Former News-Messenger sportswriter Kevin Yanik has seen a regular season or postseason game at 34 MLB ballparks. There are only 30 active teams.
But everywhere Yanik goes, somehow it all comes back to Cleveland.
"Seeing Kenny Lofton, Albert Belle, Jim Thome, Omar Vizquel, Manny Ramirez," Yanik said. "Seeing them in that park as I'm coming into my fandom, it came together at the perfect time and influenced who I am.
"Those years shaped and defined my love for the game and it set the bar when I go to another park."
With that in mind, Yanik ranked his favorite and least favorite parks from the many he has visited.
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More:After seeing 34 major league stadiums, Cleveland still stands out for Kevin Yanik
10 best stadiums in Major League Baseball
10. Comerica Park (Detroit). A top 10 ballpark isn’t just about breathtaking views or childhood memories. It’s about the people you experience baseball with. And while the Tigers’ ballpark isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing, I’ve seen too many games with people I love in this park to keep it off my list.
9. The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (Minnesota). The Metrodome, which is probably on the top 10 list of few other ballpark goers, pulled on my heartstrings because the first World Series I ever watched was the 1991 edition between the Twins and Braves. Seeing the stadium in the flesh for the first time took me back to the living room floor of my childhood home, where I watched Jack Morris pitch the Twins to the title with his 10-inning performance.
8. Wrigley Field (Chicago Cubs). The ivy. The bleachers. The surrounding neighborhood. It all lives up to the outsider’s expectations, outweighing quirks like awkwardly angled seats and steel beams that obstruct some fan views.
7. Truist Park (Atlanta). Truist Park is another gem, but it’s perhaps what’s around the ballpark that makes for a unique overall experience. A variety of bars, restaurants and shops were built into a district surrounding the ballpark, making a trip to a Braves game unlike one you’ll have anywhere else.
6. Nationals Park (Washington). A trip to the nation’s capital is always a good time, and a hop on the Metro to nearby Nationals Park makes for an easy baseball experience. The ballpark itself does not have any standout features, but it epitomizes the modern park and what taking in a ballgame should be about.
5. Fenway Park (Boston). Seeing the Green Monster up close for the first time is enough to 'wow' even the most casual fan. The unique outfield wall dimensions from center field to right field are also something to see, conjuring up memories like Torii Hunter of the Detroit Tigers flipping over the fence in the 2013 ALCS.
4. Great American Ball Park (Cincinnati). Similar to Pittsburgh’s PNC Park in that it provides a river backdrop, Great American Ball Park also offers breathtaking views while incorporating Cincinnati-specific features like the Riverboat Deck in center field that’s designed like an old steamboat that would have traversed the Ohio River.
3. Progressive Field (Cleveland). Progressive Field has stood the test of time. Now 30 years old, it provided new hope for a city down on its luck for several decades. It remains a ballpark Clevelanders are proud to call theirs.
2. PNC Park (Pittsburgh). Just a couple hour’s drive from Cleveland, PNC Park offers breathtaking views of the Pittsburgh skyline. The view is even more spectacular at night, when bridges over the Allegheny River light up with the buildings behind them.
1. Oriole Park at Camden Yards (Baltimore). This is the venue that transformed baseball homes from stadiums to ballparks. The historic B&O Warehouse beyond right field was resurrected and incorporated as a one-of-a-kind backdrop, merging Baltimore’s late 19th century with the early 21st. Camden Yards showed franchises everywhere that no two fan experiences have to be the same.
5 worst stadiums in Major League Baseball
5. Loan Depot Park (Miami). Similar to Globe Life Field in that games are enclosed, the park lacks the history and iconic views that define the nation’s top ballparks.
4. Angel Stadium (Los Angeles Angels). Although Angel Stadium is one of the oldest stadiums in MLB, it lacks the rich history that Fenway Park, Wrigley Field and Dodger Stadium possess. Nothing about it feels overly special, but no detail necessarily takes away from the experience, either.
3. Globe Life Field (Texas). Globe Life Field is cavernous. It has the look of a football stadium, and, like Rogers Centre, the game feels far away.
2. Rogers Centre (Toronto). One thing I’ve confirmed after experiencing Major League Baseball in 34 parks is that it should be played outdoors. Rogers Centre feels big and the action feels far away, although a rare open roof with a CN Tower view provides a nice change of pace.
1. Guaranteed Rate Field (Chicago White Sox). The stadium is dull, as it was one of the last to open before the advent of the ballpark. The neighborhood around the stadium feels unsafe. And seating —at least based on the last time I attended a game there —is restricted to the deck you’re ticketed in. In other words, if your ticket is in the upper deck, you can’t venture down to the lower deck concourse to even experience the rest of Guaranteed Rate Field.
