Ranking the ballparks

Last night's All-Star game signaled the beginning of the end for Yankee Stadium, arguably baseball's most historic park. It's listed as number one in terms of historical importance ahead of Wrigley Field and Fenway Park by The Bleacher Report. As a sign of the times, Oriole Park at Camden Yards comes in fourth in historical importance.

That makes the top four in baseball:

1. Yankee Stadium
2. Wrigley Field
3. Fenway Park
4. Oriole Park at Camden Yards

Next year, I think the top four will be:

1. The New Yankee Stadium
2. Wrigley Field
3. Fenway Park
4. Oriole Park at Camden Yards

While Wrigley and Fenway are classics, and Camden sets the standard for "new" parks, Yankee Stadium will be the reincarnation of a classic, something that's never been done before. Its importance will be understood in what it becomes known for. The Yankees need the stadium to be received as a retro masterpiece that plays baseball cathedral and forwarding-thinking colossus at once. I rarely listen to anything Joe Buck says, but last night when he mentioned that Yankee Stadium is the United States' Coliseum, he might've been correct. It's as important a stadium as any in the history of this country. It is probably the most important, and it probably will remain the most important.

Stadiums that would earn votes outside of the top four: AT&T Park, San Francisco; Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles; Petco Park, San Diego

I include Petco because it is the one park with a big outfield that hasn't had it's fences brought in since the park's inception. Comerica Park brought deep fences in, as did U.S. Cellular Field. Petco is as much a pitcher's park as any ballpark in baseball right now. AT&T Park is similar in this respect, but has very normal dimensions in left field.