Fields of Dream

New Park Ideas submitted by our visitors

In this area, we welcome comments and suggestions about how to improve existing parks or create brand-new ones!  Tell me how you would want a new park to look, or tell me what you think about the comments below.  Write by clicking here.  After all, this whole site is for you, the fan!

The most recent submissions are listed first.

Written by Joe Stout

Here is an idea for a stadium. Now, I think that every once in a while, players would like to get out of the big cities and go to a fair sized town large enough to support at least a Double-A minor league team. Hey, maybe a town near the US's most visited national park. Knoxville, TN would work.

This stadium features:
Over 20,000 lower deck seats (red)
15,000 upper deck seats (blue)
12,000 bleacher seats (yellow)
... and enough berm space for about 2,500 people (the green in the outfield)

That makes a total capacity of: 49,500.

The diminsions down the lines would be: LF: 330 ft; Left-center: 365 ft; CF: 415 ft; Right-center: 380 ft; Right: 355 ft.

The Stadium features berm seating in CF, and two spacious pavillions, plus excellent bullpens. All seats are chairback, since I don't know many people who enjoy hard metal bleachers. All seats would be shaded most of the time, except the berm and outfield. The scoreboard would be the largest ever and comparable to Turner Field's scoreboard.

The Team would be named the Knoxville Vols, and the stadium would be named Tennessee Valley Authority Field at Volunteer Stadium.

The concessions would be excellent and moderately priced.

Joe's comments: I think the name Vols is already taken ... Seriously, I like the thought put into this, and I love concessions that aren't too expensive!

Written by DJ Wirth

Here's my design for a new Marlins ballpark, not of the retractable-roof variety. Obviously the best spot for this park would be downtown, not at the Orange Bowl site, and I purposely left most of the outfield areas open to allow for great views of the Miami skyline.

The seating structure is designed with lots of curves and sharp edges to reflect other Miami architecture and also fit with the whole "Marlins" theme (rounded tail fin shapes, sharp pointy nose, etc.). The overall seating capactiy would be around 37,000 with plenty of extra space to accommodate standing room.

In right field below the scoreboard, there would be a string of shops/restaurants/etc... similar to Ashburn Alley in Philadelphia. There are luxury suites above the lower seating bowl from foul pole to foul pole, as well as club seats and party suites on the second level of seating (gotta keep the corporate heads happy!).

That about sums up the description. The entire model was created using Google SketchUp. It's a pretty neat program and completely free! I have done other models including Citizens Bank Park and Shea Stadium. Here's a link to all of the ones I have done so far:
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/search?uq=11453960322486901365

Joe's comments: This design is a solid one, with hints of Minnesota's new park in the outfield. And that Google software is cool!

Written by DJ Wirth

Here is a design for a new major league ballpark, possibly for the KC Royals or Marlins. Basically the park is built to fit within the tight quarters of a few city blocks, which adds to the charm and uniqueness of the stadium. The stadium would hold around 40,000, including bleacher seats in the second deck of the outfield. The scoreboard structure includes the second outfield deck, similar to the one in Philly.

The outfield dimensions are obviously affected by the location, so the outfield wall in left is fairly short, but would be in the range of 20-23 ft. high. The top of that wall would actually be street level, same thing in right field except for a few rows of seats. Also all concourses would be open so the game would always be in view anywhere in the park.

I'm not sure what the chances of a new ballpark in Florida or KC are these days, but a downtown ballpark could certainly help those teams improve their financial situations.

Joe's comments: The Marlins and Royals both need to do something to increase their revenue streams. KC, of course, will now be plowing over $200 million into renovating Kauffman Stadium, but the Marlins are desperate for a brand-new park.

Written by Kevin Hein

This is a ballpark I designed for the Oakland A's. First, the location is just east of Jack London Square, within walking distance. This would give the park an Oakland "feel". It would hold 37,000 - 38,000 people.

I like the brick work on AT&T Park so it would be made of brick. The padded seats at Petco are nice so I'll throw those in. The right field wall will need to be 15 or more feet high because of its short distance, 305-310 feet. The left field wall will be relatively average, like 8-10 feet high, but will be 360-370 feet from home plate. Left-center will be 390-400 feet away and 320 in right-center. Dead center will be 415 or more.

The purple boxes are bullpens and will be in the RF wall. The blue is luxury boxes which will also be in the wall. There will be 30-40 of them. The gray area represents consessions, souvenir areas, like every ball park, which goes all the way around and is in between the 1st and 2nd decks. The big open area beyond center field will be a grill, or something of that nature. The dark gray is a scoreboard. Lastly, past CF are statues of Oakland's greatest players, like Henderson, Canseco, McGwire, Eckersly, Fingers, Mack and Jackson.

Written by: schulzte@msu.edu

I think the situation in Minnesota may require a different approach than those of new parks in other cities.  There is a situation here where three big teams, the Twins, Vikings, and Golden Gophers, all want something new.  The owners and university are all hoping the legislature will foot the bill for a park all to themselves, but the citizens don't want their taxes wasted on stadiums when there are more important things to worry about. Three new stadiums would cost $800 million-$1 billion.

