MLB’s Top 5 Oldest Venues

Visits: 6

We play it as children, we watch and listen to it as grownups, and we pass on our enthusiasm for baseball to future generations. Of course, baseball is a family tradition in the United States.

This game is inextricably linked to us on a personal level, but you might not understand just how much is also linked to history. Labeled “America’s National Pastime”, baseball has had a significant impact on the country’s growth.

Baseball has supported and reflected many areas of American life, from culture to economics to technical advancements and gambling (MLB markets are very sought-after on online casinos’ sportsbooks at TopCasinoExpert.com), from the Civil War to Civil Rights, and all points in between and beyond. It motivates people to take action, instills pride, and even cures cities. You will see this in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, where the inscriptions and memorabilia all have something to say about baseball’s particular position in Americans’ hearts. These are only a few of the places when baseball’s history and American history have collided.

Baseball is a sport that is built on tradition, which is most evident in the stadiums where MLB teams compete. Let’s take a look at the five oldest sporting venues in the major leagues of the United States.

Fenway Park

The Boston Red Sox’s Fenway Park, completed in 1912 and undoubtedly the most well-known ballpark in baseball, is the oldest stadium currently in service in the MLB.

It is one of the smallest grounds in the major leagues and has a lot of unique features due to its location in Boston’s densely populated Fenway-Kenmore neighborhood. The Green Monster is the most famous of these, a 37-foot left-field wall that is only 310 feet from home base, making it one of MLB’s shortest left fields. But, what is the point of having a 37-foot wall in left field? The solution appears to be to prevent freeloaders from viewing the game. According to legend, the Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey was going along Landsdowne St. when he realized that every restaurant and bar along the street had a clear view of the game. Determined not to allow anyone to see his Red Sox for nothing, he had a wall built to prevent visitors from sneaking a peek at the game.

The Pesky Pole, Williamsburg, and the Triangle are among the other characteristics that make Fenway a special experience for a baseball player to maneuver.

Wrigley Field

Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs, is the only baseball venue that measures up to Fenway Park in terms of longevity. It shares many parallels with Fenway Park and was built in 1914. Wrigley Field is also a jewel box stadium with a variety of unique elements not found in more contemporary stadiums.

The Friendly Confines are the only park in MLB without cushioned barriers around the field of play because ivy grows on the outfield walls. What is the backstory of the ivy wall?

P.K. Wrigley, the team’s owner, decided in 1937 to refurbish the ballpark that carries his family’s name and turn it into an attraction rather than just another baseball stadium. The construction of bleachers was a significant aspect of the remodeling. Wrigley immediately turned to Cubs president William Veeck Jr, assigning him the responsibility of promoting Wrigley Field with something a little more flamboyant in front of the bleacher bricks. Veeck attributes the inspiration for the ivy to Perry Stadium, the home of the Indianapolis Indians, which opened in 1931 and included ivy climbing the outfield walls. Wrigley’s barriers were later commonly incorporated into the league guidelines, allowing them to remain in place.

Wrigley Field is also the star of a number of TV shows and films, including one in which Ferris Bueller famously pays a visit on his day off.

Dodger Stadium

Dodger Stadium, the residence of the Los Angeles Dodgers, is 50 years younger than Fenway Park. Built in 1962, it is the world’s largest baseball stadium by seat capacity, with a capacity of 56,000 when fully occupied.

The development of Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles sparked a lot of debate. Many people were left homeless as a result of the stadium’s construction since the Dodgers bought more property than they required in the hopes of expanding the ballpark to 85,000 seats. This concept was never developed into a viable project.

Many consider it a pitcher-friendly ballpark because of its size, and it has seen 13 no-hitters and two perfect games.

Angel Stadium

The Anaheim Angels’ Angel Stadium, which first opened in 1966, is one of three Californian sporting venues that make up the bottom three spots in the top five oldest baseball stadiums.

The stadium is set to host the baseball and softball events in the 2028 Olympics and is known for its iconic 230-foot tall “Big A” sign in the carpark that lights up after a win.

The Big A sign was positioned beyond the left-field fence, which was erected to house the scoreboard and was visible to spectators in the ballpark when Angel Stadium first opened in 1966. The A-shaped sign was also white, not red, as it is now, and it was the highest structure in Orange County at the time, standing at 230 feet. Standard Oil of Southern California funded the $1 million project and sponsored the sign for the first 10 years.

The Angels made modifications to the stadium in 1979, with the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams due to share it with the team starting in 1980. The Big A sign was moved to the parking lot, closer to the 57 Freeway, after additional seating was added and the symbol was no longer visible from within the ballpark.

Oakland Coliseum

The Oakland Coliseum, home of the Oakland Athletics, is another atypical MLB stadium. The Oakland Raiders played in the stadium from 1966 to 1981, and then again from 1995 to 2009.

Mount Davis, named for previous Raiders chairman Al Davis, is an upper deck that is often closed but towers over the playing area. There have also been sewage difficulties at the stadium throughout the years, and it is a venue that divides supporters’ opinions. Some consider it to be one of baseball’s worst stadiums, while others laud it for being tough and inexpensive.

The A’s have been constantly seeking to leave the stadium for a lot of years, so the discussion may not last much longer. Even though plans for a new ballpark have stagnated, the Coliseum counts its days until shutdown.