Newsday columnist Neil Best posed an interesting question on his blog the other day:
Why are baseball outfields deepest in centerfield and shallowest in left and right? Why not a uniform distance all the way around?
In fact, why not have centerfield be the shortest distance from home and the areas just inside the foul poles be the farthest?
This way you reward people for hitting the ball straight, and decrease the benefit for hitting a ball barely fair (home run) versus barely foul (strike).
How about a wall that simply follows a straight line connecting foul pole to foul pole?
Best’s readers have posted some good comments, especially the one pointing out that the Dodgers wanted to build a dome in Brooklyn that would have been 380 feet to all fields. I’ve known about this proposed stadium for many years (it would have been about half a mile from my apartment, right where Bruce Ratner is now trying to build the new Nets arena; at the time, though, Robert Moses vetoed it, which is why the Dodgers ultimately left for California) but didn’t realize until now that the outfield wall would have been the same distance all the way around.
And really, why not? Why should a 360-foot shot down the line be a home run (as is the case in just about every “normal” ballpark) while a 360-foot shot to straightaway center is a can of corn?
The primary effect of a uniform-distance outfield wall is that would de-emphasize the importance of a centerfielder. The CF would still have to cover ground to his left and right, but he’d no longer have to cover more ground behind him than the corner outfielders.
Best’s suggestion for a straight outfield wall running pole to pole is particularly intriguing to me, because there’s a small park near my house where I’ve occasionally played softball. Because the field is sort of wedged in between a few surrounding roadways that run at odd angles, the back wall runs in a straight line across the outfield, just like Best’s suggestion. Last year I hit a home run to straightaway center and felt like a real stud until I realized it would’ve been a routine fly ball on regular field. Then I thought to myself, “Yeah, but a ball hit that same distance down the line on a regular field would’ve done the job.” Something about this didn’t sit right, but I couldn’t fully articulate what it was.
The most interesting question raised by all of this is something we all know but rarely discuss, namely the fact that there are no official guidelines for configuring a baseball outfield. I’m not saying either of Best’s proposals is superior to the accepted format of ballpark design (in fact, I don’t think I like either of them), but I do think they’re good food for thought. Discuss.
Raffle Results: The winner of the SportsCrack T-shirt is Jeff Cohen. Thanks to all who entered. More raffles coming soon.
Bonus ESPN Coverage: I attended yesterday’s WNBA press conference, where the Phoenix Mercury’s jersey-sponsorship deal with LifeLock was officially announced. I whipped up a quick ESPN column for the occasion — look here.
Uni Watch News Ticker: I called the Seahawks yesterday but didn’t get an answer regarding the lime green jerseys. Hang in there — I’m still on it. … Check this out — Bill Belechick in Boston Patriots gear (with thanks to Jack Krabbe). … Those new Boise State football uniforms look reallllly bad. … Lots of cool Dodgers memorabilia on view in this gallery. Accompanying article here (with thanks to Michael Vines). … No more Gatorade in the dugout for the Cubbies (with thanks to James Huening). … You know things are out of hand when the Islanders’ draft party has its own logo (with thanks to John Muir). … It’s possible I’ve linked to this before, but just in case: amazing home movie footage of the 1929 World Series (big thanks to Robert Ruszczyk). … Most of you are probably familiar with this famous photo of Paul Brown checking out Bengals helmet prototypes. Now gumball maven Bill Jones has created mini facsimiles of all the helmets in the photo. … XYZ! (As spotted by Elena Elms.) … Brian Kerr found this Iowa State helmet cart “on an abandoned tennis court on campus” the other day. … Also from Brian: EA has introduced a new team builder function for their NCAA football game. … And speaking of EA, they may have inadvertently leaked the new Washington State uniforms (with thanks to James Blethen). … Got a note from Phil yesterday, subject line “WTF?” Inside was a link to this. Anyone care to explain? … Additional info on the Washington Huskies’ new uniforms here (with thanks to Lee Ziegler). … New football uni set for New Mexico too: home goes from this to this, road goes from this to this (with thanks to Rob Montoya). … I’m visiting an old friend in New Jersey today — sort of. Details later. Play nice while I’m away.
#1 by dave pealing on 06.02.09 7:33 am |
Link to the Iowa State Helmet Cart doesn’t work
#2 by Ethan on 06.02.09 7:38 am |
The Brewers cow is part of a Wisconsin public arts project from 2006 called CowParade Wisconsin. I believe they were auctioned off for charity. Lots of cities have had similar projects, including my home town of Buffalo NY
#3 by Paul Lukas on 06.02.09 7:46 am |
dave pealing said:
Thanks. Now fixed.
#4 by DenverGregg on 06.02.09 7:52 am |
The movie theater and supermarket in the proposed Dodgerdome are hilarious (as is distinction between stores and shops) – O’Malley could have had a mall with a ballpark long before the Steinbrenners.
Except for the name, I do not like the Isosceles Field* idea because it destroys the harmony between the shape of the basepath and the shape of the outfield. Quarter-circle Field (home of the Branding Irons?) makes much more sense in that regard.
*I’ve been to spring training games in Peoria AZ, they don’t have the fence depicted in the linked diagram.
#5 by CK on 06.02.09 7:55 am |
Neil Best’s question has a very simple answer: outfields are deeper in center field than toward the lines because balls that are hit to left or right field will slice towards foul territory, and don’t travel as far in terms of straight distance from home plate. A fence of uniform distance would profoundly alter the game; if you move the center field fence in, home run totals would skyrocket, but if you moved the right and left field fences out, they would precipitously drop.
#6 by Matt on 06.02.09 8:02 am |
Boston had cows as well.
#7 by Mark Richter on 06.02.09 8:07 am |
At first I thought the cow was wearing solid socks on the front legs and 70s/80s-style stirrups on the back legs; then I realized the front legs are supposed to be arms with long sleeves. Haven’t had my coffee yet …
#8 by scott on 06.02.09 8:11 am |
Ethan said:
Some New England towns have done similar public art projects with moose, though cows do seem to be the most popular. The Baseball Hall of Fame also has a cow in similar get up.
#9 by Dave on 06.02.09 8:17 am |
Boise State has hideous uniforms? Why is everyone shocked? Those are the morons who couldn’t even get the color of the fake grass correct.
#10 by Robert in Dallas on 06.02.09 8:20 am |
Give me the Polo Grounds. Cheap home runs to left and right, for those who are into that kind of thing, and a massive centerfield, for some real inside-the-park home run excitement. I would prefer triples and inside-the-parkers to boring old over-the-fence home runs any day of the week.
http://www.ballparkt...
#11 by Kasey on 06.02.09 8:23 am |
Chicago had the Cows in 1999. Here is one with the jerseys of the 4 major sports teams here
http://ignarski.trip...
#12 by Kasey on 06.02.09 8:25 am |
OOps….make that the 6 teams (Bears, Cubs, Hawks, White Sox, Fire, and Bulls)
#13 by Mike Miller on 06.02.09 8:25 am |
New College Uniforms
Wazzu – like, but do you need two different maroon helmets to choose from?
Washington – like, except for the purple pants option (please don’t go monochrome)
New Mexico – away set looks good with the silver pants, the monochrome red home look with the silver helmet, bad, very bad.
Boise State – ugh, at least they aren’t getting Nike hand-me-down templates anymore, they have their own ugly-ass look now. Orange pants would help that look a little bit.
#14 by Peter on 06.02.09 8:29 am |
So, for the Islander’s “Draft Party”…is that to sucker in a few more fans and to be witness to the final nail in the coffin for the franchise?
Has any other team this?
#15 by LI Phil on 06.02.09 8:41 am |
Robert in Dallas said:
gotta agree with robert here…those old parks were dee-vine in their quirky dimensions and such…500′ center and deep left! 280 down the lines!
favorite was yankee stadium as first constructed…check out how the left field stands jutted out into the field! talk about having to know how to play a field (im sure the yanks came to realize how dangerous this was) but it sure must have been fun to watch…
better than the new, modern retro parks with orange lines that run haphazardly and with no apparent reason (other than to ‘feel’ retro), or freakin train tracks and giant mounds (tal’s hill) that feel so forced
im mean, seriously, how bad would this have been?
#16 by MPowers1634 on 06.02.09 8:49 am |
I love today’s entry!
I have to somewhat disagree with Paul’s statement concerning a lack of outfield guidelines.
At least where HS baseball is concerned, I SEEM to remember finding a section on outfiled dimensions in the opening section of the NFHS rulebook.
I don’t have mine at the moment, but if someone could substantiate…
#17 by Scott on 06.02.09 8:52 am |
A uniform distance for outfield walls smacks of the antiseptic, multipurpose stadium days, rather than “fitting” ballparks into existing city space (Wrigley, et al).
The perfect reason why it would be a terrible idea to have universal distance all the way around … because the powers-that-be would select something that’s ultimately be too close (ala 345 ft.). Little League Baseball in Williamsport, for e.g., those fences are way too short and homeruns by little tikes fly out of that place each fall.
#18 by MPowers1634 on 06.02.09 8:55 am |
MPowers1634 said:
Not exactly what I was looking for, but cool nonetheless:
http://www.nfhs.org/...
And a few Uni-revisions for 2009:
http://www.nfhs.org/...
Forgive my digression though, plkease return to dimension speak.
#19 by Original Jim on 06.02.09 9:01 am |
Paul, your original link to the Boise State uniforms is not the new set…it’s the current one. Boise’s new set looks a lot like Arizona’s…a thick horizontal stripe across the back, under the numbers, containing the school name.
#20 by LI Phil on 06.02.09 9:01 am |
MPowers1634 said:
you probably read the rules of baseball (which obviously apply to MLB, but im pretty sure they’re applicable to all levels)
here’s the deal:
LI Phil said:
you SHOULD keep that book in your back pocket (actually, you should have it memorized, or so they told me when i ump’ed for 5 years way back 100 years ago)…
i know the rules state minimum distances of 250′ away down the lines, but i thought i had heard (or read) somewhere that MLB didn’t want any new parks to be less than something like 325′ (although some new parks — SBC/Pac Bell for example are shorter)…
#21 by Lose R on 06.02.09 9:03 am |
who is this Bill Belechick person? :)
#22 by MPowers1634 on 06.02.09 9:05 am |
BTW…
The grey/carolina caps in the XYZ pic are available at Eastbay:
http://www.eastbay.c...
#23 by Bernard on 06.02.09 9:05 am |
Kasey said:
Pittsburgh had dinosaurs in 2003 (I believe). We had Steelers:
http://www.carnegiem...
http://www.carnegiem...
http://www.carnegiem...
And Pirates:
http://www.carnegiem...
#24 by Scott Davis on 06.02.09 9:07 am |
Here are Boston’s sports related CowParade cows…
http://www.cowparade...
http://www.cowparade...
http://www.cowparade...
http://www.cowparade...
http://www.cowparade...
http://www.cowparade...
http://www.cowparade...
http://www.cowparade...
http://www.cowparade...
#25 by Bob A on 06.02.09 9:07 am |
Houston had one of the early ‘cow projects’. Baltimore had (has?) crabs (that doesn’t sound right) and Houston had MLB team themed cowboy boots for the All Star game here a couple years back.
#26 by MPowers1634 on 06.02.09 9:09 am |
LI Phil said:
That I should, but at the moment it is in my gear ortganizer in the hatch of my Forester.
Now that all of my friends and colleagues know that I am a HS umpire, they pepper me with questions and situations constantly…I love it!
#27 by TC Lofton on 06.02.09 9:13 am |
Peter said:
My once-and future proud franchise, the Indiana Pacers, did this last year. A desperate move to regain goodwill with fans.
#28 by Adam on 06.02.09 9:13 am |
Add pigs for cincinnati
#29 by Mark Swiencki on 06.02.09 9:15 am |
I was wondering on y’alls take on if it is different that the WNBA has sponsors vs. the New York Red Bulls. Ok, maybe it’s just MLS :).
#30 by timmy b on 06.02.09 9:15 am |
timmy b here.
I am thinking of doing an NOB (name on back) database for all the “Big 4″ teams. I can do the NHL and the NFL without too much trouble, but I will need help for MLB and the NBA.
If I can gather enough info, I will submit to Paul to go along with the “NFL White at Home” and the Pro Football Uni Database 1933-1958″ that I did previously.
It would look something like this:
MLB:
Cardinals: 1963 to date.