Ever since the new baseball parks have been built in the 1990's, nobody has wanted to discuss the phrase "multipurpose stadium".  Nobody has even tried to build a one in 20+ years.  But with the current economic situation, three new staduims in Minneapolis-St. Paul are not going to happen.  This ideological 40,000 seat downtown urban style park is going to come back to haunt baseball fans.  We complained about the cookie cutters being built of the same mold in the 60's and 70's, but honestly, that is exactly was has happen since 1992.  Certain aspects are different and better in new parks, but the mold is similar again.

I think in the case of Minnesota, some architect needs to present the government with a plan to build a successful, attractive mutipurpose stadium.  The problem with past multipurpose stadiums was the design and materials used when they were built, not that it can't work.  Just use brick, stone and steel for the exterior instead of reinforced concrete, and then good natural turfgrass for the playing field.  If someone can figure this out, I think the citizens would be more inclined to support it with taxes, as there would probably be a savings of $400-$500 million dollars.  And the architect to design such a staduim would really be heralded for doing something great and different, not just something like everybody else.

So I created a seating bowl with this in mind, but I'm no architect.  To scale, it would seat 56,000 for the Twins and 61,000 for the Vikings and Gophers.  56,000 is big for the Twins, but this idea of making a stadium small for intimacy and sellouts is stupid.  If it helps get the stadium built, the Twins should simply put a tarp over the extra 15,000 and sell them only for big games .The Twins have never failed to sell out a playoff game as far as I know, and 15,000 extra seats are 15,000 cheap seats for lower and middle class fans.  There are 82 suites, and a left field pavilion like at Metropolitan Stadium.  And disregard the color scheme, I wasn't too worried about that when drawing this.

Attached is a model seating bowl for baseball. 

Joe's comments: Everything old is new again! Before the Minnesota legislature finally agreed to the arrangements that will bring a new ballpark to fruition, it was looking like the only way to break through the logjam in the legislature was to offer up another multi-purpose stadium. Our guest architect also provided a graphic showing the arrangment for football games. In it, one of the sidelines for the football field runs roughly along the right-field foul line.

Written by:  fry_mah_hide@hotmail.com

Here is my attempt at temporarily configuring the Orange Bowl for baseball.

Explanations:

• The blank part beyond centerfield are seats in the Orange Bowl;
• The pink parts are bullpens. The Marlins are in center field, the opponents are by right field;
• Purple areas are the dugouts;
• The grey area is where a big scoreboard would be put (rising above the right field seats) for games. It could be moved for Hurricane football games;
• Home plate is in the Southwest portion of the stadium. It could have been in the Northwest part, but then the first base seats would be the blue seats.

I figure it's much shorter to Left Field than to Right Field.  Center Field is a bit far away, Right-Center is the worst. Obviously I sampled from the Fenway school of outfield design there.

Home plate could be in the football endzone, but something just doesn't work with that scenario in my opinion.

Joe's comments:  I like the concept of renovating an existing facility, rather than spending $450 million on a brand-new park.

Written by:  StaticMyst@aol.com

This ballpark is for the proposed Major League Baseball team in Charlotte, North Carolina (or at least, the once-proposed Major League team). With a lively spot downtown open to massive expansion, this would be the perfect setting, as it has a lot of nightlife and excitement around it -- not to mention the city's largest transportation terminal right next door.

The Ballpark at Tryon Center

Location: Tryon Center Station, two blocks from I-485.
Seating: 57,280 Fans

Dimensions:
Left Field: 370 Feet
Left Center: 385 Feet
Center Field: 390 Feet
Right Center: 395 Feet
Right Field: 400 Feet

The ballpark would feature this unique design (off-center dimensions) to give the park it's own special trait, not to mention create an unusual power alley to the right field corner. Beyond the lower level seats in both down the left and right field lines would lie two pavilions where interactive games (ala Scouts Alley, Turner Field) and concessions would be located. A giant scoreboard would be displayed in center field with inning-by-inning scores, player states, and instant replays. Similar to Camden Yards crossed with Yankee Stadium and Coors Field, this ballpark would have a giant section of the outfield devoted to a type of scenic park area with monuments and memorials to past greats or the like, with picnic tables and benches for patrons to use daily. There is a short row of Suites placed adjacently next to the press box.

Joe's comments:  Hmm, a park where the right field line is longer than the distance to dead center field.  Definitely nothing else like it, and that's good!

Written by:  DaiKaioushin022@aol.com

The Twins need a new ballpark, but as cold as it is, they need to stay warm.  As a result, I've come up with a new ballpark design ... however, it IS a dome

• The name of the stadium would be Century 21 Field
• The field shape would be asymmetrical and the sightlines would be the best in baseball
• The dimensions are: LF-343, LCF-390, CF-417, RCF-395, RF-343
• Two quirks of "The Century" would be a dome shape that would be perfect for baseball, and the surface would be FieldTurf, the same surface that most football teams are using in indoor facilities
• It is clearly NOT a multipurpose stadium, as most other domes are
• The facade would reflect the architectural history of Minneapolis

Joe comments:  combining an old-style look with a dome is certainly a novel approach.  Considering the weather of the Twin Cities and the way Miller Park has been such a boon to the Brewers, perhaps a retractable roof might make more sense.  I just hate wasting good weather by playing indoors no matter what, which is what the Twins do now in the terrible Metrodome.  Good ideas here, though.  

