Frank Lloyd Wright was one of America's most famous, and important architects. His winter residence and studio, called Taliesin West is located in Scottsdale, and is open for tours. It is a fascinating insight into Wright's ideas and principles. For those not into design or architecture, it is just a cool building.
The tour covers the exterior site, as well as unique rooms used by Wright and his associates to model and present their designs. Two theaters in the complex are also included. If you have the time, the extended tour goes into the recently restored living room and private studio of Wright.
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Cactus: Camelback from the Desert Garden
Looking for other things to do in Phoenix, when you aren't at the ballpark? How about the Desert Botanical Garden, which happens to be next to the Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
We stopped there one morning and were treated to just about every type of cactus imaginable, plus a surprising variety of other desert flora. From the mighty Saguaro to the tiniest barrel cactus, to the tree with green bark, the Palo Verde, the garden is full of surprises, especially for an east coast guy like me.
The Desert Garden is well worth a couple of hours. In fact, we went back after the ballgame to finish our own tour!
We stopped there one morning and were treated to just about every type of cactus imaginable, plus a surprising variety of other desert flora. From the mighty Saguaro to the tiniest barrel cactus, to the tree with green bark, the Palo Verde, the garden is full of surprises, especially for an east coast guy like me.
The Desert Garden is well worth a couple of hours. In fact, we went back after the ballgame to finish our own tour!
Monday, March 28, 2005
Cactus: Buttes of Papago Park
This is a view from the seats behind first base at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. The buttes behind the left field fence are located in Papago Park, which is also home to the Desert Botanical Gardens. Just try to find a view like this in the Grapefruit League!
I enjoyed the afternoon at Phoenix Muni. It is a nice, funky ballpark with a spirit. It is older than the parks at Maryvale, Peoria, and Surprise, and is therefore just a little more cramped, but that didn't bother me a bit. Unlike Maryvale, the concessions lines moved quickly.
I think another reason I enjoyed the game is because of the laid-back good natured banter between the Cubs fans and the A's fans. It must have been spring training, where the fans were also getting in shape for another pennant race. There was none of the "edge" that might accompany an important game during the season, just a lot of fun chatter.
I enjoyed the afternoon at Phoenix Muni. It is a nice, funky ballpark with a spirit. It is older than the parks at Maryvale, Peoria, and Surprise, and is therefore just a little more cramped, but that didn't bother me a bit. Unlike Maryvale, the concessions lines moved quickly.
I think another reason I enjoyed the game is because of the laid-back good natured banter between the Cubs fans and the A's fans. It must have been spring training, where the fans were also getting in shape for another pennant race. There was none of the "edge" that might accompany an important game during the season, just a lot of fun chatter.
Cactus: Graphics in Phoenix Muni
What struck me most about visiting "Phoenix Muni" as it is called, was the striking graphics all over the ballpark. This sign is typical of the directional signage throughout the park. I really liked the literal baseball theme.
All along the concourse, banners were mounted that had terms unique to baseball, and their definitions. Not words like ball, strike, or sacrifice, but more colorful terms such as "can of corn" or "Texas leaguer."
This view of a tunnel to the box seats from the concourse also shows the neat stone walls and the currogated steel of the pressbox structure, other features I also like.
All along the concourse, banners were mounted that had terms unique to baseball, and their definitions. Not words like ball, strike, or sacrifice, but more colorful terms such as "can of corn" or "Texas leaguer."
This view of a tunnel to the box seats from the concourse also shows the neat stone walls and the currogated steel of the pressbox structure, other features I also like.
Cactus: Entering Phoenix Muni
To get to Phoenix Municipal Stadium, you walk up a spiral ramp, cross the main road, and spiral back down to the gate on the third base side. While crossing, you get a good look at the concrete roof over the grandstand that looks a little like the bleachers roof at Dodger Stadium, and the striking graphics that are found throughout the stadium. A full park was expected today, as a split squad of the Cubs was visiting the Oakland A's. It seemed that a good portion of the crowd were Cubs fans, who seem to show up everywhere.