Pirates: 1979 to 1994. 1995 road jersesy only. 1996 to date.
I will also note for the Reds and Sac Kings if the NOB was positioned below the numbers.
All help and contributions will be noted and greatly appreciated!!
#31 by MPowers1634 on 06.02.09 9:17 am |
Ditch the black….and the Trajan:
http://www.lids.com/...
#32 by MPowers1634 on 06.02.09 9:22 am |
This ACTUALLY resembles a duck:
http://www.lids.com/...
#33 by Matt Brosseau on 06.02.09 9:25 am |
MPowers1634 said:
AND is not a horrible looking hat as well. I’d be interested in seeing the Oakland A’s rock that look.
#34 by Jordan Sogn on 06.02.09 9:25 am |
I dig the new pants for Washington State.
#35 by Bernard on 06.02.09 9:26 am |
Scott Davis said:
Huh…
Celtics: 17 titles, 1 cow
Red Sox: 7 titles, 6 cows
I guess it really is “Red Sox Nation” up there!
#36 by db on 06.02.09 9:29 am |
anyone else notice that the dude with his fly down in the XYZ link has a different hat than the rest of his teammates? No blue on the brim..
#37 by kj on 06.02.09 9:29 am |
St. Paul did a series of “Peanuts on Parade”, including Snoopy as a Wild player. Each summer was a different Peanuts character throughout the city.
#38 by Hank on 06.02.09 9:29 am |
When these apparal manufacturers ‘design’ new unis, do they sit in a dark room, blind-folded and throw darts at a color wheel? Crikies, who thinks up these hideous colors and designs? Do the ADs have any input, or are they so beholden to N*** and R** that anything goes?
#39 by Jeremy Brahm on 06.02.09 9:32 am |
In Japan, the fields used at the professional level are always matching archs.
Only the brand new Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium in left field has a straight line before beginning the arch.
http://stadium.rcc.j...
Stadiums have had changing fence heights from the left field line at smaller stadiums.
Korakuen Stadium
http://yellow.ap.tea...
Osaka Stadium
http://yellow.ap.tea...
#40 by rob on 06.02.09 9:33 am |
anyone want a scoreboard?
http://auction.stein...
#41 by James Craven on 06.02.09 9:33 am |
If anyone has ever watched the Little League World Series, the fences at both ballparks they use are pretty much the same distance around (204′ down the lines and in center field).
#42 by PuckyTheWhale on 06.02.09 9:34 am |
Kasey said:
Chicago has 5 major sports teams. 2 mlb, 1 nfl, 1 nba, 1 nhl.
#43 by PuckyTheWhale on 06.02.09 9:37 am |
Kasey said:
I hardly consider the Chicago Fire MLS soccer team a “major” sports team.
#44 by Steve Naismith on 06.02.09 9:45 am |
LI Phil said:
You need to read further down:
“NOTE (a) Any Playing Field constructed by a professional club after June 1, 1958, shall provide a minimum distance of 325 feet from home base to the nearest fence, stand or other obstruction on the right and left field foul lines, and a minimum distance of 400 feet to the center field fence. (b) No existing playing field shall be remodeled after June 1, 1958, in such manner as to reduce the distance from home base to the foul poles and to the center field fence below the minimum specified in paragraph (a) above.”
I don’t understand why that rule is still in the rulebook, since many of the newer parks have blatantly broken it, seemingly without repercussions.
#45 by JTH on 06.02.09 9:47 am |
db said:
Also, if I’m not mistaken, the kid (pitcher?) with his fly open has a solid white cap and everyone else has a gray crown.
http://farm4.static....
#46 by Mike on 06.02.09 9:48 am |
In terms of baseball, one of my biggest pet peeves in the world are the screwy outfield walls that appear in the new stadiums for no apparent reason, with the varying distances from home plate, the varying heights of the walls, and bullpens and seats that are in places that they shouldn’t be.
I hate the faux retro feel to no end. That’s something you can’t create. The teams who say they designed the stadium for that reason are copping out like the teams that say they want to get a new uniform set for team identity. We all know that it’s designing baseball to it’s lowest denominator– let’s make the stadium as stupid and quirky as possible (and let’s get some new unis) for the casual fan to come to the games and admire the stadium for the first 3 to 5 years and buy some shirts, let’s not care too much about how the team is performing. That would be too much to ask.
Camden Yards did it right– 4 different sections of outfield wall
http://www.andrewcle...
A field like Petco (and I know there’s the original building out in left, but besides that even)– is obnoxious
http://www.andrewcle...
I live in Washington so I have to deal with a horrible baseball team that has no character that has a uniform set that doesn’t help and just built a brand new stadium that looks more like an office building from the outside. (Paint something red or blue, or put up some non-white brick, please!)
http://www.washingto...
As far as why the outfield walls are shorter to the poles, farthest to center, I buy the argument that center field needs to be bigger to keep more balls in play. More could be hit out easily. Perfect dimensions to me are something like 320 to the poles, 400 to center. I’d rather see left or right field moved out before center field being moved in.
#47 by Ricko on 06.02.09 9:48 am |
Let’s recap.
“Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium”
(nice rhythm, kinda like Clarence Choo-Choo Coleman)
Boise State, where grown men have fancy stripes on their butts (only baboons intentionally attract more attention to their asses).
A WNBA team with what looks like “LoveLock” or something on its jerseys (the Flying LoveLocks?)
King James lacks the class to offer a post-game handshake and people give him a pass, saying it shows he’s a great competitior. And Magic and Michael weren’t?
Almost Apocalyptic, init.
—Ricko
#48 by JTH on 06.02.09 9:49 am |
PuckyTheWhale said:
At the time those cows were on display, the Fire were probably more “major” than the Blackhawks were.
#49 by Jeff on 06.02.09 9:51 am |
Ricko said:
Seeing LeBron walk off so unprofessionally reminded me of Isiah, Rodman and Laimbeer leaving seconds early to not congratulate the Bulls in 91. Unclassy then – still unclassy now.
#50 by PuckyTheWhale on 06.02.09 9:54 am |
As far as the Bengals prototype gumball helmets: does the guy who made them have any evidence that two of them were gold? Gold seems like a really odd choice for a team whose mascot is a tiger, since all tigers are orange (except white tigers). Gold is even odder since these helmets are mimicking a tiger’s striped body. Granted the photo used as reference is black and white, so the tiger-striped helmets could be any color for all we know, but I seriously doubt they were gold; they HAD to be orange, I mean, it’s the obvious, logical choice, right?
#51 by al on 06.02.09 10:01 am |
Couple things. as for why center is deeper than left or right, it is science: When a ball is pitched it is coming from “center”. with that, maximum transfer of power occurs when the batter hits the ball back to center. If the batter makes contact before or after the mid-point (towwards left or right), maximum power transfer will not occur and the ball will not travel as far. if the walls were the same distance all around, the game would look like a Little League world series game with balls flying out of center field.
as for distances, there are not rules, but preferences: MLB Rulebook, Rule 1.04: A distance of 320 feet or more along the foul lines and 400 feet or more to centerfield is preferable.
#52 by Bernard on 06.02.09 10:04 am |
I like outfields with quirky dimensions. The game isn’t played in a vacuum. Unusual designs are way more interesting, and can even provide an added layer of home-field advantage.
#53 by TD on 06.02.09 10:06 am |
For the record, -my- name is Todd Davis, and the LifeLock douchenozzle is actually a fake Todd Davis – his real name is Richard (yes, Richard Todd Davis, Jets fans).
My people are preparing instructions for him to start going by Richard, cede his assets to date and social security number to me, and reconcile with Google so that I can be Googled within the first eight pages of a query.
No, I’m not bitter.
#54 by eugene on 06.02.09 10:09 am |
http://www.mirror.co...
#55 by JTH on 06.02.09 10:09 am |
Bernard said:
Ask Craig Biggio how he feels about the home-field advantage that Tal’s Hill provided him.
#56 by Kub on 06.02.09 10:10 am |
Im sure its a mistake, but if you look at the image of all the new Wazzu Uni combos ( http://farm4.static.... )if you look at the top row, 3rd set in, it looks like not only do they hav a different red and silver helmet but a 2nd red helmet.
#57 by u2-horn on 06.02.09 10:13 am |
330-380-400-380-330 will always be the generic OF distances to me.
#58 by knucklesamitch on 06.02.09 10:14 am |
db said:
I think he has a blue brim…it’s just covered with dirt.
#59 by u2-horn on 06.02.09 10:14 am |
Kub said:
http://4.bp.blogspot...
#60 by MEMAL on 06.02.09 10:17 am |
Robert in Dallas said:
Definitely have to agree for all those reasons you just mentioned!
I don’t know how many of you followers have played around with uniforms in various sports games like I have. I know it started with Quaterback Club 1998 and all you could do was select a color combination from the 17 pre-determined combinations and a team name. Then I got Madden 2004 and spent a lot of time with that game’s create a team program, but it still left something to be desired. Than I played NCAA Football(forgot the year) and they had pratically the perfect setup! I was waiting for a time when they were going to link together the Internet and the console to do something for the customization portion of that game, because I know there were tons of gamers begging for all sorts of features that weren’t possible with the Playstation 2.
A few months ago I read all about what was planned for the site linked too up above and I have been in fantasyland just thinking up all I could do, because I’ve spent a ton of time playing with the uniform creator. I just discovered that it was up last night and spent four hours going through and seeing everything that it can do and let me say that it is just about everything I had ever hoped for.
For all you uni fans who have no idea about antyhing I have just talked about, let me say that it is worth going on and checking out all the uniform options they have available. While on the PS2 game you had about 7 jersey option, this game has over 50(can’t get on to be exact here at work)!!! I mean, I was looking as some of these designs and I was thinking to myself, “What team had these on their uniforms, because I can’t place it! And I’m a uniform junkie!”
Seriously folks, take a half hour and play with it. I know I have to upgrade and get an xbox360 just so I can actually play with the team I made.
Jeff said:
I would rather us all call them unclassy than have to deal with hearing about another huge sports brawl for the next four months. The whole handshake thing works in hockey because everyone is disgusting obsessed with tradition in hockey, but that is not the way it is in the NBA.
And as if this isn’t a long enough comment already, I have to say that I like those new unis for WSU and New Mexico. Seriously though, I don’t know why WSU even plays around with that Cougars script on their helmet when that WSU Cougar head logo is one of the best in sports. I mean, it looks like their nickname and incorporates the school name! I mean, sure the U for Miami has reached this level since so many NFLers call it the U that it has stuck, but it’s just a U and doesn’t represent the nickname at all. Alright I’m done.
#61 by Dustin on 06.02.09 10:18 am |
LI Phil said:
I believe that there was a general guideline about how the outfield fences were done in the old “cookie-cutter” stadiums. Just like how the boundary between the infield and outfield is measured from the mound, I think the basic curvature of the outfield fence is a set distance from second base (and then modified to the designer’s desires).
#62 by TMD on 06.02.09 10:18 am |
Is this WNBA sponsorship deal more of a move toward destroying uniforms in America? Or, is it more of a move towards disbanding the WNBA?
Was Isaiah Thomas involved with this in any way?
#63 by Namhob on 06.02.09 10:20 am |
scott said:
Cincinnati did this with pigs (it is Porkopolis after all), while Louisville did horses.
#64 by War Damn Eagle on 06.02.09 10:20 am |
Do the dimensions of most ballparks have to do with the fact that they were built inside the traditional “city block” and therefore maximized the space they had available. That would naturally create a deeper center field. Maybe it was just a necessity that developed into a tradition that developed into a practice that developed into a rule. Wrigley Field comes to mind:
http://bhorner3.file...
#65 by LI Phil on 06.02.09 10:25 am |
Steve Naismith said:
damn…thanks steve
i KNEW it was somewhere…that’s what i get for posting in a hurry
point still stands tho…if MLB “requires” 325′ (knew i heard/read that somewhere — figures it was actually in the rules, lol), how is it that the new parks routinely flout this regulation? or rather, not how, but why?
the old ballparks were quirky because they needed to be fit into neighborhoods and existing street patterns and stuff
these newer parks, with their dangerous, quirky, seemingly random wall heights, and/or blatently short dimensions may be cute and trendy, but they lack the long term qualities and feel the old ballparks had, and, as i said before, feel very forced…
are they better than round, cookie-cutter, astro-turf-laden multi-purpose stadia of the 70’s? sure…but they could have been even better
camden got it right…the jury is still out on a lot of the post-92 parks
#66 by Bernard on 06.02.09 10:25 am |
JTH said:
I said “can”. I was thinking more in term’s of an outfielder’s knowledge of how a ball will come off a particular wall. If an outfield was littered with potholes, that would be quirky too, but obviously not much of an advantage.