Written by:  Viperls1@aol.com 

My dream park would be quite unique for new parks, in that the second deck would hang over the lower deck, like the older parks.  The way I see it, if you put the support posts in line with the stairwells, they shouldn't get too much in anyone's sightlines in the crowd.  It would have the left field foul line at about 300 feet, with a normal fence and bleacher section extending from the lower deck grandstands.  The opposite foul line would have another unusual feature: it would be deeper, say about 330 or 340 feet, and the upper deck would stretch around into right field, supported by a 30-foot high fence which would be integrated into the structure of the stadium.  The fence would have, at least, an out-of-town scoreboard.  A feature that would be really neat to include--but I'm not sure if it would be too distracting--is a Diamondvision screen built into the big fence, where out of town scores could be shown in between innings.  Otherwise, the big screen would be behind the left field seats.  As for center field... well, does there really need to be something in center field?  I'd leave this to whatever team occupies it... put in fountains, picnic area, pool, pit of fire and brimstone, etc.  Seating capacity I figure would be about 45,000 seats.  And oh yeah... the field would be grass.

Joe's comments:  I like the ingenuity to having the front of the upper deck extend farther into the field than the front row of the lower deck.  Tiger Stadium was famous for this.  The only drawback, I guess, is that fans in the lower deck would have a hard time seeing the scoreboard or fly balls because the upper deck would probably hang pretty low.

Written by:  THEGILDANS@aol.com 

I live in West Palm Beach, and I'm a big Marlins fan. Pro Player Stadium is not a nice place to watch a baseball game, mostly because it is a football stadium and the seats are angled towards second base. The lighting is set up for football, so home plate is dark while the rest of the field is lighted well.

The new stadium would be in Miami, on the river:

-It would have a state-of-the-art retractable roof that closes in 5 minutes. The roof could stand up to winds over 150 miles per hour, in case a nice Category 5 hurricane came along. When open, the roof would be parked in right field, like at MM Park. It would not be as ugly as the one at Safeco field.

-It would not be named for a corporate sponsor

-The park would have 33,500 teal seats in two levels:

Lower Deck (19,000) - The seats would be angled toward the plate and have cushions on them.The lower deck would run from the right field corner to left-center field in foul territory.

Upper Deck (14,500) - The upper deck would extend from foul pole to foul pole, with a sun roof covering 1/3 of the seats.

-There would be 70 luxury suites.

-The main concourse would have an open view of the field and would be the widest in the majors.

-The field would be 24 feet below street level, and would be visible from the street.

-The field would also be about 5 feet below sea level, making it the lowest in the majors.

-There would be 19 restrooms for each gender.

-The field dimensions would be 335-434-404-385-327 (Bermuda triangle recreated)

-The hitter's background would be made of palm trees and sea grapes.

-There would be a huge color video board beyond the hitter's backdrop in center.

-There would be a grassy knoll where 2,000 fans could stretch out on blankets and watch the game for $3.

-Beyond left field, there is an excellent view of the Miami skyline, which is beautiful at night.

-Deep home runs to left field could drop into the water. You could rent a raft and try to catch home runs, like at Pac Bell.

-The facade outside the park would be brick and limestone, like the other retro parks of the '90's. Teal steel beams would be exposed, like at other new parks.

Joe's comments:  I couldn't agree more with Pro Player being a poor impersonation of a baseball stadium.  I'd like to believe that more Marlin fans would attend games in a new baseball-only park, but it often seems that the team's ownership doesn't have a lot of interest in putting a competitive team out on the field.

Written by:  Metsfan926@aol.com 

This is an idea for future domed stadiums. Although this isn't designed for any one particular stadium, this would revolutionize all domes from now on. This does get a bit technical (if you don't know a lot about the green house effect) . . .

 Instead of a solid black or gray dome, it would be made of glass, or Plexiglass, The reasoning for this:

1. The green house effect would permit the use of grass inside the stadium, which would be much more player friendly, and look nicer.

2. If the stadium is in the northern part of the world (i.e., the "colder regions"), this would substitute for a heating system, being that "infrared solar radiation" is another aspect of the green house effect, so if it's 30 degrees outside, it's 70+ inside.

3. There will be the natural view of the sky.

4.  And last but not least, this would permit franchises to relocate to other regions if necessary, possibly another blow to contraction.

Joe's comments:  Everything old is new again!  When the "Eighth Wonder of the World" (the Astrodome) opened in the 1960s, the dome was fairly translucent, which did allow grass to grow on the playing field.  However, the players were blinded by the glare whenever they would look up to field a fly ball or pop-up.  So they then darkened large portions of the roof.  Unfortunately, the grass then failed to get enough sunlight, and it died.  This necessitated the invention we know as Astroturf.

Written by:  haaseinator@yahoo.com 

I have an ideal ballpark for the Mets. The ballpark would be located somewhere in Queens or Brooklyn, right on the East River. Since the Mets are a team that is built around hitting, but can't hit, I'd see it like this. A homer to left would be 320 ft., which is 18 ft. shorter than the rainbow warrior we know as Shea Stadium. The stadium would jut out quickly...kind of like Pac Bell, or MM Park, and it would be like 415 to center, which is 5 feet farther than Shea. Right field would be 327 feet.

The stadium would be angled so you could get a view of midtown Manhattan over the CF wall. The lower deck concourse would encircle the whole stadium. In left and right field there would be a nice grassy knoll, kind of like in CF at the Ballpark in Arlington, except you would be able to sit and watch the game here. The knoll would be going down on the concourse. If you go up from the concourse in left and right you would hit the bleacher seats. Above the bleacher seats in left would be a nice big scoreboard, with maybe like a diamond vision screen. The words New York would be written above this. 

