Ballparks (I want to see)

My last post was all about my favorite ballparks where I've seen games. This post is all about the parks I haven't seen yet, but want to see. Here are the 10 ballparks I want to see most.

10. Jacobs Field
Home of the Cleveland Indians. When it opened, and for several years afterward, you couldn't get a ticket to see the Indians. They sold out every game. This park opened in 1994, replacing the "Mistake on the Lake," Municipal Stadium.

9. Coors Field
Home of the Colorado Rockies. You can come to a ballgame in Denver and literally sit a mile high. There is a row of purple seats in the upper deck that mark the mile elevation. Of course, games at that elevation mean the balls fly out of the park. If you like offense, you'll love Coors Field. And, views of the Rocky Mountains don't hurt, either.

8. Safeco Field
The Seattle Mariners moved out of the Kingdome and into Safeco Field in the middle of the 1999 season. This park is cool because it has a retractable roof, but the park is not fully enclosed. So, if it's rainy, the team can cover the field, while still allowing the feel of an open stadium.

7. Kauffman Stadium
The Kansas City Royals' ballpark is one of the few parks on this list that wasn't built in the "retro-era" of ballpark architecture. In fact, it hosted its first game in 1973, during a time when "cookie cutter" multi-use stadiums were being built around the country (think Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati and others like them). This ballpark has been a model of how to do it right, and has withstood the test of time. The fountain in the outfield gives it a modern feel, but the park is cool because, here, above all else, the game's the thing.

6. Oriole Park at Camden Yards
This is the stadium that started the "retro-era." After this park was built, every team that built a new stadium wanted a ballpark that conjured up memories of baseball's glory days. It was built downtown and fit into the local architecture, even using the warehouse located across the street as part of the stadium's charm. Also has a view of the city. I'd like to check this one out.

5. AT&T Park
I guess that's what it's called this week. I think this ballpark has had three or four names since it hosted its first game in 2000. I'd been to games at the San Francisco Giants' previous home, Candlestick Park, but this is nothing like The Stick. I mean, a home run here might land in the San Francisco Bay! How cool is that?! And the architecture inside the park is cool, giving it an old-time baseball feel and combining it with the excitement of the 21st century.

4. PNC Park
I've never been to Pittsburgh, but I really want to check out this ballpark. I've always had this weird affinity for Pittsburgh teams (I think its because I was little when the Pirates and Steelers were winning in the late 70s), but even more than that, this ballpark is just really cool looking. If it's not the smallest ballpark in the big leagues, it's one of the smallest (in terms of seating capacity). Click the link on the name of the stadium above and check out what you get. It's right on the Allegheny River and the bridges there give it a great look; there's a great view of the city; and every seat looks like it's right near the field.

3. Great American Ballpark
The new home of the Cincinnati Reds has some of the same qualities that PNC Park has. Right on the river and cool architecture. I like the smokestacks in centerfield that play off the Cincinnati's riverboat past. Cincinnati's also just a great baseball town.

2. Yankee Stadium
Some days this park is at the top of my list. This is its final season, so I'm dealing with the fact that I'll never make it there. After I visited Tiger Stadium in Detroit, there were four stadiums that I really wanted to see. I've already been to Fenway Park, Wrigley Field and Dodger Stadium. Yankee Stadium is the last one left unchecked on my list. Unlike the other stadiums on this list, history is what makes this stadium so cool. It's the House that Ruth Built. It has Monument Park in left field. It is the home of the 26-Time World Champions. It's where fans chanted "Reg-gie, Reg-gie." It's where Don Larson threw a perfect game in the World Series. It's where Gehrig, Dimaggio, Mantle, Maris, Whitey, Yogi, Munson, Goose, Mattingly, Jeter, Rivera and all those other greats played. Honestly, the new Yankee Stadium that's going up next door looks very similar (oh, there's plenty of noticeable differences, but the overall look will be the same), but Babe Ruth only built one house.

1. Busch Stadium
The St. Louis Cardinals moved into Busch Stadium from, well, Busch Stadium. And, technically, they moved into the last Busch Stadium from, um, Busch Stadium (famed Sportsmans Park was renamed Busch Stadium in the late 1950s). This new yard, though, is something I really want to go see for myself. Again, it's the atmosphere that I really want to be a part of. St. Louis fans are the best in baseball, and they usually have a good team to cheer for. The stadium itself has cool architecture, but the views outside are great, too. The city skyline and the St. Louis Arch are just outside. As a Tigers fan, I'm a little upset to say the Cardinals won the 2006 World Series in the team's first year in the park.

Others receiving votes: Nationals Park (Washington DC), Miller Park (Milwaukee), Citizens Bank Park (Philadelphia), Petco Field (San Diego).