Ballpark

by Paul Goldberger
Category: "Sports"
Pages:321
Year of Publication:2019
Date Added:08/26/2019
Date Read:10/16/2019
Notes:Subtitle:Baseball in the American City

A history of the ballpark as a building and they way a ballpark brings a bit of country into the city. The author traces the history of the park from its origins in a rural setting to a setting in and part of a city to the cookie-cutter stadiums that isolated the park from the city to the retro parks that excluded the city to the domed stadiums to the most recent trend of trying to recreate a fake city around the park. He's obviously most fond of those, like Fenway and Camden Yards that blend into the space and mood of the city without overwhelming it. Wrigley has been one of these, but he says the attempts by current ownership to buy the surrounding neighborhood and make it into a fake, controlled, privately owned city threaten it's value.
My Rating: 6

Reviews for Ballpark

Review - Ballpark

I enjoyed the history of the old parks. There were pictures, but I would have liked more. He tended to repeat himself, but I found myself agreeing with his premise—that the best parks somehow fit into their neighborhoods without overwhelming them.

Reviewed by Roger on 2019-10-16 06:41:40

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