Sunday, March 27, 2005
Cactus: A Little Touch of Home
Every spring training park tries to bring a little bit of the club's home park and city to the game. Often, the current game time weather is given at the start of the game. This day at Maryvale, we heard that the gametime weather in Milwaukee was 31 degrees and snow flurries.
Another touch of Milwaukee was the famous sausage races. Not only did the polish, italian bratwurst and frankfurter race down the right field line, the appeared on the concession menu, "imported" from Wisconsin.
Another touch of Milwaukee was the famous sausage races. Not only did the polish, italian bratwurst and frankfurter race down the right field line, the appeared on the concession menu, "imported" from Wisconsin.
Cactus: Cloudy Day at Maryvale
There are a lot of neat architectural features in the park. I particularly liked the trellised "roof" structure, the outfield berm seating, and the open areas on the concourse.
The only part of the whole Maryvale experience that I didn't like was the incredibly long concessions lines. Three innings for a soft drink sort of saps the fun out of the afternoon.
The only part of the whole Maryvale experience that I didn't like was the incredibly long concessions lines. Three innings for a soft drink sort of saps the fun out of the afternoon.
Cactus: Welcome to Maryvale!
They call Phoenix the Valley of the Sun, saying it has 330 days of sunshine a year. Well, our first game of Cactus League baseball took place on one of the other 35 then. Not that cloudy and 63 degrees at game time is bad, compared to cloudy and 43 when we left Virginia the day before!
Maryvale is located in a residential area on the west side of Phoenix. It is a comfortable, park-like setting for a modern, spacious ballpark and the many practice fields needed for a spring training camp. The complex appears to be an attempt at spurring economic development in the surrounding neighborhood, as it seems a little out of place.
Maryvale is located in a residential area on the west side of Phoenix. It is a comfortable, park-like setting for a modern, spacious ballpark and the many practice fields needed for a spring training camp. The complex appears to be an attempt at spurring economic development in the surrounding neighborhood, as it seems a little out of place.
Saturday, March 26, 2005
A Cactus League Weekend
It has become something of a tradition in my family to take a long weekend in March to see some spring training baseball. It is a great break from the cold weather of the northeast and midwest, and a fun way to "cheat" on the start of the baseball season.
A couple of years ago, it was just my dad and I checking out some games in Florida. I flew down a little earlier than him, and was able to squeeze six games into four days- five of them with him. Last year, my sister and neice joined us, and we saw five games while based in Orlando. This year, five of us ventured out to Phoenix, to sample the baseball among the cacti.
My sister and nine-year-old niece flew in from Cleveland. Dad and mom drove down from New Jersey and flew with me. It was a long trip on cramped airplanes, but when we were greeted with sunset over the mountains, it was already worth it.
Three games were on the schedule. Friday, it was the A's versus the brewers at Maryvale Baseball Park on the west side of Phoenix. Saturday, we saw a split squad of the Cubs play the A's at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. Sunday, our final game was the White Sox versus the Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium. Because there were no night games scheduled during our visit, we had some time to check out the area and see a few of the sights, Because the ballparks and training sites are so close together, we were able to avoid some of the long drives we had to put up with in Florida in years past.
I'll follow with my thoughts on the ballparks we visited.
A couple of years ago, it was just my dad and I checking out some games in Florida. I flew down a little earlier than him, and was able to squeeze six games into four days- five of them with him. Last year, my sister and neice joined us, and we saw five games while based in Orlando. This year, five of us ventured out to Phoenix, to sample the baseball among the cacti.
My sister and nine-year-old niece flew in from Cleveland. Dad and mom drove down from New Jersey and flew with me. It was a long trip on cramped airplanes, but when we were greeted with sunset over the mountains, it was already worth it.
Three games were on the schedule. Friday, it was the A's versus the brewers at Maryvale Baseball Park on the west side of Phoenix. Saturday, we saw a split squad of the Cubs play the A's at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. Sunday, our final game was the White Sox versus the Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium. Because there were no night games scheduled during our visit, we had some time to check out the area and see a few of the sights, Because the ballparks and training sites are so close together, we were able to avoid some of the long drives we had to put up with in Florida in years past.
