I know everyone was endlessly pressing the refresh button for the next edition of Ballpark 101, and here it is! Hope you enjoy the next few rankings of my journey.
Here are my continued rankings of all the ballparks I’ve visited so far:
#12 Minute Maid Park
- Location: Houston, TX
- Home Team: Houston Astros
- Opened in: 2000
- Capacity: 40,950
- Date of Visit: August 2014
- Reason for Visit: Road trip through Houston
I was able to visit Minute Maid during one of my favorite series: The Silver Boot. The battle between the best in Texas made the game enjoyable in the roofed dome of the Astros’s park. Minute Maid was clean and had a few unique aspects, but overall I felt like I was in a basketball arena. I would have to give the series to the Rangers on stadium feel, but then again, the air conditioning on hot summer days was pretty nice.
Ranked by food, Minute Maid didn’t come close winning the silver boot because, at #11, it provided nothing memorable to note.
#11 Wrigley Field
- Location: Chicago, IL
- Home Team: Chicago Cubs
- Opened in: 1914
- Capacity: 41.268
- Date of Visit: May 2016
- Reason for Visit: I had the option to go to Chicago or go to my senior prom… guess which one I chose.
Expecting a lot from one of the oldest ballparks, I’m sad to say I wasn’t impressed. It was full of history and made me appreciate the game a lot more, but Wrigley didn’t seem to be well taken care of. I had visited Fenway before and felt that Wrigley didn’t live up to the charms of Boston. The ivy in the outfield was dead from the winter and the architecture around the park made it hard to view the game, but overall I enjoyed seeing a game from somewhere so historic.
Ranked by food, Wrigley hangs out in the middle at #9 with a pretty solid hot dog and bun combo that kept me full during my visit.
#10 Marlins Park
- Location: Miami, FL
- Home Team: Miami Marlins
- Opened in: 2012
- Capacity: 36,742
- Date of Visit: September 2016
- Reason for Visit: Surprise 19th birthday trip
Marlins Park, being one of the newest I have visited, shocked me with its gorgeous views of the city. Even though it was a quick few laps around (had a plane to catch), Miami treated me well with a very open concourse and a colorful atmosphere. I would definitely go to more games especially to see the roof open.
Ranked by food, #14 Marlins sadly left me wanting more. There was a definite lack of food presented inside the stadium.
#9 Kauffman Stadium
- Location: Kansas City, Mo
- Home Team: Kansas City Royals
- Opened in: 1973
- Capacity: 37,903
- Date of Visit: June 2016
- Reason for Visit: Summer trip
The famous “K” took the more minimal approach with its plain outfield and small concourse, but the unique bowl shape and fun fountains made for an enjoyable experience. At first it was hard to get used to the single big screen, but I have to give it to the Royals, their stadium made for a fun baseball game.
Ranked by food, Kauffman Stadium comes in at #7 with solid, simple food: hot dogs. I enjoyed the “minimal” theme followed throughout the ballpark and appreciated the good food made.
For last week’s article, click here: http://www.hercampus.com/school/tcu/ballpark-101. Check back on Her Campus TCU next week for a continuation of my baseball adventures!