Baseball fans seem to always have a similar item on their bucket list, which is to see a ball game in all 30 MLB stadiums. I happen to share that same bucket list item. To date, I have been able to make it to 11 of the 30 MLB ballparks.
This year alone I was able to visit Milwaukee, Tampa Bay, Boston, San Francisco & Texas all for the 1st time. It was a crazy season, but I had a ton of fun going to see a game in these stadiums. I decided to rank the parks I have been to throughout my life and highlight my favorite aspect of those visits. Below is a list of all the parks I have visited during my life and my personal ranking.
11) Tropicana Field (Tampa Bay Rays) - I actually liked the stadium for what it’s worth. The Ray Tank is AWESOME. I am such a fan of having the tank in the stadium. Cool thing for all fans to appreciate the team mascot. They are getting a new stadium which was just announced and probably for the best. They better bring those cownose stingrays with them
10) Guaranteed Rate Field (Chicago White Sox) - Honestly, not a bad ballpark. Just nothing around it and probably the worst performing team amongst the bunch which does affect the atmosphere while at the game. I am a fan of how easy it is to get to the stadium from the downtown Chicago area.
9) Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles Dodgers) - Very scenic background and a great atmosphere. Was actually with @skippsviewdean when I visited this stadium a few years ago and we had a fun time. My reasoning for having it lower on my list is simple. TRAFFIC. Was not easy to get to, especially when you have to go to the bathroom…enough said.
8) American Family Field (Milwaukee Brewers) - You will see a trend here that I tend to rank the stadiums with roofs a little bit lower on my personal list. I know, I know it is a retractable roof , but I don’t care. Roofs at stadiums are not my thing. Bernie's home run slide is incredible and so fun for the game of baseball.
7) Globe Life Field (Texas Rangers) - At least it has air conditioning throughout the stadium in the middle of Texas! Newer stadium, but it felt more like a football game compared to a baseball game. Of course it did, as it is in TEXAS!
6) Yankee Stadium (New York Yankees) - Monument park is legit and as a Yankee fan I am very proud to have such a rich history, but the key word here is “history”. The stadium feels more like a museum than a ballpark. Great atmosphere with a ton of dedicated fans.
5) Citi Field (New York Mets) - Great ballpark to watch a game at and if you're lucky they might have a free concert going on after a summertime game. Also, the Big Apple home run celebration is spectacular.
4) Citizens Bank Park (Philadelphia Phillies) - It has been a minute since I’ve been to see a game in Philly, but this is the first game my dad took me to that wasn’t a Met/Yankee game. We enjoyed his company's box seats and shared the box with Kenny Lofton’s family when we attended the game. Great experience and crazy fans. My favorite part was getting to play some wiffle ball on the realistic field they created for fans at the stadium that is identical to the one the pros play on.
3) Wrigley Field (Chicago Cubs) - It’s the ivy for me. I love the outfield wall being covered with Ivy giving the park its uniqueness and that classic look. I have been to Wrigley a ton and can’t get enough. The stadium is surrounded by bars and restaurants and provides an excellent game day atmosphere.
2) Oracle Park (San Francisco Giants) - Everything about this stadium was great. The food, fans, experience and ease of getting to the stadium were all great. I went to this game alone and still had a blast. The Giant glove is something I have to address. It would be a 501 foot homerun to hit it which no one to date has. A 501 foot bomb would be absurd.
1) Fenway Park (Boston Red Sox) - I can’t believe as a Yankee fan that I put Fenway #1, but my goodness what a ballpark. The Green Monster, the accents, the atmosphere…all of it will make anyone fall in love with baseball.
We shall see how these rankings fair as I attend more games in different cities. I have been blessed to make it to a ⅓ of the stadiums already. Good news is I now reside in the Midwest and there are a ton of driveable stadiums that I have yet to visit and expect to expand this list significantly over the next few seasons.