling you get from visiting the hallowed space.
PNC Park (Pittsburgh) - The stadium has a great view of the Pittsburgh skyline, the river, and its bridges.
Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles) - Like most of my contemporaries (urban hipsters), I have a thing for mid-century modern design. Dodger Stadium is a lovely example of this architectural period. After my brother's wedding in San Francisco, my dad and I took a road trip to Yosemite and then down the coast to LA. We saw a game about a week after Yasiel Puig came up - and people were going NUTS. I think we saw him hit two home runs that day.
Kauffman Field (Kansas City) - The only other mid-century-modern stadium in the league. It's got a nice feel to it. Kansas City also has the best barbeque I've ever had IN MY LIFE. I didn't have a chance to go, but the Negro League Hall of Fame is there as well.
Nationals Stadium (Washington, DC) - There really isn't anything special about the design of the stadium - its entirely forgettable. But I think it has the best food selection in baseball. It had local dining options before other stadiums started picking up on this trend. Being my home stadium, I'm also intimately familiar with it, the traditions (the Presidents' Race in the 4th), and where most things are in the stadium.
And because I can...Tropicana Field in Tampa is the worst stadium I've been to. When I was a kid, the local rec center pool would put up a dome in the winter time. This stadium feels exactly like that. For completists only.
Also I'm hoping to see the Indians and the Nationals in the World Series, as I'd be happy if either team won. My prediction is that we'll see the Dodgers and Indians play for it all. (The Dodgers lost to the Astros.)
Are you doing any cool bucket list trips like trying to visit all the MLB stadiums or all the National Parks in the country?
Because Adventure Feeds the Soul,
Statixc and the Hashtag 59 Team
