Thursday BP: Best ballparks in baseball

Good morning, baseball fans.

Yes, we’re doing a poll. It’s an off-day after the San Francisco Giants lost a game but won a series. So it’s not a great day for celebrating anything from yesterday, but also not a day for panicking, or doom and gloom.

So let’s talk baseball parks and argue about who’s got the second best park in baseball.

Obviously the Giants have the best park in baseball, hands down. But if you had to pick a top three elsewhere, what are you going with? And what is your metric?

For me, I think my metric is vibes. The kind of park where you can go and have a good time whether or not the game was any good. Oracle Park has that covered. I’ve been to some pretty horrendous blowouts and shutouts in my time, but looking out at the Bay Bridge and watching the ships go by while taking swigs of Sierra Nevada kind of takes the edge off.

I haven’t been to many other teams’ ballparks, so this is all from the eye test on TV. But I think I’d have to go with PNC Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, with its center field view of the Roberto Clemente Bridge.

Set Number: X156712 TK2 R1 F32

Another would be Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals, with its view of the Gateway Arch.

Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

And finally, Petco Park, home of the team the Giants will be facing next, the San Diego Padres.

Both Oracle and Petco end up going against each other at the top of rankings of which is the prettiest or best ballpark in baseball. Oracle Park offers you the Bay Bridge and ships, Petco is nestled into the heart of downtown San Diego, one of my favorite places to visit. I’m a sucker for both water views and skyline views, though, so it’s not really a surprise.

But my vibes don’t speak for everyone, so I’d love to know what you think the best ballparks in baseball are, give us your response in the comments.

What time do the Giants play today?

The Giants do not play today, but will be back at the actual best ballpark in baseball tomorrow night to kick off a three-game series against the Padres.