Above the RF bleachers would be the out of town scoreboard. Mets would be written above this. Just beyond the CF fence would be where boats could dock, and there would be a nice runway for those spectators to walk up, with pictures and plaques commemorating the history of Mets baseball. Also beyond CF, by that boat ramp, would be a museum dedicated to the history of NY baseball. The actual seating area would encompass a lower deck that stopped just before the foul poles on each side, like LF at Pac Bell.  There would then be a row of box seats. After that a mezzanine, that would just flow right with the lower deck and box seats. The upper deck would be reminiscent of Comerica Park. It would not go completely around the stadium, but it would stop midway between the foul poles and bases. The stadium would seat appoximately 45,000.

That is my dream park for the Mets. Oh, and they should name it after Tom Seaver.

Joe's comments:  "Seaver Stadium" has a nice ring to it!  And I'm always a fan of putting a stadium where you can see water and a skyline!

Written by:  un_x_plane_able@hotmail.com

• 38,000 seating capacity (smaller stadiums sell out more often)
• Field 28 ft below ground level
• Picnic area situated beyond right field in front of the Friday’s Front Row Sports Grill, on top of which is a Jumbotron video board.
• Grass hill on each side of center field (like the ones in Arlington)-- in front of the Golden Triangle Hotel -- for fans to retrieve home runs
• Scoreboard House has rooftop bleacher seating to create a lasting landmark
• Friday’s Front Row Sports Grill, accessible from outside the park, open year round from 5 pm to midnight or until games end.
• Dimensions: Foul Lines:308 (Left), 340 (Right); Power Alleys: 400 (in left, wall juts back 24 ft, 50 ft from left foul line); Center Field Corners: 433; Center Field: 400
• Fences made of brick
• Fence Heights: Right Foul Line to Right Center Field: 8 ft; Left Foul Line to Left Center:15 ft; Left Center to Right Center: 40-ft brick scoreboard house where manual out-of town and at-home scoreboards will be operated
• Location: On the northeast corner of Loop 288 & I-35N in north Denton, TX

Joe's comments:  seems to me the Rangers might have a small issue with another Major League team being just a few miles away in Denton, but this ballpark design is infinitely nicer than the Metrodome!

Written by:  pletchan@comcast.net 

My vision for the new Charlotte, NC stadium is:

Joe's comments:  I like this.  In fact, the best part is that it would be *in* Charlotte, because their current park is well south of town across the border in South Carolina.

Written by:  DaiKaioushin022@aol.com 

Even though the Cubs will never leave Wrigley, I have a good proposal for a new home . . . but the coined nickname "Northsiders" would go away. The park I call Gateway Park  is across from the Sears Tower at West Jackson Blvd.

1. The facade would be concrete and brick similar to a simple "Gateway Country" store but with a pile of bricks with it.
2. The dimensions are as follows: Left Field-326, Left Center-383, Center Field-417, Right Center-385, Right Field-325.
3. The field will have dimensions that will turn doubles into triples.
4. The leftfield  bleachers bordering West Jackson Blvd. will be wooden and if hit past the bleachers it will go into the street and possibly hit the Sears Tower.
5. The Luxury Boxes will be priced at $1,000, making the Cubs and the Gateway Company a lot of money.
6. Some of the sections at the left field foul pole (at all decks) will be in foul territory and part of it will be fair. There will be a yellow column of seats at all levels to indicate if a ball is foul or not.
7. The bullpens will be beyond the right-center field fence.
8. There will be a big Jumbotron at centerfield past the batters eye a la Pac Bell and Comerica.
9. If any Cub hits a homer to West Jackson Blvd., there will be a sign on the Sears Tower that says "Street Shot! Move out of the Way!".
10. All the seats would be green and the bleachers will be blue.
11. The playing surface would be grass -- no turf, and it's open-air.
12. There will be a large space in the Sears Tower for the Cub offices, and a Cubs walk of fame will be on W. Jackson Blvd.
13. You can see games from the Tower for $ 100 (standing room).
14. Of course, the field, will be 40 feet below the street level.

Joe's comments:  The bottom line is that the Cubs had better not move out of Wrigley!

Written by:  ColtsFan18328885@expn.com 

This is a stadium for the Twins if they stay around long enough to build it.  Here are its features:

