Fenway Park, named after the Fens wetlands the ballpark was built in, has been home to the Boston Red Sox since April 20, 1912. Over the past 93 seasons Fenway Park and the Red Sox have been a staple in the New England culture. Generations of fans have packed Fenway Park, selling out 370 straight games. Being a part of Red Sox Nation is a greater responsibility than following the Red Sox; it is a culture that brings New England together forming the dynasty of sports fan.

The second leg of the Windy City Ballpark Tour took place on Memorial Day and was a day I will never forget. Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs, is one of the three crown jewels left in Major League Baseball, along with Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium. Wrigley Field is like no other modern day ballpark; there is no advertising on the playing field, or a video scoreboard in the outfield. Spending a day, you have to attend a day game, in the Friendly Confines bleachers, you have to sit in the bleachers, was taking a baseball time machine back to when it was just a game. Mike and I arrived at Wrigley over 3 hours before the first pitch. We waited on line to enter the bleachers, which is first come, first serve. We where lucky enough to sit in the front row, close enough to touch the famous green ivy first planted by Bill Veeck.

I was happy that we visited both Chicago ballparks during the same weekend. U.S. Cellular Field is located on the South Side of Chicago. There is no ballpark scene and very few vendors. Mike and I had purchased Upper Reserve tickets online before hearing that visitors with Upper Reserve tickets where unable to visit the rest of the ballpark. This was in response to fans running on the field and attacking baseball personnel, TWICE! Mike and I had come all the way from New York to visit the entire ballpark. Improvements where made to U.S. Cellular Field prior to the 2003 season for the All-Star game was scheduled for July. Two high-tech video boards where installed and a fan deck was created in dead center field.

Busch Stadium

There was a time when the Los Angeles (1961-1964), California (1965-1996), Anaheim (1997-2004), Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2005-present) played second fiddle to their National League rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Angels shared Dodger Stadium with the Dodgers from 1962 to 1965 before opening Anaheim Stadium for the 1966 season. The Angels provided an alternative for baseball fans when the Dodgers were out of town. After experiencing Dodger baseball the previous day I was excited to end the 2006 Ballpark Tour at Angel Stadium, recently voted as the ballpark providing fans with the best value in Major League Baseball. It could have been all the cold medicine I was taking, but I was ecstatic to attend the Angels match-up with the Baltimore Orioles. All the planning had paid off, 29 ballparks down 4 to go!

Since opening its' gates on April 10, 1962 Dodger Stadium has welcomed more National League baseball fans than any other National League ballpark. In 1978 Dodger Stadium was the first ballpark to draw over 3 million fans. Since then the Dodgers have set numerous attendance records. Mike and I were 2 of the 3.8 million record setting patrons to enjoy a ballgame at Dodger Stadium during the 2006 season. The popularity of the Dodgers has never been greater; under new ownership the Dodgers have created a LA image that appeals to their fans. Prior to the 2006 season the Dodgers replaced every seat in the stadium with seats reminiscent of the 1962 color scheme. The Dodger organization also paints Dodger Stadium every year to complement the aesthetics of the stadium.

Petco Park replaced Jack Murphy Stadium, home of the Padres since 1969, on April 8, 2004. It was the beginning of a new era in Padres history. Since reaching the 1998 World Series, the Padres had not returned to the playoffs. It was their 1998 World Series run that saved the Padres in San Diego. Shortly after being swept by the New York Yankees, voters approved a bond to allow construction of a ballpark in downtown San Diego. Petco Park brought unprecedented interest to the Padres organization, drawing over 3 million fans in 2004. The sandstone facade of Petco Park was imported from India. Its unique shade has been named Padres Gold. The most distinctive feature of Petco Park is the Western Metal Supply Building, a 95-year-old warehouse that was restored by the Padres to serve as the home of their team store, hall of fame, and left field foul line.

Denver's altitude adds 9% to balls hit. For example, a ball hit 400 feet at Shea Stadium in New York would travel 436 in Coors Field. This forced ballpark architects to make Coors Field the largest ballpark in the Major Leagues; CF is 415 feet from home, LF 347 feet, RF 350 feet. In theory these dimensions should have provided Rockie' pitchers with hope, but those hopes did not come to fruition. Until this season the Rockies team ERA ranged from 5.28 to 6.35, by far the highest in Major League Baseball. Following the 2001 season Rockies management decided to combat the thin air of Denver by storing 500 dozen baseball in a humidor that keeps balls from drying out and shrinking in the low humidity. This allows pitchers to grip the baseball tighter, which cancels out the fact that at the higher altitude the ball spins less when thrown. Coors Field signature feature is its? mile high purple seats across row 20 of the Upper Deck. These seats offer a majestic view of the Rockies, one of the countries great treasurers.