I'll follow with my thoughts on the ballparks we visited.
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
SBC: A Small Detail
Sometimes, the small details of something make more of an impression on me than the overall picture. In this picture, take a look at the bottom part of the columns to the left. I was impressed with the face brick and steel finish to the columns. A classy touch that looks much better than the basic bare concrete, and lends a bit of warmth to the concourse.
I noticed a few other little things like this at SBC- some that just added to the look of the park, and others added to the function and comfort of the park. Some are just fun.
The view into the park from behind the right-field fence from outside the park is one of the more well known features of SBC. Above the right-field fence, there is a drink rail at the outside of the concourse that allows people to relax and enjoy the view of McCovey Cove outside the park.
I noticed a few other little things like this at SBC- some that just added to the look of the park, and others added to the function and comfort of the park. Some are just fun.
The view into the park from behind the right-field fence from outside the park is one of the more well known features of SBC. Above the right-field fence, there is a drink rail at the outside of the concourse that allows people to relax and enjoy the view of McCovey Cove outside the park.
Sunday, November 07, 2004
No Wind = Warm at SBC
Mark Twain once said "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco."? Every summer evening, the wind blows the famous fog through the Golden Gate to cover the city and the bay with a cool mist. It makes the nights great for sleeping with the window cracked open, but it isn't the best weather for watching baseball.
The designers of SBC Park did all they could to keep the fans as warm as possible during those notorious San francisco nights. They modeled the wind, and various configurations to come up with one that kept the wind off of fans. I can personally vouch that they succeeded, though I suffered from an unintended consequence of the design, I believe.
Note the glass panels at the steps going up to the reserved seats. These panels help to screen the wind, keeping it from blowing onto the fans in the boxes below. The panels behind the first few rows of seats accomplish the same thing.
Of course, in September, things start warming up in the Bay Area, and days in the 90's aren't uncommon. During my afternoon at the park, it was 89 degrees, and thanks to the wonderful design of the park, there was no wind or breeze to cool off the fans sitting behind the plate. It was HOT!
SBC: People Will Come
During my four summers in the San Francisco Area, I went to quite a few Oakland A's games, 10-15 a season. I lived in the East Bay, so it was convenient, and with a military discount, it was cheap, too. I did, however, make it a point to head across the bay at least once a season to Candlestick Park to see the Giants and National League baseball.
I'm amazed that the Giants drew as well as they did, because Candlestick was a complete and absolute dump! It made Veterans Stadium in Philly and the other "concrete donuts" look good. It was cold, cavernous, and uninviting, and that was for a day game! The famous San Francisco marine layer fog made summer nights damp and frigid. The only ballpark where people wore parkas to night games, in JULY! It was in a terrible neighborhood, far from anything but the freeway. I learned that San Francisco fans loved their Giants. If they had a decent ballpark, who knows how they would fill it?
Well, the Giants built a gem along the bay, only farther north, close to downtown in the South-of- Market neighborhood. It is everything that Candlestick wasn't, warm, intimate, and a real destination. They built a great ballpark for San Francisco, and the people came.
One neat feature of the park is the baseball quotes that are scattered throughout, including this one from "Field of Dreams" that is most appropriate. I can hear James Earl Jones' voice booming down the concourse. "People will come, Ray, they will most definitely come."
I'm amazed that the Giants drew as well as they did, because Candlestick was a complete and absolute dump! It made Veterans Stadium in Philly and the other "concrete donuts" look good. It was cold, cavernous, and uninviting, and that was for a day game! The famous San Francisco marine layer fog made summer nights damp and frigid. The only ballpark where people wore parkas to night games, in JULY! It was in a terrible neighborhood, far from anything but the freeway. I learned that San Francisco fans loved their Giants. If they had a decent ballpark, who knows how they would fill it?
Well, the Giants built a gem along the bay, only farther north, close to downtown in the South-of- Market neighborhood. It is everything that Candlestick wasn't, warm, intimate, and a real destination. They built a great ballpark for San Francisco, and the people came.