• A retractable roof
• Total seating capacity: 43,500
• Total Club Seating: 8,200   All club seats would have cup holders, heated seats, a place to put coats and other luxury accommodations like high-speed internet connections.  Also club seats would have a 12-inch TV monitor built in to the handrest which could access stats, store merchandise, and order food.
• 147 total Private Suites at 16 and 22 people each
• First row of suites will be the closest to the field in the MLB
• 2 Mega Suites at 150 people each
• 4 Super Suites at 80 and 88 people each
• 2 Owner Suites at 50 people each
• Spacious Club Lounges with exterior balcony, restaurants, and bars
• Club Bar Seating with direct view to event
• Total Field-level seating:  22,000
• all seats are cushioned and have cup holders
• All seats angled toward the infield
• Upper Deck Seating Total:  13,500   All Upper Deck seats have cup holders and are cushioned.  Since the upper deck seating is small, there would be an Applebees, Outback and a modern bar.
• In the outfield would be Family Seating section.  There would be 5,000 seats but they do not count toward the seating capacity since they are free to families.  Also in the out field would be a large pool, five hot tubs and a hotel/bar.
• There would be 18,000 parking spots.  Behind the Jumbotron at the rear of the Family Section would be a large glass wall with a view of the St. Paul skyline.  A smart idea because you can see the skyline without freezing!
• The Stadium would have air conditioning and heat.
• The field dimensions would be 320 lf, 340 rf, 400 cf
• All the walls would be brick and would be eight feet tall.
• A Jumbotron would be in leftfield above the pool, so you can watch the Jumbotron or look out through the glass wall at the skyline.
• Modern locker room facilities, meeting rooms and support services
• 50'-wide main concourse with food courts, interactive kiosks, retail and toilet facilities
• A ratio of 55 people to every Concession Stand.
• Open view of the event from the concourses
• State-of-the art retractable roof opens and closes in 10 minutes
• Flexible configuration to host a multitude of events.

Joe's comments:  The Twins escaped the sharp blade of contraction, and are now heading toward a new ballpark on the western-edge of downtown Minneapolis. Maybe a lot of these elements can be worked into the new park.

Written by:  Dabozz10@aol.com 

The Marlins, along with many other teams, are looking for new stadiums. Here is a new idea. If this stadium were to be built in Miami, it would be located on the north side of the Miami River, just a few blocks away from the Orange Bowl. The stadium would also have the following features:

1. It would be called Miami Ballpark, or some other historic name from the area.
2. The dimensions would be 345 in LF, 380 in Left-Center, 415 in Center, 394 in Right-Center, and 367 in RF.
3. The walls would be 8 feet tall in Left and Left-Center, the same also in Center, and 12 feet in Right and Right-Center.
4. The playing field would be 20 feet below street level.
5. All the seats would be colored a light blue.
6. Seating goes as follows.
      Lower Reserved Seating - (13,050) This area of seating would be available to all people. Instead of having special season ticket sections, you can buy season tickets for anywhere on this level. But, there is a limit on season ticket areas in the other parts of the park. Each seat would have a cupholder. The price of these seats would be about $25.
      Club Seating - (7,000) For the most part, this area of seating is reserved for area companies. The seats that are available to everyone are the three sections on each end of the seating bowl. Theses seats (all of them) include cupholders and special boxes to put coats, food, etc.
      Upper Reserved Seating - (10,225) These seats are for everyone. They also have cupholders. Other than that there isn't much more to say. These seats would cost around $14.
      Outfield Bleachers - (2,205) These seats are like the ones at Pac Bell in San Francisco. They are metal benches. They do not have cupholders. These seat would be like the seats for the so called "Bleacher Bums" or people in their 20's and 30's.
      Family Sections (1,025) These seats are for families only. They are available to everyone who comes as a family, and they must have kids. No beer will be sold in these sections and behind the sections on the third base line there is a playground with a view of the field called Billy's Play Place (named after the Marlins mascot Billy the Marlin). These seats have cupholders and cost about $14.
NOTE: All seats except the outfield bleachers are hard plastic (so they don't break) fold-up seats.  Total seating: 33,505 (having too many seats is just a waste of money, if you know what I mean).
7. At the end of the seating bowl down the first base line is an area of water called Marlins Cove. Here, like at Pac Bell, you can bring out a raft and try to get a couple of foul balls. Also in this area is a restaurant and bar called the Splashdown Cafe where fans can eat before and after games. The restaurant is also open year round to delight taste buds even after the season's over.
8. Inserted into the right field wall is a Friday's Front Row Grill like many other stadiums have today. The two story restaurant is open all year round and has a view of either the playing field or a view of western Miami and beyond.
9. There would be a large Jumbotron in center.
10. Beyond the Jumbotron would be a ferry dock for ferries traveling up and down the rivers and canals.
11. There would be a boardwalk along the river connecting the ferry dock and the main seating bowl, and the parking lots. Also here are many shops like hot dog stands, etc.
12. There would be 11 gates to my park. Eight of them would connect the main seating bowl to the parking lots. The other three would be in the bleacher sections. One near the ferry dock in center field, another in between areas of bleachers, and the other one nearest to Marlins Cove.
13. Above the Friday's Front Row Grill would be an all outdoor beer garden. Within its area is a bar that lets fan face and watch the game while drinking. Also there are a few hot tubs (no pools) to lounge around in if you have the time. On this level there are two bars and four hot tubs.
14. There would be five parking lots. Four of them (large) would be located behind the seating bowl, and the other one (small) behind the TGIF for people wanting to go to the beer garden or the TGIF.
15. A seven level parking garage beyond the parking lot would be for season ticket holders and players. On the first floor there would be a small cafe.
16. An expressway would be built to connect the park with the Dolphin Expwy., Airport Expwy., Northern Miami, and Southern Miami for easy driving time to and from the ballpark.

This stadium would be most fitting for the Marlins, but it would be suitable for anyone looking for class and style.

Joe's comments:  There's no doubt the Marlins need something.  I just hope the franchise is still in South Florida in a couple of years from now.

Written by:  mustang925@hotmail.com 

Joe's comments:  It's a moot point now, but these would be interesting ideas for a ballpark in the baseball-less city of Montreal.

