Minute Maid Park is average when compared to the other new ballparks that have been built within the last 10 years or so. It's gimmicky and doesn't hold any real charm. I think the general consensus is that the train is ghey, and the hill needs to go as well. But, as far as cost effectiveness, Houston beat everyone by a long shot. Not only do the Astros have a retractable roof and AC, but the final price tag was only $250 million! Compare that to other retractable roof parks like Safeco Field (Seattle) which cost over $500 million, or Miller Park in Milwaukee which was $400 million. Considering that the majority of the MMP is publicly funded, $250 was a damn good deal for what we got.
When I think of old school ballparks, I think of Fenway and Wrigley. Hard to believe Yankee Stadium is old school even though it is.
Minute maid is a wonderful place to watch a game, no doubt! Last summer I went to a game at Fenway and was lucky enough to sit right behind the visitor dugout (Against the Devil Rays so when Lugo got a lot of heckling from me the wife beater). It really did seem like a special occassion. Boston fans are known for being rowdy and obnoxious, and for one afternoon, I was thrilled to be one of them. Best game I ever saw. Atmosphere, everything. Oh, and Nice Rollin... 20 posts a day... cmon man. Throw some quality in there. You're a post-padder.
Because Yankee Stadium is just a dump. It lacks all the modern amenities of newer stadiums and just in my opinion doesn't elicit the same flare that Fenway and Wrigley create. I've been to all three and I just didn't think Yankee Stadium was close to the other two. This seems to be a broader problem with New York. All of their sports facilities are terrible. Shea is a piece of junk, Giant Stadium is awful, the Meadowlands blows, and even MSG is getting old. New York seriously needs to create a new generation of sports facilities which thankfully they are starting to do.
My ranking of the "new" parks (excluding new Busch) Camden Yards (amazing that its still the best, even though it was the first) PNC Park Coors Field Jacobs Field Pac Bell/SBC/At&T Field Safeco MMP Petco Turner Field Comerica Miller Park Bank One Ballpark/Chase Field Great American Ballpark Citizen's Bank Ballpark Ameriquest/Ballpark in Arlington (ranked so low because its basically unbearable to watch a game there past April and May). New Busch will probably be in the middle of the pack... possibly above the retractable roof stadia (which automatically get slightly downgraded), but below the Camden/PNC/Coors/Jacobs/Pac Bell group. This also shows just how many new staidums there are now... and how its ridiculous to try to go out there and be the "best". Frankly, at least Houston's stadium still stands out... in 10 more years, you're really not going to be able to recognize the newer "retro" parks (Great American/Cit/National's new ballpark) from each other: its almost as if its the new "cookie cutter".
i love MMP. beautiful ballpark. great that it's downtown. and it is absolutely killer in the playoffs. so loud. so much fun.
i had the same experience parking downtown for a hearing at court yesterday. i think there was some problem because of the new courthouse. the parking garage connected to the new courthouse was completely full by 9 a.m. i ended up driving around for about 20 minutes, was late to my hearing and parked in the Market Square Garage where Kim Son is located. the surface lots all near MMP were closed because they were holding them open for the game later that day.
What's with all the BEER and BANK names? I am just waiting to see: Wells Fargo Park Washington Mutual Stadium Zima Field Duchovnia Stadium Bank of America Park Schlitz Malt Liquor Stadium and AOL park
Agreed. I took one of my friends from NY to a game the second year. Granted, our seats were really really really good. But, even still, this from a lifelong Yankees fan, he was blown away by the park. Which made sense to me, because unless you are caught up in all the nostalgia of Yankee Stadium, it certainly does have way too much wear and tear. I've only also been to Camden and Coors for comparison sake and I think MMP is better than both of those - I guess I'm biased. Though Coors was close just given the backdrop (Mountains) if you sit along the first based side as the sun is setting. But I don't think you can compare it to others unless you've been to all of the others. You can't just take a bunch of writer's opinions on it. Everyone used to orgasm over Pac-Bell in SF...doesn't mean I'll like it better, or worse.
wow!!! have fun!!! yeah, jay..i agree. i'm very biased about MMP. it kept my 'stros in Houston!!! but the view of the game is just great at MMP, even if you're up in the upper decks. it's very intimate...feels like you're right up on the game. and again...they built it downtown!!!
Yeah, it just happened that we planned on going to see my parents for Easter and the Astros were in town. For once, my pure coincidence excuse (that I've used for both DMB and the Astros) is true. I've never sat in a bad seat at MMP.
Are you just saying that to rev people up? I have never had a bad experience there. Why does it suck? Nevermind. You posted 18 times yesterday. You are having a coming out party.
What we used to do is this: Buy the Five-Dollar nosebleeds way up top. Never go to the seats. Instead, enter in through Union Station and just stand along the fences between the Center Field Pavilions and Crawford Boxes. As long as you get there before game time, you're bound to find a place to stand, and it's a great view from there. Not only do you get to stand in a great spot, but you get to heckle the other team's left/center fielder, hear other drunks heckle, catch an occasionally homerun (See: Me catching Bobby Estellalia's 40th career home run standing in that spot ), Get involved in an occasional home run controversy, Yell to Lance (I guess it'd be Preston now...), heckle Bullpen picthers when they're called on, but if you get there for Batting Practice, expect a LOT of balls (my brother caught two one time, and had Steve Kline throw him another...in the same trip), and I also met Drayton and chatted with him from those seats. Best value I've ever seen in sports, I tell you!
Come on now, I was being objective. I love the fact that the stadium's covered, and in downtown. But, in terms of aesthetics, I wouldn't even put it in my top-10: 1. Wrigley Field 2. Pac Bell Park (now AT&T) 3. Fenway Park 4. PNC Park 5. Yankee Stadium 6. Safeco Field 7. Camden Yards 8. Great American Ballpark 9. Coors Field 10. Petco Park
1. Wrigley is sooooo overrated. the whole experience there is overrated. 2. Agreed..I'd have Pac Bell rank higher 3. Fenway rocks. agreed 4. PNC is great. 5. i don't see anything more aesthetically pleasing about Yankee Stadium...it's old and classic. it stops there. 6. Safeco and MMP are so much alike...i'm not sure how you could rank one higher than the other...our view of the skyline is better than their view out. 7. Camden....really??? great ballpark. but not any better looking than MMP 8. Great American -- they wish. 9. if you dig mountains, i could see why you'd say that. 10. Petco -- the building they built the stadium around is cool.
No way Great American Ballpark is better than Coors, or for that matter, Jacobs Field. I've been to the Cincy park... and its pretty drab. They tried to make a retro park look "modern" by using all steel... hardly any brick. That would rule out the "Pure asthetics" argument alone.
Max, I don't know how you can call Wrigley overrated. The seats are so close to the field, and there's so much energy in that place. Maybe Safeco is ranked a little high, but the proximity to both Puget Sound and downtown Seattle are pretty cool. But, bear in mind, I've never seen this one in person. As far as Yankee Stadium, that place is a freakin' living museum. You can't really compare it to any of the newer ballparks. Nick, I saw Great American while driving through downtown Cincy, and I loved the fact that they put it right on the water which scores huge points. But the Jake might be better looking structure with all the bricks and such.