One neat feature of the park is the baseball quotes that are scattered throughout, including this one from "Field of Dreams" that is most appropriate. I can hear James Earl Jones' voice booming down the concourse. "People will come, Ray, they will most definitely come."
Wednesday, November 03, 2004
This Year's Baseball Trip
Every year I try to take a major trip where the main purpose is to see ballgames, preferably at parks I haven't seen before. Somehow I find the vacation time to squeeze this in with visits to family, and winter ski trips. Sometimes I drive to minor league parks, sometimes I fly somewhere and see the parks in that area.
This Labor Day I found myself in Northern California for the first time in almost ten years. I lived in the San Francisco Bay area for four years at the end of the '80s, and became an A's fan. It was a lot of fun watching the great Bash Brothers teams come together and eventually dominate. It was also great to be back in the middle of some of the most dramatic and beautiful urban scenery in the world.
I did three games in three days- San Francisco on Saturday, San Diego on Sunday, and Oakland Monday night. I "commuted" down and back to San Diego the same day on Southwest Airlines. Staying in Downtown Oakland, I was able to take public transit to each ballgame.
I did discover after I arrived in California that if I had switched my Giants and Padres games, I could have seen both Tony Gwynn's number retirement, and Randy Johnson's start against the Giants. I did get to watch Barry Zito snap off some curveballs in a losing effort against the Red Sox, and had two fantastic day games before that.
The quick impressions from the trip? I fell in love with SBC Park, really enjoyed Petco Park, and while I mourned the defacing of a nice ballpark with the monstrosity called Mount Davis, everything else about the Oakland baseball experience was just as I remembered from fifteen years ago. More to follow!
This Labor Day I found myself in Northern California for the first time in almost ten years. I lived in the San Francisco Bay area for four years at the end of the '80s, and became an A's fan. It was a lot of fun watching the great Bash Brothers teams come together and eventually dominate. It was also great to be back in the middle of some of the most dramatic and beautiful urban scenery in the world.
I did three games in three days- San Francisco on Saturday, San Diego on Sunday, and Oakland Monday night. I "commuted" down and back to San Diego the same day on Southwest Airlines. Staying in Downtown Oakland, I was able to take public transit to each ballgame.
I did discover after I arrived in California that if I had switched my Giants and Padres games, I could have seen both Tony Gwynn's number retirement, and Randy Johnson's start against the Giants. I did get to watch Barry Zito snap off some curveballs in a losing effort against the Red Sox, and had two fantastic day games before that.
The quick impressions from the trip? I fell in love with SBC Park, really enjoyed Petco Park, and while I mourned the defacing of a nice ballpark with the monstrosity called Mount Davis, everything else about the Oakland baseball experience was just as I remembered from fifteen years ago. More to follow!
Thursday, October 28, 2004
Eastlake Ballpark- A Sense of Place in an Odd Way
One important thing in the design and siting of a ballpark is that it conveys a sense of place. It took me a while to put a name to it, but it is something I've been thinking and feeling all along. Most of my favorite parks have a sense of place, or that THING that helps you identify the ballpark with the city it is in.
The Eastlake Ballpark, in suburban Cleveland, is a nice enough park, with about 6,000 chair seats between the foul poles, a seating berm in rightfield, and a small bleachers in left field. What struck me most about the place was that it blended in with it's surroundings quite well.
It is located just off the interstate in what is basically an office park. When I visited there with my family, we parked at an office building a few hundred yards behind first base. Walking up to the ballpark, we got the view you see in the picture.
Take away the light standards, and you are looking at an office/warehouse, just like what you would see in the suburbs of any city. I was amazed at how much the park looked like it belonged in the neighborhood! Basic single story brick exterior with office windows, and a taller windowless wall behind it. Even the "tombstone" sign looks more like an office than a ballpark. It also acts like an office building, as the local tourism office is a tenant of the offices behind the first base line.
