The Greatest Old MLB Ball Parks

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.

One consequence of the hypo-commercialization of the game is that the ball parks have become more identikit and nowadays tend to lack the character they once did. Just a quick look back and I can remember so many old and quirky stadiums which used to be the standard for baseball.
So here is a baseball scoreboards rundown of the best of the past:
Crosley Field in Cincinnati – This small and cozy stadium (holding only 26,000 fans) contained a grass terrace in the center of the field that sloped gradually up to the center field fence.

Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field was the stomping ground of the Dodgers for 44 seasons. Another small and cozy stadium, it was unusual in that the outfield fence was covered in adverts!

The Polo Grounds was one of the all time great ball parks. It saw the infamous “catch” during the World Series in 1954, and is generally a hotbed of baseball history. A beautiful stadium in my book, it also had weird proportions. The left field line was only 280 feet whilst the center field was 484 feet from the home plate.

The Cleveland Stadium. This stadium hosted MLB for 51 long years, and that half decade of history will always make it great. When first built, it held 78,000 fans.

Tiger Stadium in Detroit is another ball park with huge history. It was opened in 1912, at which time it was called Navin Field, in a nod to the owner of the time: Frank Navin. Baseball was played here for an incredible 87 years, and the fans were very sad to see it go.

Some of the great old stadiums are now nothing more than parking lots, and this brings me great sadness. These include the historical Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, and the Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh.

As of now, there are only two ball parks in use which I would classify as “old greats,” and they are Boston’s Fenway Park and Chicago’s Wrigley Field. But how long will it be, before these stadiums become parking lots, just like Riverfront and Three Rivers before them? It does, unfortunately, seem like commercial pressures trump all else in this country.

Source:
https:/­/­commons.wikimedia.org/­wiki/­File:Crosley_Field_1969.jpg

For more information, go to:
//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Major_League_Baseball_stadiums