Vascellaro: Love that retro look of your ballpark? Thank Janet Marie Smith
From SABR member Charlie Vascellaro at Global Sport Matters on October 1, 2019, with mention of SABR members Janet Marie Smith, Rob Neyer, and Jacob Pomrenke:
Since Dodger Stadium opened in Los Angeles in 1962, four years after the franchise’s dramatic departure from Brooklyn, New York, 16 major league ballparks have been built and later demolished or shut down.
Of all the big league stadiums built in the space age ’60s and in the era of the concrete donuts, Dodger Stadium has aged the most gracefully and remained relevant while many others have been deemed obsolete. Much of Dodger Stadium’s lasting appeal is due to its scenic location, woven into the tapestry of its Chavez Ravine surroundings.
“Even though we’re an urban ballpark and the neighborhoods around us have become really hot and energetic over the decades we’ve been there, its setting is still so picturesque and unique up on this mountaintop with Elysian Park and the San Gabriel Mountains to the north and the beautiful downtown skyline to the south,” Dodgers’ Senior Vice President of Planning and Development Janet Marie Smith said.
A renowned urban planner and ballpark design specialist, Smith was hired in 2012 to spearhead the large-scale improvements of Dodger Stadium, including a $100-million renovation project taking place this upcoming offseason.
Read the full article here: https://globalsportmatters.com/business/2019/10/01/love-that-retro-look-of-your-ballpark-thank-janet-marie-smith/
Originally published: October 3, 2019. Last Updated: October 3, 2019.