Are there any indoor MLB stadiums in the game as of 2020? The answer is quite a few, but most have retractable roofs. I went to the Tampa Bay Rays Stadium to watch the New York Yankees play against the Rays in a domed stadium. A domed baseball stadium would be a new experience for me, so there was a lot of excitement for my trip.
People have negative thoughts about indoor baseball games and indoor ballparks, but this was my second time catching a match under a covered field. Here are my thoughts of indoor baseball, why I think covered baseball stadiums are a good idea, and more. With a retractable roof that is open on the sides, "The Safe" allows teams to play outside even in the pouring rain. Like a lot of ballparks built in the 1990s and onward, this field has a retro-modern design with a brick façade, asymmetrical construction and natural grass field. In addition, it also boasts one of the largest video scoreboards in the game (57 feet high by 201.5 feet wide).
Lookout Landing in left field and the Outside Corner Picnic Patio above the home-plate gate entrance provide fans with breathtaking views over the Puget Sound. Fans can watch the Mariners take on their opponents or gaze out over the water and the downtown Seattle skyline. Nationals Park is located in southeast Washington, DC, along the fast developing Capitol Riverfront. Visiting ballgame-goers will be surrounded by parks, shopping, restaurants and a short walk back to your boat. The park opened in 2008, shortly after baseball returned to the U.S. capital, and is noted for its sleek, glass-and-steel design.
With a seating capacity of 43,341, fans can enjoy amenities including luxury and suite seats, the PNC Diamond Club restaurant and a play area for children. Fittingly, 14 Japanese Cherry Blossom trees inhabit the centerfield plaza and left field concourse, making for a beautiful spectacle during the spring season. Nationals Park was the first major league stadium to be LEED Silver Certified by The U.S. Green Building Council and incorporates a variety of recycled and sustainable elements. Oakland's O.co Coliseum is the only remaining stadium shared by a Major League Baseball team and an NFL team. To this day, early season Raiders games feature the distinctive infield cutout that conjures up memories of a bygone era in sports -- when football teams played home games in stadiums designed primarily for baseball.
The Raiders moved into the Coliseum in 1966 and played there until their move to Los Angeles following the 1981 season. When the team moved back to Oakland, the Raiders again called the Coliseum home. Comerica Park – The opposite of Minute Maid was built by Populous in Detroit. The successor to the iconic Tiger Stadium, Comerica quickly earned its reputation as a pitchers' paradise.
Except for center field, all the distances from home plate were deeper than any in the hitter-friendly Tiger Stadium. Tigers outfielder Bobby Higginson famously nicknamed the new ballpark "Comerica National Park" because of its vast outfield expanses. Comerica is unique in baseball as the southern-most facing park in baseball. One of the most notable features of this grand-stand for boaters to consider — Baltimore's Inner Harbor is just a 10-minute walk away. Leave it to the stalwart city of Boston to have the oldest and one of the most recognizable ballparks in the big leagues.
Fenway has withstood two fires, the "Curse of the Bambino" and the mounting pressures of modernization to remain the beloved home of the Boston Red Sox since 1912. The famed "Green Monster" was born in 1947, with the dark green painted, 37-foot-tall left field wall still being one of the stadium's defining features — now with 250 bar-style seats on top. While the ballpark can hold up to an impressive 37,600 fans, it's the nostalgic setting that makes Fenway Park so special. The park is located near the shores of the Charles River in the Fenway/Kenmore neighborhood. Miami is a modern, eclectic city, and Marlins Park is no different. The long list of highlights includes not only a retractable roof, but also retractable glass panels in the outfield as well.
Dual aquariums with live aquatic life serve as a impressively original home-plate backstop, and a one of a kind feature in the league. The Clevelander Bar can be found in left field, holding up to 240 guests and has food, entertainment and even a swimming pool. Behind the fence in centerfield, a colorful, 75-foot-tall sculpture has moving waves along the bottom that displays celebrating marlins, seagulls and flamingos each time a Marlins player hits a homerun. The Art Deco-inspired building is a short walk from the Miami River, which provides access to Biscayne Bay.
That left-field area also became famous for yielding home runs, as Minute Maid quickly earned a reputation as a hitters' park. This gave the city much-needed momentum to pass a ballpark funding initiative leading to T-Mobile Park's construction, replacing the aging and obsolete Kingdome. As opposed to the concrete tomb of the 1970s, T-Mobile Park had the feel of other retro parks that dotted the landscape in the 1990s, as designed by NBBJ. Among features like a manual scoreboard in left field, T-Mobile Park became known for the railway beyond the left-field stands.
Trains routinely announce their passing behind the park with whistle blasts, which are common during games. T-Mobile Park also set a new standard for concessions, offering the widest variety of fare in baseball, from traditional hot dogs to sushi and pad Thai. Marlins Park is the target of routine derision, but much of the stems from the team's play and management and the lack of an energized fan base. It opened in 2012 and you can forget finding brick, limestone, or green padding—the signature materials in ballpark design. Marlins Park goes quintessential Miami and is one of the first efforts at a modern baseball stadium that didn't embrace retro features.
