Baseball Parks by J. Patrick Lewis on Baseball Almanac

Baseball Parks by J. Patrick Lewis

Baseball parks exist throughout the world. In the United States they span the country — from Seattle, Washington to Miami, Florida. Prose that pays tribute to Baseball Parks are often park specific, but J. Patrick Lewis creatively looks at a few.

"If the Indians are All-Stars, Then the Reds are semiprOH." - J. Patrick Lewis in Baseball Parks (2004)

Published On: Baseball Almanac (2004)

Diamondbacks are safe in Phoenix
Where the ARIZ. warm and dry,
And the team they COL. the Rockies
Plays it cool a mile high.

Watch the fans become disgusted
As their Tigers swing ‘n’ MICH.
And the Cubs are only Soso—
ILL.-at-ease, their batters swish.

If the Indians are All-Stars,
Then the Reds are semiprOH.
Give the Twins a vitaMINN.
The Cards could also use some MO.

Baseball Parks by J. Patrick Lewis

In May 2003 the Page 2 staff of writers over on ESPN wrote a column called The List: Worst Ballparks. The fans wrote in with comments and the writers themselves ranked the bottom five:

1. Olympic Stadium: It looked drab and dreary when Andre Dawson and Gary Carter played there. So, was it ever cool?

2. Veterans Stadium: Ugly, but the turf does remind some players of their childhood days of playing stickball in the street.

3. Tropicana Field: Nothing like being forced to go inside to watch baseball on a beautiful sunny day in St. Pete.

4. New Comiskey Park: A monstrosity trapped between the ageless classics and the new wave of retro parks.

5. The Metrodome: As a general rule, building an outfield wall out of a hefty bag doesn't add to the ambiance.

Those who enjoyed Baseball Parks by J. Patrick Lewis might want to check out some of these other poems he has contributed to Baseball Almanac: A Swing And A Miss, The Reason for Rainbows and Father Time Is Coming (or check out his website for even more).

Which baseball team do you believe has the worst ballpark? Did the Page 2 staff pick the worst five? Share your opinion of the worst (or best) ballparks on our message board.

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