#67 by Bernard on 06.02.09 10:26 am |
Bernard said:
Sorry… “terms”, not “term’s”. What the hell was that?
#68 by War Damn Eagle on 06.02.09 10:27 am |
Namhob said:
In DC they had, of course, elephants and donkeys. I remember in Auburn they used tigers. It’s used for local artists to show off their stuff. I’ve seen them covered in braille, covered in a subway map, etc. It’s mostly for tourists to have their picture taken in front of, right? :)
#69 by Ricko on 06.02.09 10:30 am |
That shot of PacBell (or whatever it’s called at the moment) reminded me of something that occurred to me the other day…
Gee, sure don’t hear much about McCovey Cove anymore
(or, as I like to think of it, “The Cove That Juice Built”).
—Ricko
#70 by Brandon on 06.02.09 10:34 am |
All football fields, basketball courts, hockey rinks, and soccer pitches have the same playing field no matter where you are. Making the outfield walls uniform would take away from one of the great aspects of baseball, not every park is the same. It adds a variety to baseball that the other sports cannot match. Making the outfield walls uniform is one of the WORST ideas I have ever heard.
#71 by DenverGregg on 06.02.09 10:38 am |
The other problem with Isosceles Field is that the smaller area in play would be easier to defend and there’d be fewer chances for hits to drop in fair territory. More HRs and strikeouts, fewer baserunners. Dumber baseball.
#72 by Steve on 06.02.09 10:41 am |
Frederick, Maryland did a public arts project of keys:
http://www.flickr.co...
Frederick was home to/the final resting place of Francis Scott Key.
#73 by Brandon on 06.02.09 10:42 am |
In response to the Brewer clad cow, it’s part on an art movement/exhibit called “Cows on Parade.” It’s a midwest thing.
#74 by Mike on 06.02.09 10:42 am |
does anyone know when the 76ers will announce their new uniforms?
#75 by LI Phil on 06.02.09 10:46 am |
Mike said:
officially? no
but you know they’re supposedly going back to 82-83 era, right?
#76 by Rich C. on 06.02.09 10:46 am |
Minor League Cows where here in Harrisburg
Harrisburg Senators
http://farm1.static....
Hershey Bears
http://static.panora...
#77 by dgc on 06.02.09 10:47 am |
War Damn Eagle said:
IIRC DC also had pandas.
#78 by JTH on 06.02.09 10:48 am |
LI Phil said:
I’m not disagreeing with you that the contrived “character” of some of the newer parks is a bit of a joke, but why does Baltimore get a pass? By incorporating the warehouse into the park as a design element, aren’t they just as guilty of forced quirkiness as all of the “bad” examples you cited?
#79 by JTH on 06.02.09 10:50 am |
Rich C. said:
Is that some kind of swoosh/vector hybrid on the wristband?
#80 by JRJR on 06.02.09 10:52 am |
Brandon said:
I agree. If you want to make a more uniform game, you might as well add a clock, too. I’m not sure about the hagiography applied to the older parks–they were just as problematic(see those earlier Yankee field left field pics) but we were used to the problems.
I love the new Phillies park, with its problems(remember Aaron Rowand’s nose) and am glad to never see the Vet again.
#81 by Hickory on 06.02.09 10:53 am |
Yes, Baltimore had crabs in the summer of 2005.
Here’s a link to a webshots album with many of them. It looks like this photographer only got one of the “sports related” crabs. I know that there were Ravens, Orioles & Baltimore Blast (our indoor soccer team) crabs painted but I can’t find pics anywhere.
http://entertainment...
The one she did get features many Orioles greats (Cal Ripken Jr x2, Cal Ripken Sr., Frank Robinson, Elrod Hendricks, Jim Palmer, Rick Dempsey, Paul Blair) and was postioned just outside Camden Yards on Eutaw Street. (I have no idea how they left Brooks Robinson off this crab – and no love for Eddie Murray or Earl Weaver)
http://entertainment...
We also had painted fish throughout the city back in 2000-2001. It was called Baltimore’s “Fish Out Of Water” project. There was a book that chronicled the whole project:
http://www.amazon.co...
~Hickory
#82 by War Damn Eagle on 06.02.09 10:57 am |
JTH said:
I can’t explain why, but it doesn’t feel like “forced quirkiness” at Camden. It just doesn’t. At Nats Park, it feels forced. It’s still a great place to see a game, but the surrounding neighborhood is a war zone of construction and empty lots. In Baltimore, it’s just “supposed” to be there. That (and Uncle Teddy’s) make Camden a great place to see a game.
#83 by joe on 06.02.09 11:00 am |
Brandon said:
hockey being the same is pretty recent. There were several smaller rinks and even a few over-sized rinkd in the history of the NHL. As the new rinks were built they were standardized, and I hate it. Plus international ice is a different size too.
#84 by dank on 06.02.09 11:01 am |
Mike Miller said:
Washington St – Pretty nice, but WAYYYYYYYY too many combos. Why even 2 helmets? Just pick on or the other. Personally, I would choose the red logo (not script Cougars) helmet, use the red jerseys and grey pants at home, and the white jerseys with red pants on the road. They grey or silver helmets look pretty good too when paired with the grey/silver pants.
Washington – Simple and very nice. Should wear the gold pants home and away and tehy would be great.
New Mexico – Like the roads pretty well, but the monochrome homes suck.
Boise St. – Wow, super duper bad. Sufficiently ugly to match that hideous field. Some of the worst unis in college football, and that’s saying alot.
#85 by marc on 06.02.09 11:02 am |
Cleveland does guitars.
#86 by Ricko on 06.02.09 11:03 am |
Where is the “Isosceles Field” you speak of?
Probably somewhere like Ithaca, NY.
Nah, more likely Athens, GA.
“I’m Isosceles!” “No, I’M Isosceles!” “I’m Isosceles”
Gee, I loved that movie where all the persecuted mathematicians protected him.
No, wait, that was an episode of the Big Bang Theory.
#87 by JTH on 06.02.09 11:06 am |
War Damn Eagle said:
I’ve never been to either of those parks, so I can’t compare and contrast and I have no doubt that Camden’s a terrific place to see a game. However, I have been to three of the parks that Phil pointed out (Petco, Pac Bell, the Jake) and nothing really felt forced to me about them.
#88 by Teebz on 06.02.09 11:06 am |
JRJR said:
As much as you’d like to believe that all hockey rinks have the same dimensions, one of the greatest aspects is not the rink-size in hockey, but how close the fans are.
Think of the old Chicago Stadium and Boston Garden. The fans literally sat in the benches at those rinks.
It’s this kind of atmosphere and aura that made those arenas so unique and so incredible.
Also, you can’t deny that modern designs have killed the unique features of the hockey rink as well. The stairs from the visitors’ dressing room up to the ice in Chicago Stadium would literally kill teams in the third period and overtime as they had to haul their rear ends up and down those stairs.
The old rinks were close in playing size on the ice surface, but it was everything else that made the old barns extremely unique. And when you consider that good hockey games are made because of the crowd’s reactions to what’s on the ice, having the crowd right next to the action is much better than what we see in some of these arenas today.
Sure, the space is nice if you’re a big dude, but the cramped, crowded spaces of Chicago Stadium – with the pipe organ blaring in the background – literally was the best place on Earth to watch hockey.
#89 by Eric on 06.02.09 11:11 am |
Speaking of the artsy animals, Rochester, NY did horses a couple of years back, and Frontier Field has a horse made out of baseball gloves: A horse made from cows?
#90 by Bernard on 06.02.09 11:13 am |
LI Phil said:
The verdict is in on PNC Park: Awesome, as charged.
http://z.about.com/d...
#91 by War Damn Eagle on 06.02.09 11:13 am |
For you Charger fans:
http://sports.yahoo....
#92 by Hott Rodd on 06.02.09 11:14 am |
marc said:
Phoenix did guitars in 2005 also.
#93 by anotherguy on 06.02.09 11:16 am |
JTH: I’m not sure the Orioles chose to incorporate the warehouse into the design: IIRC, there was a push to give the warehouse some sort of historical landmark status; AFAIK the O’s attitude at the time was to try and make the best out of a bad situation.
FlatBushDome: Count me in as another one who’s first reaction was “wow, they were way ahead of their time by trying to build shops and stores into the stadium”.
Total agreement on the idea that Houston’s field is ultimately dangerous. Personally I expected the union to make a big stink about that when it was proposed. To me, that’s the height (no pun intended) of “contrived”.
The June 1, 1958 date: any idea as to why a date in the middle of the season was chosen? By that time, any remodeling could only happen in the off-season, correct?
Final comment on the Brewers cow: why is their a window directly behind her? I mean, the only thing you could see thru the window would be her tail. :-(
#94 by The Ol Goaler on 06.02.09 11:17 am |
PuckyTheWhale said:
Whaaaa???? Does this look “orange” to you? Real Tigers wear Black and Gold!
If you’re looking for odd colors for teams named “Tigers”, I give you Memphis (Blue & White) and LSU (Purple and “yellow” Gold)…
#95 by JRJR on 06.02.09 11:19 am |
The verdict is in on PNC Park: Awesome, as charged.
http://z.about.com/d...
I have been to Citizens, PNC, the Jake and the Camden Riversharks stadium, all of which are newer old style parks and although they are kind of quirky, it has never bothered me. The only problem with PNC is the Pirates! (sorry, couldn\’t resist)
#96 by Hickory on 06.02.09 11:20 am |
Hickory said:
I may be a bit biased (being from Baltimore and all) – but I love the warehouse, because it\’s always been there, it was \”forced\” into the dimensions of the field – it\’s well over the right field wall.
It\’s not incorporated into the dimensions of the field – a la Petco Park.
I have also been to the Jake – that didn\’t seem like anything was \”forced\” there.
~Hickory
#97 by LI Phil on 06.02.09 11:24 am |
LI Phil said:
perhaps “forced” is the wrong word…what im getting at is this…the old stadia had their quirks because they (99% of the time) HAD TO…whether it was lansdowne street, a baseball stadium in a football/olympic field (not that im longing for baseball in the coliseum again), or even just having to fit into existing street patterns or needed huge outfield fences because of the really short porch … those quirks were dictated by other factors
the “quirkiness” of the new parks feels forced because there is no NEED for these features … architects have, for the most part, ample land for a stadium and parking, and no need to make the ballpark quirky (forced) for quirkiness sake
not saying the jake (im calling it the jake), petco and whateverthehellitisnow park in SF are ‘forced’ per se…just that they seem to force quirkiness where it doesn’t need to be
does that make sense?
#98 by Trevor Williams on 06.02.09 11:27 am |
To add to the Cowparade.com comments, the Milwaukee Brewers cow is called “Bobbin’ Yount”
Bobbin’ Yount
#99 by Christopher on 06.02.09 11:29 am |
CK said:
RE: your last comment. Yeah, but if you have that situation there must be a happy medium where the run totals would stay the same. If 300 feet even is too close, and 400 feet even is too far… wouldn’t 350 or so be just right?
#100 by Mike on 06.02.09 11:29 am |
Mike said:
yeah im a long time reader, first time commenter, so i was just wondering if i had missed a release date.
i assume it will be released before the draft since they dont have the draft cap on the nba.com shop
#101 by anotherguy on 06.02.09 11:29 am |
The Ol Goaler said:
Or maybe they wear black and white, as this Tiger soon will be:
http://images.usatod...
(I couldn’t quickly find a picture of Clementine Floyd, so that’s the only “real Tiger” for this post.)
#102 by Rich C. on 06.02.09 11:32 am |
JTH said:
this should answer that
http://harrisburg.co...
#103 by Ricko on 06.02.09 11:33 am |
LI Phil said:
Simply put, there’s a substantial difference between “out of necessity” and “by design”.
Right?
—Ricko
#104 by KT on 06.02.09 11:34 am |
Okay, Paul…
First off, you were in Phoenix yesterday, you didn’t let me know?
Secondly, if you were at US Airways Center (and I considered going, because my office is right down the street, but we had an internal deal here and I couldn’t), you were only a couple of blocks away from a city building eerily similar to your Candela structures. Did you see it?
