There are few things in baseball more derided than Tropicana Field. People mock the dome, the catwalks, the turf. It frequently dukes it out with the Oakland Colosseum for least popular stadium in the majors.
Those who make the trek to St. Petersburg for games know it certainly lacks the flash of other stadiums, but it still maintains its charms. The ray tank, as silly as it seems to some, is so beloved by fans they insist it be included in a new stadium, and have coined the term “flappy boys” for its inhabitants.
That said, there are plenty of other parks in the majors, some with a bolder pedigree, some that top “best of” lists on the regular. I personally make it a mission to plan vacations around visiting new parks in the hope of crossing all 30 active parks off my list. I’ve seen some duds and some gems in that time. I’m partial to the PNC view, the old-timey Art Deco vibe of Dodger Stadium, and the Wrigley-ness of Wrigley Field.
Are you a ballpark collector? How many stadiums have you visited? And of those stadiums, which was your favorite and why?
Head over to the FanPost section and select “New FanPost” on the left, then tell us about your park history, and which one was best in your mind. If you’ve only been to Tropicana, tell us which park you’re most excited to see.