Photo of Old Comiskey in Chicago, Illinois during a night game.

Baseball is a game we are first introduced to as children, whether through playing in little league or our parents taking us to the ballpark. Due to the recent pursuit of newer ballparks with all of the latest bells and whistles, many historic baseball shrines have been abandoned. As much as many fans would have loved to have seen ballparks like the old Yankee Stadium preserved as well as Wrigley Field in Chicago or Fenway Park in Boston, it's just not possible. Here are three Major League ballparks baseball fans miss the most.

Ebbets Field, Brooklyn Dodgers

Aerial photo of Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York.

My favorite quote from the 1990 Super Mario Brothers film starring Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo goes as follows.

Luigi: "Hey Mario, can you believe there used to be Dinosaurs in Brooklyn?"

Mario: "Yeah, there used to be Dodgers here too."

Named after Brooklyn Dodgers owner Charles Ebbets, Ebbets was reluctant to construct Ebbets Field due to the poor demographics of the area. He modestly began purchasing small pieces of land one by one in the Brooklyn area. After completion, the structure was very basic; the ballpark could only be occupied by 23,000 people. The Dodgers played their first game in 1913 and it wasn't until 1929 that the venue had its first press box. During those same years, Ebbets Field began to expand its seating as so many other MLB ballparks had done to satisfy demand.

The Dodgers went on to win the World Series in 1955; the franchise's only title. They would only stay to play at Ebbets Field for two more seasons. When Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley wanted to build a new ballpark in Brooklyn, he was rebutted by the city of New York. As Robert Moses saw it, Queens would be a better location for the new ballpark. With the city of Los Angeles experiencing tons of growth and development, O'Malley began courting Los Angeles as the new home of the Dodgers since he could not have his way. They moved there after the 1957 season and Ebbets Field was demolished in 1960. Fans know the Brooklyn Dodgers today as the Los Angeles Dodgers.

 

 

Yankee Stadium I, New York Yankees

Photo of the field at Old Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York.

"The House that Ruth Built." Old Yankee Stadium is arguably the most iconic Major League stadium to ever exist (sorry Red Sox fans). Built in 1923, old Yankee Stadium became the home of the New York Yankees after they were forced out of the Polo Grounds by the New York Giants (not the NFL team). The Yankees went on to win the World Series in the ballpark's inaugural season and 25 more titles until the stadium finally closed in 2008. Speculation as to when the Yankees would begin building new Yankee Stadium came to an end in 2006 when the team broke ground on a plot of land next door. Although never officially reported, fans suspected the Yankees wanted to have a new stadium built because the rival New York Mets were constructing a new ballpark as well (Citi Field). The Yankees wasted no time dominating visiting teams in their new home and went on to win their 27th World Series title in 2009. Today, many fans can venture into the new Yankee Stadium and still see mementos of their old home including the white facades, monument park and the famous bleachers.

 

 

Tiger Stadium, Detroit Tigers

Photo of the field at Tiger Stadium, former home of the Detroit Tigers.

Detroit's Tiger Stadium opened on the exact same day as Boston's Fenway Park in 1912. Enough said. Like many of the other Major League ballparks of its era, Tiger Stadium was known for its obstructed view seating throughout the stadium as well as it's historic feel. Additionally, the seating felt very compact and close to the field which any baseball fan would enjoy. The upper deck of the stadium overhung the lower level seats giving fans fans on the upper deck some of the best views in all of baseball.

The final home game at Tiger Stadium was played in September 27th, 1999 when the Detroit Tigers took on the Kansas City Royals. The stadium was completely demolished nearly 10 years to the day in 2009. The city of Detroit made little effort to preserve the ballpark since it would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to do so. Today, the only thing left of Tiger Stadium is the playing field which is preserved by a local volunteer group. It's sad that there are not more groups that could help maintain and preserve other playing fields such as old Comiskey (Chicago White Sox), Riverfront Stadium (Cincinnati Reds) or Shea Stadium (New York Mets). In most major cities, however, there is too much money to be made with the vacant pieces of land that these monuments once sat on.

Baseball games are able to touch all of our senses and emotions. Whether it's time spent with family, the smell of the hot dogs, seeing our favorite player for the first time in person, walking to the stadium, the beautiful weather or catching a foul ball, baseball is special. No matter where you sat, Major League ballparks are where countless memories are made and America's favorite pastime is played. Unfortunately, the 30 Major League venues standing today won't be here forever. Over time, they crack and deteriorate which requires even more money to be spent on renovations and maintenance. Sadly, sometimes teams relocate to other cities. Some venues are missed more than others but none more than these three former ballparks.

 

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