Written by:  Dabozz10@aol.com 

In the majors some teams like the Expos, the Twins, the Phillies and the Marlins have old and outdated stadiums. Some of these corporations are working on new stadiums but some aren't. So I have have an idea for some of those clubs who haven't thought about it yet.

The stadium name really wouldn't matter much, but I think it should be named after some legend or something that raelly stands out in the city. The stadium would also have the features below:

1. The dimensions would be 354 in left, 407 in left-center, 400 in center, 428 in right-center, and 376 in right.
2. The walls would be 8 feet all the way around.
3. There would be three decks of seats from foul pole to foul pole, the first deck would have 57 rows of seats, the second deck would have 15 rows of seating, and the third deck would have 70 rows of seats.
4. Above the first deck there would be two stories of suites with each floor having 40 suites.
5. Above the second deck behind home plate there would be 6 press boxes and the rest of the level above the second deck would be full of corprate offices
 and conference rooms.
6. The field is 20 feet below street level.
7. All 8 gates of the stadium are at street level and enter into a concourse full of concession stands and souvenir stands.
8. The lower concourse also has televisions all over the place so fans can watch the game while waiting in line for food and other things.
9. There are five levels in the whole stadium excluding storage, janitorial and field maintenance storage, practice facilities, and locker rooms.
10. In the stadium there would be 50 to 52 thousand seats.
11. The outfield would have a Jumbotron in center field and in left there would be 20 rows of bleacher seats and in right a scoreboard of the NL and AL scores that day.
12. On each level there would be 8 pairs of bathrooms.
13. Across the street there would be a 7 story parking garage connected to the stadium by a skyway that would house the cars of players and seasons ticket holders.
14. Around the surrounding area of which the stadium is located there will be parking lots hidden in and about to make the parking lots seem like they
weren't even there.

This stadium is really suitable for any team wanting a downtown stadium and a new look to the teams that would play there.

Written by:  fequalsma@teacher.com 

I have designed a ballpark for the A's so they can remain in Oakland and still compete financially with the Giants.

Size of ballpark:  The seating bowl fits inside of a 660 foot square, covering exactly 10 acres.  The lower reserved seats and field level box seats are sunk into the ground.  The field is 30 feet below street level.

Seating (number of seats) All seats face the field of play. There are 5 seating levels:
Box Seats: (1,638) Six rows that start at field level.  No box seat is further that 60 feet from the foul line.  These seats are cushioned, have in-game internet access, and other corporate goodies.
Lower Reserved: (12,672) 32 rows that begin behind the box seats.  Seats are fold-up wood backed chairs and have cupholders.
Upper Reserved: (15,360) 32 rows that are 20 feet behind and 8 feet above the lower reserved seats.  This allows fans at concession stands to watch the game while waiting in line.  The seats are molded plastic (painted Oakland Green) with cupholders
"The Wings": (2,448) 17 rows that act as an extension of the upper reserved seating deck in the outfield.  These seats are smaller chairs with no cupholders.  This section is essentially a bleacher section in foul territory.
Bleacher: (9,216) 24 rows of wood benches that stretch the length of the outfield.  Fans in center field can run onto a grassy hitters background to retrieve home runs (like at The Ballpark In Arlington)

Total Seating: 41, 334
Dimensions:  Symmetrical
340 down the lines
381 to the alleys
394 where the bullpens meet the outfield wall
388 to the front of the bullpens
424 to straightaway center

Fences:  6 feet from 340 to 394 marks, then 3 feet for bullpens and center
Surface:  Grass (naturally)

Luxury Suites and Press Box follow curve of Upper Reserved Seats from Third to First Base

Out of Town Scores will be shown on manual scoreboards on left (AL) and right (NL) field walls

A dot-matrix board will stand on beams (like the pre-Raider Oakland Coliseum) behind bleachers in left.  Diamond Vision will be in Right Field.

Jackie Robinson's #42 will be painted on the outfield grass behind 2nd base.  All other retired numbers are painted on left and right center field fences

Philadelphia/Oakland's World Championship flags will fly behind bleachers in left and right center

Finally, the park should be privately funded by the A's and MLB.  The name of the park would be Athletics Park.

Written by:  ELMN2000@aol.com 

The Minnesota Twins are trying to get a new ballpark.  I would like the new ballpark in downtown St. Paul.  Downtown St. Paul is in need revitalization unlike Minneapolis.  A new ballpark there would help improve the downtown area.  

Features of a Twins new ballpark:

1) 38,000 to 40,000 seats.  A ballpark that small would enable sell outs for every game and create a long season ticket wait list.

2) A retractable dome, enclosed.  The weather in Minnesota in April-May and September-October gets cold.

3) A Twins Hall of Fame & Museum.

4) Long field dimensions  That would enable plenty of triples, and inside the park homeruns.  That would be an advantage for pitchers.

5) Light rail access.  

6) All seats would be wide and have plenty of legroom and would angled toward the infield.

7) Bleacher seats in the outfield.

8) No upper deck in outfield.  That way, all of the fans sitting in the grandstands can see the St. Paul skyline, while the fans sitting in the outfield bleacher seats won't.

9) Plaza area located under the roof when it not covering the playing field.  The plaza area would feature a entertainment/themed area such as a kids area, Twins souvenir shop, picnic area, batting/pitching cage, live music before and after games, restaurant/bar.

10) Luxury suites/club seats. 