There are six massive glass panels in the outfield, a retractable roof, and a Populous design that sets the stadium apart. At least give Marlins Park points for going a different direction. Tropicana Field is the only current major league baseball stadium to be a dome. There are a handful of other stadiums in the game that have a retractable roof, however. Minute Maid Park, Blue Jays Stadium known as Rogers Centre, Marlins Park, the new Globe Life Park, Miller Park, T-Mobile Park, and Chase Field all have retractable roofs. Nicknamed the "Eighth Wonder of the World," the Astrodome was built to protect an entire sports area suitable for baseball and football, with seating for 66,000 spectators.
The Lucite-paneled dome, spanning 642 feet , is supported by a steel lattice. The entire interior is air-conditioned at 74 °F (23 °C) and fully lighted with power from its own electricity-generating system. The playing field, constructed 30 feet below grade, spans 150,000 square feet. Forbes Field wasn't the first home of the Pittsburgh Pirates or the last.
It was, however, the first steel-and-concrete stadium built in the National League. The playing field at Forbes Field was quite large, and there was a batting cage sitting in the farthest portion of center field for players to use during games. Oftentimes, fans were allowed to sit on the deepest parts of the outfield grass on days when overflow seating was necessary.
The Pirates won three of their five World Series titles while playing at Forbes, most notably in 1960 on Bill Mazeroski's walk-off homer in Game 7. It's rather sad to think a ballpark that was built in the 1990s no longer houses a major-league baseball team. That proved to be the case here, where Rangers certainly upgraded from Arlington Stadium to a solid, retro-classic park. However, the summer Texas heat is still an issue and the ownership felt a venue with a retractable roof like the new Globe Life Field would draw more fans. From an amenities and game-experience standpoint, Globe Life Park in Arlington, originally known as The Ballpark in Arlington did the job. Oriole Park at Camden Yardsis considered one of the first retro ballparks introduced to Major League Baseball when it was erected in 1992.
Camden has plenty of attributes that make it a wonderful place to watch a professional baseball game. Not only are you close to Baltimore's Inner Harbor which features tons of fabulous dining but the downtown skyline is in sight as is the rustic B&O Warehouse in right field. Just beyond the outfield gates is Eutaw Street, a pregame block party. While in town, schedule a pre or post game visit to Dempsey's Restaurant, a staple hangout for Orioles and Baltimore Ravensfans.
Also, while you're in town, be sure to check out the Babe Ruth Museum just down the street. Baltimore Orioles tickets are also among the most affordable in Major League Baseball. Add all of this to a loyal and dedicated fan base and you have one of the best atmospheres in Major League Baseball. Don't forget, Baltimore is only 45 minutes from Washington, DC, which makes the possibility of seeing Camden Yards and Nationals Parkon the same trip very easy.
Located in the SODO section of Seattle, Washington,T-Mobile Parkis one of the more unique and scenic MLB stadiums out there. SODO is an acronym for south of downtown and is also home to CenturyLink Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks. The main aspect that distinguishes this venue from other MLB stadiums is definitely the retractable roof in which it was one of the first to adopt. The roof is a necessity in Seattle due to the high frequency of rain from the breezy Pacific Ocean. There are five levels of seating at T-Mobile Park including two bleacher sections in center field.
The upper levels offer a nice view of the Seattle skyline. Due to it's location in the Pacific time zone, T-Mobile Park may be unfamiliar territory to most Major League Baseball fans but make no mistake about it; it's a gem. The home of the Padres celebrates the natural beauty, cultural diversity and unique spirit of San Diego. The perimeter of the white steel and sandstone structure is lined with beautiful palm trees, adding even more color to the city's picturesque backdrop.
How Many Domed Mlb Stadiums The Park at the Park, a grassy berm sloping above the outfield fence, is open during game time and allows fans to sit and watch games for $10. The 100-year-old Western Metal Supply Co. building was incorporated into the design of the ballpark and contains a team store, private suites, a restaurant and rooftop seating. Overall, the three-tier grandstand holds 42,500 seats. Sorry, Houston, but the most memorable thing about your park was the hill in center field, and now that's gone. The stadium may be downtown, but it was not an easy place to navigate as a pedestrian, and there weren't a ton of places to go nearby. It probably doesn't help that we saw an absolutely abysmal Astros team that lost 107 games.
I feel like other parks have stepped up their merchandise in the years since, but, to this day, I still covet one of those old school Astros jerseys. Notice that we didn't include a metric here for the relative tolerability of fans in the ballpark -- because if we did, Citizens Bank would rank 25th at best. Philly fans aside, the park boasts a hell of an outfield bar that's packed even on weekdays, serves authentic Philly cheesesteaks, and plays host to a team that's won 53% of its home games this decade. Citizens Bank is also 2017's major league leader in attendance, filling over 100% of seats, which maybe explains why people are always just a liiiiiittle on edge. OK, this place was not designed as a baseball stadium and there weren't many baseball games played here.
