Rating: 
Summary: A diamond in the rough
Review: Take Me Out to the Ballpark captures your eye with its unusual shape, which tells you that you're not just going on for a stodgy history of baseball. Levinthal takes on the task of extolling our ballparks past and present. Of course this is a huge task, which he makes bigger with a smattering of looks at minor league parks and Negro League parks. There is also the unenviable task of trying to give the same space for storied Fenway Park or Ebbets Field and newer places such as SAFECO Field. How does he do? He does surprisingly well, considering the task. The book is not perfect - Levinthal had to decide what to cull and what to include. Some of it is dry - after a while reading the book I didn't care the center field distance of each park. It is nice to know it's there should I wish to look it up, but it was repetitive after a while. And unfortunately he is writing in the midst of a trend of ballpark changes and construction. So even though the book is only a couple of years old, it suffers telling about some of the fields that are no longer with us now that teams have moved on. However, beyond that the book is fun. So much attention is paid to the players over the years it's nice to see someone pay attention to the green cathedrals that are so integral to the game. In many ways this book could be a launching pad for someone who wants to read up more on the Polo Grounds or other great fields which are no longer with us. It is good for the curious as an introduction to the breadth of ballparks, as well as the fan, who will enjoy the stats and stories of their most and least favorite parks. A good book to get you into the new baseball season.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Ballpark Pictorial
Review: Take Me Out To The Ballpark is an excellent coffee table book. It contains pictures and brief overviews of all the baseball stadiums currently in use and those that have met the wrecking ball. The book does not contain an in depth account of the parks, but gives a brief history and dates of significant highlights. A perfect book for any baseball fan and a perfect book to pick up and skim through.
Rating:
Summary: Baseball Extravaganza
Review: Take Me Out To The Ballpark is probably...no IS the most detailed baseball book. It has from photos to history that goes way back to 1910! One of the best facts in it is that there is 2 White Sox stadiums. It shows them too! If you're a baseball fan then this is gold for you! I give it a 10/10!So quit mess'n around and read this
RAD book.
Rating: 
Summary: Wrigley Field high above sea-level? Dude!
Review: There is some good information in this book, and some good pictures, but there are a number of inaccuracies that are disturbing (I take my ballpark history seriously). Consider the description of Wrigley Field as "high above sea level" and how that affects the ball flight. Dude, last time I looked, 600 feet is not high above sea level...maybe you meant the ballpark in Denver. Again, that is just ONE of the misleading inaccuracies. This is a good book, but not for serious ballpark afficionados like myself.
Rating:
Summary: A Real Treasure
Review: This book about baseball stadiums, past and present is wonderful, not just because it lists facts and figures about all major league stadiums, past and present, and not just because it lists famous events at each stadium, but also because it describes the histories of each ballpark. There are also breif descriptions of Negro league ballparks, some minor league parks of note, as well as the "behind the scenes" people and places that make baseball stadiums the stuff of legends. Pages about PA Announcers, team mascots, scoreboards and billboard ads in stadiums are also included here. The book starts off with a history of stadiums, from the wooden edifices of the late 19th century to the "retro ballparks" of today. Reading through this book, you get a real feel for what each stadium is like, and what it feels like to experience watching a ballgame there. Well worth buying even if you're just a casual fan, this book captures a part of baseball history just now becoming popular, ballpark histories.
Rating:
Summary: Two Thumbs Up!!!
Review: This book has just awesome pictures that you more than likely won't find anywhere else. It has pictures of the old(Crosley Field, Ebbets Field, Polo Grounds, Fenway Park just to name a few)and new(Camden Yards, Jacobs Field, Bank One Ballpark, Enron Field, Pacific Bell Park, etc.)parks. It also has in-depth analysis. Josh Leventhal did a superb job and if you're a ballpark lover, this book is for you!!!
