Baseball has been an American past-time for centuries, bringing together friends and families in baseball stadiums around the country. Watching a baseball game in a stadium is an unforgettable experience. Here are a few stadiums that are worth waiting in line for.
Wrigley Field has been described as the “Field of Dreams” for America’s youth. Home of the Chicago Cubs, Wrigley Field is located in the middle of a Chicago neighborhood, bringing together people of all cultures and backgrounds with one thing in common- being die-hard Cubs fans. Visitors will appreciate Wrigley Field’s old school ambiance. There is no dome, or retractable roof, and fans can be seen lined in the streets outside of the stadium, with their gloves raised high waiting, for a ball to leave the yard.
Located in Boston, Fenway Park is the oldest baseball field in America. It is known more for its atmosphere than design, and is home to some of the greatest baseball history of all time Ever since the “Curse of the Bambino”, Fenway Park has been a piece of American history. When the Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees in 1920, they didn’t win another game for 82 years. Any Red Sox fan can tell you about the “Green Monster” which is the 231 foot wall stretching over left field, a piece of ballpark nostalgia. The concrete base of the wall hides thousands of players signatures throughout it, and also serves as the home to the 127-slot hand-operated scoreboard which debuted in 1934.
After the “Curse of the Bambino”, Babe Ruth continued his career at New York’s Yankee Stadium. This stadium is home to some of the greatest history in sports. So historical, in fact, that there is an open-air museum located in the stadium called Monument Park. Visitors can take a glimpse into baseball history and see a collection of monuments, plaques, and retired numbers honoring distinguished members of the New York Yankees. Monument Park began in 1929 when the team dedicated an on-field monument to the team manager at the time, Miller Huggins, in center field. Over time, other players were recognized with plaques and other memorabilia, formalizing the area behind center field as “Monument Park.” When the Yankees moved to their new stadium in 2009, a replica Monument Park was built beyond the center-field fences, housing the original park’s contents.
PNC Park is located in downtown Pittsburgh. Fans sitting in the stadium can see a panoramic view of the downtown skyline and riverfront, creating the perfect compliment of sports and urban life. Located on the shore of the Allegheny River, PNC Park contains several statues of famous players, as well as three club restaurants saluting historical players and the man whose acquisition gave the Pirates their name, Louis Bierbauer. In 1891, before the Pirates got their name, they were called the “Alleghenys.” The team signed Louis Bierbauer, a free agent at that time, previously employed by the A’s. An official for the American Association objected to Bierbauer signing with the Alleghenys and called the act “piratical.” After this, fans and players alike soon starting calling the team the “Pittsburgh Pirates.”
No matter which baseball team you follow, or stadium you call home, every field has a piece of history and culture that makes the game of baseball that much more exciting.