Thirdly, I’ve been to the Peoria Sports Complex and it does not have a straight outfield wall, trust me.
#105 by Ricko on 06.02.09 11:34 am |
Rich C. said:
How do we identify a “minor league cow” if it’s out of uniform?
#106 by KT on 06.02.09 11:37 am |
Brandon said:
That is absolutely not true.
Soccer fields have a minimum and maximum length and width and must be a rectangle, but they’re not all, say 110 yards x 70 yards. The Home Depot Center field in Carson, California, is much longer and wider than Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA. And even Gillette’s dimensions shrink for soccer once the NFL season starts because they bring in additional seats for the Patriots.
And even NHL hockey rinks aren’t uniform. The old Boston Garden’s ice surface was 15 feet shorter than “normal.”
#107 by Jeremy Brahm on 06.02.09 11:38 am |
Actually soccer fields do have minimum and maximum dimensions.
Domestic Leagues
Minimum length 90 meters (100 yards)
Maximum length 120 meters (130 yards)
Minimum width 45 meters (50 yards)
Maximum width 90 meters (100 yards)
International matches such as the FIFA World Cup
Minimum length 100 meters (110 yards)
Maximum length 110 meters (120 yards)
Minimum width 64 meters (70 yards)
Maximum width 75 meters (80 yards)
#108 by Christopher on 06.02.09 11:39 am |
I’m curious if anyone has a spread graph of all baseballs hit into the outfield/stands and where they landed. Some slice of time/players that would represent an average.
Another thing perfectly circular stands would do is de-emphasize the righty or lefty that can only hit to one side of the park. Jim Thome for instance.
And you never hear of a player who’s specialty is hitting straight to center field. Power or not.
Can you imagine a “Thome-shift” but for someone who hits to center more often? All the fielders bunched up near center?
#109 by Jeremy Brahm on 06.02.09 11:41 am |
KT, I went out the FIFA website to get their requirements. Sorry it looks like a double posting.
#110 by JRJR on 06.02.09 11:42 am |
Simply put, there’s a substantial difference between “out of necessity” and “by design”.
Right?
—Ricko
Right.
Big question is: Is one better than the other?
Given what passed for baseball stadiums in the 70’s–the Vet, Three River’s etc.–I think not.
#111 by mike 2 on 06.02.09 11:44 am |
One of the great things about baseball is that the fields are unique. The outfield fences, the backdrops, the city views, everything, you can tune into a random game on TV and if you’re a baseball fan, the venue is almost always instantly identifiable.
As opposed to hockey, or football, where the fields are uniform and the stadiums tend to be pretty generic.
Remember when baseball went through its generic phase? Eight or nine virtually identical stadiums?
Design and architecture are full of unnecessary details and elements all the time. “Necessary” isn’t the right question on a particular feature, or every building would be a brutal symmetrical Soviet concrete block.
#112 by anotherguy on 06.02.09 11:44 am |
Wow, I had no idea that the World Cup would allow fields to have varying dimensions. It seems strange that you could have some sort of advantage in a worldwide series like that.
#113 by Bernard on 06.02.09 11:46 am |
JRJR said:
Haha – no problem, they deserve it!
#114 by JTH on 06.02.09 11:46 am |
Teebz said:
Good God, Teebz. Ya done brought a tear to my eye. The (first AND second) balcony seats in that place were better than a lot of the seats in the lower level were. And they were a hell of a lot better than anything above the 100 level in the United Center. And the Barton Organ produced sounds that were transcendent.
Of course, the beer vendors might not recall the balconies so fondly. Those poor bastards had to schlep kegs up all those flights of stairs — and sometimes twice a day if they had both basketball and hockey scheduled. It always amazed me that they didn’t install an elevator or at least some kind of dumbwaiter system for them.
And not for nothin’ but the ice surface was smaller than the standard NHL rink at the Stadium.
#115 by JeffM on 06.02.09 11:47 am |
Ethan said:
My wife’s hometown of Odessa, TX did something similar with jack rabbits….
http://www.city-data...
#116 by Ted Kerwin on 06.02.09 11:48 am |
http://www.cowparade...
Of Course the New York Yankee cow is named “Holy Cow” after Rizzuto
#117 by Ricko on 06.02.09 11:48 am |
JRJR said:
Wasn’t making a judgement, just helping LI Phil make his point. I would NEVER advocate a return the sterile, symmetrical stadia of the ’70s. Ick.
I do think intentionally building a hill in the outfield is too much, though. Smacks of miniature golf.
—Ricko
#118 by Jeremy Brahm on 06.02.09 11:50 am |
Even cricket fields have dimension size minimums and maximums.
Standard dimensions for tests, one-day internationals and twenty-20 matches
The playing area shall be a minimum of 150 yards (137.16 metres)
from boundary to boundary square of the pitch, with the shorter of the
two square boundaries being a minimum 65 yards (59.43 metres). The
straight boundary at both ends of the pitch shall be a minimum of 70
yards (64.00 metres). Distances shall be measured from the centre of
the pitch to be used.
On large grounds the aim shall be to provide the largest playing area,
subject to no boundary exceeding 90 yards (82.29 meters) from the
centre of the pitch to be used.
Any ground which has been approved to host international cricket prior
to 1st October 2007 or which is currently under construction as of this
date which is unable to conform to these new minimum dimensions
shall be exempt. In such cases the regulations in force immediately
prior to the adoption of these regulations shall apply.
#119 by Ted Kerwin on 06.02.09 11:51 am |
The Mets have http://www.cowparade... Moo-Kie
#120 by Hott Rodd on 06.02.09 11:52 am |
Hott Rodd said:
KT,
Also my first thought.
I assume you are referring to Patriots Square Gonna Be a Massive Corporate Building Soon Park?
#121 by MEMAL on 06.02.09 11:53 am |
The Ol Goaler said:
LSU’s Purple and Gold goes back(for those who didn’t know) to the late 1800’s when the baseball went to a local shop to find some ribbon to make their otherwise bland unis look cool. This was right around the time for Mardi Gras to take place, so the store had all sorts of decorations for the festival. The only colors of ribbon they had, though, were purple and gold(purple, gold and green are the official colors for Mardi Gras). So, the team bought up those colors and they have stayed with the school ever since. Little tid bits of lore and tradition are what make sports so sweet! I don’t think there’s a better color story like that out there.
#122 by anotherguy on 06.02.09 11:53 am |
Only 99.9999 percent condemnation for the caption on photo 8 here, as the writer lives in Tennessee:
http://www.timesfree...
It’s Duke Snider, not Snyder. Good heavens, just look at the autograph if you’re in doubt about a HOFer.
#123 by Ted Kerwin on 06.02.09 11:53 am |
And the Giants http://www.cowparade... True Blue
#124 by Teebz on 06.02.09 11:54 am |
JTH said:
Well, it’s the truth, ain’t it? Sure, the United Center gets loud, but when you could feel the concrete shake in the old Chicago Stadium, you knew the Blackhawks were playing.
All of the old rinks had their personalities, and that’s what made them so incredibly memorable. It wasn’t the ice surface or the size of the rink whatsoever.
It was the little idiosyncracies found in every single rink that made Chicago, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Toronto, and Montreal different from one another. The home team literally had home-ice advantage in all of those old barns.
And isn’t that the same with baseball? Ebbetts Field, the old Yankee Stadium, Fenway, Wrigley, Tiger Stadium – they all have the fans much closer to the action than the new ballparks. And they are more loved by the fans than their newer brethren because of their old-time features.
#125 by Hitch on 06.02.09 11:55 am |
These cleats a carry over from his days playing baseball at Stanford?
http://vault.sportsi...
Never knew that Mizuno made football spikes too.
#126 by Ricko on 06.02.09 11:56 am |
Ted Kerwin said:
Islanders have one named Bossy, maybe?
#127 by Jeremy Brahm on 06.02.09 11:56 am |
FIFA gave the 1994 World Cup a pass with the regulations because they knew it would be a money maker, which it was.
The problem was with those stadiums was most of them were built before soccer became popular or the cities had teams in the NASL. Hence they were built as football stadiums, not soccer and football stadiums.
However, all of the new football stadiums that have been built recently, last 10 years are football/soccer combo and therefore the list of potential stadiums for hosting in 2018 or 2022 is huge. 70 according to the documents from US soccer.
http://sports.espn.g...
Plus FIFA even has special regulations for the stadiums hosting a World Cup event. Seating size, covered seating, etc.
#128 by Ricko on 06.02.09 11:58 am |
Hitch said:
Elway wore adidas at Stanford and, as I recall, was one of the first in the NFL to wear Mizuno.
#129 by JRJR on 06.02.09 11:59 am |
anotherguy said:
Right? Who knew?
#130 by Bourbon Soaked Idiot on 06.02.09 12:00 pm |
Brandon said:
It seems like everyone here wants ALL basbeall uniforms to look the same (white pinstripes at home, grey on the road, striped stirrups and stick with the same 1956 color pallette) and ALL baseball stadiums to be different. Go figure.
#131 by Ray on 06.02.09 12:00 pm |
I was reading through the description of the AFL throwbacks at NFL.com and noticed the San Diego Chargers uni is to be the 1963 version. Well, I can’t help but notice that in the promo photo unveiling the unis, that the Charger helmet is missing the San Diego city shield that apparently, according to the Helmet Project site was used by some players during the 63 and 64 campaigns. Sure would be sweet to see that little added attraction. You’d think that if Denver can hold true and stick to their original unis use of the puke striped hoisery, then the Chargers and their fans can certainly endure having the shield sticker affixed to those 63 throwback shells. Get with the program!!!
#132 by JTH on 06.02.09 12:00 pm |
War Damn Eagle said:
OK, I see the two throwbacks, the white jersey and the powder blue alt in that photo. The navy blue jersey is presumably out of frame, given that there are three helmets on that table/display stand. So… are they going to be wearing 5 different jerseys this year?
Whatever they do, I hope that someone with the team happens to notice that those white pants look approximately 97 trillion times better with the white jersey and helmet than the blue pants do.
#133 by LI Phil on 06.02.09 12:02 pm |
Ricko said:
thank you rick
i’d rather (and i think i said this) have ANY of the new stadia than the 70’s retro, cookie-cutter, etc. parks
my point (like ricko echoed) is WTF do you need “tal’s hill” for? how stupid is that? you had the terrace in crosley for drainage and in lieu of a warning track … that had a purpose (same thing with duffy’s cliff in the fens)…
what is the purpose of tal’s hill?
stands in petco (and
citi fieldnew shea) just out into the playing field… WHY?this is just quirkiness for quirkiness sake (and possibly dangerous)…there is no need for it
stadia like camden (and a lot of the new parks) got it right without being over the top…i just don’t see a need for huge outfield walls where a home run is decided by a orange line, seemingly out of whim … was this a “tip of the cap” to the old parks that had this feature?
just seems entirely unnecessary
#134 by MPowers1634 on 06.02.09 12:02 pm |
Bernard said:
That backdrop is beautiful. Are there any other fields that rank up there with PNC concerning that?
#135 by anotherguy on 06.02.09 12:03 pm |
JTH said:
Different seats, different era, the whole nine yards. I certainly wasn’t lucky enough to get anything but lousy seats in the old Stadium, but OTOH it was the yelling and screaming (at the game) that made the fun. One of my fondest memories now is SRO in the mezzanine level, how early we had to arrive to score that space. (And the stairs didn’t seem so daunting at that age.)
Hats off on remembering a Barton-I certainly wouldn’t have bet it was anything except Wurlitzer. Built-in at the time of construction, and therefore un-removable at the time of demolition.
#136 by anotherguy on 06.02.09 12:04 pm |
MPowers1634 said:
Off the top of my head, how about St. Louis?
#137 by KT on 06.02.09 12:05 pm |
Hott Rodd said:
No, the one over by the court house. By Change of Venue. I don’t know what function it serves. Whatever that is between 1st and 3rd Avenues on Jefferson.
Also, here’s satellite proof that Peoria Sports Complex doesn’t have a straight outfield wall.
#138 by Frank on 06.02.09 12:06 pm |
What I’m curious to know is why didn’t O’Malley build his dome when he moved the Dodgers to California. Ok, I get it, it’s nice weather – no dome. But why not keep the rest of it, as designed? Or at least stick with the 385-foot dimension all around?
#139 by Lee on 06.02.09 12:07 pm |
FYI concerning old time parks having to fit into pre-existing street grids versus what takes place today, specifically AT&T Park (PacBell) here in San Francisco.
