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ALL STAR GAME: 2002
This gaudy jewel is certainly unique, in many ways. It is the only enclosed stadium in which the roof panels are arranged in a fan shape, which actually makes a lot of sense when you consider the acute angular layout of nearly all baseball stadium grandstands. However, there is a lot of "dead" space at the extreme ends of those roof panels, behind the upper decks. They could have minimized this waste by building the grandstand at a sharper angle. Because of its wide "footprint" and daunting sky-high ceiling, Miller Park is said to feel less intimate than its predecessor, County Stadium, even though it has about 11,000 fewer seats. The overall fan shape gives rise to several distinctive features, such as the huge glass paned window beyond the outfield and behind each wing of the grandstand. The outfield fence includes seven angles, most of which are too minor to have much effect on play, and which are in any case contrived. Much like Ameriquest Field (ex-"The Ballpark at Arlington"), foul territory is very cramped, with long flanges in both corners, especially on the right field side. The way the upper deck gets bigger toward the foul poles is reminiscent of Chase Field (ex-Bank One Ballpark), another retractable roof stadium. The symmetry of the overall structure likewise constitutes an exception to one of the basic criteria that define the neoclassical stadiums. Although the brick exterior and clock tower help aesthetically, you might say this ballpark doesn't really belong in that category.
Miller Park is only the second stadium (after Dodger Stadium) ever built with four main decks, and it is the only one in which the four decks extend from foul pole to foul pole. The front edge of the second deck is actually directly above the outfield fence in the left field corner, and many home runs pass under that deck into a standing-room-only area (TGI Friday's), just as in Busch Stadium II. Another quirk is the fact that the two decks behind the right field fence are situated at a slight angle from the right field fence. Part of the bullpen on that side is situated under the second deck, though it is not clear why, since there is as much room as there is on the left field side. As with most other recent stadiums, Miller Park is full of eateries and watering holes, of which the most obvious is located in the third deck overlooking the left field corner. (Has a batted ball smacked those big windows yet?) Perhaps the biggest fan-friendly trademark at Miller Park is the waterslide down which "Bernie the Brewer" plunges every time the home team gets a home run. It is located at the edge of the upper deck in left field. In terms of design, the way the outfield upper decks are just squeezed in at various angles seems a little silly and arbitrary.
The gargantuan roof itself is worthy of extensive discussion. Personally, I don't care how many tons it weighs, but the fact that its apex (on the outside) is 330 feet above field level strikes me as pretty impressive. That's the distance down the foul lines at a typical ballpark, but vertical! There are seven wedge-shaped sections, two of which are permanent and five of which pivot in back of the upper deck behind home plate. Note the two support columns in that area shown in the diagram above. The "Bob Uecker" seats behind them have a partially obstructed view and are sold at a discount. Also note in the diagram that the arches account for the varying height of the roof. Three roof sections rest on the left side of Miller Park when the roof is open, and two rest on the right; the arch of each successive section is higher than the previous one. There are four support columns for the roof arrayed along the outfield perimeter, and the "bulge" in center field (which at first glance seems odd and contrived) was put there to accommodate two of those columns.
Built just to the south of where County Stadium used to stand, Miller Park was originally scheduled to open in 2000. Construction was delayed for several months, however, after the huge crane was blown over by high winds. Three workers were killed in that tragic accident.
So far, the new ballpark hasn't helped the Brewers in terms of winning percentage, as they seem stuck in last place in the NL Central Division. Milwaukeeans were rightly proud to host the All Star Game in 2002 -- the first time since 1975 -- and expectations were high. With that big protective roof, there was obviously no chance of the game being postponed on account of rain. It was ruined, nonetheless, when Commissioner Selig declared the game over even though the score was tied, because both teams ran out of pitchers in the extra innings. Boo-oo-oo!! To rectify that monumental goof, MLB officials changed the rules so that the winning league's team got home field advantage in the World Series, making sure that the 2003 All Star Game counted.
Prior to the 2006 season, the right field fence was moved in eight feet to create a new picnic area.
Dirty laundry
It would be hard to discuss the origins of this stadium without noting the anomalous relationship between the team's ownership and the office of MLB Commissioner. Was this all a "sweetheart deal"? True, Miller Park had a lower-than-average public subsidy in percentage terms (66%) compared to most other recent stadiums, but when stated in relation to the size of the local population base, the subsidy was huge. (At 1.7 million -- less than half as big as metropolitan Washington -- the Milwaukee SMSA is the smallest city in the major leagues.) As is widely known, Bud Selig made public funding for a new stadium the main prerequisite for the transfer of the Montreal Expos to Washington, D.C. He originally got involved in baseball in 1966 when he joined a campaign to bring baseball back to town after the Braves left Milwaukee. He invested $300,000 as part of a group that paid $10.8 million for the bankrupt Seattle Pilots franchise in 1970. After becoming the permanent MLB Commissioner in 1998, Selig put his shares into a voting trust, and his daughter Wendy Selig-Prieb became the Brewers' president and CEO. To save his money-losing franchise, Selig secured a $70+ million loan by pledging the future revenues from Miller Park, which was then under construction. One of the banks involved in this loan was LaSalle National Bank, whose board of directors includes Jerry Reinsdorf, lead owner of the Chicago White Sox. More significantly, he is the chairman of the MLB Relocation Committee! Reinsdorf denied knowing anything about his bank's $10 million loan to Selig. Prior the 2004 season, it was announced that the Selig family is putting the Brewers up for sale. Question: How much has the value of that franchise been boosted by Wisconsin taxpayers?
SOURCES: Washington Post (Jan. 16, 2002); Street & Smith's 2003 Baseball; www.mlb.com; www.jsonline.com; www.ballparkwatch.com; ballparksofbaseball.com
FAN TIPS: Bryan Johnson