For some reason of another I waited until my junior year at Fordham to attend my first Yankees game. I will admit to have rooted for the Yankees during my High School years, even joining classmates at the 1996 and 1998 Yankee Parades, but I was never a passionate Yankees fan. When I began my college career at Fordham, located a few train stops away from Yankee Stadium, I decided to go against popular opinion and pledge my allegiances for the other team in town: the New York Mets. Maybe it was the fact the Yankees organization thought it was better than everyone else, or Yankee fans arrogant attitude, but I never had my heart with the team. During my Yankee days I found myself watching the Mets instead of the Bronx Bombers. Even though my love for the Mets grew I had respect for the Yankee players, Bernie Williams, Derek Jeter, and my favorite Paul O?Neil. As the years rolled on Yankees management, i.e. George Steinbrenner filled his team with overpriced ballplayers who could not play when the money was on the line, i.e. Alex Rodriguez, Javier Vazquez, and Jeff Weaver. I began despising the Yankees organization and their fans, which seem to think that the Yankees shall win the World Series every year is the 11th Commandment. Despite my current feelings for the Yankees, their players, fans, and organization I have to give credit where credit is due; Yankees Stadium is a National Monument that should be visited by every Baseball fan in the country.

Minute Maid Park is the English muffin of ballparks, being built with numerous nooks and crannies. Its' asymmetrical outfield is highlighted by the Crawford Boxes which stand 315 feet from home plate in left field and Tal's Hill, a 20 degree angled hill in dead center. Minute Maid Park is also home to a 57-foot 19th century replica locomotive that sits on an 800-foot track above center field. This locomotive pays homage to the impact the railroad has had on Houston during the early part of the 20th century. The Astros have restored Houston's Union Station and included it as an entrance to the ballpark. Team officials note that approximately 60% of fans enter Minute Maid Park via Union Station.

Everything is bigger in Texas, even the Ballpark. Built in 1994 as a mixture of Ebbets Field and Tiger Stadium, The Ballpark at Arlington solidified Arlington, Texas as an entertainment giant in the Southwest. The Ballpark at Arlington was built in a sea of parking lots and concrete. There is little to do outside the ballpark pre or post game, but upon entering I was pleasantly surprised. I have made two visits to The Ballpark at Arlington and a lot has changed in those 3 seasons. Most importantly, The Ballpark at Arlington was renamed Ameriquest Field at Arlington prior to the 2005 season. Like its' Texas brethren in Houston, The Ballpark at Arlington has not been officially crossed off the Ballpark Tour list because Michael has not attended a game there.

The Ballpark Tour reached a new attendance record for the trip to RFK Stadium. Not the 32,467 in attendance at RFK, but the 3 friends, Frank, Matt, and Eric, that joined Mike and I on the tour. The Nationals were playing my New York Mets. The Mets started the game right, that's David Wright who hit a grand slam in the 1st inning to put the Mets ahead of the Nationals and their ace Livan Hernandez 5-0. Five runs were more than enough for Mets starter Tom Glavine who went 8 innings, allowing only 2 runs. Final Score: Mets 5 Nationals 2. I think the Nationals are going to become one of the top organizations in baseball once their ownership situation is settled. The Washington D.C. market is tremendous in both size and scope. There is a ton of money that can be generated in such a cosmopolitan area. With a new ballpark on the way and more time to plan ticket sales and promotions, the Nationals future is bright.

The construction of Oriole Park at Camden Yards, in 1992, signaled the dawning of Baseball's Ballpark Renaissance. Not only did it raise the bar for other MLB parks, but also was the centerpiece for the revitalization of the Inner Harbor. Oriole Park at Camden Yards can accommodate 48,876 fans. Baltimore will always have a special place in baseball history. The greatest player that ever lived, George Herman "Babe" Ruth, was born in Baltimore, in fact his father owned a tavern that once stood where Oriole Park's Centerfield bleachers now reside. The Babe Ruth Museum is a great place to visit while in Baltimore. There are numerous pieces of unique Babe Ruth memorabilia that make the price of admission worthwhile.

What sets Busch Stadium and Cardinals Baseball apart are the fans that flock to the ballpark year-in and year out. Red Bird fans are synonymous for wearing red Cardinals shirts to each game. I have never seen more team paraphernalia in the 25 Ballparks I've visited and doubt that I ever will. As usual Mike and I arrived early, via the Metrolink, to walk around Busch, but unlike most stadiums the concourse was packed two hours before first pitch. Some of the traffic can be attributed to the Labor Day Holiday, but most of it had to do with the Cardinals opponent and chief rival: the Chicago Cubs. Baseball rivalries transcend the game. Out west baseball fans have Dodgers Giants, back east we have Yanks Sox, but in the Midwest Cardinals Cubs is the only rivalry that matters.

Kauffman Stadium was built ahead of its' time. Its' design moved away from the multipurpose donut style stadium of the 1960's and 70's. Kauffman Stadium was an open air Ballpark with a 322ft. water fountain stretching the length of the outfield wall. Above the water spectacular beyond the centerfield fence, a twelve-story high scoreboard tower stands in the shape of the Royals Crest, topped off with a crown. Adorned with lights that illuminate the night like crowned jewels, this scoreboard perfectly caps the design of the outfield, and makes for one of the most recognizable and beautiful backdrops in all of baseball. Most Ballpark travelers like myself would assume that a Ballpark built in 1973 would not stack up against the modern Ballparks of today, but despite its' age Kauffman Stadium has a spot in my Top 10 list.

