Cardinal Stadium (Louisville, KY)

The Good: Cardinal Stadium is an interesting place. The stadium is shared with the University of Louisville football team, so the place has the largest capacity currently in the minors. Because of the size, seats are just about always available, and there's plenty of room to move around and get comfortable. The concourse, underneath the grandstand, is brightly lit with carnival colors and has a variety of food options, as well as scattered displays of photographs and memorabilia tracing Louisville's baseball past (and Louisville does have quite a history, including early stints with the major league American Association and the National League in the 19th century). When I was there in 1994, a live organist (OK, he was playing an electronic keyboard, but it sounded like a ballpark organ) sat in the stands and played between innings, even taking requests. Overall, the ballpark had a lively atmosphere despite its size, and without resorting to the numerous stunts, on-field promotions, and sound effects so common nowadays. The stadium also has a huge and elaborately constructed roof for protection from the elements.

The Not So Good: The artificial turf, of course. Installed in 1982, it doesn't fit with the traditional architecture of the stadium. Also, the stadium is isolated from its city, sitting in the midst of an enormous parking lot on the state fairgrounds several miles south of downtown. And the vast size, while certainly offering some benefits, can be overwhelming with a crowd of less than a few thousand. It doesn't matter any more, however, since the team moved into a brand-new stadium (Louisville Slugger Park) for the 2000 season.