The Ballpark Book : A Journey Through the Fields of Baseball Magic (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Kevin Belford (Author, Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Fenway. Wrigley. Ebbets Field. These are the real fields of dreams. Sporting News senior editor Ron Smith pays tribute to 46 current and former major league ballparks in The Ballpark Book. Smith divides the parks into "Classics" (Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, and Yankee Stadium), the "Middle Ages" (including Anaheim Stadium, Oakland Coliseum, and Jack Murphy Stadium), the "Turf Era" (such as Riverfront Stadium, Three Rivers Stadium, and Busch Stadium), the "Dome Era" (the Metrodome, Olympic Stadium, and the SkyDome), and the "New Wave Era" (including Camden Yards, Coors Field, and New Comiskey Park). The "Gone, but Not Forgotten" fields are described in reverent, nostalgic tones--suitable for Tiger Stadium and the Polo Grounds, though few will miss the Kingdome and the Stick. Each park is profiled in detail, with great photographs of historic moments. Smith points out unique features, such as the swimming pool in the outfield at Bank One Ballpark, or the single red seat, high up in the outfield bleachers, marking the spot where Ted Williams hit the longest homer in Fenway history (502 feet).

Schoolboy Rowe once said, "Ballparks are individuals to me, not just so much stone, concrete, and steel." The Ballpark Book will help you get to know some of these fine individuals. --M. Stein

From Library Journal

Smith (Baseball!s 100 Greatest Players) and Belford present stadiums past, present, and futuristic. They portray colorfully the history, dimensions, stars, and major events of parks from Old Fenway and Yankee Stadium to Pheonix!s new Bank One and Atlanta!s new Turner Field. They also pay tribute to Braves Field, Ebbets Field, and other vanished venues. While three brand-new parks in San Francisco, Detroit, and Houston are omitted, this illustrated work eclipses Philip J. Lowry!s Green Cathedrals and Lawrence S. Ritter!s Lost Ballparks (both LJ 2/1/92). Informative and enjoyable, this evocative book is a hit for reference and popular collections."Morey Berger, St. Joseph!s Hosp. Lib., Tucson, AZ
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill/Contemporary Distributed Products; illustrated edition edition (March 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892046333
• ISBN-13: 978-0892046331
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,237,012 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Nice, but could have been better..., May 14, 2000

By A Customer

The Ballpark Book is a handy reference tome for any hardcore baseball fan, but I wish there were more photographs, especially of the parks that have gone through several renovations and remodellings, a la Yankee Stadium and Busch Stadium. The artist renderings are a nice idea, but they're given far too much prominence, and they're woefully inadequate substitutes for actual photos. And the writing, especially on the newer parks, reads more like a press release than an insightful account of baseball park history...

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Return to your field of dreams, October 25, 2000

By	Mary G. Longorio "Texasbookgirl" (Eagle Mountain, UT) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I spent four summers toiling under the unforgiving sun that dominated Arlington Stadium, watching the Texas Rangers and selling peanuts along the first base line. I have since returned to visit The Ballpark, the new, oldstyle park that now is home to the Rangers.....but I have a real soft spot for that old orange monstrosity. The Ballpark Book is a brief look into ballparks of the past (Classics such as Fenway and Wrigley), the domes, the "Middle Ages" (Jack Murphy and Anaheim) and the new "oldstyle" parks noew in vogue. This book describes each park, its personality, the highlights of archecticture, the quirks that allowed each home team an advantage (none who have seen the fog roll into the Stick in San Francisco will ever forget it)and the memorable personalities that inhabit those parks. Having visited over half of the parks and loved each and every one as an intergal park of the game (OK, some I have loved less) I found this book a real joy to read and a real trip down memory lane to pour over photographs and illustrations. This goes right next to my autographs, my orange buttons for surviving extra inning Giants games, and foul ball collection.....a real treat.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, but has some holes, August 30, 2000

By	Eric Berkman (Framingham, MA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Very interesting and enjoyable overall, hence the 4 stars, but they omitted some parks, like Parc du Jarry in Montreal, Baker Bowl in Philadelphia, Sick's Stadium in Seattle and the LA Coliseum. And the cartoons of some of the players are a little cheesy - especially when they're interspersed with photographs. Makes me miss the black-and-white illustrations in the 1983 edition. It could have also used some more shots of places we don't usually see, like the clubhouses, the dugouts and the press boxes. Finally, the book was released a bit prematurely, with Detroit, Houston and San Francisco opening new parks this year and Pittsburgh and Milwaukee following shortly.