Lost Ballparks

Lost Ballparks chronicles America's vanished baseball stadiums through photographs and historical accounts. The book documents over 60 parks that no longer exist, from the earliest wooden structures of the 1870s to mid-century concrete monuments. The text includes details about each stadium's construction, notable games and events, and ultimate fate. Ritter complements the historical narrative with archival images showing both game action and architectural features of these lost venues. Cultural and economic forces shaped the rise and fall of these ballparks, from urban renewal to changing demographics to fire hazards. The stories of these spaces parallel broader changes in American cities and society through the late 19th and 20th centuries. The collection serves as both a baseball history and a meditation on progress, preservation, and the role of shared spaces in American life. Through these lost cathedrals of sport, Ritter examines how communities remember and forget their architectural heritage.

Readers value this book primarily as a photographic reference of demolished baseball stadiums, with most appreciating the visual documentation of classic parks like Ebbets Field and the Polo Grounds. Positive reviews highlight: - High quality black and white photographs - Brief but informative histories of each ballpark - Coverage of both major and minor league parks - Year-by-year stadium statistics - Inclusion of lesser-known venues Common criticisms: - Text is too brief and basic - Limited analysis of each park's significance - Some important ballparks omitted - Photo reproduction could be sharper - Price high for a relatively slim volume Ratings: Amazon: 4.4/5 (21 reviews) Goodreads: 4.2/5 (19 reviews) One reviewer noted: "Perfect coffee table book for baseball history buffs, but don't expect deep historical analysis." Another mentioned: "Photos alone make it worth owning, even if the writing is surface-level."

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🏟️ Author Lawrence S. Ritter devoted nearly 30 years to collecting baseball history, conducting over 500 interviews with former players and baseball personalities ⚾ The book features more than 75 classic ballparks that have been demolished or abandoned, including detailed histories and rare photographs of venues like Ebbets Field and the Polo Grounds 🗯️ Many of the photographs and stories in the book came directly from former players' personal collections and had never been published before 🏗️ The oldest ballpark featured in the book is the Union Grounds in Brooklyn, which opened in 1862 and was the first enclosed baseball field to charge admission 📸 The book includes architectural drawings and blueprints of several historic stadiums, showing how early baseball venues evolved from simple wooden structures to grand concrete-and-steel monuments