Hmmm, interesting SI poll that seems to be fairly comprehensive.

In a series of categories, fans were asked to rank their home ballparks. The categories seem to be rated equally, which dragged us down I'm sure (since Fenway was #1 in "Tradition", for example) toward that 21st-place ranking:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/...=T1&eref=T1

Definitely agree on the affordability and the traffic. But 21st in atmosphere? No way. Love to hear the defintion of that.

Chavez Ravine should rank 99th out of 30 in traffic.

Yeah, the "atmosphere" category threw me too. Huh? 21?

And that's why these things are so silly.

In what world is "promotions" of equal value to "team quality"? That's not a rhetorical question. The answer is: When your team sucks.

Ballpark food? It matters. But it matters much more in a ballpark that's surrounded by 50 acres of parking lot than in a ballpark that has vendors outside and restaurants within walking distance.

Traffic? First, let me say that if Angels fans rank their team middle of the pack in traffic, then that just proves what a travesty the "Los Angeles" part of their name is. Because getting to that park from L.A. is a nightmare. I would rather drive from Albany to Fenway. No Angels fans actually live in L.A., though. But beyond that:

Traffic at #30 (Dodger Stadium) is an important consideration. They're on top of a hill, with basically one road in, and no real access to public transportation. There is no surrounding neighborhood to speak of, only a poorly lit park, so people don't feel safe parking outside the grounds for night games. It is accessible from 4 freeways, which in theory might be nice...but it's at a point where you not only have traffic from L.A. being L.A., and traffic from freeway interchanges...but it's also a spot where at least 2 of those freeways (off the top of my head) always have bottleneck traffic at all hours because they don't have as many lanes there for whatever reason. It's a nightmare.

At #29 Fenway? Who the hell cares about traffic when you're like 10 feet away from a T stop? And when there's a flood of pedestrians to/from the Pru before/after games? You're an idiot if you're parking at the ballpark anyway. Flat out. You're an idiot.

Affordability? Huge issue with Fenway. No question. But it's still relative. 100 bucks to see the Red Sox or Yankees is a better bargain than paying any dollar amount above minor league pricing to see the Pittsburgh Pirates.

But whatever. The moral to the story: The world don't move to the beat of just one drum. What might be right for you may not be right for some.

If you burrow down in the site a bit, you find a clue as to why Fenway was ranked so badly for "atmosphere":

RANK
21 Boston Red Sox
Fenway Park|Capacity: 39,605|Opened: 1912

How would you rate the atmosphere at the game?
Poor Below Average Average Above Average Excellent
1.2% 0.6% 1.5% 8.3% 88.4%


How would you rate the level of personal comfort when you are sitting in your seat?
Poor Below Average Average Above Average Excellent
19% 31.9% 31.8% 7.7% 9.6%

As much as I love Fenway, it would never occur to me to give it a good score for "personal comfort when you are sitting in your seat."

Good burrow.

Yes, they should have separated "Game Atmosphere" from "Seat Comfort", ferchrissakes.

Opinions are like butt hole, everyone has one. Fan IQ, I know we finished 2 in that, but how do you even guess at something like that. As for being 30 in promotions, we don't have to give away some chessy hat to get fans to come. I wonder if Milwaukee scored 1 in this catagory with those stupid racing hot dogs. Detriot scored 1 at team quality, but who has a better record and is defending world champion.

Thats just idiotic. Baltimore is 8th in traffic???? Really??? Honestly, I'd rather drive to Fenway from the suburbs than to Camden Yards. From the Washington area, which is still where they pull a large portion of their fans, its a 2-3 hour ride every single night--bumper to bumper for 35 miles.

I would assume they only mean in the area right around the stadium. Their lots are relatively easy to get in and out of and right on 95.

Yeah, except for 5 out of 7 games, all those roads are badly congested and 95 will take you forever to go anywhere.

Its just a small example, but its a horrible survey.

Nothing like leaving 5 hours early MFL!

Can't say it surprises me though - seating, cost, traffic, etc. Tradition is obviously #1 but a 6'2 guy crushing his nuts in the grandstands in between two huge other fans definitely gets to you.

Its gotten so I won't even go unless its a weekend. Just not worth it...so stressful trying to get there in time for first pitch. And if you get there TOO early, you can't park in any of the parking garages because people use them for work.

