Take Me Out to the Ballpark: An Illustrated Guide to Baseball Parks Past & Present

Rating:
Summary: Take Me Out to the Ballpark is a disappointment
Review: This could have been such an enjoyable book had the author/editor prevented the internet-style graphics and stats from crowding (and often covering) the beautiful photographs of the ballparks. I don't care how many home runs were hit in Camden Yards and I especially don't care to see a bright red pennant with "home runs!" stats overlaying the photograph. The book would have been effective if all the photographs were more like those on the first few pages, where we see unfettered, whole-page sized shots of a minor league park and Braves Field in Boston. The information about the parks, which is interesting, then could have been included on opposite pages. Instead, the creatively shaped book, great photographs and useful information are all diminished by combining them into a visual mess.
Look at it in the bookstore but don't buy it.

Rating:
Summary: "Take Me Out To The Ballpark"
Review: This is an excellent book for anyone interested in baseball. Not only does it feature all of the current ballparks (up until 2000), but it has all the classic parks like Ebbets Field, the Astrodome, and Tiger Stadium. Includes records and milestones achieved at the park, vital statistics like first year of play and distances, great photos, and brief but informative histories. Also highlights great American minor-league parks and some of the best Negro League stadiums. This is a must-have for any baseball enthusiast.

Rating:
Summary: Off Season Survival
Review: This is great to cuddle up with on those cold and lonely nights when it seems spring training will never arrive. I was first drawn to the book's interesting shape, but then was hooked by the glorious pictures, fascinating trivia, and interesting statistics. I took this book to bed for a few minutes of skimming before lights out, but stayed up most of the night skipping from ballpark to ballpark. I became so infected by baseball fever that I even had to get up for a bag of peanuts. By the way, those shells were heck between the sheets. My only complaint is that this book made me late for work the next morning. O yes, this is great for the junkie who needs a fix before Opening Day.