ESPN's battle of the ballparks [Miller Park wins despite Jim Caple]

[patrickgpe]

For those of you not following it, ESPN decided to have vote (bracket style) to decide the best ballpark in baseball.

 

This isn't a get out the vote for miller park effort (because #1 who really cares who wins and #2 the vote if fixed anyway)

 

the issues i have is in the prerankings. Miller park was seeded 24th. It easily beat the Angels ballpark on monday and is leading dodger stadium with the vote ending at lunchtime.

 

secondly, espn put out a list of best / worst concessions and seats at the stadiums. I know Jim Caple is their page 2 comedy guy but he obviously didn't do his research.

 

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/8049114/battle-ballparks-best-worst-seats-concessions-more

 

to list a miller park brat with mustard (which is a great choice) as #3 is stupid because most will say that the most popular food item at miller park is a brat with secret stadium sauce.

 

the beer rankings are equally dumb. most ballparks either serve bud or miller/coors. not sure how coors field can be the best and miller park the 3rd worst. Maybe Caple is just a coors guy. I can't speak for what micro's coors has but atleast miller park has really done a good job of getting some microbrews inside the park for people not interested on just drinking miller lite.

[Bigblast]

Once again Brewer fans are voting strong. Miller park is up 54-46% over the dodgers. So we should be advancing to round 3 to take on PNC park. That should be a tough matchup as PNC park is the number 1 seed in the brackets.

[ninja33]

 

the beer rankings are equally dumb. most ballparks either serve bud or miller/coors. not sure how coors field can be the best and miller park the 3rd worst. Maybe Caple is just a coors guy. I can't speak for what micro's coors has but atleast miller park has really done a good job of getting some microbrews inside the park for people not interested on just drinking miller lite.

 

Coors Field has an incredible beer selection for a ballpark. Colorado might be the best place in the country for microbrews (and I love Wisconsin beers, but I haven't been to Miller Park enough since I moved away to know how prevalent they are though. Either way Colorado has better stuff), and Coors has a ton of concessions throughout the stadium to get microbrews/imports. They also have a brewery in right field. I would agree that I don't know what Miller Park did to be the third worst....but Coors is fantastic. The GF really really wants to move out to Colorado after school....I'm not very interested, but the breweries out there might convince me.

[RockCoCougars]

Maybe Caple is just a coors guy

 

Have to take my seasonal opportunity to bash Caple. In my view, he's a pencil neck geek who hates Milwaukee and the Brewers because he's a homer from the Twin Cities who blamed Selig for trying to contract the Twins. You will never see anything positive about anything related to the Brewers from him. Did I mention that I can't stand the guy (or ESPN)?

 

Rant over....

[logan82]

Either way Colorado has better stuff), and Coors has a ton of concessions throughout the stadium to get microbrews/imports.

We have New Glarus in Wisconsin and many many other microbreweries. Not as many as Colorado I am sure but still a very very good selection. They sell them at certain stands in the stadium. I am not sure how easy they are to find or how many there are but as of a couple years ago I could easily find New Glarus, Lakefront and Capital Breweries amongst others at the stadium. No way we belong in the bottom 3 unless every single other stadium has a brewpub.

[ninja33]

Oh I know. Wisconsin has excellent beer....but in the past few years of developing into a beer snob I've learned that Colorado just has some amazing breweries. And I saw them all over Coors when I was out there (and the beer there is pretty cheap, relatively speaking). Like I said though, I only make it back to Miller Park once or twice a year, and I'm usually not spending it seeking out microbrews (I drink them in the parking lot instead).

 

I do agree that I don't know why Milwaukee would be ranked so low. Fenway should be ranked last, they charge over $7 for a 12 oz beer. And I don't remember much of a selection.

[patrickgpe]

#1 reason why this is stupid, is that most people have only been to their own ballpark and maybe a handful of others. I have only been to 5. Its hard for the average person to make a judgement based on what they see on TV.

 

I understand that this is a stunt to get hits on their website, but the whole thing seems kind of dumb.

[dlk9s]

I think Turner Field is a pretty underrated ballpark. I'm guessing it gets knocked for not being some stunning architectural marvel. I've always enjoyed going to games there. It's easy to get to, easy to park, sight lines are good, amazing jumbotron, and there's just enough stuff to keep your eyes busy without it feeling like a circus. Nothing special about the food, but I don't really care. I usually get a slaw dog (actually, the fries are quite good) and call it a day.

[Funketown]

Just for fun, how do people here tend to rank the ballparks they've actually watched a game from? For me, it's:

 

Coors Field > Ballpark at Arlington > Miller Park > Wrigley Field > Rogers Center > Metrodome

 

Also, do MiLB parks tend to have better beer than MLB parks? I've only been to Cedar Rapids and Durham, and I never checked at Cedar Rapids, but at Durham Bulls Athletic Park we have separate stands for at least Foothills, Lagunitas, and New Belgium. I never remember seeing a beer selection of that quality at Miller Park.

[logan82]

Mmm, Lagunitas. Yeah they have good beer at Miller Park. Friday's has some then there are craft beer stands around the park.

 

I never remember seeing a beer selection of that quality at Miller Park.

Quality is pretty subjective. They do have a selection. Unless you don't like any Wisconsin beer, I am pretty sure they will have something outside of BMC that will appeal to almost everybody.

[razzzorsharp]

Of the parks I have been to...