The park is actually placed into a pre-existing street grid: King Street along the third base side, Third street along the first base side, and McCovey Cove along the outfield.
No streets were altered or moved to make way for the park (there is a drawbridge on 3rd Street that couldn’t have been moved if they wanted to).
As for the short field in right, the Giants built the wall as far back as they were allowed to, they actually wanted to build the outfield wall closer to the water, the city wouldn’t let them.
They could have built the left field wall farther back, but right field is as far back as they could have gone.
Lee
#140 by anotherguy on 06.02.09 12:08 pm |
LI Phil said:
I propose an official acronym: QFQS (alternatively QFTSOQ)
#141 by Frank on 06.02.09 12:08 pm |
I meant 380, not 385. Oops.
#142 by Lee on 06.02.09 12:09 pm |
MPowers1634 said:
That backdrop is beautiful. Are there any other fields that rank up there with PNC concerning that?
Oakland?
http://www.baseballp...
Maybe not…
Lee
#143 by Ricko on 06.02.09 12:09 pm |
Not a skyline vista, but in person this is supposed to be a magnificent view of San Francisco Bay.
http://www.baseballp...
Old Municipal Stadium in Cleveland an extraordinary view of downtown Cleveland. Didn’t have a suspension bridge like PNC, of course.
#144 by KT on 06.02.09 12:10 pm |
Frank said:
Ask Captain Emil Praeger.
#145 by anotherguy on 06.02.09 12:10 pm |
Frank said:
Seems like one thing he did stick with on the (hilly) Chavez Ravine site was the idea that parking should be on the level of the seats.
AFAIK the terraced parking at Dodger Stadium has never been duplicated, has it?
#146 by KT on 06.02.09 12:11 pm |
Ricko said:
There is such a thing? ;)
#147 by anotherguy on 06.02.09 12:11 pm |
Lee said:
Isn’t that AKA “Mount Davis”?
#148 by Lee on 06.02.09 12:13 pm |
anotherguy said:
Known derisively, of course.
Lee
#149 by Ricko on 06.02.09 12:15 pm |
KT said:
It was when you saw it after a decade or so of looking up at the roof of the Metrodome. LOL
—Ricko
#150 by anotherguy on 06.02.09 12:18 pm |
Ricko said:
They’re keeping the RollerDome for football, correct?
I just hope they do something with the (shallow) end zones once they don’t have to think about baseball seating.
#151 by JRJR on 06.02.09 12:20 pm |
Ricko said:
The cool thing about PNC is that you can see several of the bridges from the park. It’s actually even nicer than that photo.
On a completely different note, I had posted a question about Cooperstown Ballcap Co.
http://www.ballcap.c...
a few weeks ago, inquiring about quality of their HUGE array of custom made caps. They claim they are made on period machines, with traditional flannels, etc, etc. All of which should justify the 50$ price.
I’m glad to report that I received my 1915 home style Phillies cap this past weekend and it is AWESOME. I have had at least ten random folks ask me where it came from. Good product if you are into vintage stuff.
#152 by KT on 06.02.09 12:27 pm |
anotherguy said:
Vikings will be the only tenant (really) then, won’t they? Twins will have a new yard and the Gophers are moving to a new one as well. Twins have wanted one for a while. Don’t know that it’s going to happen.
#153 by KT on 06.02.09 12:28 pm |
That should read Vikes have wanted one for a while. Don’t know that it’s going to happen.
#154 by JTH on 06.02.09 12:30 pm |
Ricko said:
It is. I was lucky enough to be there for a day game. My seats were actually pretty close to where that picture was taken.
Busch Stadium III: not too shabby.
#155 by mtjaws on 06.02.09 12:30 pm |
Dave said:
But, everyone knows what color BSU’s fake grass is, right? And that keeps their name in any discussion, continually marketing themselves. Some other smallish school should try it too. A Wyoming brown field???
Next, I’m pretty sure Paul was at the NBA Store in NYC for the Phoenix Lifelock’s debut.
And finally, I enjoy the differences in outfield dimensions. Identical designs would be boring. The one OF wall height thing that bothers me most though is the SF Giants Chevron cars that rise above the regular wall. I assume the ball must clear those cars to be a homer.
http://www.matthewwe...
#156 by JRJR on 06.02.09 12:33 pm |
Yet another reason to love Yankees.
http://www.nytimes.c...
#157 by JTH on 06.02.09 12:35 pm |
Comerica Park: Not bad at all.
#158 by anotherguy on 06.02.09 12:37 pm |
mtjaws said:
Given yesterday’s series of marathon photos, today might be a little too soon for that suggestion.
OTOH, someone here will soon ask about Denver.
#159 by War Damn Eagle on 06.02.09 12:37 pm |
Lee said:
Oakland?
http://www.baseballp...
Maybe not…
Lee
Baltimore’s is pretty good, but I think the new hotel obscures some of the downtown view. Here’s a pic before it was built.
http://www.mlbroadtr...
St. Louis is definitely up there.
http://www.destinati...
Atlanta has a dowtown skyline view, but it’s a little further away.
http://www.baseballp...
Safeco Field in Seattle has a nice view:
http://imagecache.al...
I think the plan for Target Field in Minneapolis is for it to have a nice downtown view:
http://www.ballparks...
#160 by MPowers1634 on 06.02.09 12:40 pm |
anotherguy said:
Alright…
Question #1 one has been asked: What backdrops rival PNC?If you can think of Minor league ballparks, like where the Camden Riversharks play, they are fair game.
Question #2. Besides Mt. Davis, what ballparks have the worst or least aesthetic?
#161 by War Damn Eagle on 06.02.09 12:43 pm |
War Damn Eagle said:
Baltimore’s is pretty good, but I think the new hotel obscures some of the downtown view. Here’s a pic before it was built.
http://www.mlbroadtr...
St. Louis is definitely up there.
http://www.destinati...
Atlanta has a dowtown skyline view, but it’s a little further away.
http://www.baseballp...
Safeco Field in Seattle has a nice view:
http://imagecache.al...
I think the plan for Target Field in Minneapolis is for it to have a nice downtown view:
http://www.ballparks...
Here’s a better view of Target Field
http://www.twinsbobb...
http://www.minnpost....
Orioles Park:
http://imagecache.al...
#162 by Squiddie on 06.02.09 12:46 pm |
KT said:
Well, tractor pulls and monster trucks do pretty well in the Triple H.
Yeah, the Vikings have been pushing for a new stadium as long as the Twins. The Metrodome was really built for the Vikings (it sure wasn’t designed for baseball) and so their lease was longer.
I’d say they’re certainly not going to get a new stadium during the Great Recession, but I honestly didn’t think the Twins and Gophers would get new stadiums as fast as they did. Plus they might get a new stadium elsewhere if any community can still afford a moving franchise.
#163 by John Kuczaj on 06.02.09 12:46 pm |
I seem to recall some kind of round-table discussion about hitting that included Wade Boggs, Tony Gwinn, Ted Williams and maybe some other hitters. Boggs brought up the point that as a batter, you have hit the ball perfectly if you hit it straight up the middle at the pitcher. If you hit it down the foul lines, you’ve made a mistake (swinging late or early). It struck me as odd that the game of baseball basically penalized hitters who hit the ball correctly and rewarded those whose mechanics were more often than not flawed (pull hitters).
As a Cub fan, one of the things I love about Wrigley Field is the slight well areas in the left and right field corners that at least make it seem like the distance down the lines is a bit loger than right-center and left-center (though it is not in reality). When the Tribune went about rebuilding and expanding the bleachers, many feared that the existing curve of the bleachers would have been extended to the foul lines, adding a good 5-10 rows and shortening the field down the lines considerably. Thankfully, that did not happen.
Still, I would love to see a stadium where the distance to dead-center was 10 feet shorter than down the lines, rewarding batters who hit the ball perfectly, penalizing the pull hitters. That’d be cool.
#164 by john in DC on 06.02.09 12:48 pm |
TC Lofton said:
There’s more of a political undercurrent to this that just bringing in a few casual fans. Every ticket “sold” shows the Town of Hempstead that there is a fanbase that wants the Isles on Long Island.
The Isles had a “Draft Party” last year that was surprisingly worthwhile (until the draft itself). Since they sat at #5 last year they didn’t do much along the lines of promotion, but holding #1 will make you do silly things.
None of the other teams have announced similar events (save for Montreal, since they’re hosting), but I found this photo if Peter Zezel wearing the Pelle Lingbergh memorial on his shoulder. Couldn’t the Flyers choose something less creepy?
http://cdn.nhl.com/f...
#165 by War Damn Eagle on 06.02.09 12:49 pm |
Worst:
Landshark Stadium:
http://www.andrewcle...
(Eternally empty orange seats)
U.S. Cellular:
http://preaprez.file...
(I kinda like the scaffolding, but they missed a huge opportunity to incorporate downtown Chicago)
Great American Ballpark:
http://preaprez.file...
(Again, they oriented the view towards the river, not downtown.)
http://members.cox.n...
But it doesn’t get worse than Tropicana Field:
http://members.cox.n...
#166 by MPowers1634 on 06.02.09 12:53 pm |
When I was in Memphis, I stayed at a great hotel named The Peabody, famous for a few of it’s tenants.
Very nearby was the home of the Memphis Redbirds, which from the outside was very nice looking.
http://usairwaysmag....
http://ballparkdiges...
If you ever have the chance to go, you MUST get the barbecue at Rendezvous!
#167 by MPowers1634 on 06.02.09 12:55 pm |
Here is a Best of List for the Minors:
http://usairwaysmag....
#168 by Adam on 06.02.09 12:57 pm |
Why do the pants for Wazzu look like they’re made of pleather. DITCH THE SHEEN
#169 by Mark W on 06.02.09 1:02 pm |
MLB Teams can build a stadium that doesn’t meet MLB’s criteria, simply by applying for a waiver. And MLB, not want to step on anyone’s toes, apparently hasn’t denied anyone’s waiver.
As for the new stadia, and their outfield quirks, the only one two that stand out to me are the 2 NY stadia. I’ve seen a lot of Citifield on TV, and it looks like a joke. It goes up, it goes down, it comes in and goes back out. Yikes. That thing is an abomination.
And here’s Albert Pujols’ hit chart: http://mlb.mlb.com/s...
#170 by Rich C. on 06.02.09 1:03 pm |
Ricko said:
Well since the cow was put there in ‘04 and they didn’t change to the new Nationals type uni’s till ‘05 technically the cow was in uniform
#171 by mtjaws on 06.02.09 1:04 pm |
War Damn Eagle said:
They weren’t always empty, but the view now is again terrible. If the seats were teal/aqua, it wouldn’t stand out as much, because who wears orange?
This picture of the Barcelona Olympic diving always stands out as an amazing view.
http://www.life.com/...
#172 by Jeff on 06.02.09 1:04 pm |
Lee said:
Amen. AT&T Park is definitely not “quirky for quirkiness sake.”
#173 by Jeff on 06.02.09 1:05 pm |
Jeff said:
http://maps.google.c...
#174 by LI Phil on 06.02.09 1:05 pm |
appropos of stadia, and in regard to statistical analysis…
these guys chart EVERYTHING
#175 by diz on 06.02.09 1:08 pm |
All this talk of stadium quirks, and no mention of the Canterbury Tree (it’s been replaced, now, ofc.)
Oh yeah, and Re: baseball – you can’t have a universal distance, that’s just daft. One has to consider the vagaries of where a lot of stadia were built. Completely equidistant fences, however, could work – they just need to be far enough away. And not be copied by everyone and ruined through ubiquity (like every slightly good stadium design idea of the last couple of decades.)
I’m not an expert on baseball or quirky fields, but I used to play rugby on a field which contained a concrete hammer throw/shot put circle near one corner, mostly covered up with an old crash mat during matches…
#176 by JessinMKE on 06.02.09 1:11 pm |
KT said:
Wow – I flew into Phoenix a few weeks back and saw what I thought was a candela structure.
It was northeast of the airport if I had my bearings correct.
I’ve been trying to find it on Google Maps to send to Paul
KT – do you have any more info?
#177 by dave on 06.02.09 1:11 pm |
http://z.about.com/d...
I’m a Pirate fan, and as great as PNC Park is, the outfield is forced. The nook in left-center is there for no reason other than to add a quirk. The Pirates have been trying to get fans to use the nickname “North Side Nook” since the park opened.
