Futuristic ballpark design - do you like this for TO?

[9er_4life]

Didn't see this posted anywhere. SI posted an article on Populous' 'Living Park' - a futuristic design of what ballparks could look like in 20 years. Since we're probably doomed to the Dome for the next few decades, I found the piece particularly interesting as it could be a foretaste of what our next park will look like. Personally I like the 'retro' parks with modern amenities (Comerica Park is one of my fav's) - but I'm curious as to what people like in a ballpark and if this futuristic model appeals to you?

http://mlb.si.com/2014/03/13/populous-l ... he-future/

On a related note - anyone planning on hitting up some parks in the US this summer? I'm really hoping to see PNC this year.

[Hoopstarr]

That is super intriguing and delicious. I really think a new ballpark should be the #1 issue on the Jays agenda long-term. We simply can't play in the Dome and hope to achieve sustained success. The Jays and Rays are the only teams left in the majors who play on Turf and even they're working on a new park. It's bad enough we play in Canada, but playing on Turf too doesn't help with free agents. Enough with half measures like renovating the dome and adding grass in 5 years (the NBC keeping Jay Leno of baseball decisions).

[s e n s i]

i'm definitely a fan of the traditional, retro "newer-ish" ballparks like camden yards, comerica, petco, pnc, safeco, target field, minute maid, new yankee stadium etc. these parks will never be outdated aesthetically -- for the same reason wrigley and fenway have been around for a century. they just look nice and provide this sort of aura about the sport that transcends time. patrons 60-70 years from now should feel like they're taken back in time when they enter these parks and as cheesy as it might sound, that's what baseball is about -- the tradition, history, and purity of everything from the rules to the type of grass on the field, to the sights and sounds of a vintage ballpark setting

i don't see us moving out of rogers centre at all, even 30-40 years from now it'd be hard to imagine considering how amazing a location it is and how useless such a cavernous stadium would be dead smack in the middle of downtown without a team to call it home. but in the event we did, a hybrid park (much like what new yankee stadium is now) is what i'd lean towards. a retro-style park with all the flashy LED ads and scoreboards in the outfield, but one without gimmicks and pool bars beyond the fence (fountains and waterfalls are OK).

rogers should just pony up the dough to give the dome a complete makeover. renovate the horrid hotel windows and the concrete exterior, install thin bermuda grass, install an escalator or two to get from the 100 level to the nosebleeds, maybe reduce some seating in the outfield bleachers and paint the seats a darker shade of blue and i'll be happy with the place win or lose

On a related note - anyone planning on hitting up some parks in the US this summer? I'm really hoping to see PNC this year.

pnc is also on the agenda for me with the jays there in early may. easy drive and apparently a great ballpark. i'll be going to comiskey, wrigley, and miller park in mid-august for some jays ball with a cubs game mixed in.

[CrymeTime]

1 thing I would like the Jays to do (with a new stadium) is to have Crazy Dimensions.

LF Foul Pole - 325 ft (9 foot wall)

LF - 345 ft (10 foot wall)

LCF- 381 ft

CF - 415 ft (10 foot long porch above the fence, extending above the field)

RCF - 391 ft

RF - 354 ft (8 foot wall)

RF Foul Pole - 319 ft (14 foot wall)

[9er_4life]

pnc is also on the agenda for me with the jays there in early may. easy drive and apparently a great ballpark. i'll be going to comiskey, wrigley, and miller park in mid-august for some jays ball with a cubs game mixed in.[/quote]

I did the Chicago-Milwaukee run last year (with a stop at Comerica on the way back). I really, really enjoyed the trip, especially the city of Chicago. Did the Miller Brewery tour before the Brewers game (though there's great tailgating at the park too), stayed downtown and took the train to both Chicago parks. Got a great deal on hot-wire at the Hilton, and Buddy Guy's blues bar was just around the corner and it was amazing.

I liked Miller park - very much a fun, family atmosphere - but Wrigley really was a unique experience. The view was bad, there are no amenities in the upper level, and the urinals were giant troughs. But, you definitely felt like you were being taken back in time. To come back to the Dome after that experience was a real downer (and makes me feel like I have to drive to Buffalo or Detroit to experience a real ballpark).

[akakalakin]

previous playoff appearances and the lessons learned need to be addressed

so no

[whysoserious]

That is a crazy looking park with some very intriguing designs and vantage points for fans. i'm not sure how you'd build that in to a downtown core. It would be cool if you had a central park kind in Toronto and that was in the centre of it but impossible now.

I wonder if there's a way to expand BMO so the Jays could play there for a couple of seasons and you tear down the Dome and rebuild it in the mould of PNC and those parks right in the same spot.

