Autumn is here and with it comes the most exciting time in the sport of baseball! Since the playoffs are underway and the World Series is a few short weeks away, the team at Golf Range Netting thought we’d share a little bit of information about some of our favorite and most historic ballparks in the U.S.
Fenway Park
First up, the oldest active ballparks in the country. Fenway Park was originally built in 1912. To put it in context, that’s the same year Arizona became a state and the same year the Titanic sank in the Atlantic Ocean. Fenway Park is home to the affectionately named “Green Monster,” a 37-feet left field wall that routinely robs hitters of would-be home runs. Fenway Park is full of baseball nostalgia including the manually updated scoreboard that still operates today. We might be biased toward the Red Sox since we designed and installed baseball netting for their practice facility in Fort Myers a few years ago.
Wrigley Field
On the North Side of Chicago, the country’s second oldest ballpark is one of the few that is nestled right into a busy neighborhood and not built as a downtown tourist attraction. One of the most beloved baseball traditions started right in Wrigley Field. Back in the early 80’s, sportscaster Harry Caray began the tradition of singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” at the Cubs home games (he sang it for the previous 7 years as a White Sox broadcaster).
Dodger Stadium
Otherwise known as “Blue Heaven on Earth,” Dodger Stadium is the oldest ballpark west of the Mississippi River. There’s more space on the West Coast and Dodger Stadium is proof! It’s the world’s largest baseball stadium by seat capacity. This ballpark has a special place in the hearts of pitchers across the country. It’s considered a “pitcher’s park” and has seen 13 no-hitters and two perfect games, in which one team doesn’t allow a single opposing batter to get on base. Additionally, the Dodgers team knows the importance of safety netting. In 2019, the team increased the height of protective netting to prevent errant balls from striking fans.
Check out the case study of a project we did for the Louisville Slugger Sports Center. Interested in learning more about the work we do for sports facilities? Give us a call today at (866) 938-4448.