From the Pirates website (which shows they are obviously proud of their asymmetry):
“The outfield fence height varies from a mere six feet in left, to 10 feet by the left-center bullpens, to 21-feet in right in honor of Roberto Clemente.
PNC Park also features a 410-foot nook in the alley in deep left-center field.”
#178 by LI Phil on 06.02.09 1:13 pm |
Jeff said:
i never said it was, i merely used the short porch as an example of how teams seemingly flout the 325′ distance requirement…i kinda like the idea of a short porch…and obviously, unless your name is baroid, it doesn’t really yield any cheapies
i didn’t realize they wanted to, but were forbidden from moving the wall back further; they could have rotated the field a few degrees, however, and had longer distances (while remaining within the grid) — they also could have raised the height of the RF porch…but i like how it was done
i’ll happily concede AT&T is not QFQS, but other new parks certainly are
#179 by JTH on 06.02.09 1:15 pm |
War Damn Eagle said:
Good call on including the Cell. Not a terrible looking place, but they could have improved the aesthetic appearance tremendously just by rotating it 90 degrees counter-clockwise. It’s maddening that they chose the orientation that they did.
Other parks:
It’s a decent place to see a ballgame, but I’ll nominate Miller Park. Aerial view, interior.
Metrodome, natch.
WTF is going on in center field in Anaheim?
I don’t know if I’d call it ugly, but the place where the Rangers play just looks like an odd mishmash of styles.
#180 by Hickory on 06.02.09 1:18 pm |
War Damn Eagle said:
Here’s a better view of Target Field
http://www.twinsbobb...
http://www.minnpost....
Orioles Park:
http://imagecache.al...
Here’s Baltimore’s view before/after the massive Hilton came to town:
Before: http://www.audioasso...
After: http://farm4.static....
Wow, I hate that Hotel.
#181 by Jeff on 06.02.09 1:20 pm |
LI Phil said:
Thank you! That’s all I wanted. Don’t compare AT&T to the disaster that is Petco!
True, they could have rotated the park a tad (actually, original designs had the park rotated substantially counter-clockwise) but wind tests determined it would become Candlestick Part Deux.
And the right field porch is 24 feet tall (going down to 21 in right center) whereas center and left fields have 8 foot fences. Right field plays substantially deeper than 309 given the high wall, plus a flow of wind that wraps around the firstbase grandstands and curls back in towards the field at the foul pole.
I’m biased, of course, but its the perfect layout.
#182 by anotherguy on 06.02.09 1:22 pm |
Hickory said:
That’s absolutely terrible. I thought that the Bromo-Seltzer tower had landmark protection?
I’m surprised the city leaders allowed that.
#183 by Hott Rodd on 06.02.09 1:22 pm |
JessinMKE said:
Here in Phoenix we do have some structures with very odd geodesic designs. The former president of Valley National Bank (since consumed by Chase) liked to build quirky identifiable buildings as branches. The bank across the street from my office is known as the mushroom bank, for example.
#184 by dave on 06.02.09 1:23 pm |
The mathematician in me was curious.
Assuming the Isosceles Field fence is perfectly straight from foul pole to foul pole, the dimensions would be (assuming my math is correct):
If center is 400 ft, the LF/RF lines would have to be 566 ft.
If center is 375 ft, the lines would be 530 ft.
if center is 350 ft, the lines would be 495 ft.
Seems impractical no matter which way it is done. The blogger should have done a little more research before suggesting this idea.
#185 by TC Lofton on 06.02.09 1:26 pm |
MPowers1634 said:
Not to cry Shenanigans on whomever at US Airways made that list, but they obviously never went to Victory Field in my beloved hometown of Indianapolis…. regularly voted #1 in many other contests.
http://www.minorleag...
I’m callin’ bullshit on em.
#186 by Jeff on 06.02.09 1:26 pm |
JTH said:
You mean the subliminal patriotism, or the amusement park ride beyond the fences? Either way, the park is actually a very nice remodel of a 1960s stadium.
#187 by anotherguy on 06.02.09 1:28 pm |
JTH said:
I totally agree with this.
I know there were political considerations involved; but there really is no baseball, foot traffic or vehicular traffic reason not to have the old Comiskey orientation.
I look forward to gentrification of the 37th (and south) area, so we’ll be able to utilize the old Tiger Stadium approach and move home plate.
And JTH, did you see that with all of the Springfield and Washington DC money flowing, someone has grabbed some to remodel the Rock Island station at 35th?
#188 by JTH on 06.02.09 1:29 pm |
TC Lofton said:
So the offense is great enough to call bullshit, but not so egregious as to cry shenanigans?
#189 by anotherguy on 06.02.09 1:30 pm |
mtjaws said:
Background isn’t bad either.
#190 by TC Lofton on 06.02.09 1:32 pm |
JTH said:
If my college years are recollected correctly, then a cry of “Shenanigans” calls for a beating of the offended party with broomsticks, whereas “bullshit” only incites the accusing party to spit chawjuice onto the ground.
#191 by TC Lofton on 06.02.09 1:33 pm |
TC Lofton said:
*OFFENDING party. My bad. That’s what I get for trying to be funny.
#192 by Jeremy Brahm on 06.02.09 1:34 pm |
I think that the biggest challenge understanding the reasoning for the odd dimensions and angles is that we may never now the full reasoning.
The majority of the old stadiums were built within city blocks only.
Fenway Park
http://maps.google.c...
Old Comisky Park
http://www.thedeadba...
KC Municipal Stadium
http://www.stadiumso...
Tiger Stadium
http://maps.google.c...
Griffith Stadium
http://members.cox.n...
Wrigley Field in LA for the Angels
http://www.ballparks...
Baker Bowl, Philadelphia
http://upload.wikime...
Shibe Park, Philadelphia
http://www.philadelp...
Teams were probably trying to use as much space as they could and also put in as many seats as possible. Then they adjusted the dimensions to fit these requirements.
#193 by DJ on 06.02.09 1:34 pm |
Good call on including the Cell. Not a terrible looking place, but they could have improved the aesthetic appearance tremendously just by rotating it 90 degrees counter-clockwise. It’s maddening that they chose the orientation that they did.
They wanted home plate at the corner of 35th and Shields (Bill Veeck Drive). Perhaps we’ll have to wait for Comiskey III, which could be built on the original Comiskey’s footprint, to get that aesthetic that everyone seems to prefer.
#194 by werthj on 06.02.09 1:35 pm |
KT said:
Candela look-alike in Phoenix via Google maps.
http://maps.google.c...
#195 by anotherguy on 06.02.09 1:36 pm |
anotherguy said:
When I went on the stadium tour, the guides mentioned that the Twins were definitely the “junior” tennant. The example they used to drive the point home was something about the private suites IIRC.
anotherguy said:
Even thought I’m observing from a distance, I assumed that with all of the political wrangling over the years the Twins would get their stadium, and after a period of time the Metrodome would be replaced for the Gophers/Vikes.
I didn’t think you’d get simultaneous replacements for two of those three tennants; much less three stadia total.
#196 by Jeremy Brahm on 06.02.09 1:39 pm |
I forgot to put St. Louis’ Sportsman’s Park
http://www.baseball-...
#197 by anotherguy on 06.02.09 1:40 pm |
anotherguy said:
JMHO but I think a lot of the decison-making was done with the idea of as little condemnation work as possible to the south.
Change the park on it’s current site so it faces the way old Comiskey does, and you’d need more parking on the third base side to satisfy the big money ticketbuyers: and I don’t think that was politically palatable.
#198 by Hickory on 06.02.09 1:41 pm |
anotherguy said:
The Bromo-Seltzer tower still exists, it was a few blocks away from the Camden Yards. The Hilton just now stands in between it.
The Bromo-Seltzer tower just recently got it’s landmark protection: http://www.baltimore...
I live about 10 doors away from the ballpark (right near Pickles Pub for those who are familiar) and there are always people petitioning the appearance of the wall that faces the playing field – the most recent one I saw wants to get an artist to comission an Orioles-related mural on the side that you see from the stadium. (I doubt Paris Hilton would go for that – haha).
#199 by DenverGregg on 06.02.09 1:41 pm |
diz said:
Would that be Cook Park in Denver? I’ve walked my dog there just about every day for the past 8 years.
#200 by anotherguy on 06.02.09 1:41 pm |
DJ said:
#201 by Dan on 06.02.09 1:41 pm |
Those new Washington Huskies uniforms…
What an absolutely stupid idea to not put stripes on the purple pants. The stripes on the gold and white pants look great. This is one of my biggest pet peeves in sports uniforms; Stripes on some of the pants, but not all of them.
Take Arizona State’s maroon pants. Their gold pants have a nice maroon stripe down the side, but the maroon pants don’t have a stripe.
Somehow, Texas A&M was able to figure this out with, get this, three different sets of pants.
#202 by Adam on 06.02.09 1:41 pm |
Hey all,
This is just a heads up to those of us that went to MAC schools (or follow them) the new Miami, Eastern Michigan, and Toldeo jerseys are also leaked on that EA Sorts feature site. Miami has ditched Nike for Adidas (a school wide deal was hammered out but has yet to be announced officially) and along with the new designers comes a sleek throwback design (something I helped do). Also for whatever reason EA thinks Rice is a member of the MAC (which is false, I double checked the MAC site, Rice has not joined our ranks)
#203 by JTH on 06.02.09 1:42 pm |
anotherguy said:
Is that the line that runs to the west of the park or the one on the other side of the Dan Ryan? It’s crazy that with the ballpark and IIT both right there that there is no working train station now.
#204 by Jay on 06.02.09 1:47 pm |
LI Phil said:
Call me simple, but I’d argue the B&O Warehouse in Balto influenced Oriole Park at Camden Yards. “Yard” refers to both the field and the old switching yard on which the stadium was built.
Would Camden Yards be as iconic without the warehouse (which also serves as team offices, hosts events, and more)? I like the Jake and all, but while it’s a nice place to watch a game and more visually pleasing than many of the stadiums that came after (especially the Great American Ballpark down I-71), it’s not iconic.
#205 by Beardface on 06.02.09 1:53 pm |
RE: Cows
Virginia Tech does a similar thing, except with HokieBirds instead of cows. These ugly pieces of shit are all over Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Roanoke, and even as far away as DC and Richmond…
http://www.gobbledea...
#206 by LI Phil on 06.02.09 1:55 pm |
Beardface said:
a “hokie bird” is a turkey?
#207 by Jim on 06.02.09 1:56 pm |
http://z.about.com/d...
I concur wholeheartedly. I grew up watching games at 3 Rivers, so I was leery of the change, but I love the park. I live near the Jake, and it’s nice, but I would rather drive to Pittsburgh any day.
It’s not just my biased opinion – my brother, who is a Tribe fan, thinks PNC blows the Jake out of the water.
It’s not perfect, though. The seats in the lower sections are too close to each other. I’ll take right-field upper deck any day. Cheap seats in the shade with a good view of the field and the skyline – that’s close enough to perfect for me.
BTW, what is everyone’s opinion on the different grass-cutting designs on the field? I’m not sure yet what my opinion is, but I’m curious to hear what others think.
#208 by Ry Co 40 on 06.02.09 1:59 pm |
dave said:
hmmm… first time i’ve actually ever heard of that term… interesting
#209 by Jim on 06.02.09 1:59 pm |
Why can’t I do these right?
#207 refers to PNC Park being referred to as awesome.
I like it so much I don’t think I’ll request an “I’m Calling It Three Rivers” shirt.
#210 by KT on 06.02.09 2:01 pm |
werthj said:
That is the one, exactly. My commute takes me by it every morning.
#211 by KT on 06.02.09 2:02 pm |
Oh, and, yeah, Victory Field in Indianapolis…righteous.
http://thescore.ibj....
#212 by MPowers1634 on 06.02.09 2:03 pm |
LI Phil said:
a gelding turkey
#213 by Bourbon Soaked Idiot on 06.02.09 2:04 pm |
Jim said:
I concur wholeheartedly. I grew up watching games at 3 Rivers, so I was leery of the change, but I love the park. I live near the Jake, and it’s nice, but I would rather drive to Pittsburgh any day.
It’s not just my biased opinion – my brother, who is a Tribe fan, thinks PNC blows the Jake out of the water.
It’s not perfect, though. The seats in the lower sections are too close to each other. I’ll take right-field upper deck any day. Cheap seats in the shade with a good view of the field and the skyline – that’s close enough to perfect for me.
