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From the small towns where baseball was born to the cutting edge of the game, baseball stadiums come in all shapes and sizes. Just because it's the newest and most high tech facility doesn’t make it a great place to watch a game; it’s the environment that a stadium creates that makes it great. Whether it is the historic nature of Yankee Stadium or Fenway Park, or the natural surroundings of AT&T Park, there’s always an extra intangible factor that turns a beautiful structure into a baseball stadium. In advance of today's All-Star game, here’s our list of the best baseball stadiums to relax and enjoy the game.1. AT&T Park, San Francisco GiantsSure AT&T park is set in an iconic landscape, right next Bay Bridge and the San Francisco Bay. But what puts this relatively young ballpark ahead of the rest? Games at AT&T are always packed to the brim, and no matter what the score the fans stay for every inning. In the salty air you can taste the sheer passion these fans have for their team. Watching the game at AT&T is almost surreal. There are few other ballparks that compare when it's the middle of an inning and there's nothing to watch. Most seats have great views of the open water, so if the home team is getting pummeled you can distract yourself with beautiful views of passing ships, birds, and sailboats. AT&T also has a great assortment of food that is great for full meals or just snacks during the game. But what makes AT&T really special is that there is almost no seat in the house that has a bad view. Even in the “nose bleed” section you can get an unobstructed view of the entire field. Be sure to get out of your seat and take a walk around the ballpark a couple times, find places with great views and enjoy the game with you fellow fans. 2. Fenway Park, Boston Red SoxThere are no ballparks in America with more tradition and history than Fenway park. Whether it is the curse of the bambino, the Green Monster and Pesky’s Pole, Bostonians love to tell stories about their ballpark, and for good reason. Fenway is the oldest baseball stadium in America, and is one of the most beautiful parks every built. Though quirky and unpredictable, Fenway has a character that cannot be matched by any other ballpark. Everything is different at Fenway, whether it be playing on the field or watching the game, or the exuberant fans.3. Busch Stadium, St. Louis CardinalsThe new Busch stadium was given the honor of hosting today’s All-Star game, mostly due to the fact that it's brand new. But what sets Busch apart from the rest is its beautiful view of St. Louis and especially the Gateway Arch. Any seat that faces away from home plate gets a great skyline view in addition to some of the most direct views of the field in all of baseball. With the capacity to fit 46,861 people, and fans that are ready to pick up every seat in the stadium, the home of the Cardinals is one of the best places in the country to catch a game. There’s nothing quite like watching the sun set over the gateway arch during the seventh inning stretch.4. Yankee Stadium, New York YankeesThe new Yankee Stadium is a testament to how much money the Steinbrenner family has. Covered in marble and limestone, the new Yankee Stadium was made to look more like the home of the gods than simply a sports field, and at a final cost of $1.5 billion dollars, it is definitely fit for the gods. The all time leader for World Series Championships will always have an edge when playing at home. Even though the house that babe built is now being demolished, this new house built by George is a monumental step forward for the Yankees, whose old stadium, though legendary, was practically prehistoric. The new Yankee stadium combines all of the tradition of its predecessor with a lot of great technological improvements to provide a great place to play for America’s winningest team. Now if only it was affordable to watch the game there.5. Wrigley Field, Chicago CubsSo the Cubbies haven't won a World Series in 100 years. Yes, pretty much every post season in Chicago is heartbreaking. But something about these fans makes them keep coming back to Wrigley to cheer their favorite team on. Set in a residential neighborhood on the north side of Chicago, Wrigley is more of a community stadium than a big league ballpark. Fans from all over Chicago descend on this temple of myth and legend most nights during the summer to yell, scream and have a good time. Wrigley is much more than just a ballpark, its home to a whole nation of Cubs fans and an enormous amount of spirit. 6. Miller Park, Milwaukee BrewersBaseball has become one of the most expensive sports to watch. Watching a game at Fenway Park or Yankee Stadium can cost anywhere between $300 and $400 in many cases. Miller Park has some of the cheapest ticket and concession prices in all of baseball and is one of the best indoor stadiums ever built. Miller Park has the only fan shaped convertible roof that can close in 10 minutes. Fans at Miller Park are some of the most ardent in all of baseball, and though their team hasn’t won a World Series in 27 years, the Brewers made their first appearance in the post season in 26 years in 2008 and intend to return to the top of their division again this season.7. PNC Park, Pittsburgh PiratesLocated on the North Shore of the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh, PNC park is the second smallest ballpark in baseball. It has pioneered some of the enhancements that many new ballparks have recently installed, like a limestone facade (Yankee Stadium), perfect view (Busch Stadium), and old-style design elements (Citi Field). Though PNC park is smaller and doesn't have the same fan base as many other stadiums, it was designed from day one as a stadium for sports fans. Every seat in the house has a great view of the natural grass field. If you don't feel like sitting down the whole game PNC offers a great river walk along the outfield wall where you can watch the game and enjoy the Pittsburgh skyline.Photo credit: flickr cc EvilThomThai
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