MLB stadium news:
Dodgers to get $100 million renovation, but will still maintain the same basic structure and look:
https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodge...eld-renovation
Dodger Stadium is the third-oldest stadium in baseball, built in the early 60s. I personally love the place, and feel it's the perfect middle ground between the classic old time stadium and the modern stadiums. There are a few annoying things about it -- it's not particularly easy to move around in the hallways, and the entrances to the parking lot aren't well designed and prone to big backups, plus the parking lot itself is a weird maze.
However, I really would be upset if they substantially changed the stadium. Sure, there's been tweaks over the years -- the introduction of advertisements beyond the simple "76" ball which always sat over left field, the addition of the "dugout seats" at the expense of foul territory, and the (now mandatory) foul screen which extends from 1B to 3B.
However, it's still mostly the same stadium I first visited in 1976.
These renovations won't change that, but are seeking to make the place more family-friendly, adding a play area behind center field (lol), and connecting the bleacher areas to the rest of the stadium via bridges. The connection of the bleachers doesn't make me happy, because that's where a lot of the bad (gang) element sits, and I liked having them isolated. Oh well. They really don't bother me because I'm wearing Dodgers gear and am a middle-aged white guy -- basically the opposite of what they'd view as a rival.
At the same time, these renovations aren't going to really benefit me much, nor are they likely to benefit the typical fan who goes to the game, sits down, eats a Dodger Dog or two, and drives home when it's done. They're more aimed at the people who want other things to do at the game besides watch baseball.
Dodger Stadium does have a '60s feel to it in some ways. For example, they have a weird "Club" level in between the loge (2nd) level and reserved (4th) level. The Club level is tiny, and doesn't really make a lot of sense. Why is it there? It's all in the name. In the 1960s, clubs were all the range. People wanted to feel exclusive, and a lot of times they did so via club memberships. The Dodgers capitalized upon this by building a thin Club level in the middle of the stadium, and an actual Stadium Club in right field, only open to those with Club seats. It worked. A lot of people loved the Club seats and paid extra for them, even though they didn't have a particularly good view of the game, especially on the sides of the stadium. But you felt exclusive and got to sit with others who felt exclusive, plus you had that LOL Stadium Club you could enter (which was/is enclosed, and has a crappy view of the game). All of this still exists today, though people aren't nearly as excited by it. Some of the Club level has been replaced by the 2000s version of the same thing -- suites. I never understood the appeal of suites at a sporting event, as your view of the game sucks, and they're really expensive. I mean, yeah, you and 15 friends can comfortably sit there and socialize, but you can do that without going to a baseball game.