BTW, what is everyone’s opinion on the different grass-cutting designs on the field? I’m not sure yet what my opinion is, but I’m curious to hear what others think.
Plus you get to watch real baseball without that God awful DH nonsense.
#214 by Lwiedy on 06.02.09 2:05 pm |
JTH said:
Nice view but because it faces the direction it does, every day game looks like its 10 a.m. Looks weird and hitters can’t be too thrilled facing the sun.
#215 by rpm on 06.02.09 2:07 pm |
rpm said:
looks like we have another “ducks: the animal kingdom’s greatest engineer” here:) explained
____________________
bill jones~
you are nuts, i love ya. do you have all of those displayed in one place? and all in acrylic? if so, i would love to see a pixture. how many are there? are you anywhere near chicago? i would love to get you a gallery show. you could always show in my studio, but you might not get the exposure here you would elsewhere, and i might be able to hook that up for you. anyway, i really dig the dedication to gumball documentation, it is fanfuckingtastic.
#216 by Beardface on 06.02.09 2:07 pm |
LI Phil said:
http://www.hokiespor...
#217 by MPowers1634 on 06.02.09 2:09 pm |
Texas A&M just made my day:
http://img.coxnewswe...
Schutt Ion, Revolution Speed, and the Revolution in the background. Their use of Schutt helmets is a relatively new experiment.
#218 by MPowers1634 on 06.02.09 2:10 pm |
Lwiedy said:
or Detroit
#219 by LI Phil on 06.02.09 2:12 pm |
Beardface said:
thanks…
had to click on this link for the full explanation
#220 by Namhob on 06.02.09 2:13 pm |
JTH said:
How about the BEAUTIFUL view of Northern Kentucky at Great American Ballpark? http://upload.wikime...
#221 by Big Al on 06.02.09 2:16 pm |
Jim said:
I can tell you that my mother-in-law hates the concept. At least when applied to her own lawn.
Two friends of mine were doing lawns — including my then-future MIL’s — one summer while we were in school. At some point, they decided to get creative and made a Yankee Stadium-esque checkerboard pattern in the backyard.
It wasn’t really noticeable from ground level, but I saw it when I went upstairs to whizz and happened to look out the window. I made a comment about it when I got back downstairs, which prompted her to head upstairs to check it out for herself.
Needless to say, that was the last time they did her lawn.
#222 by anotherguy on 06.02.09 2:19 pm |
JTH said:
The Rock is to the east. The line would “serve” both IIT and Comiskey.
I’m constantly amazed by the gentrification to both the east and west (as well as the north). Years ago you couldn’t pay me enough to cross the Ryan. Last year I met two women on the Blue line; they had transfered from the CTA trains which go east of IIT (Green?). I was shocked. I never gave a thought to walking there.
#223 by Brian on 06.02.09 2:19 pm |
War Damn Eagle said:
Yes, it does. Maybe if you were looking at how it used to look when it opened, then you could have an argument. Compare these to what it is now and theres no question that theyve greatly improved the Trop.
http://www.ballparkr...
http://www.ballparkr...
http://www.sportspos...
http://www.ballparks...
http://www.belleview...
#224 by Chris in DC on 06.02.09 2:21 pm |
Mr. X
MPowers1634 said:
Mr. XYZ appears ot have a gray bill on his cap, unlike his teammates with Carolina blue bills. Could be the lighting or a dirty cap.
#225 by anotherguy on 06.02.09 2:22 pm |
Adam said:
The Asst ADs in charge of travel expenses for the MAC can now exhale. :-)
#226 by Big Al on 06.02.09 2:26 pm |
MPowers1634 said:
All this VT talk has got be craving Pokey Stix…
#227 by DenverGregg on 06.02.09 2:26 pm |
While a tiny pic or two can’t do it justice, the view from the first base side of Coors Field is amazing.
#228 by Mark K on 06.02.09 2:26 pm |
Not a fan of the grass cutting designs. Give me the standard checkerboard and I’m happy.
#229 by Beardface on 06.02.09 2:28 pm |
Big Al said:
Oh c’mon… you had to go and bring that up while I’m sitting here at work in NC…
boooo… booo, sir, booooo
#230 by Kek on 06.02.09 2:28 pm |
Ry Co 40 said:
Greg Brown has used the term “North Side Notch” on broadcasts, but I’ve never heard nook.
PNC Park is so great, I wish I had a time machine so I could go back in time and make a shirt that said “I WANT TO CALL IT PNC” and wear it to the shithole that was 3Rivers! I know, I know, the history blah, blah. Immaculate Reception, Roberto’s 3000th. I DON’T CARE! That place was a cold, cement bowl of multi-purpose crap.
Victory Field in Indy is a great park. Took an Indians game in a few years ago while there for F1 and had a blast.
Blair County Ballpark, home of the Pirates’ AA affilate, the Altoona Curve is nice as well. Love the backrop with the rollercoaster. http://i214.photobuc...
#231 by Namhob on 06.02.09 2:29 pm |
TC Lofton said:
If my movie history years are recollected correctly, “Shenanigans” calls for a pistol whipping with a Highway Patrol officer’s sidearm.
#232 by Mike Harris on 06.02.09 2:30 pm |
Tulsa had penguins when the zoo was raising money for a new enclosure a few years back.
Just did a quick Google search and the first thing was a step-by-step guide about how they made them (I’m assuming the process would have been the same for the other menagerie of fiberglass animals currently dotting the country).
Anyway – I’m sure some of you DIY’ers might find it interesting ;-)
http://www.alleng.co...
#233 by Jim on 06.02.09 2:30 pm |
Not I. I do like the classic baseball look, but there is room for variety. I definitely like more color than the 1956 color pallette!
#234 by Chris in Nashville on 06.02.09 2:33 pm |
I know it’s not a baseball stadium but the setting for games at Neyland Stadium is awesome. Tennessee and Washington boast the only two stadiums you can arrive to in a boat.
http://grfx.cstv.com...
http://www.sportsnut...
http://www.city-data...
http://www.knoxville...
#235 by cinnamon on 06.02.09 2:35 pm |
I just graduated from Iowa State…where is this abandoned tennis court?
#236 by smitty on 06.02.09 2:37 pm |
perhaps the “classic” baseball layout has the deeper center field as that allows more seating, which mean means more income for the owners, than a “straight wall” layout would permit?
#237 by DGL on 06.02.09 2:38 pm |
Ry Co 40 said:
I believe Post-Gazette Pirates beat writer Dejan Kovacevic has referred to it as the “North Side Notch”, but I’m too lazy to dig through the P-G website to find a quote.
#238 by Jim on 06.02.09 2:38 pm |
Okay, next time I include the whole comment instead of trying to cut…this is what #232 is referring to:
Bourbon Soaked Idiot said:
#239 by anotherguy on 06.02.09 2:39 pm |
Kek said:
Literally LOL! :-))
#240 by Jim on 06.02.09 2:41 pm |
Chris in Nashville said:
You can arrive by boat at Heinz Field…maybe not your own, but the Gateway Clipper will take you there. Great way to travel to a game!
#241 by MPowers1634 on 06.02.09 2:42 pm |
DenverGregg said:
“That John Denver is full of shit man!”
All kidding aside, that is gorgeous, except for the little purple men.
#242 by LI Phil on 06.02.09 2:44 pm |
Jim said:
im pretty sure you can take a boat, paddle ski or raft to
candlestickPacBellSBCAT&T, right?#243 by Squiddie on 06.02.09 2:45 pm |
Back when the Colorado had just been awarded the expansion and they were tossing around ideas for a new stadium someone suggested that they make the outfield fence a scale model silhouette of the Rocky Mountains. I’m not really sure what the basis of the perspective would have been, but the idea was to have the wall rise and fall with different famous mountains. They especially liked the idea of Pikes Peak (or Mt. Elbert) robbing sluggers of home runs.
One of the
#244 by MPowers1634 on 06.02.09 2:46 pm |
cinnamon said:
Adjacent to the Larry Eustachy memorial Infirmary.
#245 by Ricko on 06.02.09 2:49 pm |
smitty said:
Not to be TOO logical, or unscientific, but isn’t a deeper center field area just an extension of configuration of the four bases?
Home to first: 90 feet
Home to third: 90 feet
Home to second: farther than 90 feet.
Hence, center field also should be, in theory, deeper than down the lines.
Although I have to also include the notion that a ball hit toward center should carry farther because any “hook” or “slice” wouldn’t be as pronounced as a ball hit deep along the foul lines. Just the way it is.
—Ricko
#246 by Squiddie on 06.02.09 2:50 pm |
LI Phil said:
You could in 1960
#247 by dave on 06.02.09 2:51 pm |
Kek said:
You guys are right. “North Side Notch” is the name they use to describe the nook. You can see it used in this article:
http://www.post-gaze...
The problem I have is that the Pirates came up with the nickname (I’m pretty sure) before the park opened.
#248 by Jordan Sogn on 06.02.09 2:52 pm |
Mike Harris said:
The penguin statues are still all around town…it’s pretty cool.
#249 by Namhob on 06.02.09 2:53 pm |
Chris in Nashville said:
I beg to differ as those stadiums are not directly ON the river. I live right across the river from Great American Ballpark and if you head to the “Beer Sellar” http://www.beersella... you can catch a shuttle across the Ohio River and directly to the ballpark as those pictures seem to show.
Are there docks right up against the stadium?
#250 by MPowers1634 on 06.02.09 2:54 pm |
Squiddie said:
What about Shea and Shea II?
#251 by Kek on 06.02.09 2:55 pm |
Chris in Nashville said:
um, Heinz Field?
http://farm2.static....
#252 by Ry Co 40 on 06.02.09 2:58 pm |
dave said:
i wasn’t questioning at all. just never heard that term. and the pirates probably did make that term up. lol. love that place though!!!
#253 by Eric on 06.02.09 2:59 pm |
LI Phil said:
If you like parks that are crammed into city blocks, then PacBell/SBC/AT&T should be your favorite. Nothing about it’s quirky design is contrived or fake. I remember hearing that it was built on the smallest lot in MLB, crammed in hard between 2nd and 3rd street, King Street to the north and the bay to the south. If you knew the pain of getting that stadium built in the first place, you’d appreciate it even more . . .
http://www.nukekille...
#254 by DenverGregg on 06.02.09 2:59 pm |
dave said:
Your math is spot-on. Dude’s suggestion seemed to imply shorter down the lines, though, like 320 to the poles and 226 to CF or maybe 350 and 247. Either a lot of cheap homers or a lot jai alai off a tall wall.
#255 by dave on 06.02.09 2:59 pm |
Squiddie said:
Arriving at a Jaguars game by ferry is common.
http://www.seatrekke...
#256 by anotherguy on 06.02.09 3:03 pm |
dave said:
Sadly for the Jags, just plain arriving isn’t as common as they’d like.
#257 by Ted Kerwin on 06.02.09 3:03 pm |
http://www.digitalba... This is a view
#258 by Chris in Nashville on 06.02.09 3:04 pm |
Namhob said:
Sorry, I meant UT and UW were the only college stadiums you could float to. Yes, there are docks at Neyland but I’m not sure about Husky Stadium.
#259 by MPowers1634 on 06.02.09 3:07 pm |
Ted Kerwin said:
WOW! I seem to remember seeing views of this Utah ballpark, probably during a similar discussion here.
#260 by JTH on 06.02.09 3:07 pm |
Chris in Nashville said:
Heinz Field, as Kek pointed out (Pitt).
And Soldier Field hosts the occasional college game.
#261 by War Damn Eagle on 06.02.09 3:09 pm |
anotherguy said:
Hey, there it is. Some peanut gallery humor about attendance at Jags games. Haven’t heard that before. :) 9th best winning percentage in the NFL since 1995.
#262 by MPowers1634 on 06.02.09 3:13 pm |
JTH said:
I STILL can’t fathom ski jumping there!
#263 by Chris in DC on 06.02.09 3:13 pm |
JRJR said:
PNC Park Threatens To Leave Pittsburgh Unless Better Team Is Built
#264 by JTH on 06.02.09 3:23 pm |
War Damn Eagle said:
Which combination of these do you use to honor that?
#265 by Jeff on 06.02.09 3:29 pm |
LI Phil said:
You betcha.
#266 by LI Phil on 06.02.09 3:30 pm |
JTH said:
which “UH” has the shocker? houston?
