Sunday, September 9, 2012

2012 Baseball Tour

We hit a few baseball games this year... visiting two of the newest ballparks in the country, along with one of the oldest.

Yankee Stadium
A game at Yankee Stadium is always special.  They call it the "Cathedral of Baseball." Unfortunately the stadium feels too much like a cathedral - a bit sterile, overdone, and uninviting.

Citi Field
I think we both agree that the Mets game at Citi Field was our favorite this year.  We had great seats, the fans were top notch, and they have the best mascot in baseball - Mr. Met. I've now been to two games at Citi Field.  For me, Citi Field is everything that Yankee Stadium is not. The fan experience is warm and the park is inviting.

Wrigley Field
Attending a game at Wrigley Field should be on everybody's bucket list.  The product on the field is not much to speak of, but the stadium itself - and even the surrounding city streets - are unique and memorable.  The simple grandstands, the astonishingly understated corporate sponsorships, and the signature ivy wall all hint at a former golden age of baseball in America - an era when baseball truly was America's past time, an era when men wore three-piece suites and hats to the ball park, an era when names such as Ruth, Mantle, DiMaggio, Mays, Maris, Gehrig, and others filled lineups. 

A bit of advise: if you ever attend a game at Wrigley, go for the outfield bleacher General Admission seats.  The fans out there are the most well-behaved, fun, drunk, enjoyable group I've ever watched a games with.