Dodger Stadium

The seating bowl of Dodger Stadium, Aug-1997.

One of the most bucolic views in the majors also includes a “76” gas station.

• Location: Elysian Park Avenue (off Sunset Boulevard), Los Angeles, Calif.
• Opened: 1962
• Home team: Los Angeles Dodgers, National League (1962-present); Los Angeles Angels, American League (1962-64)
• Capacity: 56,000

Rating: 4 baseballs

For its first three seasons, the stadium also hosted the Los Angeles Angels, an American League expansion club that had played the 1961 season at L.A.’s Wrigley Field, a minor-league park. The Angels moved to Anaheim in 1965.

The stadium is built into an amphitheater, surrounded by parking lots that are horrendous to navigate on the way out. Fans are notorious for leaving in the seventh inning to beat the traffic, even if their own pitcher is working on a no-hitter. On my 1997 trip to the facility, I observed fans arriving as late as the sixth inning as well.

However, the park layout itself is wonderful, and the view into the outfield is gorgeous. Even with the newly painted outfield wall featuring Dodgers of the past as well as some advertising signs, the park merits a high rating.

In recent seasons, the “ground boxes” I appreciated so much have been removed and replaced by additional seating rows that extend down to field level. And as of 2004, the success of Dodgers closer Eric Gagne has actually had fans remaining in their seats until the end of the game, despite the traffic problems.