Rating:
Summary: Phenomenal
Review: This book has to be among the best (if not the best) book about ballparks currently on the market. Not only are there a wealth of pictures and facts about all the current (and some past) major league ballparks, there are also the "stories" behind each of these facilities. There are also a number of minor league and Negro league parks mentioned as well. It's clear this book is a true labor of love by the author. My "West Coast bias" is showing, because I was hoping to see Sacramento's Raley Field (a gorgeous minor league park) mentioned here, but alas it isn't. Oh well, it's a very minor disappointment. And seeing as how a large number of gorgeous minor league parks are now opening across the country, perhaps Mr Leventhal's next project could be a book about minor league parks? As I leafed through its pages, I found myself realizing that next season I need to go on a "road trip" to experience some of these stadiums in person. The book is remarkable in its scope. It starts off by describing the "history" of ballparks, from the rickety old parks of the 19th century to the 'retro" parks of the early 21st century. And with these retro ballparks of today being built, it's piqued people's interest in learning more about the various major league ballparks across the US and into Canada. And in addition to descriptions of every current major league ballpark, there are also features on stadium PA announcers, mascots, ballpark food, groundskeepers, even a page or two on which parks are "home runs havens' and which are "pitcher's dreams." Any baseball fan will adore this book.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best
Review: This book on baseball parks was incredibly good. I personally am very interested in baseball parks and so I have high expectations for a book like this. The information was given in an easy-to-read way that made reading it enjoyable and not a chore. There were lots of facts and the pictures were perfect. The only problem was the shape... I don't get it is it a baseball or what? Other than that this is one of the best baseball books there is and I should know because I love baseball.
P.S. Go Rangers
Rating: 
Summary: Mantle's Griffith Stadium Blast Erroneously Reported
Review: This book was a gift that I do enjoy having. But as an old Washington Senator's fan, I attended the Yankees-Senators game in April 1953 when Mickey Mantle became the only player in the 50+ year history of Griffith Stadium to hit a homerun over the leftfield bleachers. This 565 foot blast is considered by many as the longest homerun ever hit in the Major Leagues. Alas, the depiction of this event in Leventhal's book (page 44) contains 4 glaring errors: The picture representing the event shows: 1. Mantle batting left-handed. Switch hitter Mantle hit this one batting right-handed.
2. The Senator pitcher shown is a right-hander. Left-hander Chuck Stobbs was the Washington pitcher who actually gave up the blast. 3. The dotted line tracking the balls flight shows it glancing off the right edge of the National Bohemium Beer sign. It actually glanced off of the left edge of the sign. AND The caption under the picture states the ball hit the scoreboard in right-center field - its actually WAS the Beer ad sign shown in leftfield. The above immediately brings in question the accuracy of the other 'facts' contained in the book. But the book does contain some great photos and I think it is a good buy.
Rating:
Summary: Mantle's Griffith Stadium Blast Erroneously Reported
Review: This book was a gift that I do enjoy having. But as an old Washington Senator's fan, I attended the Yankees-Senators game in April 1953 when Mickey Mantle became the only player in the 50+ year history of Griffith Stadium to hit a homerun over the leftfield bleachers. This 565 foot blast is considered by many as the longest homerun ever hit in the Major Leagues. Alas, the depiction of this event in Leventhal's book (page 44) contains 4 glaring errors: The picture representing the event shows: 1. Mantle batting left-handed. Switch hitter Mantle hit this one batting right-handed.
2. The Senator pitcher shown is a right-hander. Left-hander Chuck Stobbs was the Washington pitcher who actually gave up the blast. 3. The dotted line tracking the balls flight shows it glancing off the right edge of the National Bohemium Beer sign. It actually glanced off of the left edge of the sign. AND The caption under the picture states the ball hit the scoreboard in right-center field - its actually WAS the Beer ad sign shown in leftfield. The above immediately brings in question the accuracy of the other 'facts' contained in the book. But the book does contain some great photos and I think it is a good buy.
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