Stadium Minor League History:
International League 1929-1996
Current Status:
Demolished recently to make room for an office
park
What's Good: Silver Stadium was one of the greatest, most historic minor league parks ever. One of the few stadiums to host professional ball continuously for its existence, it was also a comfortable and fun place to watch a game. With the seats up close to the field and the vast majority of the seating around the infield, there were very few places to sit that didn't offer a great view. A large, intricate roof provided protection from the elements, and the old, erector-set light towers added a comforting visual bridge to an earlier era. Take the historic structure and throw in good, reasonably-priced food and some of the greatest people I've ever met at a game, and you've got (for my money, at least) a perfect place to watch baseball.
What's Not So Good: Nothing. Sure, plenty of people (most of them with a financial interest in the team or the new ballpark) claimed all kind of things were wrong with Silver, but they weren't necessarily true. Complaints I am aware of included "it's economically obsolete" (translation: there are no skyboxes) and "it's in a declining neighborhood" (translation: there are minorities living near the ballpark, and suburbanites are fearful).
This Photo:
June 12, 1993 Rochester Red Wings vs. Charlotte Knights