Toronto Rogers Centre Renovations | ?m | ?s | Toronto Blue Jays | Populous

Woodbridge_Heights said:
+1

People can criticize Rogers Centre all they want but Dodger Stadium??? Chavez ravine is regularly ranked in the top 10 (if not top 5) MLB Ballparks.
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I saw no criticism of Dodger Stadium, rather confirmation of the importance of historical significance and nostalgia on the overall ballpark experience. I agree to an extent that those factors are important, and no doubt, a place like Fenway has had many important historical moments. If prior plans for a new ballpark are any indication however, the whole love-fest for Fenway didn't really develop until after their 2004 WS win. From what I remember, the Red Sox were keen on replacing the place with a new venue before opting to maintain it via restoration and gradual amenity upgrades.

Ultimately, as I've stated previously, the on-field product matters far more than the actual ballpark. You can have as nice a stadium as possible with all the retro-craze amenities, but if the team stinks, fans won't show up. Not over the course of 81 home games. Back when the Jays were drawing ~20,000 a game 5-6 years ago, it seemed like everybody had something to say about the Rogers Centre being the main cause of such lackluster attendance numbers as opposed to the actual team itself.
 
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Translude15 said:
I saw no criticism of Dodger Stadium, rather confirmation of the importance of historical significance and nostalgia on the overall ballpark experience. I agree to an extent that those factors are important, and no doubt, a place like Fenway has had many important historical moments. If prior plans for a new ballpark are any indication however, the whole love-fest for Fenway didn't really develop until after their 2004 WS win. From what I remember, the Red Sox were keen on replacing the place with a new venue before opting to maintain it via restoration and gradual amenity upgrades.

Ultimately, as I've stated previously, the on-field product matters far more than the actual ballpark. You can have as nice a stadium as possible with all the retro-craze amenities, but if the team stinks, fans won't show up. Not over the course of 81 home games. Back when the Jays were drawing ~20,000 a game 5-6 years ago, it seemed like everybody had something to say about the Rogers Centre being the main cause of such lackluster attendance numbers as opposed to the actual team itself.
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Calling Dodger Stadium a glorified Fenway park is a joke. I'm sorry.

There are a number of factors that do go into a well designed baseball stadium. One of which is the angle of the seats relative to the field of play. Rogers Centre suffers from this due to it's multi function design (hopefully this is one thing that is rectified in coming years as the building becomes a baseball first stadium). Take a look at the posted photo of Chavez ravine the infield seats are all pointed to the diamond/mound, then take a look at Fenway many seats are obstructed by columns etc.
 
Woodbridge_Heights said:
Calling Dodger Stadium a glorified Fenway park is a joke. I'm sorry.

There are a number of factors that do go into a well designed baseball stadium. One of which is the angle of the seats relative to the field of play. Rogers Centre suffers from this due to it's multi function design (hopefully this is one thing that is rectified in coming years as the building becomes a baseball first stadium). Take a look at the posted photo of Chavez ravine the infield seats are all pointed to the diamond/mound, then take a look at Fenway many seats are obstructed by columns etc.
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That is true actually. I've never been to Dodger Stadium but from what I've read and heard from others, despite not actually being as historic as Fenway, it's a much more enjoyable ballpark experience. Good sight lines, not cramped etc.

Should the RC renovate the 100 level seating bowl, it would be a pretty extensive reconfiguration project, but a worthwhile one should the seating angle be changed. I doubt anything can be done for the 200 and 500 levels unfortunately.
 
I have been to 10 ballparks over the years. One of the best parks I've been to is PNC Park in Pittsburgh. It is what is. A baseball stadium. No frills or gimmicks here, just a great park to watch a baseball game. Not a bad seat in the house either. Another ballpark i was impressed with was Comerica Park in Detroit. Camden Yards looks great. It's always highly ranked among baseball fans. Its on my list to visit.

Rogers Centre isn't great, but it's still not as bad as the "Big O" in Montreal. It's an Impressive structure from the outside, not so nice inside and a horrible place to watch a baseball game.

PNC Park
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I took in an Indians game at Jacobs Field (now Progressive Field) in Cleveland a couple years ago and it really opened my eyes up to what an eye sore the Dome is. The new Yankee Stadium is good inside but I really loved the beautiful exterior architecture.
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I just don't get all the for the hate for the Rogers Centre. I don't see anything wrong with it, in fact I'm sure most of the league would die to have a stadium with a hotel and a retractable roof.
 
Miscreant said:
That is quite nice, but the deeper, more disturbing question is: why were you in Cleveland?
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A few friends and I were in Ohio for Kings Island and Cedar Point and decided to round the trip out by popping into Cleveland to see a game and check out the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame. I blame the Major League movies and Robbie Alomar's trade to the Cleveland for making me a fan many years ago. Wish we were thinking of going to the prison from Shawshank Redemption for a tour as well but it was already a very long weekend.
 
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Look like people like city views at the ballpark. Make me wonder if people are going to hate bmo stadium when it's done.
 
sixrings said:
Look like people like city views at the ballpark. Make me wonder if people are going to hate bmo stadium when it's done.
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I like to watch the game when I'm at the ballpark / stadium
 
Cleveland does has a very nice ballpark, their exterior matches the relatively light coloured brick seen throughout a lot of their downtown, and center outfield opens up into the rest of the city.
What I also like about their outfield is how the seats are facing straight to home plate, something we aren't accustomed to at Skydome.
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Also, downtown Cleveland has gotten a lot cleaner in recent years, and has a great little district just a block away from the stadium:
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The only realistic thing I can see happening at the dome is a complete reconfiguration of the 100 level to make it look more like a modern stadium. I agree that 200 and 500 levels can't be saved in that regard.
 

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