In this feature on baseball scoreboards, I will talk about the controversy surrounding the advantages the new Yankee Stadium gives their team.
In their latest victory over the Mets, it is claimed by many that the Yankees had a major advantage because of their new stadium’s hitter-friendly dimensions. The new Bronx stadium has been criticized by detractors ever since 2009, when it came to replace the old Yankee Stadium. It is often accused of being a “bandbox”, which is a slang word that refers to a ballpark that favors home run hitters because it has short fences. But are these accusations legitimate? Is it possible that the Yankees are winning their games because their own stadium gives them an advantage on the baseball scoreboards?
In this feature on baseball scoreboards, I will examine the impact of alcohol sales on fans at baseball stadiums.
If you’ve bought tickets to a baseball game, they will probably come with the assumption that you will be drinking alcohol there. Beer has become as an essential part of watching baseball as the baseball scoreboards themselves. But many fans of the game that are not huge fans of alcohol are beginning to complain. The public drunkenness is starting to get out of hand, with swearing, throwing things and even fist fights erupting.
Baseball is great game to go and watch live, and be surrounded by tens of thousands of like-minded fans and the incredible atmosphere that they generate. Whilst some people go strictly to watch the action on the field, some are just as interested in partying at the stadium, during the game and after it. Personally, I fit into the second category of people – live baseball for me is about the excitement of the game itself, no doubt about that, but it’s also about the good times I have with my friends on ballpark days, the majority are followed by a great night out in the local bars!
In this feature on baseball scoreboards, I have researched into Astroturf (or artificial turf), which is a surface for sports arenas made from synthetic fibers, and looks just like natural grass. There has been a lot of debate about its use in baseball stadiums, so though I would add my two cents and summarize the main points surrounding the topic. So, in this baseball scoreboards feature, I have listed the main pros and cons of artificial turf:
1) The Rogers Centre (Toronto Blue Jays)
It was built in 1989 and originally called the Sky Dome. At first, everything was great at the Sky Dome, but things have changed in the recent years. Now at 21 years old, the amenities at the Rogers Center are not nearly as good as they used to be. And when they close the retractable roof, the feeling of a major league ballpark completely disappears, and it looks more like a comic book expo. Also, when a game isn’t sold out, the stadium feels too big.
If you’re an avid baseball fan, there may well be many interesting facts about major league baseball parks you still don’t know about. You may find a few surprises in the following baseball scoreboards list:
•Camden Yards (Baltimore): Babe Ruth’s father’s saloon once occupied the land where this ball park now stands.
•Busch Stadium (St. Louis): an enormous manual baseball scoreboard replaced about 5,000 outfield seats in this ballpark.
In a baseball scoreboards feature, I have collated what I consider to be the greatest MLB stadiums of the all. Have a read, and see if you agree!
1. Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles. This ballpark is built into the side of a mountain, and it overlooks the Los Angeles downtown area. Apart from the baseball scoreboards, from the stadium seats you have a fabulous view of the hills of Hollywood. The Dodger Stadium may not have the most central location, but it is easy to get to the other famous places in L.A. if you want to do other sightseeing after a baseball game.
A ballpark is so much more than just a place to watch teams play and the score change on the baseball scoreboards. It’s an arena of historical moments where memories are made, which you may keep with you forever. Most ballparks have similar features, but only some have uniquely distinguishable characteristics that will make your experience more interesting. In a baseball scoreboards feature, I have brought together the five quirkiest baseball parks in the U.S.
In a baseball scoreboards feature, I have recalled what I consider to be the greatest old MLB ball parks of the past. Coming from what may be referred to as the “older” generation, I have a few (granted, not many!) advantages over my younger counterparts. One of these is that I was around to enjoy MLB before it became as commercialized as it is now. Nowadays it is all about “user experience” and “selling the brand,” whilst back in the day, it was more about the sport itself, and not just simply the money that it generates.
1) Fenway Park (Boston)
The “Green Monster” is one of the quirks of this stadium, which is an outfield wall 37 feet high. Other highlights of this stadium include the baseball scoreboards showing the Fenway history shortest majors home run as well as the longest home run.
2) Wrigley Field (Chicago)
Some describe the Wrigley Field as a nostalgic experience, since the rest of Chicago has turned into a mini-Manhattan. The Wrigley Field remains old-school as it always has been, with its advertising-free ivy covered fences. Wrigleyville, the surrounding neighborhood remains the same as well.