Most important stadium feature?

[Paul W]

An unobstructed view of the entire field, from every seat.

can't get that in the new mallparks...

[SparkyL]

Sightlines

[Twenty Seven]

The butcher shop, of course.

[Bazookadale]

Cheap beer!

A no alcohol section where I can sit and not have to put up with the people who got drunk on the cheap beer

[Paul W]

cheap beer and no alcohol areas with spiked fences to separate 'em.

it's been done before. without an ear-splitting p.a. blasting noise, that fella could read the paper in peace...

[BillW]

Parking/accessibility.

[KoosFan]

1. The competitiveness of the team on the field.
2. Clear sightlines so that you can see that team play on that field.
3. Being able to afford to get in to see the field and the team that plays on it.

If you can't have those three, cheap beer so that you can forget how miserable the team is, how bad the seats are and how much you paid for them.

[ericlc129]

This may be a topic that's been discussed before. If it has been, please excuse my bringing it up again. I'm just curious about what you all consider the be the most important feature of a good baseball stadium/park. What feature, if not done to your liking, can ruin the gameday experience, or if done correctly, really enhances the gameday experience?

Being the home stadium of a team that doesn't suck would be a good #1.

[Paul W]

Being the home stadium of a team that doesn't suck would be a good #1.

yes...yes...yes!!!!

[west coast orange and black]

impossible for me to select the most important, but very important to me is that the scoreboard have both lineups listed simultaneously - i wanna see who is in the game.

[zahavasdad]

The Beer Man!!!

[Sean O]

impossible for me to select the most important, but very important to me is that the scoreboard have both lineups listed simultaneously - i wanna see who is in the game.

You mean a cell phone?

[dabigyankeeman]

Wide seats and decent legroom.

[mandrake]

cheap beer and no alcohol areas with spiked fences to separate 'em.

it's been done before. without an ear-splitting p.a. blasting noise, that fella could read the paper in peace...

Not only is this gate blocking the view from any seat (if fans were actually there) but how did NYC allow this fire hazard? The entire section had to enter and exit from one side only......what a potential firetrap.
Those old parks, like Ebbets Field pictured here, may have had charm and history, but they were crap boxes.

[savior]

Escalators.

[savior]

private financing...

Touche'.

..

[dabigyankeeman]

A winning team.

[mjrbaseball]

Affordable ticket prices.

[Mr. Laser Beam]

can't get that in the new mallparks...

Or the old ones, for that matter. There were a lot more obstructions in those than in any new ballpark.

I might also suggest that mass transit is important. Every park should have a transit station as close to it as possible. No one should ever HAVE to drive.

[Power Wally]

Privately funded construction.

[New Yorker]

Location, location, location. I think ballparks should be located in places that somehow capture the personality of their city.

So… for older cities that have a historic urban downtown (NY, Philly, Cincy, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Boston, SF, etc), I feel thats where the ballpark belongs, surrounded by bars, restaurants and the classic buildings that make Pittsburgh feel like Pittsburgh and not SF.

On the other hand, newer "sprawling" cities not so closely linked with their urban downtown centers - LA and Arlington, for example - can have ballparks in settings that somehow capture the essence of that city's personality. Chavez Ravine — and not Wilshire Boulevard — makes sense for LA. It's not downtown, but it's a location that somehow feels very LA. What's more, you should experience that local flavor during a game, which precludes ballparks that you can't see out of.

People fall in love with ballparks — not football stadiums; Fenway Park — not Gillette Stadium. I think it's because ballparks are more distinctive and more a part of their urban surroundings. Enclosed stadiums surrounded by sprawling parking lots are for football. Not baseball.

[Paul W]

Or the old ones, for that matter. There were a lot more obstructions in those than in any new ballpark.

I might also suggest that mass transit is important. Every park should have a transit station as close to it as possible. No one should ever HAVE to drive.

the co$t of tix (up to the "emancipation" of the players) was more in line with the general cost of living, so an unobstructed view of the field wasn't such a issue.
television is always an option if you don't want to drive.

[savior]

the co$t of tix (up to the "emancipation" of the players) was more in line with the general cost of living, so an unobstructed view of the field wasn't such a issue.
television is always an option if you don't want to drive.

I can't imagine watching basebll tv coverage.

College or high school baseball is a better option. Perhaps minor leaue baseball, for those who live near a minor league team.

[Paul W]

...Perhaps minor leaue baseball, for those who live near a minor league team...

always a good option...

[PVNICK]

Location, location, location. I think ballparks should be located in places that somehow capture the personality of their city.

So… for older cities that have a historic urban downtown (NY, Philly, Cincy, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Boston, SF, etc), I feel thats where the ballpark belongs, surrounded by bars, restaurants and the classic buildings that make Pittsburgh feel like Pittsburgh and not SF.

On the other hand, newer "sprawling" cities not so closely linked with their urban downtown centers - LA and Arlington, for example - can have ballparks in settings that somehow capture the essence of that city's personality. Chavez Ravine — and not Wilshire Boulevard — makes sense for LA. It's not downtown, but it's a location that somehow feels very LA. What's more, you should experience that local flavor during a game, which precludes ballparks that you can't see out of.

People fall in love with ballparks — not football stadiums; Fenway Park — not Gillette Stadium. I think it's because ballparks are more distinctive and more a part of their urban surroundings. Enclosed stadiums surrounded by sprawling parking lots are for football. Not baseball.

hahaha for New York a ball bark would, assuming it could be built, encompass all of downtown below Wall Street.