MLB's Best of the Best: Best Ballpark, Mascot, Logo, Uniform and More

Baseball fans are always debating with each other about who the league's best player, team and even uniform are. These discussions rage on between fans of every team.

Everyone thinks that their opinion is correct, but there are some clear-cut favorites that cannot be debated every now and then.

The following list is the best of the best that baseball has to offer. Categories range from the best hitter in the game to more entertaining categories such as the best in-game entertainment option.

Also keep in mind that these ratings are for the 2011 season.

Best Ballpark: PNC Park

Opened during the 2001 season, PNC Park was a reason for many Pirates fans to show up to games.This year, the team is finally rewarding fans with outstanding play.

The stadium has an outstanding location and it overlooks the Allegheny River and downtown Pittsburgh.

PNC Park is filled with cool features such as a riverside concourse as well as many local eateries such as Primanti Brothers sandwiches.

Tickets to Pirates games are also some of the most affordable in the MLB, which means that you won't have to spend a day's pay to take your family to the game.

Photo Credit: MLB

Best View from a Stadium: The Gateway Arch

Taking in a game at Busch Stadium allows fans to see more than just a baseball game. From the seats at Busch Stadium, fans get an outstanding view of the Gateway Arch and downtown St. Louis.

The arch is considered to be the gateway to the West and is one of the more popular tourist attractions in St. Louis. It has received many awards and honors for its architecture.

Photo Credit: Ballparks

Best Baseball City: Philadelphia

Taking one look at the attendance numbers this season, it is clear what the No. 1 baseball city is. The Philadelphia Phillies are currently the MLB attendance leaders.

The Phillies have averaged over 45,000 fans a game during the 2011 season. According to ESPN, this is over 104 percent of Citizen Bank Park's official capacity.

Phillies fans are some of the most dedicated in the sport.

Best Stadium Feature: The Pool at Chase Field

Swimming is not exactly something that comes to mind when you are at a baseball game. Yes, it is hot out, but in 29 stadiums, there is nowhere to take a dip.

However, at Chase Field, that is not an issue. There is a pool in the outfield. No stadium has a cooler feature than this.

Photo Credit: Yahoo Sports

Best Stadium Food: Shake Shack Burgers

MLB teams have some fantastic dining options, ranging from the Dodger Dog in Los Angeles to Boog's Barbecue in Baltimore and cheesesteaks in Philadelphia.

However, none of these options can top Shake Shake's hamburgers. Fans will wait in line for up to three to four innings to get a bite of these burgers.

Shake Shack is the creation of famous restaurateur Danny Meyer. One of his restaurants has received a prestigious Michelin star for each of the past five years. Meyer is also a James Beard award winner.

No other stadium food comes from a chef with such an impressive resume.

Best In-Game Entertainment: Presidents Race

While it may not be the most famous mascot race in the MLB, that honor goes to the sausage race in Milwaukee, the Presidents Race in Washington D.C. is the most entertaining.

The Nationals have decided that they are never going to let Teddy Roosevelt win a race. Every night, there is a new way that Teddy loses a race.

The race led to the funniest mascot moment in MLB history.

Photo Credit: Let Teddy Win

Best Seventh-Inning Stretch: "Take Me out to the Ballgame" at Wrigley Field

The Chicago Cubs have a tradition of letting celebrities led the singing of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the seventh-inning stretch. This longstanding tradition is incredibly entertaining and has led to some great moments.

Ranging from performers such as Mr. T and Mike Ditka, the performance is always entertaining. Rock legend Ozzy Osbourne performed an unforgettable rendition of the song. It is moments like this that make the Cubs tradition so great.

Photo Credit: Chicago Radio and Media

Best Logo: New York Yankees

The New York Yankees logo is the most recognizable sports logo in the world. It has a simple, yet elegant design.

Yankees caps, jerseys, T-shirts, and other gear are plastered with this famous logo. This masterpiece is the best current team logo in baseball and also one of the best MLB logos of all-time.

Photo Credit: Chris Creamer's Sports Logos

Best Uniform: Milwaukee Brewers Throwback

The most unfortunate thing about the Brewers throwback alternative jersey is that they do not wear it enough. The jersey has one of the best logos in MLB history.

If you look around the stands at Miller Park, you will see that the fans favor this throwback jersey as well. The uniform was brought back in 2006 and it has been a huge hit with fans around the league.

Photo Credit: On Milwaukee

Best Team: Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox do not boast the best pitching staff in the MLB, but they have a very strong rotation and bullpen. What the Red Sox do have is the best offense in baseball.

Boston leads the majors in runs scored. The team has an AL MVP candidate in Adrian Gonzalez and has yet to see the best of Carl Crawford. When he returns to form, the Red Sox should be the team to beat.