But for the sheer audacity of trying to cram a baseball diamond into a rectangular football field, the Coliseum deserves a place in the rankings. This stadium was one of the many multi-purpose stadiums built in the 1960's and 1970's when cities were looking to save money by building one home for two teams. After about 30 years, the Twins began to outgrow the Metrodome and requested a bigger stadium. In 2010, the Twins moved to Target Field, where fans could enjoy baseball games outside again. The facade was made of limestone, allowing the stadium to blend in with the rest of the Warehouse District's urban architecture.
Similar to other stadiums, Target Field made sure to integrate older aspects from previous ballparks into its design, including the flagpole from the Metrodome. Target Field – After 28 seasons in the Metrodome, the Twins ventured back outside in Minneapolis in 2010, playing in their own baseball-specific ballpark for the first time in team history. Despite the weather conditions in Minneapolis that prompted the construction of the Metrodome in 1982, Target Field was not constructed with a retractable roof, although it does contain heated viewing areas.
Target Field pays homage to Twins history via a large "Minnie and Paul" replica, with the pair shaking hands while alit by strobe lights when a Twins player hits a home run. The new park changed the fortunes of the franchise, as the Indians, long a cellar-dweller in the American League Central, reached the World Series in two of the park's first three full seasons. The original home of the Toronto Blue Jays was part of the massive Exhibition Place grounds and was best used for football.
While it provided wide-open views for baseball, the lowest rows of seating were still rather far from the playing field, as was the case with most fields that were initially built for football. An open-air stadium, along Lake Ontario, also made for some harsh cold-weather, windy days and nights early and late in the season. While not an easy place to watch baseball, Exhibition Stadium's unintended quirkiness takes us back to a simpler time in baseball history where amenities weren't that big of a deal. My first indoor baseball game was at American Family Field out in Milwaukee in 2012. The seats that my brother and I had were deep in left field and under the overhang. I believe that all new baseball stadiums should have a retractable roof.
The oldest park in the game, Fenway Park, won't have this option because there is no space in the city to install the retractable roof. However, I believe that anytime a new stadium is in the discussion, baseball should have a retractable roof by default with their design. One criticism from fans is how quiet the indoor baseball field is when the Yankees or Red Sox are not visiting. The Rays fan said an eerie feeling is present when you are out in the center field and only see a handful of fans in their seats. You hear other fans conversations, the players conversions, and more as they echo around the dome.
The game I went to was sold out, so I did not experience this, but I could see that this would be negative. Many people think that Tropicana Field is a dump, but I don't think that is the case. Here are my thoughts on why the attendance is down at the ballpark. Miller Park is a retractable roof stadium, so games can happen under a dome or be open to the sky. Miller Park is one of my favorite Major League Baseball Stadiums in the game, so I have nothing but good vibes with an indoor or outdoor scene.
In addition, these retractable-roof -ballparks provided a climate controlled environment, an attribute never before offered. It is difficult to envision the construction of any new Major League baseball stadiums that does not incorporate a retractable roof. In 1965, one of the most iconic stadiums in fenway park would have been replaced by the boston dome for the red sons.
The idea was for the new stadium 'to host baseball and football, with a separate arena for basketball, hockey and even dog racing. Its unique dome was made up of 12 diamond-shaped, retractable parts that would all slide outwards to open in about 20 minutes.' it would be situated on i-90 . Whether you're a Giants fan or not, this stadium needs to be on your bucket list — you don't even need a ticket! Just hang out in McCovey Cove and see if you can shag a "splash hit" before it sinks. For those ballgame-goers arriving on foot, a statue of Willie Mays welcomes fans to the ballpark entrance; it's flanked by 24 palm trees in honor of his number 24 uniform.
The Coca-Cola Fan Lot behind the left field bleachers includes four adrenaline generating slides inside a giant, 80-foot Coke bottle. Fans can also stroll up to the world's largest baseball glove nearby, the perfect place to grab a picture before or after the game. The picturesque waterside ballpark has 41,600 seats and an impressive 103-foot-wide video scoreboard.
Tropicana Field is the only domed stadium in baseball, as well as the only one to have a 35-foot touch tank where fans can pet rays as they swim around in 10,000 gallons of saltwater. The home of the Tampa Bay Rays is very unique in that its exterior roof is slanted; a feature designed to reduce cooling costs and better protect the stadium from hurricanes. The on-site Ted Williams Museum & Hitters Hall of Fame displays different artifacts and pictures, and also hosts various traveling exhibits throughout the year. Tropicana Field is located just a few blocks from downtown St. Petersburg on Tampa Bay.
