10 of America's coolest high school baseball venues

We are not the authority on coolness. But we know cool when we see it.

You can have an endless discussion on which criteria to use when trying to find the Top 10 coolest high school baseball venues in America. So just to leave some room for argument, we are calling this list "10 of the coolest high school baseball venues in America."

Come along and see the slideshow of some spectacular and historic ballparks that high school baseball teams play in. We're sure you might have suggestions, so let us know which ones we should include when we decide to make another slideshow with 10 more.

Take a step back in time and watch high school baseball in a place where the Negro Leagues, the Southern League and countless other big-ticket attractions took place. The people of Birmingham have done a fine job preserving and updating Rickwood Field.



Local look: "Rickwood Field in Birmingham serves as the home baseball field for all but two inner-city high school teams. It is the oldest standing minor league park remaining. It served as home for the Birmingham Barons and Birmingham Black Barons from 1910 until the mid 1980s. It is now a historical site and was renovated to look like a 1920's stadium. It has signs from that era and is used to film scenes for most movies that are from that time period. The movie "Cobb" (about Ty Cobb) was filmed predominantly at the stadium.

"The city threatened to tear it down numerous times but it was salvaged by The Friends of Rickwood – a nonprofit group which took over the stadium and now keeps it manicured. The scoreboard over the left-field wall can still be operated physically by putting up the score by innings with an old pole and lift. Some baseball greats played there, including Willie Mays."
- Riley Lee, MaxPreps freelance writer

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Nationally relevant stadiums aren't found on campus too often. In Shelby, N.C., they attract fans from across the nation to Hoyt S. Keeter Stadium, and it's on the Shelby High campus. The home of the American Legion World Series is definitely a sight to see.

Local look: "On the high school level, there are few that can compare in North Carolina. Visitors to the park from other schools, regions, states have given nothing but positive feedback. The reaction of visiting players is kind of neat. A lot of them can't believe that high school teams gets to play on that field. Gardner-Webb University is playing games there vs. Wake Forest and South Carolina during the current season.

Besides the covered grandstand and ceiling fans, the box seats are popular. Teams also enjoy using the batting cage located behind the fieldhouse down the right field line. The dugouts are long and roomy.

Also, during the American Legion World Series tournament, they have 'rocking chair row' where folks pay not only to sit there, but get to take home the rockers after it's over. The American Legion World Series has broken the attendance record each of the last two years with about 6-7,000 fans in there each night during that event. They are redoing the concourse (making it much bigger this year). And in recent years adding the video scoreboard, the dugout renovations and putting in a warning track in the outfield were big deals. Additional seating is planned down the road."
- Alan Ford, sports editor at The Shelby Star (@starsptseditor)

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In 2009, the National High School Baseball Coaches Association named Carlo Crispino Stadium the National Field of the Year. The years have been kind to the stadium, as it's still bright and shiny in Baltimore.

Local look: "Calvert Hall had recently redesigned its field when I started playing baseball at a rival high school in the early 2000s. Although instantly one of the best home fields in the Baltimore area -- with dugouts, fences, perfect location -- it still had some issues. I remember some games when the natural grass in the outfield was worn in several spots, as well as limited space for fans to watch the game behind home plate. Calvert Hall fixed both of those problems in 2008, however, when it built Carlo Crispino Stadium. Featuring a FieldTurf surface and a covered grandstand, the Cardinals now play in one of the top stadiums in the country. Calvert Hall recently added lights to the stadium, which gives local players the chance to play games at night -- a rare opportunity in Maryland. With the state-of-the-art stadium and a program that's among the best in the state every year, it sometimes feels like you're watching a minor league baseball game at Carlo Crispino Stadium."
- Dean Jones Jr., Content Editor in charge of high school sports coverage at The Baltimore Sun (@SunVarsity and Facebook)

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A baseball field is a beautiful thing. But when it's a small part of a beautiful outdoor paradise, that means something. Add in some serious history and you've got a noteworthy park up in Wisconsin.



Local look: "Carson Park is home to Eau Claire Memorial, Eau Claire North, Eau Claire Regis and Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran during the spring. In the summer, it's primarily used for the Eau Claire Express of the Northwoods League, though several other amateur teams use it as well. The baseball stadium, which was built in 1937, is located in a park that has a lot of scenic trails. It's just a wonderful location. And the stadium itself is one of those cool, old parks that's full of history. It has a stone grandstand. Outside is a statue of Hank Aaron -- he played his first summer of professional ball in Eau Claire for the Bears, then the Milwaukee Braves' Class-C affiliate. The Express have made a lot of improvements to the park, including an expanded press box and a fan deck down the right field line. It's a great place to watch a game, easily on par with anything in the state.
- Joe Ziemer, Sports Editor at the Leader Telegram (@JoeZLT)

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Baseball on a roof? Well in the city with the largest population density in America, that's what they have to do to find space. Click here to read more about Roosevelt Stadium.

Local look: "Union City’s Roosevelt Stadium is a one-of-a-kind experience, whether you enjoy a spring breeze taking in a baseball game, or you feel the biting wind on an autumn evening watching a football game. The setting, on top of Union City High School, is certainly unique. The field is three stories above the ground and offers an excellent view of Manhattan and the Empire State Building. The current grandstand and the UCHS architectural style keeps the old Roosevelt Stadium sense alive, linking past and present."
- David Clauser, Assistant Principal of Athletics at Union City High School


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That famous Napa Valley weather and its world-famous scenery are part of the draw at Cleve Borman Field. What makes it even cooler is that it has a historic feel, and holds a special place in the hearts of many veterans. The stadium is located on the grounds of the Veterans Home of California, Yountville and hosts the California finals for American Legion baseball each year. Vintage (Napa, Calif.) plays home games there and Napa High has also been a tenant in the past.

