The design of every major league baseball field is almost always the same: four bases, a pitcher’s circle and mound, dirt in the infield, and grass in the outfield. What is unique and important about a stadium are the components encasing it. What makes a stadium truly special to visit is not the actual field where the game is played, but all elements surrounding the field. Baseball and America go hand in hand, so a field not only represents a sport but a true American tradition.
Each stadium across the United States design is undeniably beautiful and distinct to its city. The Boston Red Sox’s Fenway Park opened in 1912, and still remains a classic with its well-known wall, the Green Monster. The Green Monster is a 37 foot wall in the left field of Fenway, where the only manual scoreboard left in major league baseball is mounted. The wall is the focal point of the stadium because of its extreme proportion in relation to all other fields in the United States. Although the wall is a defining characteristic, the design is very impractical for a baseball field because it prevents many homeruns and is extremely problematic for left fielders.
In contrast to Boston’s classic field, New York’s Yankee stadium is brand new and filled with glamorous restaurants and high tech gadgets, and holds up to 52,000 people. The original stadium which sits across the street held many great memories for the Yankees, so designers brought elements of the old into the new. The salient lattice work from the old stadium was recreated and put on the roof of the new stadium. The interior of the stadium has thousands of photographs portraying Yankee history which raise spirit and bring nostalgia to Yankee fans. The photographs in the new stadium are important because they remind fans of the strength of old Yankee players and tradition.
Every stadium design, new or old, has its own charm and character. The importance of design in baseball fields helps fans distinguish a special trait in their team’s stadium to be proud of. Whether it be a giant Coke bottle like the San Francisco Giants’ AT&T Park or a big bell that lights up for homeruns in Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park, each design in uniquely important to a team’s fans and its players.
Each stadium across the United States design is undeniably beautiful and distinct to its city. The Boston Red Sox’s Fenway Park opened in 1912, and still remains a classic with its well-known wall, the Green Monster. The Green Monster is a 37 foot wall in the left field of Fenway, where the only manual scoreboard left in major league baseball is mounted. The wall is the focal point of the stadium because of its extreme proportion in relation to all other fields in the United States. Although the wall is a defining characteristic, the design is very impractical for a baseball field because it prevents many homeruns and is extremely problematic for left fielders.
In contrast to Boston’s classic field, New York’s Yankee stadium is brand new and filled with glamorous restaurants and high tech gadgets, and holds up to 52,000 people. The original stadium which sits across the street held many great memories for the Yankees, so designers brought elements of the old into the new. The salient lattice work from the old stadium was recreated and put on the roof of the new stadium. The interior of the stadium has thousands of photographs portraying Yankee history which raise spirit and bring nostalgia to Yankee fans. The photographs in the new stadium are important because they remind fans of the strength of old Yankee players and tradition.
Every stadium design, new or old, has its own charm and character. The importance of design in baseball fields helps fans distinguish a special trait in their team’s stadium to be proud of. Whether it be a giant Coke bottle like the San Francisco Giants’ AT&T Park or a big bell that lights up for homeruns in Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park, each design in uniquely important to a team’s fans and its players.
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