[.ca] The Ballpark Book : A Journey Through the Fields of ... (ISBN 0892046333)

From Amazon.com:
Fenway. Wrigley. Ebbets Field. These are the real fields of dreams. Sporting News senior editor Ron Smith pays tribute to 46 current and former major league ballparks in The Ballpark Book. Smith divides the parks into "Classics" (Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, and Yankee Stadium), the "Middle Ages" (including Anaheim Stadium, Oakland Coliseum, and Jack Murphy Stadium), the "Turf Era" (such as Riverfront Stadium, Three Rivers Stadium, and Busch Stadium), the "Dome Era" (the Metrodome, Olympic Stadium, and the SkyDome), and the "New Wave Era" (including Camden Yards, Coors Field, and New Comiskey Park). The "Gone, but Not Forgotten" fields are described in reverent, nostalgic tones--suitable for Tiger Stadium and the Polo Grounds, though few will miss the Kingdome and the Stick. Each park is profiled in detail, with great photographs of historic moments. Smith points out unique features, such as the swimming pool in the outfield at Bank One Ballpark, or the single red seat, high up in the outfield bleachers, marking the spot where Ted Williams hit the longest homer in Fenway history (502 feet). Schoolboy Rowe once said, "Ballparks are individuals to me, not just so much stone, concrete, and steel." The Ballpark Book will help you get to know some of these fine individuals. --M. Stein

Wow!:
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.

VERY GLOSSY BUT COULD BE BETTER:
THIS IS A FINE BOOK OF PAST AND PRESENT BALLPARKS. THE PHOTOGRAPHS ARE EXCELLENT. IF PICTURES AND ILLUSTRATIONS ARE WHAT YOU WANT THEN THIS IS A VERY GOOD BOOK. IF YOU WANT A GOOD HARD CORE DESCRIPTION AND ATMOSPHERE OF THE DIFFERNT PARKS THEN YOU WILL BE DISAPPOINTED. OVER ALL A GOOD BUY. BUT FOR A TRUE HISTORIAN OF BASEBALL STADIUMS THIS IS JUST AVERAGE.

Return to your field of dreams:
I spent four summers toiling under the unforgiving sun that dominated Arlington Stadium, watching the Texas Rangers and selling peanuts along the first base line. I have since returned to visit The Ballpark, the new, oldstyle park that now is home to the Rangers.....but I have a real soft spot for that old orange monstrosity. The Ballpark Book is a brief look into ballparks of the past (Classics such as Fenway and Wrigley), the domes, the "Middle Ages" (Jack Murphy and Anaheim) and the new "oldstyle" parks noew in vogue. This book describes each park, its personality, the highlights of archecticture, the quirks that allowed each home team an advantage (none who have seen the fog roll into the Stick in San Francisco will ever forget it)and the memorable personalities that inhabit those parks. Having visited over half of the parks and loved each and every one as an intergal park of the game (OK, some I have loved less) I found this book a real joy to read and a real trip down memory lane to pour over photographs and illustrations. This goes right next to my autographs, my orange buttons for surviving extra inning Giants games, and foul ball collection.....a real treat.

Fascinating, but has some holes:
Very interesting and enjoyable overall, hence the 4 stars, but they omitted some parks, like Parc du Jarry in Montreal, Baker Bowl in Philadelphia, Sick's Stadium in Seattle and the LA Coliseum. And the cartoons of some of the players are a little cheesy - especially when they're interspersed with photographs. Makes me miss the black-and-white illustrations in the 1983 edition. It could have also used some more shots of places we don't usually see, like the clubhouses, the dugouts and the press boxes. Finally, the book was released a bit prematurely, with Detroit, Houston and San Francisco opening new parks this year and Pittsburgh and Milwaukee following shortly.

Bad Timing Takes Away From An Otherwise Wonderful Volume:
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.