The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome replaced Metropolitan Stadium as home of the Minnesota Twins in 1982. The Metrodome is the only stadium to have hosted the World Series (1987, 1991), the Major League Baseball All-Star Game (1985), the Super Bowl (1992), and the NCAA Final Four basketball tournament (1992, 2001), all under one roof. The Metrodome has been known to be the loudest ballpark in the Major Leagues. During the 1987 World Series the Twins organization began giving out Homer Hankies, white towels for the fans to wave during the game. The Metrodome is also know for its' Teflon Roof, which remains the only air supported structure in baseball. The ten-acre, 1/32nd of an inch thick roof, is nearly identical in color to the white rawhide of a baseball. This gave the Twins a great home field advantage in the 1987 and 1991 World Series; they won all 8 games played in the Metrodome.

Citizens Bank Park, opened in 2004, offered Phillies fans everything its' former home, Veterans Stadium did not. The 43,000 seating capacity allowed a more intimate ballpark experience. The grass playing field saved the Phillies many injuries, as the Veterans Stadium AstroTurf was considered the worst in all of professional sports. Ashburn's Alley offered Citizens Bank Park visitors a festive, history-filled, outdoor entertainment area located on the outfield concourse. All of these features make Citizens Bank Park one of the best ballparks in Major League Baseball.

Shea Stadium is more that just the home of my New York Mets. It was where my love for the game of baseball began. I can remember like it was yesterday. My father was on vacation and bought two mezzanine reserve tickets for the August 23, 1989 game against the San Francisco Giants. That morning I woke my father up and told him that I was ready to go. Needless to say I did not know that the Shea Stadium gates did not open at 9 am. I spent my time practicing my imaginary swing and windup. It was something that happened almost sixteen years ago, but I can see it as if it happened yesterday. Shea Stadium is heaven. I do not care what other Ballparks I visit have, Shea Stadium will always be #1 for me; it is more than a Ballpark, Shea is the ultimate time machine. It takes me back to my childhood, to that day I woke up my father and shared with him something only a father and son can: their first ballgame.

The current home of the Braves, Turner Field was built for the 1996 Summer Olympics. After the Olympics left town Turner Field, named after then owner Ted Turner, underwent a face life. The Ted was redesigned to fit a baseball diamond; this resulted is one of the nicest ballparks in the Majors. The Ted's main entrance is very welcoming and is full of activities for fans of all ages. Mike and I were impressed with Turner Fields design and site lines. During our Ballpark tour it has become customary that we view the game from different angles, but with the pitching matchup of two future Hall of Famers, Met Pedro Martinez and Brave John Smoltz I did not leave my seat the entire game.

The Devil Rays make their home in Tropicana Field, built in 1990 to attract a Major League Franchise to Florida's west coast. Three teams, the Chicago White Sox, Seattle Mariners, and San Francisco Giants, leveraged a possible move to St. Petersburg against the city in which they played to obtain a new stadium deal. These moves left St. Petersburg without a Major League Baseball team. Tropicana Field, then known as the Suncoast Dome, was utilized for hockey; the Tampa Bay Lightning set a NHL Playoff attendance record while playing in the Dome, Arena Football, and concerts. The largest even held at the Dome was the 1999 NCAA Final Four, which also set an attendance record. These attendance records, along with the success of minor league and spring training baseball in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area was enough to establish the Tampa Bay Devil Rays organization, which took the field for the 1998 season.

Dolphins Stadium opened as Joe Robbie Stadium in the mid 1980's. Initially it was the home of the Miami Dolphins and the great Dan Marino, a statue of him welcomes fans into the stadium. At the time there was no Major League franchise playing its' regular season games in the Sunshine State, however Spring Training in Florida has been a tradition that began in the early part of the 20th century. The first baseball game ever played at Joe Robbie Stadium took place during the 1988 Spring Training season. It was a match up between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Baltimore Orioles, who make their Spring Training home in Fort Lauderdale. The success of Spring Training was the primary factor the Florida Marlins were created as an expansion team.

PNC Park was opened for the 2001 season. Since then it has served as the crown jewel of the Pittsburgh Pirate organization. PNC Park's prime location along the shore of the Allegheny River takes advantage of scenic views of the downtown skyline and riverfront, as well as pedestrian and riverboat access. It also provides easy access for pedestrians crossing the Roberto Clemente Bridge from downtown. On game days, the bridge is closed off to vehicles and an interactive retail/restaurant and sports pavilion beyond right field meets spectators, with attractions for all ages. PNC Park offers the ultimate ballpark experience. It has become the Major League Ballpark gold standard by successfully combining the historic architecture of former Major League ballparks, like Wrigley Field and Fenway Park, with the modern amenities we have all become accustomed to.