So, in a very odd way, you get that sense of place as you walk up to the ballpark. You are wearing a ballcap and holding a ticket, but in a strange way, it feels like going to work...
The Eastlake Ballpark, in suburban Cleveland, is a nice enough park, with about 6,000 chair seats between the foul poles, a seating berm in rightfield, and a small bleachers in left field. What struck me most about the place was that it blended in with it's surroundings quite well.
It is located just off the interstate in what is basically an office park. When I visited there with my family, we parked at an office building a few hundred yards behind first base. Walking up to the ballpark, we got the view you see in the picture.
Take away the light standards, and you are looking at an office/warehouse, just like what you would see in the suburbs of any city. I was amazed at how much the park looked like it belonged in the neighborhood! Basic single story brick exterior with office windows, and a taller windowless wall behind it. Even the "tombstone" sign looks more like an office than a ballpark. It also acts like an office building, as the local tourism office is a tenant of the offices behind the first base line.
So, in a very odd way, you get that sense of place as you walk up to the ballpark. You are wearing a ballcap and holding a ticket, but in a strange way, it feels like going to work...
Sunday, October 24, 2004
Inside Harbor Park
Back in 1995, Baseball America magazine named Harbor Park the best minor league ballpark in America. It was also considered by some the "Camden Yards of the minor leagues." It was built with many features that are now commonplace in a new ballpark.
A restaurant is located in the right field corner, with a nice view of the field and the game. You can also watch the game from one of the open concourse while waiting in line for a hot dog- one of the first parks to have this design feature. The upper decks are a nice place to watch a game- not nearly as far from the action as in a major league park.
Of course, all of the seats are comfortable plastic chair seats. No bleacher or bench seats here! Cupholders were even installed. A fixture in a new park now, but a novelty ten years ago.
The design of Harbor Park was so well done that Syracuse decided to use it five years later. They threw in a few wrinkles to make sure it wasn't identical, such as artificial turf. 'Nuff said!
A restaurant is located in the right field corner, with a nice view of the field and the game. You can also watch the game from one of the open concourse while waiting in line for a hot dog- one of the first parks to have this design feature. The upper decks are a nice place to watch a game- not nearly as far from the action as in a major league park.
Of course, all of the seats are comfortable plastic chair seats. No bleacher or bench seats here! Cupholders were even installed. A fixture in a new park now, but a novelty ten years ago.
The design of Harbor Park was so well done that Syracuse decided to use it five years later. They threw in a few wrinkles to make sure it wasn't identical, such as artificial turf. 'Nuff said!
Saturday, October 23, 2004
Entering Harbor Park
If there is one thing that turns me off about entering a ballpark, it is having to climb a massive flight of stairs to get up to the concourse. Some parks, like Jacobs Field, Canal Park in Akron, and First Energy Park in Lakewood NJ are designed so that you enter directly onto the main concourse.
Most new minor league parks, however, are built on top of their site, and require a climb up to the concourse. Stairs are the easy route, and require a minimum of space, and can even be made to look quite nice, but I don't like them.
One of the lasting memories of going to ballgames in my early childhood is of climbing ramps to get to our seats. Somehow, that has stuck with me. A gentle climb up a slope, allowing the anticipation to build from outside to inside. The ramps at old Yankee Stadium were always an experience. The bleachers at Wrigley Field still have ramps as the main route of ingress.
Harbor Park in Norfolk has ramps. I'm sure there are a couple of other minor league parks that have them, but I haven't seen any. The first base ticket windows are neatly tucked under the ramp. After getting your ticket, you begin a gentle, but not too long climb up to the concourse at the top of the lower deck, where you are treated to your first view of the field. No need to stop halfway up to catch your breath or wait for the slower folks, and easy on the knees. A nice way to enter the park, and a functional nod to tradition.
Most new minor league parks, however, are built on top of their site, and require a climb up to the concourse. Stairs are the easy route, and require a minimum of space, and can even be made to look quite nice, but I don't like them.
