By Roger Weber

 

1. Under the scoreboard at RFK Stadium, Washington D.C.: Looking at a large plastic box is about all fans in these seats can do. They may get to watch the one or two plays that occur right against the outfield wall. After climbing so high to get to the seats, one wouldn't expect to have a view obstructed from above.

 

2. Section 191, Safeco Field, Seattle: Upper deck center field bleacher seats right in front of the scoreboard are bad enough. But when they are quite a ways back from the field and point the wrong direction, these are certainly among the worst seats in baseball.

 

3. Sections 111-112, McAfee Coliseum, Oakland: The seats are very far from the field due to a huge amount of foul territory. The grade is very gentle, and the seats face directly away from where fans want to be looking- home plate.

 

4. Sitting behind a post, Fenway Park, Boston: Sitting behind a post is worse at Fenway than at Wrigley because the whole park is more cramped and more obstructed view seats are sold. Plus, only having one deck, Fenway has many seats quite a ways from the field, sometimes as many as 70 rows from the nearest grass.

 

5. Section 92, Fenway Park, Boston: The triangle is a unique area in Fenway Park. But most fans probably don't want to watch two green walls converge for the whole game. Fans in section 92 face directly outward toward center field. Stiff necks are in store for all who try to actually see the infield.

 

6. Section 257, Angels Field, Anaheim: Not only are these outfield seats, but they have to look over both a concrete surface and the bullpens to see the action. Plus, they aren't sloped very much.

 

7. Section 140, Dolphins Stadium, Miami: There are many things to hate about these seats other than having no protection from brutal summer sun in southern Florida. While first row seats sound nice, and thus cost a fortune, these seats are angled straight outward so that sitting straight, all a fan sees is deep right field. The seats also are beautifully low to the ground 300 feet from home plate. But most irritatingly, they are blocked by a bullpen, a fence and temporary seats. Section 140's first row is a good 50 feet from fair territory.

 

8. Bleacher Section 57, Yankee Stadium, New York: The Yankees did a nice job with the monument garden, but forcing fans to sit in the first row behind it is a little rough. Good luck seeing the strike zone.

 

9. Behind a post down the left field line, Wrigley Field, Chicago: Not only is the view obstructed, but access to these seats is slow and difficult, especially if one takes the El to the park. Seated far from the field, a fan's view of the batter might be totally obstructed.

 

10. Section 144 of the Moon Deck, Great American Ballpark, Cincinnati: These are fine outfield seats but for having an obstructed view. The Pepsi Power Smokestacks block the view for some seats for about 40% of the field.

 

11. Section 129, Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg: Like many other parks despised by fans, seats here are not angled. Fans in 129 face the batter's eye restaurant and must see the field above a sort of makeshift picnic area in the left field corner.

 

12. Down the lines, Metrodome, Minneapolis: The Dome is a football stadium, so the seats are not angled at all for baseball.

 

13. Section 520, Jacobs Field, Cleveland: The "V" is a signature feature of "The Jake". Fans in this section face straight to center field, not toward the infield.

 

14. The Upper Deck, Shea Stadium, Queens: This is a stadium that really didn't need an upper deck. It's ugly, dirty, loud and although much more expensive, about the equivalent of a ride to the top of the Empire State Building.

 

15. Section 300, Bank One Ballpark, Phoenix: There's a reason these seats cost just $1. They face the wrong way, are about a bazillion feet above the field, and seats can be as many as 80 steps from the tunnel to the concourse.

 

16. Section 98, Right field stands, Camden Yards, Baltimore: For outfield seats, they are pretty near a concourse and are pretty close to the action. But because of the giant out of town scoreboard and wall, these seats lack a view of much of right field.

 

17. Section 101, Bank One Ballpark, Phoenix: While watching the pool may be amusing, actually seeing the game is a more difficult task. Fans may sit at about the height of the outfield wall, but the first row is about 30 feet back from the wall.

 

18. Left center upper tier of the lower level, Turner Field, Atlanta: Fans in these seats are just low enough to have virtually no aerial perception of the game, and they are so far away from home plate that binoculars do them no good.

 

19. Top of section 133 in left field, PNC Park, Pittsburgh: PNC Park is so often praised for its sightlines it is amazing to see seats like these. Most of fair territory is visible, unless one sits against the edge of the section closest to the main seating bowl. Then home plate is partially obstructed. 350 feet from home, the seats in this section are so gently angled and so low to the ground that heads in front of a fan can obstruct an already terrible view.

 

20. Section 147-150, Comerica Park, Detroit: Since the Tigers put in a new outfield wall 20 feet closer to the infield, fans in the left field bleachers must look over 20 feet of dead space beyond the wall.

 

21. Section 49, Ameriquest Field, Arlington: Seats that don't have a view of the scoreboard and are back from the field due to the bullpens.