Changing venues

[maumann]

That is a hoot!

Thank you for catching the subtle reference there.

 

[cjericho]

Is that the worst "new" stadium in the NFL in the last 30 years? Don't know why they oriented it the way they did - unless they didn't have room to flip it 90 degrees so fans wouldn't be staring into the setting sun for three hours. Bad design. Bad traffic.

Considering it cost 1 1/2 billion dollars Met Life Stadium has to be in the conversation.

 

[Octave]

A terrible stadium with less personality than the dump that preceded it

 

[UPChip]

The Blue Jays' fortunes improved considerably - both on the field and at the gate - when they moved from the Ex to the SkyDome. The dome's location and ease of accessibility - unlike the Ex - changed the whole neighbourhood downtown.

I had a great vacation in Toronto three years ago and never got more lost in a week than when I tried to figure out the necessary transit to take to BMO Field, which is on the site of the former Exhibition Stadium.

Another one I haven't seen nominated is Cleveland, who opened the Jake in 1994 and promptly had eight consecutive winning seasons, which was more than they'd had in the 35 previous years at Municipal Stadium.

 

[Huggy]

I had a great vacation in Toronto three years ago and never got more lost in a week than when I tried to figure out the necessary transit to take to BMO Field, which is on the site of the former Exhibition Stadium.

Another one I haven't seen nominated is Cleveland, who opened the Jake in 1994 and promptly had eight consecutive winning seasons, which was more than they'd had in the 35 previous years at Municipal Stadium.

Even if you live here that area is a forking hassle to get to if you are going to BMO Field, Ricoh Coliseum or the Molson Amphitheatre, which is across Lakeshore Boulevard.. Nowhere to park, no subway station anywhere close so you are taking buses or streetcars unless you opt for the commuter train. And unlike the dome, no restaurant or bar options anywhere close unless you hike up to trendy, overpriced, crowded Liberty Village.

 

[Woody Long]

The Phillies had not won anything since 1915 when they left Connie Mack Stadium for Veteran's Stadium in 1971. It took several years but they were regularly challenging for NL pennants in the mid-1970s and finally won it all in 1980.

That span of the Phillies being generally awful actually encompasses two venues: a dump called the Baker Bowl, which, at different times, collapsed during a game and partially burned, eventually forcing the Phils to become tenants of the A's at Shibe Park in 1938.

 

[maumann]

I'm just having a hard time believing that changing a venue has anything more than minimal affect for a baseball team.
Exception: Giants.

I'd say the Astros getting out of the Astrodome was another good long-term situation. I can't believe someone at some point didn't think to bring the fences in about 20 feet just to make it more neutral for hitting. Orange Juice Park is somewhat ridiculous the other way, but nobody pays to watch 1-0 games.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

That span of the Phillies being generally awful actually encompasses two venues: a dump called the Baker Bowl, which, at different times, collapsed during a game and partially burned, eventually forcing the Phils to become tenants of the A's at Shibe Park in 1938.

Baker Bowl is one of those old ballparks that always intrigue me because of its history, which, as you said, actually had at least two deadly disasters happen during a game. They also had their infamous 60-foot high right field wall, which was just about 280 feet away from home down the right field line, so their pitchers basically took a beating during every home game. That wall also had a sign indicating "The Phillies use Lifebuoy soap!", which led to the inevitable punchline, "And they still stink!"

Even nuttier, Shibe Park and Baker Bowl were within walking distance of each other. Imagine living halfway between the two parks.

 

[wicked]

Braves Field and Fenway Park were about a mile apart. You can only wonder how the 1948 Series would've gone if the Red Sox and not the Indians got there.

 

[BitterYoungMatador2]

Baker Bowl is one of those old ballparks that always intrigue me because of its history, which, as you said, actually had at least two deadly disasters happen during a game. They also had their infamous 60-foot high right field wall, which was just about 280 feet away from home down the right field line, so their pitchers basically took a beating during every home game. That wall also had a sign indicating "The Phillies use Lifebuoy soap!", which led to the inevitable punchline, "And they still stink!"

Even nuttier, Shibe Park and Baker Bowl were within walking distance of each other. Imagine living halfway between the two parks.

When you take Amtrak north out of Philadelphia 30th Street Station you can see the former site of Connie Mack (now the location of a church) and the billboard trusses on the roof of the warehouse that overlooked Baker Bowl on the other side of the tracks.

 

[Starman]

Braves Field and Fenway Park were about a mile apart. You can only wonder how the 1948 Series would've gone if the Red Sox and not the Indians got there.

And Yankee Stadium and the Polo Grounds were about a half mile apart, too.

 

[micropolitan guy]

When you take Amtrak north out of Philadelphia 30th Street Station you can see the former site of Connie Mack (now the location of a church) and the billboard trusses on the roof of the warehouse that overlooked Baker Bowl on the other side of the tracks.

The A's always departed from, and returned to, the North Philadelphia station back in the days of train travel. Sometimes Mack just walked from the ballpark to the stadium.