A Cry for Help

We made it to ballfields number 7, 8, and 9 on the Bil and Em 30* Parks Project. How do they stack up? Here's my thoughts:

We missed St. Louis's Busch Stadium due to rain, of course. I'm not overly concerned about that since we did get to walk around outside the next day and get some pictures. Since Busch is one of the "cookie cutter" stadia built in the '60s (usually circular, astroturfed and able to accommodate football and baseball), if you've seen one you've seen them all. Veterans Stadium in Philly was one of that unfortunate type, so we're set on the cookie cutters. I was sad that we didn't get to experience baseball in St Louis, since Cards fans have a reputation for being some of the best in sports. Given that we were due in Cincinnati and Detroit, with their less than rabid rooters, it would have been nice to get the trip started on a high note. Oh well.

A few hours after leaving St. Louis we arrived in Cincinnati, just about an hour before game time. The Highway dumped us off right on the Ohio Riverfront, where we found parking a few blocks from the park. We were so excited to actually be going to a game, after a scary forecast that had the storms following us from St. Louis. Great American Ballpark (that's an insurance company, not a patriotic naming gesture) is brand new, opening just last year, after replacing, you guessed it, the cookie cutter Cinergy Field.

Great American is a great place to watch a game. We got in about half an hour before the game and made the rounds, taking in the sights (and a ton of pictures). Our seats were in the second row back on the upper level, giving us a great view of the field straight down the third base line. From that vantage point we could see the muddy Ohio River flowing behind the right field fence, a cool touch.

The Reds were coming home on a high note, trying to extend a seven game winning streak when we saw them take on the Florida Marlins. We were rooting for the home team as a rule, and as happens more often than not, it seems, we totally jinxed them. Not only did the Reds lose, but they only managed one hit the whole game. One. So, sorry about that Cincy fans. It was a treat to see Ken Griffey Jr, even if he did take an 0′fer. The Reds made some noise in the bottom of the ninth, but a double play ended any excitement, and the already quiet fans headed for the streets.

The downsides at Great American? First of all, the hot dogs. Nothing compares to Fenway Franks, of course, but these dogs were pretty bad (they even looked like albino dogs!) We always try the hot dogs at each park we go to, and on this trip Cincy had the worst. The only other complaint (since I already mentioned the lackluster fans) was the ballpark architecture. Inside the place is really nice, if a little unremarkable, with accents like riverboat smoke stacks in center field that puff when the Reds pitchers get a strikeout. Outside is another story. I couldn't believe this park was built only last year, it looked like something out of the 70s to me. Completely white except for a couple brick buildings outside the structure, it retains the feeling of a spaceship landed in the middle of a city that I'm sure the old Riverfront stadium had (the giant hole from which is still being developed, next to Great American). I much prefer the urban style ballparks that most new stadia are emulating now. Build the spaceships for football or basketball, please.

So Great American Ballpark gave us a nice night of baseball, but it was a little disappointing given my expectations. That's not to say it isn't better than many of the older parks, but as a new stadium it doesn't come close to Colorado or Pittsburgh.

Part 2, covering Comerica Park in Detroit and Jacobs Field in Cleveland (the American League leg of our tour) tomorrow!

*Already one park we went to has been imploded, so another trip to Philly is in order.

Pictures (sorry, no galleries. I'm still a big mess over here) are here: St. Louis and Cincinnati

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 2nd, 2004 at 9:36 pm and is filed under Ballparks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.