MLB: 3 Reasons why cookie-cutter stadiums were phased out

With the birth of Camden Yards, the multi-purpose MLB stadium began to phase out.

There is no other way to say it, the days of the multi-purpose facilities were numbered when the ground broke for Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The forerunner of the neo-classic trend, Camden Yards is seen by all in the ballpark community as the game-changer for the direction of architecture.

In 1992, the Baltimore Orioles opened to rave reviews and allowed ballclubs to set in motion to distance itself from generic dimensions and artificial grass that was held onto dearly in the 70s and 80s.

The genius of Camden Yards is making something new feel old and majestic while sampling all the nuances from other ballparks in the league. The ivy walls from Wrigley Field, the big green monster seen at Fenway Park, and the quaint quirky field dimensions held by older ballparks like Forbes field.

Camden yards adopted the long warehouse, opened up their design to embrace the buildings surrounding the ballpark to resurrect the desire to add characteristics and charm back to the ballpark.

Progressive Field, Coors Field, Comerica Park, and Oracle park are just a few of the ballparks inspired by Camden Yards and this is no coincidence. All these teams desired to invest in their metropolitan areas by moving into the heart of their cities.

Gone were the days of driving all the way out to the suburbs to see a team that was miles away from their location. The skyscrapers and backdrops for the beautiful sunsets now are revealed where concrete walls would block these sights.

70,000 seats went to the wayside as ballparks decided to lower their seating numbers for the sake of bringing fans closer and enjoying the authentic baseball experience.