31 down, 1 to go. (SunTrust Park)

From one of the oldest and crappiest stadiums in the majors to the newest, SunTrust Park. I attended the second game ever in the ballpark, the Braves against the Padres. Still one to go, since this one is brand spanking new.

Because I went so early in the season, the ballpark village planned was not quite filled out yet. About half of the stores were leased and the apartments were not finished yet. There were still parties out on the lawn and plenty of restaurants open though. The vibe was still buzzing, and it's going to be even better once all of the stores are filled out and the apartments are leased. Also, if you get to try the Hopsecutioner Ale, don't give it a pass.

The ballpark itself is really nice, but nothing staggering about it. I think the designers of the next wave of ballparks realize that they can't beat San Francisco, or Pittsburgh, or Baltimore, so the thought is to combine something fresh and modern with a surrounding village that ensures more money comes in and the surrounding area stays hopping well into the night. The ballpark, even though it is in Cobb County, was not too hard to get to (at least from where I was) and parking was easy off of the highway. The hall of fame also had some interesting items and a great tribute to Hank Aaron.

It remains to be seen how the ballpark village concept plays out here and in other possible areas such as Dallas and Oakland, but it isn't off to a bad start. Anything extra that can keep the younger generation coming can't hurt.

30 down, 1 to go. (Oakland Coliseum)

First a little housekeeping. I got tangled up on the count, then looked back and saw that I didn't count Marlins Park as a ballpark down. So, I'm switching up the rules and counting that one retroactively and then adding in this Oakland report. So at the time that I took in an Oakland game, that was my 30th ballpark down and I had one left to go at that time because Atlanta wasn't open yet.

Whew!

I flew out to Oakland to take in a game a little while back. Yes, the stadium is crap, but it's Oakland's piece of crap. The city takes great pride in its team and I can't wait for the fans to get the stadium that they and the team deserve. Hopefully now that the Raiders are in don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out mode, this year is the rumor when the new ballpark plans will come out.

The stadium really befits everything that the city is about. It's down and out, but it's theirs, and it's kept up as much as a 50 year old concrete bowl can be. The ambiance is one of the best in the majors, and it's a great feel to take in a game.