5 Worst MLB Stadiums to Be Caught in a Rain Delay
The two most feared words that any baseball fan wants to hear are "rain delay."
It doesn't matter if you're at Yankee Stadium—with a full museum and dine-in restaurant—or Wrigley Field, where there's not much to keep yourself occupied.
Rain delays are no fun for attendees.
So, which stadiums are the worst to be in when the rain comes teeming down?
I polled my fellow MLB Featured Columnists to get their insight—as I haven't been to every stadium—and did some research myself to come up with this list of five MLB stadiums you don't want to be caught in during a rain delay.
Use this as your guide, game-goers.
Wrigley Field (Chicago Cubs)
1 of 6Given the fact that Wrigley Field was built in 1914, I had a hunch that it wouldn't be the most convenient stadium to be in during a rain delay.
My suspicions were confirmed when I spoke to Chicago Cub's FC Eli Greenspan, who told me: "As a fan, Wrigley is bad because it is congested and there are limited places you can go aside from the concourse...As a player, Wrigley is the worst, as the clubhouses are tiny and not very comfortable or state of the art."
As you'll see on Greenspan's profile, he's covered the Cubs quite extensively and has clearly been to Wrigley and inside the clubhouse.
Fellow B/R FC Jeremy Dorn also believes that Wrigley isn't the place to be during a rain delay, saying, "If they let you out and back into the stadium it would be fine because Wrigleyville is right there, otherwise there's nothing to do besides watch the game."
Aside from your usual concession stands, patio bars and suites, there's not much to do at Wrigley, as you can see on the Cubs' official stadium map.
Make sure you check the weather report before heading to your next Cubs game.
Comerica Park (Detroit Tigers)
2 of 6Heed the warning of B/R MLB writer George Halim and bring an umbrella and your Nintendo Game Boy the next time the meteorologists are predicting rain at Comerica Park in Detroit.
As Halim told me, "I've been to Comerica in Detroit during a two-hour rain delay. It wasn't great because there aren't many places covered, so it's difficult not to get wet, and most of the 'activities' weren't covered either."
Though it's a fairly new stadium (built in 2000), attractions such as the Big Cat Food Quart, the Comerica Carousel and the Fly Ball Ferris Wheel are all susceptible to rain, leaving fans without much to do during a storm.
Comerica is known for its open space, but that becomes a con when the rain starts pouring down.
The Coliseum (Oakland Athletics)
3 of 6The Coliseum is known for its extremely large foul territory and open air, which can make for a tough wait during a rain delay.
The park opened in 1968 and apparently hasn't updated to the 21st century, as Oakland Athletic's B/R FC Nick Houser tells me:
"The Oakland Coliseum is awful. There's not much cover from the rain in the seats and there's nothing to do while waiting. There's no entertainment, except for the top floor that has a swanky restaurant but I imagine in a rain delay that would be super crowded. The same can be said for the main walkways. There's dozens of food vendors but really they're the same five places. There isn't much historical stuff to check out and the fan shop is tiny!
"
Any stadium that has as much open, uncovered room as the Coliseum is going to be trouble during a rain delay, especially when there aren't many other attractions to delay your boredom.
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Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles Dodgers)
4 of 6Although it's not common for a Los Angeles Dodgers game to endure much rain—as baseball-statistics.com tells us—Dodger Stadium received the most critical feedback when I spoke to my fellow writers.
The ballpark opened in 1962 and apparently hasn't updated much, or at least that's what Dodgers FC Rich Leivenberg tells me: "Dodger Stadium just isn't built to entertain folks who are not there to watch a ballgame. There are no lakes, pools, video parlors or whatever else other parks have."
Jeremy Dorn echoed the same thoughts when I spoke to him, as he reiterated that Dodger Stadium is an old-fashioned stadium with beautiful views, but it's unpleasant when rain hits.
Fenway Park (Boston Red Sox)
5 of 6I can speak from personal experience about Fenway Park, as I made my first trip to the historic stadium last summer.
It was a night game last July against the Toronto Blue Jays, and as the seventh inning began, the skies opened up and the rain really started coming down.
The day before, my girlfriend and I had taken a tour of arguably baseball's most famous park, and while I enjoyed the history, view and sensation of sitting atop the green monster, I noticed that there wasn't much covering or activities to keep one occupied during a rain delay.
And I was right.
As the rain fell, my girlfriend and I sought cover inside the tunnel at a concession stand and actually wound up leaving the game early because there was nowhere to go and nothing to do during the delay.
We opted for some drinks at nearby Tequila Rain instead.
My fellow B/R FC and Boston Red Sox writer Brandon MacDonald echoes the sentiment, tweeting to me:
"@pete_schauer Fenway's auld [sic] wooden seats are uncomfortable enough when it's dry, let alone wet. Not much cover from the rain, either.
— Adam MacDonald (@Adamalama9) August 20, 2012"
Bring your ponchos and a seat cushion, Sox fans.
Notable Parks Where You Wouldn't Mind Being Caught in a Rain Delay
6 of 6AT&T Park (San Francisco Giants):
Giants B/R FC Zack Ruskin says, "Rain delays are a great chance to grab a steaming bowl of chili from behind center field and stare out at McCovey Cove as the weather does its thing."
Turner Field (Atlanta Braves):
B/R Featured Columnist Chris Stephens knows his way around Turner Field, saying,
"Turner Field is actually one of the better places to be caught in a rain delay. Up until a few years ago, there had never been a game that was postponed due to rain. During rain delays, there's plenty of cover and activities to do. Games for kids, the Braves Hall of Fame and all but a few few places that serve food are covered."
Kauffman Stadium (Kansas City Royals):
Royals B/R FC Jeremy Sickel is a fan of the renovations done to Kauffman Stadium a few years ago, writing, "since renovating Kauffman Stadium back in 2009, the Royals did a great job with making things more fan friendly. There is the Royals Hall of Fame, Rivals Sports Bar and the Kid Zone that can keep people entertained."
Camden Yards (Baltimore Orioles):
I've never been here (although it's next on my list), but B/R writer Eric Brach raved about the indoor eating area located in right field.
Yankee Stadium (New York Yankees):
I frequent Yankee Stadium quite often and have been there during rain delays.
The Hard Rock Cafe, stadium store and the Yankee Stadium Museum should be enough to hold you over before the game starts.
Like what you see? Follow me on Twitter: Follow @Pete_Schauer
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