Local look: "What makes Borman Field such a special place starts with entering the Veteran's Home grounds. It's like a time warp back to a much simpler time, one that would make Norman Rockwell proud. Upon entering the grounds you drive through the 'tunnel of trees' and as spring turns to summer the trees fill out, creating a canopy of shade as you climb the hill at the posted 20 mph. As you head further up the hill at the posted 15 mph, you wind your way around a few bends until the Veteran's Home pool comes into view that after Memorial Day, is full of local children enjoying the sun and water. Just past the pool the field appears to the right. The large covered grandstand is a throwback to the older minor league facilities one might find in the midwest. From there, the vines on the fence, the finely kept playing surface, and the hills of the Napa Valley acting as a backdrop, it's a sight to behold. There are areas to picnic and barbecue, horseshoe pits and of course a friendly veteran is always there to share a smile and words of encouragement for the players. Playing at Borman Field is more than just a game. It truly is a memorable experience for all to take in."
- Todd Pridy, Napa High coach

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The Green Monster has been replicated in Florida, of all places, and for high school players. Even better, a man who hit one of the most famous homers over the actual Green Monster in Boston holds camps where the replica lives. Folks, view the Little Green Monster.

Local look: "It’s nestled inside Marlins country and surrounded by numerous transplanted Yankees fans, but Delray Beach, Fla., does its best to welcome Red Sox Nation. Not far west of the beach sits a replica of a famous Boston landmark. The main baseball field at Miller Park is named Little Fenway, complete with a replica of the famed left field Green Monster. It’s the home field for nearby Atlantic High School’s Eagles.
 
"It’s also the home of former New York Yankee Bucky Dent’s Baseball School, and the scoreboard that adorns the Green Monster reflects the line score of the Yankees’ 1978 American League East division playoff game against the Red Sox in which Dent’s still-talked-about three-run homer powered the New Yorkers to a 5-4 win that gave the Yankees the division title."
- Steve Dorsey, MaxPreps freelance writer

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Ocean breeze. Citrus orchards and flower farms all around. Views of mountains that look their best in the evening hours as the sun sets over the Pacific. Yeah, Carpinteria is a place that can easily be called paradise. This school located on Highway 101 between Santa Barbara and Ventura sits in some of America's best natural beauty.

Local look: "Carpinteria High School's John Calderwood Field dates back to when the school was built in 1962 and has hosted baseball competition ranging from Little League games to semi-pro. The school's baseball program takes special pride in the facility, which is maintained by the current Warriors coaching staff and players. The scenery is tough to beat, with beautiful coastal mountains springing up just beyond the outfield fences. Several of Carpinteria's famous avocado groves can also be seen from the bleachers. Tradition is important in Carpinteria, and home plate remains in the exact spot that it was when the Warriors won their first CIF championship in 1974."
- John Dvorak, Publisher at Presidio Sports (@PresidioSports)




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The Pacific Northwest's logging heritage is living well at Olympic Stadium, a magnificent and historic structure located on Grays Harbor, a small bay on Washington's west coast. This ballpark undoubtedly has its sagging spots and creaks when you walk in the grandstands, and that's what makes it so great.

Local look: "Olympic Stadium was built in 1938 and is supposedly the only stadium in the nation built by the old Works Progress Administration that is still in operation. It is the home for Hoquiam High School football and baseball, Grays Harbor youth baseball and the annual Loggers Playday celebration (a logging show competition). In the past, it has also been the site for professional baseball (the Class A Northwest League and the independent Western League) and semi-pro baseball. It supposedly seats about 8,000, although it accommodated 10,000, with some temporary bleachers for the 100th Aberdeen-Hoquiam football game in 2005.

"It's a good example of an old-time stadium that isn't a dump. The City of Hoquiam has done enough upgrades over the years that attending a game there is still a pleasant viewing experience. It's also one of the few older stadiums that is equally suitable for football and baseball."
- Rick Anderson, Sports Editor at the Daily World

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Midwestern charm and quirky design only tell half the story of why the Mini Met is so cool. It's part of a bigger picture: Town Baseball. It's a Minnesota and Wisconsin tradition where towns have these classic wood ballparks and teams of all ages share the facility. Town Baseball was mentioned in the Top 10 of the Ultimate Baseball Experiences according to ESPN's Jim Caple in a 2007 piece.

Local look: "Minnesota baseball fans get to experience something that much of the rest of this country doesn't: 'Town Baseball.' Town baseball has been played in Single-A Minor League-sized wooden ballparks, throughout almost every major town in Minnesota and Wisconsin since the 1930s and before. Many of the ballparks that are still standing in the largest towns in these parts, have been gobbled up by the Northwoods League… a collegiate baseball league that showcases America's next great talents in a Minor League styled system that has drawn a tremendous amount of fans over the years and taken amateur baseball to a new level.

"The interior of this grandstand is reminiscent of a log cabin, with its wooden post and beam construction. It has been the jewel of Jordan since it was built in the mid-1930's. Jordan's main grandstand is not located behind home plate like in most other ballparks. The primary seating area is a long singular wooden roofed section that stretches down the third base line. There is very little seating (if any) down the first base line, which is odd considering that this is where most of the action occurs. The Mini-Met however was built to fit into this little basin and most of the room for the facility was on the third base line, so that is where the grandstand was built. The Mini-Met is certainly a little quirky in that way, which makes it well… special."
- Eric Pastore, Digitalballparks.com