 

1) Pittsburgh

2) Miller Park

3) St. Louis

4) Kansas City

5) Wrigley

6) Oakland

[dlk9s]

I've only been to Miller Park twice, a long time ago, so I don't remember it too well. I'm not going to count it. It would definitely be no worse than 3rd on this list.

 

1) Turner Field

2) Camden Yards

3) County Stadium

4) Old Yankee Stadium

5) Fenway Park

6) Metrodome

[BrewersSuperCollector]

For those of you not following it, ESPN decided to have vote (bracket style) to decide the best ballpark in baseball.

 

This isn't a get out the vote for miller park effort (because #1 who really cares who wins and #2 the vote if fixed anyway)

 

the issues i have is in the prerankings. Miller park was seeded 24th. It easily beat the Angels ballpark on monday and is leading dodger stadium with the vote ending at lunchtime.

 

secondly, espn put out a list of best / worst concessions and seats at the stadiums. I know Jim Caple is their page 2 comedy guy but he obviously didn't do his research.

 

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/8049114/battle-ballparks-best-worst-seats-concessions-more

 

to list a miller park brat with mustard (which is a great choice) as #3 is stupid because most will say that the most popular food item at miller park is a brat with secret stadium sauce.the beer rankings are equally dumb. most ballparks either serve bud or miller/coors. not sure how coors field can be the best and miller park the 3rd worst. Maybe Caple is just a coors guy. I can't speak for what micro's coors has but atleast miller park has really done a good job of getting some microbrews inside the park for people not interested on just drinking miller lite.

 

 

I went to the game last night and bought a brat. There was only ketchup and mustard available at the stad. No stadium sauce.

[patrickgpe]

they don't have dispensers this year, most concession stands have bottles though of the stadium sauce.

[adamb100]

Ive only been to PNC Park and Great American Ballpark but I would rank those 2 above Miller. I miss a true open air stadium.

 

Regardless, Miller Park is up against PNC Park right now in the Battle of the Ballparks.

[Eye Black]

It is a little difficult to rank the parks that no longer exist, but this is what I came up with regarding parks I have watched an MLB game at....

 

1- Target Field

2 - PNC Park

3 - Miller Park

4 - SkyDome (now Rogers Centre)

5 - Comerica Park

6 - Fenway Park

7 - Wrigley Field

8 - Progressive Field

9 - Kauffman Stadium (Pre-Renovation)

10 - Great American Ballpark

11 - U.S. Cellular Field

12 - County Stadium

13 - (Old) Busch Stadium

14 - Metrodome

[TooLiveBrew]

I have to agree on Target Field being amazing. The only downside is no roof, but with a roof you lose part of the aesthetic that helps make TF so special.

[brewmann04]

Pnc park is very nice

[Mike2k33]

Maybe Caple is just a coors guy

 

Have to take my seasonal opportunity to bash Caple. In my view, he's a pencil neck geek who hates Milwaukee and the Brewers because he's a homer from the Twin Cities who blamed Selig for trying to contract the Twins. You will never see anything positive about anything related to the Brewers from him. Did I mention that I can't stand the guy (or ESPN)?

 

Rant over....

 

 

Ahh yeah, I remember that. And I'm completely with you, the guy is a clown. He(and many others) just perpetuate ESPN's attempt at ruining American sport.

 

As for my list of stadiums....

 

1. PNC

2. Miller Park

3. Great American Ballpark

4. Kauffman Stadium (pre-renovation)

5. County Stadium

6. Wrigley

7. Old Busch Stadium

[owbc]

Active parks that I've been to:

1. PNC Park (easily the best)

2. Miller Park

3. Wrigley Field

4. Camden Yards

5. Comerica Park

6. Great American BP

7. Marlins Park

8. Rogers Center

9. US Cellular Field

 

Defunct parks:

1. Old Busch

2. Old Yankee

3. County Stadium

4. Metrodome

5. Riverfront/Cinergy

6. Joe Robbie/Pro Player/Dolphins/Land Shark/Sun Life

 

I think it's fair to rank Miller Park that high considering the overall atmosphere and fan support. Comerica is the most underrated, we had a really good time there. PNC is just spectacular though. One of the flaws of Marlins Park is that it has about the same number of seats as PNC but fails to capture that intimate feeling. I've driven by Tropicana but have no desire to go there.

[owbc]

The Brewers' social media machine picked up on this story and now Miller Park is leading PNC Park. Miller vs. PNC has 20,000 more votes than the other 3 polls. It would be awesome to shove it in the face of Caple by making him write a nice long article about how the fans voted Miller Park best in baseball. Miller Park vs. Camden Yards will start later today I think unless PNC turns it around at the last minute.

[brewtown82]

I can't believe we're "third worst" for beer. We have Lakefront, macro-imports, Capital Brewery, a couple random micro-brew stands, and yes, the millercoors stuff. But still, not a bad selection. (Unless you are unlucky enough to sit in terrace level)

[brewtown82]

not to mention leinenkugel's. not awesome, but decent stuff. and the brewmaster in Milwaukee is a great guy.

[fondybrewfan]

1. Pittsburgh

2. Milwaukee

3. Philly

999. Cincinnati (Awful)

[patrickgpe]

at first i didn't care what happened because i figured this was fixed to put fenway or wrigley #1, but when caple writes crap this this

Can Brewers fans pull off another upset, or have they had so much to drink while tailgating that they can no longer work a mobile device/keyboard to vote?

 

 

i can of changed my mind, even though this screams the madden cover vote which never gets it right (peyton hillis on the cover over rodgers....)