Baseball is a sport with a rich tradition, a tradition which is ingrained in the hearts of Americans nationwide. It is their most popular sport, their emblem, and the cause of so many emotions and good memories that people love it in a literal way like it is another human being we are talking about. Even though historians say it is a game that originally developed in England in the 18th century, the modern version we all know and love as actually started in the U.S., being brought from England by North American immigrants. Ever since then, countless iconic baseball teams appeared, most of them in the 1860’s. Teams such as the Yankees of New York, Red Sox of Boston, White Sox of Chicago, Padres of San Diego, and so on, have the incredible popularity to this very day, recruiting millions upon millions of fans each weekend to their beloved stadiums. These stadiums are the heart of the sport. They are home to the most iconic baseball players, the most remembered plays, and the best hot dogs or beer. Here, we will revisit some of the oldest stadiums known. Even though from the current stadiums, only 6 of them have been built before 1988, the other ones have rapidly gained immense love from the fans. Without further ado, here is the list:
- Fenway Park
Fenway Park, which is located in the Fenway-Kenmore neighborhood of Boston, has a seating capacity of 37,499, making it a very tiny avenue indeed, and is the home of one of Baseball most beloved teams: Boston’s Red Sox. The stadium is also known for the Green Monster, a giant wall located in the left field of the stadium. The Green Monster is the nickname of the 37.167 feet (11.329 m) left field wall in the park. It is located 310 to 315 feet (94 to 96 m) from home plate; this short distance often benefits right-handed hitters. On March 7, 2012, Fenway was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Though generations have come and gone, it remains, much like it did the day it opened on April 20, 1912. It remains the oldest baseball stadium to date.
- Wrigley Field
Another emblematic stadium and the second-oldest in all the U.S. Wrigley Field is a baseball park on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois, the United States, which is the home of the Chicago Cubs, one of the city’s two Major League Baseball (MLB) franchises. It is rightly called the Friendly Confines, and for people who enjoy baseball, Wrigley Field evokes all kinds of nostalgia, even among those who have only seen it on television or in photographs. It opened on April 20, 2016; and has remained popular ever since.
- Dodger Stadium
The famous landmark opened on April 10, 1962; being the largest capacity baseball avenue in the United States to this day. It is the home of Los Angeles Dodgers, the city’s Major League Baseball franchise. A little side note for the fervent followers of the sport: Often referred to as a “pitcher’s ballpark”, the stadium has seen 12 no-hitters, two of which were perfect games.
- Angel Stadium of Anaheim
The famous stadium, which was originally known as Anaheim Stadium and later renamed Edison International Field of Anaheim, is a modern-style ballpark located in Anaheim, California. Since its opening in 1966, it has served as the home ballpark of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of Major League Baseball (MLB) and was also the home stadium to the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL) from 1980 to 1994. It is not uncommon that two teams share the same stadium. However, it is very ironic because one of the reasons the stadium was built in the first place was so the Angels did not cohabit with the Dodgers in the Dodgers Stadium.
- The Coliseum
Oakland-Alameda Coliseum, typically known as the Oakland Coliseum for short, is a multi-purpose stadium in Oakland, California, United States. What do we mean by this? Well, it can function as a baseball stadium, in which case would be home to the Oakland Athletics of the Major League Baseball, and it can also be a football stadium, being the home of the Oakland Raiders, of the National Football League. Like the previous stadium, it opened in 1966 and is the last stadium to be inaugurated in the sixties.
- Kauffman Stadium
The site, which is formally known as Royals Stadium, is located in Kansas City, Missouri, and as you would have expected, it is the home of the local Major League Baseball team, the Kansas City Royals. It opened on April 10, 1973; in a time in which building one-sport only stadiums was very uncommon. It remains one of the finest examples of modernist stadium design, as it is both very safe and features a slick style.
- Roger Center
Our first non-American stadium of the list. This important stadium was built in 1989 in downtown Toronto, Ontario, being a multi-purpose stadium at heart. Opened in 1989 on the former Railway Lands, it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). Previously, the stadium served as home to the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
- Tropicana Field
This stadium is a little different from the others. It is a domed stadium, making it the first in our list. It is located in St. Petersburg, Florida, and it is the home of the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball since the team’s inaugural season in 1998. However, it actually opened 8 years prior to that, on March 3, 1990. It is the smallest MLB stadium by seating capacity with tarp covered, obstructed-view seats.
- Cellular Field
The stadium is located in Chicago, and it is the home of the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball. The park opened for the 1991 season after the White Sox had spent 81 years at the original Comiskey Park.
- Oriole Park at Camden Yards
This is one of the finest stadiums out there, with a “retro” look to it (in fact, it was the first of the “retro” major league ballparks constructed during the 1990’s and early 2000’s). It opened in 1992 and has remained highly praised ever since. More on next page.
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