baseball

The motto for this book could be "Never Met a Ballpark we Didn't Like".

While the Ballpark Book has a lot of unique photos and illustrations, the narrative leaves much to be desired. Any book that seems to gloss over the problems with Cleveland's "Mistake by the Lake" and New Comiskey Park can't be treated as a frank discussion. It is also hard to believe that RFK Stadium, the first of the cookie cutters and movable-stand stadiums, is not included.

However, if a reader is looking for the equivalent of postcards from most of the present baseball parks and a few of the past ones, then the book can be recommended.

Part of the beauty of baseball is the ballpark. Picture a warm, sunny afternoon out on the diamond. That image brings to mind many wonderful things, and some of these memories are preserved in "The Ballpark Book". Divided into five sections- The Classics (traditional venues such as Fenway Park in Boston and Chicago's Wrigley Field), The Middle Ages (Anaheim Stadium and Jack Murphy Stadium are examples), The Turf Era (the time when "cookie cutter" parks such as Veterans Stadium were built), The New Wave (the return to retro-style parks such as Oriole Park at Camden Yards), and finally, Gone But Not Forgotten (which pays tribute to the fields which no longer exist for play). In this way, the book faithfully traces the evolution of the baseball stadium from simple fields jammed between busy city streets to the new spectacular complexes filled with modern amenities and everything else you can imagine. But this is much more than a history book. Each ballpark is featured in a two-page, full-color painting, upon which are printed various facts and descriptions of great moments happening at that particular field. The rest of the chapter is a tribute to the field and its corresponding team, along with a basic summary of important dates and milestones. The paintings are beautiful, and the casual fan can learn a lot of interesting things by reading through the chapters. However, for people like me who have studied the game thoroughly, the book may serve as more of a tribute and companion rather than a detailed reference volume. The biggest issue I had with "The Ballpark Book" is one which is the fault of the authors and publishers. Unfortunately, the book was first released right at a time when several new and beautiful stadiums were opening around the Major Leagues. None of these parks are included in the first edition, which I found disappointing. However, a revised edition has since been published, and this includes those newer parks that were skipped over the first time around as well as the ones that were included originally. So, if you are a casual fan and want to learn more about the fields you see on TV during games, this is a great choice. For a veteran fan who is a student of the game, this book will not teach you many new things, but it is still nice to look through. In my opinion, you can't go wrong with "The Ballpark Book", no matter what your level of interest is, especially if you purchase the second edition. This is clearly the best of the books of this genre that are available on the market.

The ballpark book for ballpark lovers. Includes all current and many older ballparks, including many from the past 30-40 years that have recently been replaced. Great pictures and stories taking you down memory lane time after time.