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Author
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Topic: Baseball's Smurfiest Ballpark
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Richrod Smurf
Smurf
Member # 5003
Member Rated:
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posted 10-14-2013 03:53 PM
As I start this thread, the Los Angeles Dodgers are playing in the National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals for the NL title and a shot at their first World Series appearance in 25 years. Since the Dodgers are nicknamed "The Blue Crew" and this is BlueBuddies.com -- and I'm a Dodger fan -- I'd like to find out from my fellow Smurfs what they think is The Smurfiest Ballpark in Major League Baseball.
The main criteria for "smurfy" in the ballpark is that it has to be over-the-top outrageous and fun in its design, a great family-friendly experience, totally immersive, and worth the ridiculously high ticket price for admission.
My personal choice is a tie between AT&T Park (home of the San Francisco Giants) and Comerica Park (home of the Detroit Tigers). They are as wild as Wild Smurf and rascally as Vexy and Hackus in their mix of old-school stadium design and modern amenities. Comerica has giant tiger statues greeting you at the entrance gates and a carousel full of leaping tigers instead of horses. It's an immersive experience that has you feeling you just entered Disneyland. Ironically, Disney redesigned Angel Stadium of Anaheim back in the 1990's, and briefly owned the Angels baseball team for a few years, but it's nothing like Comerica.
AT&T Park is right on the waterfront in San Francisco Bay and is shamelessly loud and proud of its giant catcher's mitt and Coca-Cola bottle in far left field, corporate sponsorship of every square inch of property (the park was 100% privately financed through naming rights), the Sea Dogs that retrieve homers that splash into the China Basin outside the stadium, the loving tribute to the old San Francisco Seals minor-league team in the outer plaza, and of course team mascot Lou Seal.
Interestingly, for years AT&T was the most hated and resented ballpark among MLB team owners because it was built entirely with private funds rather than public money or taxes. After failing repeatedly to get tax breaks or loans to build a replacement stadium for Candlestick Park, the owners of the Giants accepted the voice of the people and paid for its construction by selling naming rights to every section of the property: Coca-Cola Fan Lot, Old Navy (now Levi's) Landing, Lexus Batter's Box, etc. The smashing success of AT&T ever since has made all the other teams look bad in begging for public monies and their fans demanding the teams pay for a new stadium themselves.
Looking forward to your feedback.
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Vexy is still my favorite Smurf. Tomboys need love, too. :)
Facebook: Newport Muse
On DeviantArt: newportmuse.deviantart.com
Posts: 338 | From: Honolulu, Hawaii | Registered: Sep 2013
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Photographer Smurf
Collector Smurf
Member # 4999
Member Rated:
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posted 10-14-2013 09:03 PM
Regardless, a shoutout to all Dodgers fans. Congrats on the win against St. Louis tonight!
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"Oooooh, Gooogle."
Posts: 39 | From: Euclid, Ohio | Registered: Sep 2013
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