#267 by War Damn Eagle on 06.02.09 3:31 pm |
JTH said:
I imagine most Jags fans would use the teal-colored signal in the top righthand corner.
#268 by dank on 06.02.09 3:35 pm |
Whatever they do, I hope that someone with the team happens to notice that those white pants look approximately 97 trillion times better with the white jersey and helmet than the blue pants do.[/quote>I think the all white look is 97 trillion +1 worse than the white jerseys with the blue pants. :) I don’t like the all white at all, too boring for football, looks like a baseball or nurses outfit.
#269 by Jon on 06.02.09 3:36 pm |
My initial reaction to those new WAZZU unis? Terrific! Simple, understated, yet different. Appears the Cougs are returning to their true color, gray, rather than shiny silver, which earns points for accuracy if not visual improvement. Lots of debates here at UW about traditional vs. outrageous. Anyone preferring traditional ought to applaud the Cougs, especially when you consider they made the switch to Nike and that normally translates into something awful.
#270 by TC Lofton on 06.02.09 3:42 pm |
LI Phil said:
Yeah, isn’t that messed up???
A friend of mine is a UH graduate, and claims that they “invented” the shocker not as the randy innuendo, but in honor of a former Cougar mascot that was missing a toe.
#271 by Jeff on 06.02.09 3:42 pm |
TD said:
So, you’re not Todd Davis?
#272 by Paul Warne on 06.02.09 3:43 pm |
#273 by JTH on 06.02.09 3:43 pm |
TC Lofton said:
http://notasportsblo...
#274 by Hickory on 06.02.09 3:44 pm |
Ricko said:
If you use the same proportions as a typical baseball diamond, this is what the outfield dimensions would be:
(assuming 325ft down the lines)
3B/LF = 90 feet/325ft
2B/CF = 127ft/458ft
1B/RF = 90 feet/325ft
~Hickory
#275 by TommyD on 06.02.09 3:46 pm |
the comerica skyline view in detroit is great, but you have to put up an asterisk as 90% of those buildings are abandoned
http://www.wahoodlum...
#276 by J.T. on 06.02.09 3:50 pm |
[url="http://img1.college-football-sports.com/img/showpics/74/ba/l36cc9bad0000_1_7507.jpg"]Wyoming Cow[/url]
#277 by Hott Rodd on 06.02.09 3:51 pm |
JTH said:
FWIW Arizona State uses the same hand sign to represent a pitchfork (Go Devils). I have been known to confuse my friends when I throw it up from time to time.
#278 by TommyD on 06.02.09 3:56 pm |
War Damn Eagle said:
I’m an Eagles fan, we have a solid winning % since 1995 (probably the best since big red arrived in 1999)… without a title it means absolutely NOTHING!
what’s up with tarps over seats for football?
http://football.ball...
http://www.washingto...
#279 by LI Phil on 06.02.09 3:58 pm |
LI Phil said:
i’ve heard some of ASU students prefer the spocker…true?
#280 by Mario on 06.02.09 4:00 pm |
The Icelanders have given away 4,000 tickets to their draft party … oddly enough thats the avg. attendance of an Icelander game.
Going to Kansas City…Kansas City here I come…they have some preety little women……
#281 by Lwiedy on 06.02.09 4:04 pm |
TommyD said:
I guess the Tigers have a new contact person when discussing the renewal of the center field advertisement: http://dimpost.files...
#282 by Wollen1 on 06.02.09 4:05 pm |
I don’t know what it is about Boise State. They (or Nike) seem to feel the need to have a new uni set each and every year with these ‘radical’ new uni designs. This would be more more acceptable if they didn’t get worse looking each and every year. Boo Boise State for voluntarily looking stupid.
#283 by KT on 06.02.09 4:11 pm |
War Damn Eagle said:
In soccer, we call that “mid-table obscurity.”
#284 by LarryB on 06.02.09 4:11 pm |
Not sure in all the comments Forbes Field was mentioned. Off the top of my head I do not know the dimensions of it. I do remember going to games there and the batting cage was kept in center field or left center field. And right field was rather close. I used to like to look at the dimensions of those old fields when I was a kid. The Dodgers move to LA andthe coloseum had some odd dimensions.
#285 by Hott Rodd on 06.02.09 4:11 pm |
This (former) ASU student does not.. but that place is full of the kind of people that Powers probably associates with, so I’ll assume so..
#286 by TommyD on 06.02.09 4:12 pm |
o my, those “tarp” seats (actually better seats just next to the tarp) in JAX are $39 a game!!!
http://www.jaguars.c...
my birds tix in a similar section at the linc are $80, maybe the nfl doesn’t belong on Jacksonville…
#287 by LarryB on 06.02.09 4:14 pm |
Interesting gumball helmets and Bengals colors. Paul Brown was from Massillon, Ohio and coached there before going to Ohio State. The Tigers are the nickname. From what I understand Paul Brown chose Massillon colors for the Bengals.
#288 by TommyD on 06.02.09 4:16 pm |
speaking of paul brown and those helmets. how did he look at this
http://www.superspor...
at think it was better than anything else he could come up with??
#289 by DenverGregg on 06.02.09 4:21 pm |
TommyD said:
Biggest mistake in NFL history putting a team in that market.
#290 by Jim on 06.02.09 4:23 pm |
Chris in DC said:
Hilarious! Painful for a lifelong Buccos fan, but hilarious!
#291 by JTH on 06.02.09 4:26 pm |
#292 by Big Al on 06.02.09 4:26 pm |
TommyD said:
Because he was trying to mirror the Bengals franchise after the Browns franchise in every facet and, when it came to the helmets, that was the closest he could get without going with the same exact (read: logoless) design.
DenverGregg said:
Second biggest mistake, actually. Putting a Super Bowl there ranks first.
#293 by Jim on 06.02.09 4:29 pm |
DenverGregg said:
Biggest mistake was monopolizing the USFL out of business. I know, Trump and his minions are to blame as well. Too bad the Jacksonville Bulls aren’t around today!
#294 by The Great on 06.02.09 4:36 pm |
the old ballparks were quirky because they needed to be fit into neighborhoods and existing street patterns and stuff
these newer parks, with their dangerous, quirky, seemingly random wall heights, and/or blatently short dimensions may be cute and trendy, but they lack the long term qualities and feel the old ballparks had, and, as i said before, feel very forced…
are they better than round, cookie-cutter, astro-turf-laden multi-purpose stadia of the 70’s? sure…but they could have been even better
camden got it right…the jury is still out on a lot of the post-92 parks
If you like parks that are crammed into city blocks, then PacBell/SBC/AT&T should be your favorite. Nothing about it’s quirky design is contrived or fake. I remember hearing that it was built on the smallest lot in MLB, crammed in hard between 2nd and 3rd street, King Street to the north and the bay to the south. If you knew the pain of getting that stadium built in the first place, you’d appreciate it even more . . .
Agreed, Pac-Bell fits perfectly with your logic of quirky becasue it had to be. You try expanding that wall into the bay and then you can poke fun at it.
#295 by War Damn Eagle on 06.02.09 4:41 pm |
DenverGregg said:
Ooh, please be a Broncos fan, Gregg. Because we all know why folks in Denver looove the Jaguars.
http://cache.gettyim...
http://cache.gettyim...
http://cache.gettyim...
30-27.
And for you Philly folks, maybe your problem with Jacksonville has more to do with McNabb choking in the Super Bowl.
http://youngpowermov...
#296 by LI Phil on 06.02.09 4:42 pm |
LI Phil said:
i already
applied doublespeakmisrememberedretracted my comment, even though my only true point about AT&T was the 309′ (if that) distance…i should NOT have grouped it with the other stadia whose quirks seemed forcedi was actually looking at this just a few days ago and thinking it was an odd site location and such, but never put 2 + 2 together to realize how tightly it’s wedged in there
props to the architects on a nice job
#297 by War Damn Eagle on 06.02.09 4:56 pm |
The Philadelphia Eagles have never beaten the Jacksonville Jaguars (0-3). So, please, make jokes about the tarp, or attendance, or the uniforms, or the city, or whatever.
It’s a stadium that was enlarged for the Super Bowl and the Georgia/Florida game. But it’s too big for the Jags games. Mr. Weaver covered the seats to lower the TV blackout number and help ensure that the games are televised in Jax.
#298 by Tony Miller on 06.02.09 4:57 pm |
Anybody remember this list from about six weeks back?
1. It’s Entirely Possible They Won’t Send Me A Christmas Card this Year (9/22/08) 431 comments
2. Hat Trick (4/22/09) 419 comments
3. Tony Miller Has Way Too Much Time on His Hands (7/15/08) 387 comments
4. See Spot Run (9/20/07) 344 comments
5. The Real First Day of Spring (4/1/08) 340 comments
6. What’s In A Name (4/13/09) 335 comments
7. Just One Little Problem (1/11/07) 332 comments
8. Flag Day (9/12/07) 326 comments
t9. The Ricko Files, Vol. 5 (8/5/08) 323 comments
t9. Portrait Of The Artist As A Young TV Viewer (4/24/07) 323 comments
11. Frame Game: Lame? (4/4/08) 322 comments
12. No, Not Those Brownies (12/21/06) 313 comments
13. Jags Unveil Crummy New Uni Set; Kids Cry (4/23/09) 312 comments
14. Uni Watch Book Club: The College Vault Series (9/11/08) 305 comments
15. The Pleasures of Sending a Big, Heavy Ball into a Bunch of Innocent Little Pins (12/11/08) 303 comments
t16. It’s Academic (6/20/07) 299 comments
t16. Para el Cinco de Mayo: Los Uniformes de Béisbol (5/5/09) 299 comments
18. In the Red (10/1/07) 298 comments
t19. Discussion Topic: Up Against the Wall (6/2/09) 297 comments and counting
t19. That Hat is Juuuuuusst a Bit Outside (5/8/07) 297 comments
t19. Seeing
StarsStripes (1/26/07) 297 commentsYou’re now free to
move about the cabinget back to your lives.#299 by mtjaws on 06.02.09 5:03 pm |
Chris in Nashville said:
The Gators very rarely have trouble swimming up and thrashing the locals there either!
#300 by LarryB on 06.02.09 5:10 pm |
Chris in Nashville said:
I have been to both of those. Fun places to see a college football game.
#301 by Hickory on 06.02.09 5:12 pm |
Tony Miller said:
Was this a cheap way to get up to 298? (yes, I realize that my current post may be a construed as a cheap way to get to 300.)
#302 by Justin Augustyn on 06.02.09 5:13 pm |
Lots of cool old sports photos included in this gallery from Philly.com 1900-1939.
http://www.philly.co...
#303 by Brian on 06.02.09 5:14 pm |
cinnamon said:
The Southwest athletic complex where the softball field, and also abandoned baseball field is located.
The story I’ve heard about why it’s abandoned is that they didn’t do enough soil testing or something and the playing surface started cracking immediately after building it.
#304 by floormaster squeeze on 06.02.09 5:16 pm |
I believe that in some of the lower level Soccer professional teams the coaches and groundskeepers decide on the dimensions based on the skills of the team (in the same stadium). So if a team has fast attackers and mediocre midfield they may narrow the field. I do not believe anything too dramatic is ever done but I have heard a few feet here and there is pretty common.
I do not think it is done as much in the top leagues.
#305 by DenverGregg on 06.02.09 5:21 pm |
War Damn Eagle said:
If the local market is routinely blacked out, that indicates there isn’t sufficient support to warrant a team in Jaq.
#306 by Ryan on 06.02.09 5:22 pm |
As for the idea of standardized dimensions, you have to realize that conditions for each ballpark won’t be identical no matter what you do. If you standardize dimensions so that ballparks aren’t bandboxes, don’t you then have to establish new standards for the Rockies, who play in the thin air a mile above sea level? And then what do you about teams that play in very windy ares?
#307 by Chris in Nashville on 06.02.09 5:27 pm |
mtjaws said:
Low blow, man…low blow
#308 by scott on 06.02.09 5:28 pm |
Ricko said:
Or an homage to a great old park like Engel Stadium in Chattanooga, TN:
http://www.ballparkr...
At least two current minor league parks also have hills:
Albuquerque, NM:
http://www.ballparkr...
Johnson City, TN:
http://www.ballparkr...
#309 by Flip on 06.02.09 5:29 pm |
MPowers1634 said:
What I like is that against black the blue KU trimmed in red appears KSU purple.