Trip Across America

American Family Field, formerly Miller Park, is the home of the Milwaukee Brewers. The name change is fitting, as the ballpark seems to be exceptionally family friendly. Of all the ballparks I’ve visited, American Family Field definitely had the highest concentration of kids in attendance. The parking lots were also full of families tailgating before the game. It’s hard to quantify, but Milwaukee definitely seems to attract a more family focused demographic.

The overall atmosphere and gameday experience are probably the ballpark’s most redeeming qualities. The building itself is over 20 years old now, and doesn’t have any exceptional characteristics. It’s not that the ballpark is bad, it’s just average in a lot of respects, and doesn’t really distinguish itself. That doesn’t mean it’s not a good place to watch a baseball game, I actually quite enjoyed my first game in Milwaukee, but the stadium itself doesn’t add a whole lot.

I’ve previously opined on my distaste for domed stadiums, and the roof was closed for the game I was at. I’m not sure the roof being open would have changed my opinion, but the closed air environment wasn’t my favorite. With the roof closed, the lack of interior design features was quite notable. With nothing else to look at, I fixated on the question of why the ballpark is oriented so that the center field windows give you a view of the parking lot. Surely there was a better design option.

The rest of the ballpark was fine. There are no obviously bad seats or critical design flaws, it’s all pretty average. The overall fan energy and atmosphere though were quite good. Milwaukee has been middle of the road in terms of overall attendance, averaging just over 30,000 fans per game, but they were all engaged. I’ve been to games this year where the crowd could be politely described as moribund, but that was not the case in Milwaukee. The crowd was engaged the entire game, and really helped to facilitate an enjoyable gameday experience.

Rankings Update

While American Family Field was somewhat disappointing as a structure, the family friendly environment, and overall gameday experience make it a fine place to watch a baseball game. Considering the passionate fan base, if Milwaukee were to build a new stadium, it could be one of the better venues in MLB.

Overall I enjoyed my experience at American Family Field, but I can’t overlook its lack of notable features. I ended up ranking the ballpark at number 17, only besting Tropicana Field and Oakland Coliseum. It’s worth noting that American Family Field is most definitely not in the same category as Tampa Bay or Oakland. It may have some weak points, but American Family Field is a perfectly viable ballpark, safely outside of the “demolish immediately” category. My guess is it will end up in the bottom 5 of the final rankings, but it’s still a fine place to watch a game.

MLB Ballpark Rankings

1. Fenway Park – Boston, MA
2. Busch Stadium – St. Louis, MO
3. PNC Park – Pittsburgh, PA
4. Dodger Stadium – Los Angeles, CA
5. T-Mobile Park – Seattle, WA
6. Oracle Park – San Francisco, CA
7. Petco Park – San Diego, CA
8. Camden Yards – Baltimore, MD
9. Citizens Bank Park – Philadelphia, PA
10. Target Field – Minneapolis, MN
11. Kauffman Stadium – Kansas City, MO
12. Nationals Park – Washington, D.C.
13. Minute Maid Park – Houston, TX
14. Angel Stadium – Anaheim, CA
15. Chase Field – Phoenix, AZ
16. Truist Park – Atlanta, GA
17. American Family Field – Milwaukee, WI

29. Tropicana Field – St. Petersburg, FL

30. Oakland Coliseum – Oakland, CA