Best Team Theme Song: "Meet the Mets"

Some teams, like the New York Yankees have adopted theme songs such as "New York, New York." The New York Mets had a theme song written for them that has stuck throughout the years.

"Meet the Mets" was written in 1961 by Ruth Roberts and Bill Katz.

The song has become incredibly popular and has been used in Seinfeld and Everybody Loves Raymond episodes, as well as a "This is SportsCenter" commercial.

Best Player Introduction Song: "Enter Sandman" - Mariano Rivera

The New York Yankees closer enters every game to the rocking sounds of Metallica. When opposing hitters hear this song against the Yankees, they know that they face a tall feat to try to win the game.

Rivera is not the only closer who came out to the song. Former closer Billy Wagner also came out to "Enter Sandman."

However, the song is more strongly associated with Rivera.

Best Mascot: Mr. Met

The Philly Phantic is known for his humorous behavior and dance moves on the field. However, he is not that best mascot in baseball. That distinction belongs to Mr. Met.

Mr. Met is believed to be the first actual mascot to be portrayed by a human. The Mets mascot has a wife and children, all of which have been featured in a "This is SportsCenter" commercial.

He is one of the 18 members of the Mascot Hall of Fame.

Best Hitter: Jose Bautista

There is little doubt that Bautista has been the best offensive player in baseball for the past year and a half. His reworked swing has done wonders and he has become a 50 home run hitter who also has a high average.

Bautista has a chance to win the AL Triple Crown this season. He leads the American League in home runs and is second in batting average. The one category where he is struggling is RBI, where he ranks seventh.

Best Pitcher: Jered Weaver

Weaver has been very impressive this season. He has a sub-2.00 ERA this season and is a big reason why the Angels have been in contention in the AL West.

The Angels ace has a chance to win the AL Cy Young award this season. He was the best pitcher in baseball through the first half of the season. Weaver is just 28 years old and he should continue to improve.

Best Closer: Craig Kimbrel

Had this been a list based on career accomplishments, Mariano Rivera would certainly take this spot. However, this year, the future Hall of Famer has not been the best closer in the game.

Craig Kimbrel has been absolutely dominant this season. The Braves closer leads that National League in saves. Most impressive about Kimbrel is his 14.1 K/9 rate this season.

Best Coach: Clint Hurdle

What Clint Hurdle has been able to do with the Pittsburgh Pirates this season has been impressive. The Pirates manager is leading the team towards its first winning season in almost two decades.

Hurdle has also helped the Pirates win despite the fact that they have not received the production that they were expecting from Pedro Alvarez.

It may be early, but it looks like the NL Manager of the Year award will go to Hurdle.

Best Hair: Coco Crisp

Crisp has gone through a few different hairstyles this season, but this picture says it all. Just look at that 'fro!

The Athletics outfielder has sported some of the best hair in the majors this year, with his Afro being the best of the best.

Best Mustache: John Axford

Just as Crisp has sported different hairstyles this season, Axford has decided to go with a few different styles with his mustache.

In the past, Axford has modeled his mustache after Rollie Fingers, but he has developed his own unique style.

Best Beard: Brian Wilson

There is not even any competition for this superlative. Wilson has even earned the nickname "The Beard" because of his hairy mane.

Wilson's quirky personality, as exemplified by his outfit at the ESPYs, goes perfectly with his awesome facial hair.

Best Nickname: Franklin "Death to Flying Things" Gutierrez

Many players in the MLB have creative nicknames. However, none come close to matching Franklin Gutierrez's moniker. He has what is arguably the best nickname in baseball history.

Gutierrez earned the "Death to Flying Things" nickname because of his outstanding defensive play.

He is not the first player to have the nickname, it was previously given out to players in 1871 and 1874, but it suits him the best.

Best Umpire: Jim Joyce

Yes, Joyce, the umpire who cost Armando Galarraga a perfect game, is the best umpire in baseball. The call did not hurt the perception of Joyce.

ESPN did a poll of MLB players after Joyce made this mistake. The missed call did not impact the players' view of Joyce, and they selected him as the game's top ump by an overwhelming margin.

Best Announcer: Vin Scully

Some announcers are hard to listen to and make it difficult to watch a game. That is not the case with Vin Scully.

Scully is consistently considered to be the best announcer in baseball. Even if you are not a Dodgers fan, it is worthwhile to listen to a game just to hear Scully speak about the game.

Best GM: Andrew Friedman

Friedman began his career on Wall Street. He eventually ended up as the General Manager of the Tampa Bay Rays. At age 28, he became the youngest GM in the game.

In 2008, with just a $43 million payroll, Friedman was able to assemble a team that reached the World Series. Friedman was given the Executive of the Year award.

He has been able to consistently put together a team to compete against the Red Sox and Yankees with a much smaller budget.