PRESS RELEASE – Stadium Journey, sports travel publication and website, released their Top 100 sporting venues. Parkview Field was ranked as the #1 ballpark in all of Minor League Baseball and the #13 venue in all of professional sports in their “Best of 2011” publication. [View Top-10 list below.]
“It’s an honor to be recognized in this way,” said TinCaps President, Mike Nutter. “Stadium Journey has become a resource for sports fans across the country due to their extensive listings and rankings of sports venues. To be ranked as the best in Minor League Baseball is truly significant. To be listed as the #13 overall venue, among some of the most highly regarded facilities in all of sports, is a testament to the quality of Parkview Field and the way this community has embraced the ballpark.”
“We considered 754 venues for our ‘Best of 2011’ publication,” stated Paul Swaney, Editor and Co-Founder of Stadium Journey. “Parkview Field was literally the first Minor League ballpark we visited as part of our rankings and it set the standard. The apple theme throughout the ballpark, and being located in the heart of downtown Fort Wayne, created a complete thematic experience and the perfect way for the team and the ballpark to be a part of the community.”
“If you ran a minor league team and you were taking a test on how to build a minor league park, this would be the paper you would want to cheat off of. Parkview Field is the Stadium Journey Best Minor League Baseball venue for 2011. Make the trip to Fort Wayne and you’ll see why.” (quote from http://www.stadiumjourney.com review of Parkview Field)
Stadium Journey’s Top 10 Minor League Baseball venues
1. Parkview Field – Fort Wayne TinCaps – Fort Wayne, Indiana
2. Montgomery Riverwalk Stadium – Montgomery Biscuits – Montgomery, Alabama
3. BB&T Coastal Field – Myrtle Beach Pelicans – Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
4. MCU Park – Brooklyn Cyclones – Brooklyn, New York
5. Daniel S. Frawley Stadium – Wilmington Blue Rocks – Wilmington, Delaware
6. Coca-Cola Park – Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs – Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania
7. The Epicenter – Rancho Cucamonga Quakes – Rancho Cucamonga, California
8. Arrowhead Credit Union Park – Inland Empire 66ers – San Bernadino, California
9. Fifth Third Field – Dayton Dragons – Dayton, Ohio
10. Appalachian Power Park – West Virginia Power – Charleston, West Virginia
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I agree with your statement in the know you may or not agree with the top 10 Stadium/Parks but its fun to debate without having a heated argument i mean you have your top 10 others have their own top 10 it doesn’t matter its the persons preference likes and dislikes thats what matter
Paul-I can’t help but to appreciate and agree with your comments-it is the debate that makes it fun and you certainly have sparked that.
in the know, obviously this is just one website’s opinion. If someone else were to do it, I’m sure the list would look quite different. Everyone has different criteria when it comes to ranking minor league parks. Though I do agree – if you are going to come up with a ranking like this, it is best if you have been to every park.
It’s a fair point. We hope to visit every affiliated and independent minor league park by the end of the 2012 season, so this may end up looking different next year. For this particular ranking we saw 144 minor league parks.
Many of our writers have been to at least 100 different venues in their lifetime, which I think would qualify them as an expert, although that’s just my measuring stick.
I do think it is fair to produce a list like this even if you haven’t been to every single park. You can argue that it’s incomplete, but it doesn’t diminish that these are 10 great parks. It’s ultimately a debate with no correct answer which is what makes it so much fun…
I for one would like to know the background and credentials of the company and individuals that rated the stadiums and the experience. All those listed are great places but there are many many more that are worthy and a cut above those listed. How does Reading not make the list for one?How can you put out a TOP list having not seen everything.I know this said MiLB but the experience in Madison with the renovations is really 2nd to none This strikes me as another self proclaimed expert.
Well, my 2 teams, of course!! The US SteelYard in Gary, Indiana….Boomer Satdium in Schaumburg, Ill…also Winnipeg, Gateway, KC T Bones Stadium, Southern Illinois Miners, Lake Erie Crushers, Normal Cornbelters…several more!
Southern Illinois Miners made our Top 100, so we’re not completely “biased” as you implicated in your initial comment. Of the others you mentioned, we have reviewed Normal CornBelters, Gary South Shore Railcats, and Winnipeg Goldeyes. Our goal is to have a review of every affiliated and independent park by the end of the 2012 season. We also reviewed Boomer Stadium when it was Alexian Field, but will have to make a return trip back this season. Thanks for the feedback…
No Independant Team parks…so I see it as biased and not representative
of all of minor league baseball. I can think of a number of Indy parks better than those listed.
We do review independent parks as well. Which ones do you think are great?