Biggest Upgrades?

[Chevy114]

I keep hearing a lot of people taking stands about if shea was a dump or not and it got me thinking. What Stadiums were a drastic improvement from it's predisesor?

I'll go first. I think Camden yards was such an upgrade from memorial. The seats are better since its baseball only and the cool downtown vibe is a huge improvement.

Also Jacobs field, I hear that place was falling apart, felt too big, and had the beams blocking the view. Jacobs field has the great view, the perfect seating, and great outfield councourse to walk around at!

Now my question is are these vast improvements, did people really like those old stadiums, or both?

[Aviator_Frank]

I would think Safeco would be one of the biggest improvements over the King Tomb. Just going from that concrete mausoleum to any open-air park would be worth everything, but Safeco seems like quite a damn fine park in its own right.

[donut726]

PNC Park and AT&T Park

[derby625]

I would think Safeco would be one of the biggest improvements over the King Tomb. Just going from that concrete mausoleum to any open-air park would be worth everything, but Safeco seems like quite a damn fine park in its own right.

after going to the king dome as a kid i went to safeco for the first time a couple of years ago. i couldn't believe the difference, especially in the outfield seating.

plus knowing that tiles won't fall on your head is a big plus.

[Danielh41]

The Ballpark in Arlington was a big improvement over Arlington Stadium, which never felt like a major league ballpark. It still had a minor league feel to it. It had been built in stages, with those massive outfield bleachers.

[btown12]

I would say PNC Park for sure. Having been to both Three Rivers and PNC, I would say that would have to be the biggest stadium upgrade in baseball, if not all of sports.

I also think CBP was a tremendous upgrade over the Vet (stadium wise, obviously the location is the same) but I may be a little bit biased on that one. I do feel that if CBP had a city/riverfront location, it could be one if the best, if not the best, new stadium in the league. Though like I said, I'm a bit biased, haha.

[PeteU]

I keep hearing a lot of people taking stands about if shea was a dump or not and it got me thinking. What Stadiums were a drastic improvement from it's predisesor?

I'll go first. I think Camden yards was such an upgrade from memorial. The seats are better since its baseball only and the cool downtown vibe is a huge improvement.

Also Jacobs field, I hear that place was falling apart, felt too big, and had the beams blocking the view. Jacobs field has the great view, the perfect seating, and great outfield councourse to walk around at!

Now my question is are these vast improvements, did people really like those old stadiums, or both?

Personally, I loved Memorial Stadium. No doubt, OPACY has a lot better and modern amenities and is one of the best ballparks in baseball, but the old yard on 33rd Street had a lot of charm, especially with its neighborhood setting. So as upgrades go, Oriole Park was an upgrade--at least in terms of amenities, but not as dramatic as others.

I would agree that Safeco Field and "Mays Field" (the Giants park) were huge upgrades over the Kingdome and Candlestick, respectively.

[Lafferty Daniel]

[Candlestick60]

I would say PNC Park for sure. Having been to both Three Rivers and PNC, I would say that would have to be the biggest stadium upgrade in baseball, if not all of sports.

I also think CBP was a tremendous upgrade over the Vet (stadium wise, obviously the location is the same) but I may be a little bit biased on that one. I do feel that if CBP had a city/riverfront location, it could be one if the best, if not the best, new stadium in the league. Though like I said, I'm a bit biased, haha.

I never went to Three rivers but I loved PNC park when I went there in 2004 to see the Mets play the Buckos. I loved the intimasy of PNC and the Roberto Clementie bridge I crossed over to get there:cap: C60

[btown12]

I never went to Three rivers but I loved PNC park when I went there in 2004 to see the Mets play the Buckos. I loved the intimasy of PNC and the Roberto Clementie bridge I crossed over to get there:cap: C60

Yeah, PNC is beautiful on it's own but if you ever went to Three Rivers it makes PNC 10x better. I grew up in the Vet, which was of course no gem, but Three Rivers made the Vet look like a cathedral if that gives you any perspective. Really though, any team coming from a cookie cutter or multipurpose stadium into a new ballpark is going to seem like a huge improvement.

[Chevy114]

Yeah, PNC is beautiful on it's own but if you ever went to Three Rivers it makes PNC 10x better. I grew up in the Vet, which was of course no gem, but Three Rivers made the Vet look like a cathedral if that gives you any perspective. Really though, any team coming from a cookie cutter or multipurpose stadium into a new ballpark is going to seem like a huge improvement.

Yeah at least the owners of the vet tried to keep up the stadium by putting good seats in and keeping the jumbotron nice. I never got that impression about 3 rivers.

[Jim Vaz]

I don't see any fans raving for Comerica over old Tigers Stadium..hmmmm.lol

[Jim Vaz]

Lets also not forget Petco over Jack Murphy/Qualcomm.

Maybe its because I was on vacation and the weather was so damn nice, but I personally loved Petco Park! It had such a clean feel to it, intimite enough to be in compared to your Camden Yards and PNCs, it was so fan friendly, the area around it was great. To me at least, it was almost the perfect ballpark. Only thing I would have done better is I would have made the front more of a focal point. There are so many entrances into Petco that the front of the stadium which is in the southwest corner and is not near the bars and the downtown sort of gets overlooked. But thats just nitpicking.

[OBomb]

As a longtime San Diegan, I'd say the upgrade from Qualcomm Stadium to Petco Park was massive, especially after the 1997 expansion. Prior to that, Jack Murphy Stadium, as it was called, was not so bad. But a baseball only facility was badly needed for the Padres both for aesthetics and for revenue. Also, Petco Park has totally made Downtown San Diego and much better place. There's a lot of work left to be done Downtown, but the area is a lot better than it was before the ballpark opened in 2004.

Having said that, I did live in Seattle for four years and I'd say that the Kingdome was the worst stadium I've ever been in. It was dark, it was gray, it was smelly, and the men had to use troughs. Let's not forget the falling tiles and Astroturf. Considering the place was about 10 years younger than the still-standing Qualcomm Stadium, it was pretty bad. Safeco Field is galaxies better than the Kingdump, as is Qwest Field for the Seahawks.

[BeatEmBucs]

Yeah at least the owners of the vet tried to keep up the stadium by putting good seats in and keeping the jumbotron nice. I never got that impression about 3 rivers.

How often you make it to 3 rivers? The jumbotron was nice. I wish I had 25 grand to buy the old board and put it in my backyard. Instead it went down with the stadium. The seats were nice, better then Fenways and Wrigleys, but no better than any of the other "cookie cutters" IMO.

Having said that the difference between going to a game at PNC is night and day compared to games at 3 Rivers. My only real gripes about 3 Rivers (other than the circularness) were the removing of the original scoreboard in 1983, and the not-so-well-lit concourses.