Wednesday, September 08, 1999
Fans pitch ideas for ballpark
Fountains, grass, history and more
BY JOHN J. BYCZKOWSKI and JOHN ERARDI
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The fountains in Kansas City's Kauffman Stadium, the roof on Phoenix's Bank One Ballpark, the trophy cases of Notre Dame Stadium, the ruins of Rome's Colosseum.
Following our tour of new Major League ballparks (which The Cincinnati Enquirer published Aug. 29-31), we asked readers what they've seen in other arenas that they'd like to see in the new Reds ballpark.
We received more than 130 letters, faxes and e-mails, telling us not only the best but also some of the worst. The fans by and large want a grass field, plenty of history, great seats, comfort and better concessions. Many baseball fanatics — some of whom said they'd been to 20 or more ballparks — had more specific suggestions.
There are Reds fans nationwide. The wonder of e-mail brought responses from throughout Ohio and as far as California, South Dakota and Louisiana. Many said they were former Cincinnatians with great memories of the terraced outfield at Crosley Field and the Big Red Machine in Riverfront Stadium.
They're still Reds fans, and sent along the best and worst of what they've seen:
• What color?: “The new stadium shall be brick (red brick, please),” Gary Laake proclaimed. But Sean Suder, a Cincinnati native and currently a graduate student in urban planning at the University of Virginia, said red's the wrong color. It should be “tan or taupe brick, for that is the brick color of Cincinnati's great historical structures such as the Carew Tower or Union Terminal,” he said.
• More to do: “I've attended 15-20 games this year,” said Sudi Mohan of Champaign, Ill. “I travel from Illinois, and there needs to be some reason to come early and stay in the area after the game. It really is a shame that there are no bars or such, like Flanagan's or Caddy's, in the immediate vicinity. That adds a lot of fun at Wrigley Field.”
• More to do, II: Many writers praised Atlanta's Turner Field for its wealth of activities. “In Atlanta, there are pep rallies prior to every game. These are very entertaining for all ages,” said J. Driver of Middletown. “The specialty areas of the stadium ... offer entertainment for those not even interested in baseball.”
• Less to do: “I was in Atlanta for the Reds-Braves games and was not the least bit impressed with the sideshows that Turner Field offers,” said Chris Koewler.
• Better wheelchair access: Erick Metzger of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, wants it on all levels and in all sections of the stadium. “Camden Yards (in Baltimore) did a masterful job of making wheelchair (viewing) available throughout the stadium,” he said. And don't forget about making the restrooms accessible, said Kevin Hanley of Silverton.
• How bad are the worst seats? That's one of the criteria Joel Tsevat of Blue Ash uses to evaluate ballparks, and he's seen 39 of them. “The best stadium in the country is Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City,” he said. “Having very few outfield seats and upper decks that slope down as you go down the foul lines, there truly aren't any bad seats there.”
• No obstructions: Clubs in new ballparks like to claim there's not a bad seat in their houses, which flat out isn't true. Stacy Long of Decatur, Ala., said the view from her upper deck seats behind home plate at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix was often blocked by fans walking up the aisles. “The obstruction is bad enough that ushers don't allow fans to enter the seating area during an at-bat,” she said.
• Great places to stand: Chad Vorst of Perrysburg, Ohio, recently watched a game from the porch in Cleveland's Jacobs Field. “It was, without a doubt, the most fun I have ever had at baseball game in my life,” he said. “It was awesome the way you could stand there with the whole game in front of you and still be able to shoot the (breeze) and joke around and drink with Reds fans you have never met before, and Indian fans that you never want to meet again.”
• Faster concessions: Many writers moaned about slow concessions at Cinergy Field. At Cohen Stadium in El Paso, Texas, the concessions are set up cafeteria-style, said Phil Price. “You enter the line and the people behind the counter specialize in certain food/drink items. You can jump ahead if you only want a beer or other beverage, and then go to the cashiers to pay. Very quick and efficient,” he said.
• Concessions with a view: At Zephyr Stadium in New Orleans, “when you go for concessions, you can still watch the game,” said Judy Wilks, a former Cincinnati resident now at Tulane University.
• History of the Reds, Part I: The Los Angeles Dodgers hang big portraits of ballplayers in Dodger Stadium, and the Reds ought to do the same for its players, past and present, said Tom Leck, writing from New Mexico. But he'd add a twist, putting the photos on an electronic board that would change every few minutes.
“Do you know what Edd Roush looked like? His photo and the photos of many others and some basic statistics shown in such a rotating way would be educational and fun,” he said.
• History of the Reds, Part II: Where are the trophies? asks Jeffrey Bieber. “Take a look at my alma mater, Notre Dame,” he said. “On display to the public are all of the Heisman trophies, the National Championship trophies, the Sugar, Orange, Fiesta, Rose and Cotton Bowl trophies.” That's better than a few oversized jerseys, he said.
• Detroit wheels: John Vomacka of Oakley likes how the seats in Tiger Stadium start right at field level. “People were actually having conversations with the pitchers in the bullpen who sit right up against the wall. That's how close you are,” he said.
• More water: “I would like to see a fountain in the new ballpark, kind of like in Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City,” said Matthew Angle.
• Not yet built: But Pac Bell Park in San Francisco has a few ideas worth stealing, said Michael Warner, a former Cincinnatian who promises to be home for Opening Day 2003, when the Reds park is to open. First, ballplayers will be able to hit home runs over the right-field fence and into the bay, he said. Second, on the fence in the outfield, “they have knotholes that anyone can walk up to and look in from outside.”
• A roof: Dave Thomas wondered why there was so little talk in the series about the retractable roofs in Seattle and Phoenix, and thinks it's a good idea for Cincinnati. “I hope our new ballpark will have a retractable cover,” wrote Dick Blum of Mount Lookout. “This takes weather cancellations out of the picture, and thus increases attendance and income to the club.”
• A low, close upper deck: “I love watching a ball fly into an upper deck,” as they do in Tiger Stadium and the Ballpark at Arlington, said Brad Woebkenberg.
• Save some of Cinergy: “Just like the Colosseum in Rome, Cincinnati should leave part of Riverfront (now Cinergy Field) standing,” wrote Pat Monahan of Chandler, Ariz. His wish: Leave about a third of it standing, with the field intact.
• A real name: “Dear God in heaven, don't let them sell the name,” wrote Mark Price. “A couple of bucks in the short term will seem like small compensation when the city is stuck with a soulless name like "Bank One Ballpark' after a few years.”
• Steal a whole ballpark: Camden Yards is so good, said Patrick Grimes of Mason, the county should just buy the plans and start building. “Every last detail is thought out completely: cup holders, wrought-iron seat ends, green seating everywhere, picnic area, rentable boxes, corporate boxes, bench seats, standing-room-only areas,” he said. “Why mess with perfection?”
Reds Stories
Reds page
