Ballparks Then and Now (Then & Now Thunder Bay) (Hardcover)

by Eric Enders (Author) "The Angels' franchise started in 1961 as the Los Angeles Angels, and from 1962-65 they were tenants in Dodger Stadium..." (more)
Key Phrases: first ballpark, major league stadium, major league ballpark, National League, World Series, American League (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Baseball is one of America's favorite and constant pastimes. The parks in which the games are played, however, have changed significantly over time. Most of the wooden-bench original stadiums are gone, bulldozed to make way for huge, multi-seat emporiums for the modern successful baseball team. This book uses old photographs to look at these wonderful old baseball grounds that are so full of nostalgia for the true fan and shows their modern counterparts in contemporary photographs. Sometimes the old ball park has given way to the new, but more often than not, the park itself has moved entirely to another bigger site. Ballparks Then and Now includes the current American and National League ball parks, as well as former league stadiums.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Thunder Bay Press; 3rd edition (June 10, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1571455930
• ISBN-13: 978-1571455932
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #289,696 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Taking you back, back, back, back..., December 13, 2002

By	Rob Pendell (Manchester, CT) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have enjoyed several of Mr. Enders' published articles, particularly his list of the 25 greatest works of baseball art in the 2001 All Star Game program (headed by "Who's On First" and including Lou Gehrig's farewell address and the baseball box score, which he further celebrates in his "Play Ball! Baseball Scorebook"). Enders' sense of art and engrossing writing style play together brilliantly in this celebration of ballparks. The photos are excellent, the commentary profound, and what really intrigues me are the fact boxes he creates for each stadium. These include stadium aliases, opening dates, home teams and stadium capacity, and finish with a "Greatest Moment" from the history of each stadium. Truly, Enders has opened himself to swift rebuke in some instances (can Kirk Gibson REALLY own the greatest moments in two historic ballparks?), but some of his chosen moments are insightful. One of my favorites is the story of a fire that broke out at West Side Grounds in Chicago, during which two players beat down a fence to allow fans safe passage to the field. Enders also reminds us, in word and photo, that several Major League parks hosted Negro League teams as well, and his "Extra Innings" has some nice nods to non-Major League fields of interest. All around, well done.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Taking you back, back, back, back..., December 13, 2002

By	Rob Pendell (Manchester, CT) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have enjoyed several of Mr. Enders' published articles, particularly his list of the 25 greatest works of baseball art in the 2001 All Star Game program (headed by "Who's On First" and including Lou Gehrig's farewell address and the baseball box score, which he further celebrates in his "Play Ball! Baseball Scorebook"). Enders' sense of art and engrossing writing style play together brilliantly in this celebration of ballparks. The photos are excellent, the commentary profound, and what really intrigues me are the fact boxes he creates for each stadium. These include stadium aliases, opening dates, home teams and stadium capacity, and finish with a "Greatest Moment" from the history of each stadium. Truly, Enders has opened himself to swift rebuke in some instances (can Kirk Gibson REALLY own the greatest moments in two historic ballparks?), but some of his chosen moments are insightful. One of my favorites is the story of a fire that broke out at West Side Grounds in Chicago, during which two players beat down a fence to allow fans safe passage to the field. Enders also reminds us, in word and photo, that several Major League parks hosted Negro League teams as well, and his "Extra Innings" has some nice nods to non-Major League fields of interest. All around, well done.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Get Take Me Out to the Ballpark instead., December 20, 2003

By	James Benson "J LeRoy" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Earlier I had the opportunity to read Josh Leventhal's book Take Me Out to the Ballpark. Leventhal's passion for the game was evident in his well constructed book. Ballparks Then and Now had about half the content and sounded like it was being told by person who was totally bored by baseball.

Take Me Out to the Ballpark actually described the stadiums (outfield distance, peculiarities, history, fence hight, home runs hit, milestones, interesting anecdotes, etc.). Whereas, Ballparks Then and Now came across like an eighth grade report on baseball. "And then the Yankees played at the polo grounds and then they built their own stadium and then the Mets built their own stadium and then the Dodgers moved to Calfornia ..."

What was most bizarre about this book was that the text rarely lined up with the photos. The text would talk about New York baseball in 1900 and the picture is of Yankee Stadium. Later we see pictures of the first baseball games in New York ... while we read text about ... Yankee Stadium!

Do yourself a favor and get Take Me Out to the Ballpark instead.