Customer Reviews

Boston's Ballparks and Arenas

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This is a well-researched book that goes into much more (and better) detail than I expected when I purchased it. I had already read quite a bit about Fenway, the old Huntington Avenue Grounds and the old South End Grounds, but this book added some very interesting pieces of trivia. The author also covers "forgotten" ballparks and arenas, which were very interesting and new for even an "expert" like me. ;)

The only thing I felt the book lacks is more pictures and photos, especially of the parks and arenas that are now just memories, but that could be more due to lack of information than to a decision not to include them. Overall, I highly recommend this book for any Red Sox, Bruins, Celtics, Patriots or general sports history buff.

There's a lot to say about this book that's positive. It's quite comprehensive, as it mentions a variety of sites (not only in Boston but all over eastern Massachusetts) that hosted pro sports teams, delving into little-known leagues and short-tenured teams. I also enjoyed the chapters on the stadia that preceded Fenway and Braves Field, as it gave some depth to Boston's baseball history.

What I had some difficulty with was the balance between talking about the teams and talking about the venues. You can't do one without the other, of course, but at times I felt like the balance went too far into team and player histories (most notable in the Fenway chapter, but also at play in the Foxboro chapter). I also thought that the newer places got short shrift; less has happened in the FleetCenter or Gillette Stadium, but I'd think that there are greater opportunities to build the chapters around sources like media reports and interviews.

There were also some minor issues which, while not incredibly disturbing, did leave me feeling strange. For example, former Celtic Jim Loscutoff has his name spelled at least two different ways in the book. Nancy Kerrigan is mentioned as an Olympic medal winner, but it doesn't say what type of medal she won - not a crucial piece of information, but you'd think a sports history book would mention it. The WUSA is mentioned, but not that the league folded. As I said, minor things, but they add up.