Blog post

June 29, 2009 [LINK / comment]

PNC Park update

The PNC Park diagram has been revised in various ways -- some small, some not-so-small. Most importantly, the fence in right field is angled outward a few degrees more than I had estimated previously, and the stadium profile is much better than the crude original. A few other details are corrected as well, and details such as light towers and grandstand walkways are now included. Thanks to Mark London for his continued sponsorship of this page, and four others. The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that PNC Park is the best of all the neoclassical stadiums, of which Oriole Park at Camden Yards was the first. With any luck, I'll be able to provide a first-hand assessment in about five weeks...

Note that, for the time being, I have left the previous version of the "alternate" stadium configuration the way it was, so that you can more easily see what has been changed.

Also note that I have rescanned the panoramic under-construction photo of PNC Park, and added another photo I took while passing through Pittsburgh in August 2000.

Also note that I have updated the Dolphin Stadium page (but not the diagram) to reflect the new name, "Landshark Stadium." (It's just temporary, I assume.) The Nationals have just begun a three-game series against the Marlins, and Ryan Zimmerman started things off on a good note by crushing a long home run to the seats in left field.

St. Louis ballparks

There is a cool Google Maps application that shows where all past and present professional ballparks in St. Louis have been located, and you just click on the respective spots to see a video and photographic history. See St. Louis Times Dispatch; hat tip to Kevin McCann of SABR.

Baseball theology

I cited George Will yesterday with regard to the debate over health care, but this quote from his column is worth bringing to the attention of baseball fans:

Only God, supposedly, and Wrigley Field, actually, are perfect.