夏若文（Rowena Saura）撰写

 

你到美国的棒球馆，必须要在看台下迂回而行，要穿过看台才能找到自己的座位。你的眼睛会慢慢适应微弱的光线，之后你会看到一束阳光从缺口处射进来，将你引到自己的座位处。在你走向座位的时候，你可能会对眼前的景色感到惊异——一大片修剪整齐的绿色草坪和一方蔚蓝的天空。站在棒球馆内的露天场地上，你会感觉自己站在世界之巅。周围熙熙攘攘的人群会令你处于大赛的兴奋状态之中。小贩大声叫卖，那口音会告诉你位于美国何处：“在这买热狗！”“啤酒，冰凉的啤酒！”“花生！”很多棒球馆成为美国文化和历史的一部分，这在美国歌曲和电影中都有所反映。他们就像怀旧大片——你能听见在你之前来的那些人的脚步声，能听到过去看的那些比赛的回声，能体验到很久以前的感觉。

 

以下为四个传统的棒球馆，它们会将你带回到很久以前。

 

 

Fenway公园的“绿怪物”[aido2002]

Fenway公园

位置：马萨诸塞州波士顿

棒球队：波士顿红袜队

开放于：1912年

特色：

· 目前还在使用的最古老的职业棒球联盟体育馆

· “绿怪物”-因为建在城市中央，Fenway公园呈不对称形状，这导致击球位置到这堵外墙的长度比对称形状的棒球场里该长度要短。为了弥补这一点，1912年这堵高墙成为该棒球场建筑的一部分。很多击球手将该公园后面这面高11.3米的绿色木墙（现在涂的硬胶）作为全垒打的目标。

 

 

Wrigley场地的欢迎标志，也被称为“友好的界限”[Giants27]

Wrigley场地

位置：伊利诺伊州芝加哥市

棒球队：芝加哥小熊队

开放于：1914年

特色：

· 目前在使用的第二古老的职业棒球联盟体育馆

· 芝加哥小熊队从未在此赢得职业棒球联赛冠军（小熊队最后一次荣登冠军宝座是在1908年）

· 其名称来源于小熊队老板，William Wrigley, Jr.，他生产口香糖并使其在美国大受欢迎

· 1988年装上灯以前，那里的比赛只能在白天进行

· 以其爬满常青藤的外场砖墙而闻名

 

 

坎登体育馆的金莺棒球场。古老的巴尔的摩-俄亥俄铁路公司仓库（B&O warehouse）建筑并未被拆毁，而是与体育馆的建筑结合在一起。[© by James G. Howes, 2008]

坎登体育馆的金莺棒球场

位置：马里兰州巴尔的摩市

球队：巴尔的摩金莺队

开放于：1992年

特色：

· 被称为“复古”棒球场，其建筑风格像传统的棒球馆

· 两个橙色的座位是为了纪念棒球历史上两个重要的时刻。一个是Cal Ripken作为游击手（棒球运动中的一个位置）的第278次本垒打，这打破了芝加哥小熊队的传奇人物Ernie Banks的记录。另外一个橙色座位是Eddie Murray第500次本垒打的位置。

 

 

道奇棒球馆的新自助餐厅 [Valley2city]

道奇球场

位置：加利福尼亚州道奇镇

球队：洛杉矶道奇队

开放与：1962年

特色：

· 第三古老的职业棒球联盟球场

· 由于建筑许可证规定的座位有限，一直只有56,000个座位（球场装修时，每增加一个座位，还要在其他地方减少一个）

· 1966年披头士乐队最后的演唱会中有一场在此举办

 

 

Traditional Baseball Fields Evoke the Past

By Rowena Saura

 

When arriving at a baseball stadium in America, you must wind your way under and through the stands to find your seat. Your eyes get used to wandering in the dim light until you see a shaft of sunlight from an opening beckoning you to your seat, and as you walk through, you’re almost taken aback by the view - a huge expanse of manicured green grass and big blue sky. Out in the open air of a baseball stadium, you feel you’re on top of the world. The buzz of people all around envelop you in the excitement of the big game. Vendors shout out, in regional accents, revealing what part of America you’re in: “Get your hot dogs here!” Beer, ice-cold beer!” “Peanuts!” Many baseball stadiums become such a part of American culture and history, that they are featured in American songs and films. They are like a huge piece of nostalgia – you hear the footsteps of those who came before you, the echoes of past games, and experience a sense of a time long ago.

 

Here are four traditional ball parks that take you back to that time long ago.

 

The “Green Monster” at Fenway Park [aido2002]

Fenway Park

Location: Boston, Massachusetts

Team: Boston Red Sox

Opened: 1912

Special Features:

· Oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use

· The “Green Monster” - Because Fenway Park was built in the middle of the city, the park is asymmetrical causing the length from the batter’s box to this outfield wall to be shorter than it should be in a symmetrical ballpark. To make up for this, the high wall became a part of the ball park’s construction in 1912. This 11.3 meter, green-painted wooden wall ( now covered in hard plastic) in the back of the park is used as a target for home runs for many hitters.

 

Welcome sign at Wrigley Field, also known as “The Friendly Confines” [Giants27]

Wrigley Field

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Team: Chicago Cubs

Opened: 1914

Special Features:

· Second Oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use

· Its team, the Chicago Cubs, have never won a World Series there (the last time the Cubs won was in 1908)

· Named after team owner who manufactured and popularized chewing gum in the U.S., William Wrigley, Jr.

· Games there were played only during the day until 1988, after lights were installed.

· Known for its ivy-covered brick outfield wall

Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Rather than tearing it down, the old B&O warehouse was incorporated into the architecture of the stadium. [© by James G. Howes, 2008]

Oriole Park at Camden Yards

Location: Baltimore, Maryland

Team: Baltimore Orioles

Opened: 1992

Special Features:

· Known as a “retro” ballpark, it was built to resemble a traditional baseball stadium

· Two orange seats commemorate 2 important moments in baseball. One is the landing place of Cal Ripken’s 278^th home run as a short stop (a field position in baseball), breaking Chicago Cubs legend Ernie Banks’ record. The other orange seat is where Eddie Murray ‘s 500^th home run landed.

The new All-You-Can-Eat section at Dodger Stadium (Valley2city)

Dodger Stadium

Location: Dodgertown, California

Team: Los Angeles Dodgers

Opened: 1962

Special Features:

· Third oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball

· Has always contained 56,000 seat due to a permit limiting its capacity (in renovations, every time they add a seat, they remove an equal number of seats)

· The Beatles played one of their last concerts here in 1966