America's Ballparks : A Trip Across the Country to Visit Baseball's Playing Fields, Old and New

In this richly illustrated volume, experience the visual panorama of America's great ballparks—with photos, vintage postcards, illustrations, and team mementos, all displayed in a lively scrapbook style. Nothing stirs the soul of a baseball fan like the crack of a bat against a ball . . . or the sight of a fielder leaping high into the air to snatch that ball out of play. What would these fans be without their favorite sport, and what would baseball be without those high-tiered, impossibly beautiful temples to the sport called ballparks? North Americans have treasured some wonderful venues from bygone eras, but sadly lost so many as well. Within the pages of this book readers can revel in the new builds—the retro-modern fields inspired by Baltimore’s Camden Yards, while looking fondly back at the older, more traditional ballparks often referred to as Jewel Boxes. In America’s Ballparks all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums are covered in detail, along with a brief history of their teams and background on any previous ballparks in which they played. Special features throughout the book include: The design evolution and anatomy of ballparks The home fields of the Negro Leagues The top venues of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. A section that examines the long partnership between baseball and corporate branding Each ballpark entry provides cumulative team stats, as well as lists of stadium firsts and club achievements.