Tag Archives: Oakland A’s

MLB stadiums I have not visited

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I have now been to 22 different MLB stadiums (20 still active), and I often think about which ones I would put at the top of my “to-do” list that I have not yet been to. Obviously, I’d go to any MLB stadium on any given day if I had the chance, but there are those that I’d rather visit than certain others. So, I put together my list of the 10 remaining stadiums that I have not been to, and ranked them from worst (I’d least like to visit) to best (I’d most like to visit).

10. OAKLAND COLISEUM: A’S

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It’s old, hasn’t really been touched up, and also plays host to NFL games. Enough said.

9. TROPICANA FIELD: RAYS

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I hate indoor stadiums, I hate artificial turf, and I highly dislike the fact that Tampa Bay even has a team, considering their fans don’t exist.

8. TURNER FIELD: BRAVES

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First of all, I’ve heard multiple times that this park is located in a bad area of town. Second of all, there doesn’t appear to be a whole lot of uniqueness to Turner other than the fact it hosted the Olympics. To put the whipped cream on top, Atlanta fans are some of the worst in sports.

7. MARLINS PARK: MARLINS

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For being such a new stadium, one would think it would be more attractive than it is. However, I’m sure there is some cool, modern stuff to it. Too bad this thing was built for a team that has zero fan support.

6. COMERICA PARK: TIGERS

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Honestly, I’ve heard a lot of good things about Comerica. I just don’t exactly have the burning desire to go to Detroit.

5. GLOBE LIFE PARK IN ARLINGTON: RANGERS

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(They need to quit re-naming this place) The park looks really interesting, and I love the way the exterior of the park looks in pictures. This is a stadium I would really like to see.

4. KAUFFMAN STADIUM: ROYALS

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After being renovated in 2009, Kauffman Stadium appears to be one of the more attractive parks in baseball. It has many unique features and would make a good road trip.

3. CITIZENS BANK PARK: PHILLIES

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Built in 2004, this is a relatively new stadium and it seems to be quite an attractive one as well. I’m sure there are many good vantage points to watch the game around this park.

2. CITI FIELD: METS

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Again, one of baseball’s newer parks, which instantly makes it intriguing. Add in the fact that it’s in New York City, and there’s really no reason to not want to go here.

1. SAFECO FIELD: MARINERS

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I’ve heard nothing but great things about this park and the city of Seattle. Can’t say that about the rest of the stadiums on this list. If only the Mariners drew a bit better…

So there it is. Hopefully I’ll be writing my reviews about these parks before too long.

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Yankees, A’s have same record

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If someone told you that an MLB team with a payroll of $55 million would have the same record as a team with a payroll of $197 million with just 28 games remaining in the regular season, would you believe them? Probably not. But, that is the case currently in the MLB. The Oakland A’s, who have the second lowest payroll in baseball, have the exact same record as the Yankees (76-58), who have the highest payroll in baseball.

This isn’t the first time that the A’s have been able to pull something like this off. Remember the movie “Moneyball” that came out last year? That movie told the story of how the 2002 Oakland A’s were able to compete with the highest paid teams in baseball, regardless of the fact that the A’s had one of the lowest payrolls. It is almost as though we are watching “Moneyball” all over again, but this time it features the 2012 Oakland A’s.

Give credit where credit is due. Billy Beane, the A’s General Manager, always seems to make the most out of what he is given monetarily. The A’s play in one of baseball’s smaller markets, in one of baseball’s worst stadiums (which they share with the  Raiders), and have the second lowest attendance rate in the league. That is a recipe for low income and a low payroll. Yet Billy Beane continues to put competitive teams on the field. He spends his money wisely and is able to sign “under the radar” players to small contracts. On top of that, the A’s continue to bring up quality players from their minor league system who were drafted by Beane.  The bottom line is that Billy Beane is a baseball genius. He is able to pick out the players with the most potential that were passed on by other teams in free agency, sign them to small contracts, and then get them to perform at high levels. It is literally unbelievable how he is able to do this time and time again.

This just proves that spending the most money on players in baseball is not always a guarantee to win the most games. Sure, the best players earn the most money, but that doesn’t always mean that they will make up the best team. Sometimes humbleness, hard work, and the love of the game prove to be the deciding factors in which team comes out on top at the end of the year. What the A’s are doing this year is no fluke, either. They have had even better years than this one earlier in the 2000’s with even lower payrolls.

It’s a shame that the A’s don’t get more attention from the national media. What they are doing and have been doing is something pretty special, and Bille Beane deserves a ton of credit.