11) VIP seating section between 1st base, all the way around home plate, to 3rd base.  It would be the most expensive seats.  All VIP seats would feature a mini TV to watch the game or other games, a laptop computer to order food, drinks, merchandise, check stats on Twins players, surf the net, etc.

12) Restaurant/Club overlooking the playing field.

It would be cool if the Twins come up with something like this to replace that stupid baggy Dome.

Written by:  Moosefan81@expn.com

This new stadium is for the Devil Rays.  Here are the features it should have:

1.  It would have natural grass

2.  The distance in left field would be 320 feet.  To center it would be 415 feet and to right it would be 305 feet.

3.  The walls would be 6 feet tall in left,10 feet in center and 30 feet in right.  All of outfield walls in the park would be entirely brick, and there would be a hand-operated scoreboard in right field.

4.  It would have a retractable roof.

5.  The stadium would seat between 33,000 and 36,000

6.  There would be 7,500 Club seats, mainly behind home plate.

7.  The outfield bleachers would resemble Wrigley field with the apartments and town houses.  There would be large pond beyond centerfield.

8.  The Tampa sky line would be visible from all seats except the bleachers.  s.

9.  The stadium would have two main decks for seating.  A third level would have a restaurant and a hotel, along with some overflow seating (which probably wouldn't be needed much in Tampa!)

10.  The seats would all be gray, and there would be a large Devil rays logo that would be visible if all of the seats in that section were empty.

11.  The stadium would have no corporate sponsorship name -- just Devil Rays Stadium.

12.  The stadium would be in downtown Tampa instead of in St. Petersburg.

13.  It would have the "retro'' look of so many new stadiums.

14.  It would be a privately funded stadium l-- like all of them should be.

15.  All seats except for those on the Club Level and the suites would be affordable

Written by:  mattward@home.com 

My ballpark is for the Yankees who are currently considering building a new ballpark.

1. It would not have a corporate sponsorship like so many of the other new ballparks built today.

2. It would be a horrible idea to build a two-sport facility for the Yankees.  They deserve more respect than that.

3. This ballpark would also be an outdoor-only park. Who's ever heard of indoor baseball in New York?

4. This ballpark would obviously have natural grass.

5. Behind the bleachers in left field would be a replica of the actual playing field with statues and monuments honoring the past Yankee greats.

6. The distance to left field would be 345 feet. To center it would be 400 feet and to right it would be 330 feet.

7. All of the outfield walls in the park except the right field wall would be 8 feet tall. The right field wall would be 20 feet tall.

8. On top of the right field wall would be a manually operated out-of-town scoreboard.

9. Beyond the hitters' backdrop in center field would be the main scoreboard.

10. The outside of the park would be reminiscent of Ebbet's Field with a rounded entrance.

Written by:  Moosefan81@Expn.com

This stadium would be for a major league team that would come to Charlotte via expansion/relocation.

Here are 15 characteristics of the park:

1. The stadium would be named First Union Palace or some other regional sponsor.

2. It would have a retractable roof like the one at Enron Field.

3. The stadium would be located in uptown Charlotte next to the Carolina Panthers stadium and a proposed Hornets arena.

4. The stadium would hold 36,000-40,000.

5. All seats would be either red, black or white.  Each deck would be a single color.

6. The outfield walls would be 7 feet tall in LF, 8 In CF, 25 in RF (like PNC Park).  The RF wall would be a hand-operated scoreboard with a chain-link fence in front of it.  The CF and LF walls would be made of brick, and ivy would be growing on it.

7. It would be a hitters park at 320-415-310.

8. Even when he dome is closed, there would be a 10-story glass wall that would let fans see the Charlotte skyline.  

9. There would be a Jumbotron in RF.  Behind the LF wall would be a playground with a small pond, out of which a mechanical crocodile would rise when the home team hit a HR (the effect would be somewhat like the apple at Shea Stadium).  

10. It would have 125 luxury suites and 7,500 clubs seats lcated behind home plate.

11. It playing surface would be natural grass.

12. Beyond the RF fence would be either a grassy area where kids could play catch (like at Cannon-Fieldcrest Stadium in Kannapolis NC) or inexpensive bleacher seats.

13. There would be no "regular" seats in RF or CF -- just lawn seating or a kids area. 

14. The exterior of the stadium would be like Pac Bell Park.

15. In the front of the park would be a fair for kids with rides, a small whiffle-ball field and clinics on baseball .

Written by:  brentgriffin@home.com 

My new park is for my hometown Calgary Cannons of the Pacific Coast League.

Currently, the Cannons play at Burns Stadium, an 8,000-seat run-down facility. The sightlines are great, but the stadium is simply to out-of-date for a AAA park. The view from the seats shows a couple apartment buildings and a football stadium. There are no seats by the outfield fences, since there is a track and field facility just metres behind.

Here are some details for my park:
1) It would be built on the sight where the General Hospital was imploded in 1998, tucked in a neighborhood of old Calgary. This lot is on a hill and it gives a great view of downtown Calgary, the Bow River and on most days, the beautiful rocky mountains. The photo was taken from this site.

2) It would have 8,000 - 10,000 seats and it would be very similar to the new Louisville Slugger Field, except a larger roof covering more seats and the grandstand would cut off when it reaches the outfield.

3) The stadium would have two levels: lower box seats for our loyal season ticket holders and the upper level for family packs, reserved seats, etc.