I like Baltimore, I like Camden Yards, but infrastructure-wise it has its challenges too--and public transport is not strong. People give the neighborhood high marks, but I don't really buy that either---there's really nothing else IN the immediate neighborhood. Oh sure, its technically part of the Inner Harbor, but its a longish walk to part of the Inner Harbor that you'd actually want to spend some time in. Its not like you can hang in the ESPN Zone and than walk over to the game, at least not without planning or a taxi.

The Wharf Rat is just across the street and down about 100 yards from Camden Yards. The part of the Inner Harbor with the Capital City Brewing Company is only another 200 yards or so from there. Never complained about the neighborshood around Camden Yards.

21st in atmosphere is not possible. Simply not possible. I know the size of the seats are made for the men and women of 1912, but who gives a flying frick? You're at Fenway Park. You're in the presence of greatness when you sit in those clacking, rackety, paint chipped seats. Stand up if you don't like it.

How are the Tigers ranked first in team quality? They're 14-17 and missed the playoffs last season. We're the ones with the rings.

I also don't see how someone can hate on a Fenway Frank. Though, I know there's great food at other ballparks, too.

I'm not knocking the neighborhood, I just don't think its THAT special only because most of what's cool isn't right around the corner like people who have never been there think.

I swear I heard David McCarty on the Sox postgame show say something about the atmosphere at Fenway, and how there's nothing like it.

Huh. I thought the atmosphere at Fenway was terrible?

I've been to both, and the atmosphere is better at Fenway but a large margin. Of course this is my opinion. I live in Woodbridge, VA and have been to Baltimore several times, including old Memorial Stadium. At least Memorial had the history of Brooks and Frank Robinson and Johnny Unitas. The food is better in Fenway than Baltimore, the Italian sausage is a hundred times better that the what has become mediocre Boog Powell's barbecue.

Concessions at PETCO Park are ridiculously high and the fans themselves are unknowledgable and can be obnoxious. The comments on the review were laughable. The Padres fans were the ones being idiots at the Sox games there last year.

Mediocre? Watch your mouth, son. A turkey BBQ sandwich at Boog's booth on Eutaw is damn good.

I really like Camden Yards, but to put it in the same sentence with Fenway is blasphemous to all things baseball. O's fans comparing the two is the equivalent of bringing a knife to a gun fight. Nothing compares with Fenway. Nothing. I El oh el at anyone who says otherwise.

If the team hadn't perfected the art of suckage for the past decade, the Baltimore experience would be even better. It's nothing to scoff at, but doesn't come close to Boston.

Wow, that was a total waste my time to read.

Complaining about traffic getting to Fenway? Honestly, if you're not a complete moron Fenway couldn't be easier to get to, well, from the North anyway.

i would think everyone would be happy if the rest of America thinks Fenway is a miserable place.....keeps the riff-raff out.

I am a complete moron but I agree that Fenway is relatively easy to get to.

This ownership team has made so many improvements, especially from a family perspective, that it's difficult to imagine why the atmosphere gets such low marks (and yes, I agree with the lack of comfortable seating). I've been to Yankee Stadium, Shea, Dodger Stadium, Camden Yards, The late and not at all great Vet in Philly, Turner Field and it's predecessor and there is nowhere that can match the electricity that exists at Fenway every single game.

All ballpark food is overpriced but Fenway now offers as wide a variety of food as any park that I've been to. They've made the concession areas seems much more accessible and open (especially in the RF area.) I was completely in favor of building a new park but I have to admit that I never believed the park could be upgraded to the degree this ownership group has done.

I think that any park, even Fenway, that the fans there still participate in the wave, should be knocked down quite a few notches. I still can't believe this still goes on. When watching games in Toronto I expect it, it's a plastic place with plastic fans. But Fenway? And especially during close games in the late innings.

Yeah, the wave should drop Fenway down 10 spots alone.

I see that the Oakland Coliseum is ranked two spots below Fenway. I would almost rather watch a Sox - A's game at home (if it's in HD) than go there for a game. Especially at night. OTOH, practically every baseball fan I know that goes to Boston for any reason finds a way to get to a game at Fenway. And, they all say they loved it, and none mention what it cost them. The categories in that poll should be weighted. Tradition, or "famous ball park" is the reason out of towners go there. Indians, Brewers, Pirates 1 - 2 - 3, what a joke.

The weighting of the poll screwed it up; what the fans had to say about their own parks will be noted, and fixed, where necessary, I'm sure, at Fenway...

If the poll had been to all baseball fans and had asked "Which home park do you wish was your own team's home park, relocated to your city, with all its tradition?" I think we may have ranked higher.

Or even "Which MLB baseball park do you most admire?"