Location wise, the Dome is in the perfect spot but that stadium is so depressing to be in.

[Mehar]

That is a crazy looking park with some very intriguing designs and vantage points for fans. i'm not sure how you'd build that in to a downtown core. It would be cool if you had a central park kind in Toronto and that was in the centre of it but impossible now.

I wonder if there's a way to expand BMO so the Jays could play there for a couple of seasons and you tear down the Dome and rebuild it in the mould of PNC and those parks right in the same spot.

Location wise, the Dome is in the perfect spot but that stadium is so depressing to be in.

It has been depressing due to twenty years of no meaningful games in September. As a kid, i went with my uncle to a regular season game in 1993 in the summer that year, and it was anything but depressing. Put a winning product on the field and the Stadium will not be considered depressing.

[whysoserious]

It has been depressing due to twenty years of no meaningful games in September. As a kid, i went with my uncle to a regular season game in 1993 in the summer that year, and it was anything but depressing. Put a winning product on the field and the Stadium will not be considered depressing.

There's no doubt the product hasn't been great but overall there's too much grey concrete everywhere. From a visual standpoint it's actually a depressing building to be in. A winning product will mitigate that as fans will go see a winning product first and foremost, that doesn't mean the building itself is actually good.

[Avenger]

This is a waste of time, there is exactly zero chance a new ballpark is even being considered or will be considered in the next couple of decades. Rogers won't pony up a 3/4th(at a minimum) of a billion dollars when they have a perfectly functioning ballpark and they won't get a cent from any level of government, we don't have that culture Canada like they do in the US where for example Miami Dade county issued 2 billion dollars of bonds(DEBT!) to build Loria a new stadium.

[TheBigSmoke_RF]

I actually like the retractable dome, I wonder if that could be incorporated into this design. Its just so convenient and gets rid of those pesky Delayed/postponed games.

[Komodo]

At least get rid of the turf.

[baulderdash77]

The only thing wrong with Rogers Center is that it has 50,000 seats and they average 30,000 fans so it seems empty.

On Saturdays early last season when they had 40,000+ fans in it the Dome was awesome. Don't expect anything better within the next 15 years either. Soon the Argos will be out of it and there will be a grass field. I'm sure that they'll do some other upgrades at that point but that's pretty much it.

[dennistokyo]

Just cover the dome in ivy. That would help big time.

[bballsparkin]

The only thing wrong with Rogers Center is that it has 50,000 seats and they average 30,000 fans so it seems empty.

On Saturdays early last season when they had 40,000+ fans in it the Dome was awesome. Don't expect anything better within the next 15 years either. Soon the Argos will be out of it and there will be a grass field. I'm sure that they'll do some other upgrades at that point but that's pretty much it.

Ya it's not so bad when there are 40, 000 plus fans in there, I agree. There is something wrong when they don't open the roof and the sky is mostly blue with some clouds. I find that pretty annoying. Nothing like open air at a ball game.

[rarefind]

Not happening for us. Get accustomed to the Dome, perhaps the grass plan actually is real with the Argos getting dumped to BMO.

[Komodo]

The only thing wrong with Rogers Center is that it has 50,000 seats and they average 30,000 fans so it seems empty.

On Saturdays early last season when they had 40,000+ fans in it the Dome was awesome. Don't expect anything better within the next 15 years either. Soon the Argos will be out of it and there will be a grass field. I'm sure that they'll do some other upgrades at that point but that's pretty much it.

Ya it's not so bad when there are 40, 000 plus fans in there, I agree. There is something wrong when they don't open the roof and the sky is mostly blue with some clouds. I find that pretty annoying. Nothing like open air at a ball game.

It's because opening/closing the dome is so expensive lol

[gei]

I really don't get the unreasonable hate the dome gets. It's a pretty good baseball venue and far better than many others in the league I've been to (ie the horrible fenway park). Give us some real grass (which they're already planning) and we'll be good to go.

The dome is located excellently (literally could not be in a better location), and the roof is incredibly practical in toronto and has served us well over the years.

[s e n s i]

I really don't get the unreasonable hate the dome gets. It's a pretty good baseball venue and far better than many others in the league I've been to (ie the horrible fenway park).

not sure what you have against fenway, and i can't stand the red sox, but i think it's far from horrible -- i think it's actually one of the better parks in all of baseball. it's ancient but it's not like it's unkempt and run down. the sightlights are great (small park, not a lot of foul ground makes for a real intimate setting where you're close to the action regardless of where you're seated), the concessions aren't bad, there are tons of bar options right outside the ballpark, and suprisingly -- sox fans are pretty nice and educated about the game too so that helps

[duppyy]

I don't mind the dome due to being able to avoid rain. I wouldn't enjoy going to a game when it's raining.