One of the lasting memories of going to ballgames in my early childhood is of climbing ramps to get to our seats. Somehow, that has stuck with me. A gentle climb up a slope, allowing the anticipation to build from outside to inside. The ramps at old Yankee Stadium were always an experience. The bleachers at Wrigley Field still have ramps as the main route of ingress.
Harbor Park in Norfolk has ramps. I'm sure there are a couple of other minor league parks that have them, but I haven't seen any. The first base ticket windows are neatly tucked under the ramp. After getting your ticket, you begin a gentle, but not too long climb up to the concourse at the top of the lower deck, where you are treated to your first view of the field. No need to stop halfway up to catch your breath or wait for the slower folks, and easy on the knees. A nice way to enter the park, and a functional nod to tradition.
Harbor Park from the Water
My "home" ballpark is Harbor Park in Norfolk, Virginia, home of the Tides. Although you could accuse me of a lack of objectivity, it is also one of my favorites, for many reasons, some of which I'll discuss in this blog.
I grew up taking public transit to the ballpark. Riding the rapid in Cleveland, the El in Chicago, and the subway in New York became second nature. I'm not sure I could even find my way to Wrigley Field or Yankee Stadium driving, but I can still get to Addison Street or 161st Street and River Avenue almost with my eyes closed.
Minor league cities, with few exceptions, do not have subways or light rail to take you to the ballpark, but some places still let you arrive at the park without a car. The Ballpark Ferry takes you from Olde Towne Portsmouth Virginia to within 100 yards of the first base gate at Harbor Park. It is a scenic ride that shows you how the "harbor" got into the name. The ten-minute ride along the Elizabeth River passes shipyards working on Navy ships, downtown Norfolk and the Waterside center, and passes under one of the few interstate highway drawbridges in the country. A different and relaxing way to arrive at the game!
I grew up taking public transit to the ballpark. Riding the rapid in Cleveland, the El in Chicago, and the subway in New York became second nature. I'm not sure I could even find my way to Wrigley Field or Yankee Stadium driving, but I can still get to Addison Street or 161st Street and River Avenue almost with my eyes closed.
Minor league cities, with few exceptions, do not have subways or light rail to take you to the ballpark, but some places still let you arrive at the park without a car. The Ballpark Ferry takes you from Olde Towne Portsmouth Virginia to within 100 yards of the first base gate at Harbor Park. It is a scenic ride that shows you how the "harbor" got into the name. The ten-minute ride along the Elizabeth River passes shipyards working on Navy ships, downtown Norfolk and the Waterside center, and passes under one of the few interstate highway drawbridges in the country. A different and relaxing way to arrive at the game!
Friday, October 22, 2004
Introduction
I'm Jeff, and I'm a baseball fan. Although I have favorite teams, what I enjoy most about baseball is just being at the ballpark. The sounds, the smells, the sights... Going to a ballgame is fun for me, but it is also therapy, I think. A place to forget about the stresses of the day. No matter how poorly my day has gone, or how long I have been on the road, no matter where I am, a ballpark feels like home to me.
I've been fortunate to be able to travel to dozens of ballparks, both major and minor league, as well as a couple of college and other parks. The first thing I do when I travel between March and October is to check the schedules at ballparks I'll be traveling near, and see if I can catch a ballgame along the way or at my destination. Of course sometimes I check the schedules, then figure out where to go! Whether it is a sold-out major league park, or some metal bleachers with 100 other people, I try to catch a game where I can.
I'm new to this whole blogging thing, and to having my own "website" in general, but I hope to share my impressions of some of the ballparks I've been to, and of baseball in general. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it!
I've been fortunate to be able to travel to dozens of ballparks, both major and minor league, as well as a couple of college and other parks. The first thing I do when I travel between March and October is to check the schedules at ballparks I'll be traveling near, and see if I can catch a ballgame along the way or at my destination. Of course sometimes I check the schedules, then figure out where to go! Whether it is a sold-out major league park, or some metal bleachers with 100 other people, I try to catch a game where I can.
I'm new to this whole blogging thing, and to having my own "website" in general, but I hope to share my impressions of some of the ballparks I've been to, and of baseball in general. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it!
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