4) Unfortunately, there is a need for luxury boxes.

5) I'd have rush-seating bleachers along the lines when the grandstand reaches the outfield.

6) The bullpens would be on the field. I'd put a playground for kids next to the home 'pen.

7) The dimensions would be the same as Burns, 345-400-345.

8) The scoreboard would be on the right field fence, so it doesn't take away from the view of the skyline. In front of the board, I'd have three sets of bleachers. You can't buy tickets for these, they are there for fans who want to leave there seats and take the game in from a different view (unless they need them as rush seats if the place was selling out). It would likely be full of kids trying to catch a homer.

9) Natural grass of course, even though it's tough to see any grass up here in April. (That's why we always open on the road).

I think this park would a great place for PCL baseball.

Joe's comments:  The park sounds like it would be nice, but it's the view that the park would have that would be a killer!

Written by:  MJKID@aol.com 

This ballpark is very similar in a lot of ways to Jacob's Field, in that it has a similar patio area and left field bleacher section. However, there are many differences as well. The field dimensions are rather different, as is
the lower deck seating. The lower deck has two levels, providing many more of the "good" seats. The bullpens are in center field, the visitors' being on the right, so that the fans sitting in the right field seats can get some
good hardy booing in. This field would probably be considered as more of a hitters park, since the dimensions down the line are kind of short, and the farthest point is only 400 feet away. But, the left field and center field
walls will be very high, keeping some home runs in the park, and providing a "batter's-eye" in center. This ballpark is very intimate, but still might be best set in a major city, with a skyline showing beyond the left field
bleachers. The entrance to the ballpark will be at ground level, just like at Jacobb's Field, and the actual playing field will be set below ground. To enter, you will walk through the gate onto the patio. This is an aspect of Jacob's Field that I really love. There is no walking up stairs, or riding up escalators to get to the actual seats. First you're outside the park, then all of a sudden you're inside with a clear view of the field. This is a great addition the this park.

Written by:  Rocket20K2@aol.com

If I were to design my own field of dreams, I would try to model it after my front yard, well at least the playing field. The right field wall would be about 310 feet from the field and would have a 20-foot wall which would span the entire right field of the park. Beyond that wall would be a street and apartments as with Wrigley Field in Chicago. Many of which would allow people to watch games from the roof or a deck. The center field wall would be 415 feet away and would contain a picnic area with pine trees and a gigantic waterfall. The bullpens would be in right center but those fans in the picnic area would be able to taunt the visiting pitchers. Left center is a ways away from home plate at 385 feet. The wall would be 10 feet high and would contain the bleachers and a huge scoreboard. As you go toward the left field foul line there is a drastic drop off in distance, from 365 to 330. This is to make way for the ballpark garden with flowers creating the team's logo. All
along the left field seats and the picnic area there is a boardwalk with lots of retail space and a hotel. All of which have a good view of the field. As for the actual seating, there would be three decks. One would be the club level with enough club seats to please businesses. The majority of seats would be between the two foul poles, with the exception of the upper deck above the gardens and the bleachers. And there wouldn't be a bad seat in the house. All seats would be close to the field, and there would be very little foul ground. This would be my dream park.  I don't know what team I'd like to see play in it yet, but it would be fun to actually see a ballgame in it.

Written by:  scuba_steve489@hotmail.com

My dream stadium would be for the Florida Marlins.
1.  An open air stadium (The games will begin at about 8)

2.  It will be called Nike Palace (or some other corporate sponsor)

3.  It will seat 45 to 50 thousand

4.  It will have bullpens on the field like Wrigley

5.  The Jumbotron will be as big as Comerica Park and show out-of town games in between innings

6.  It will be built near the Heat stadium and show the beautiful bay and downtown Miami

7.  In centerfield there will be no seats, just a grass picnic area made of grass for families and be called "Wilson's Woods" (for centerfielder Preston Wilson). Behind it, there will be fountains (a la Kauffman Stadium). Behind that there will be trees and show the bay.

8.  In leftfield there will be a manually operated scoreboard and seats above that.

9.  In right, there will be a 12 floor hotel, some rooms showing the field, the other showing downtown Miami. Each floor will have a theme of great moments in Marlin history (I.E. 1997 World Series, Al Leiter and Kevin Brown's No-Hitter, Opening Day in 93, and the 18 inning fest against the Blue Jays). On the 6th and 7th floor, there will be a two floor restaurant showing the stadium  and jet out for a patio section which is in the field of play. On the top floor there will be a pool.

10.  The rest of the seating will show the game. There will be skyboxes between the club level and 3 level.

11.  The stadium will have a "retro" look and be made of brick.

12.  For parking, there will be 3 high rise buildings located next to the stadium.

13.  The seats will be teal and some black so that from a blimp the seats would look like it says "Go Marlins" when empty

14.  In dead center it will be 414 feet from homeplate, in right-center it will be 399, in right, it will be 360, and in left and left-center 375. I want it to be a pitchers park to avoid 15-2 games and instead have games like the past where a homerun and determine the game.

15.  There will be a yacht that goes out into the bay and shows the game for the most unique element in baseball.

And we've received more "Fields Of Dreams" from our visitors than we can fit on one page.  So please continue on and look at the rest of these great new-park ideas!  Go to Page 2 of Fields Of Dreams

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