New on the site

USA Today Sports Weekly has been carrying my articles on big-league ballparks every week. I'm pleased to report that you can now read those same articles here on our site. Click where it says SPORTS WEEKLY ARTICLE on this page ... We had more visitors in April than in any single month in the 15-year history of our site, beating the previous record month by nearly 20%! Thank you very, very much for continuing to make us so popular.

In-depth review of Birmingham's new park

We loved what we found on our trip to Regions Field, and now you can read what we thought of this awesome facility in our in-depth review. It includes 39 photos you won't see anywhere else! NOTE: so many visitors tried to view this article that it crashed our server. First time that's ever happened! We apologize for the inconvenience.

Joe on
the go

In the issue of SPORTS WEEKLY dated May 22nd, my ballpark article is on Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Pick it up at a newsstand or sign up for a subscription ... By the way, I've now been to games at 23 ballparks this year. Here's my running list. My next visit: Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City for the Big 12 Tournament.

The season of discontent

Much has been written about the outrage from the fans of the Marlins, and how they are staying away from one-year-old Marlins Park (right) in droves. Sports Illustrated provided an inside look at how out-of-touch Marlins ownership is about its fans. MORE: Fans find ways to attend Marlins games without spending a penny; the team will close the upper deck for some games; retailers won't set up shop at the ballpark.

Big League ballpark notes

As I've been writing the ballpark articles for Sports Weekly, it's become obvious fans are obsessed with the food served at games. Here's an excellent summary of the upscale food at Coors Field ... Can you hit a double through an outfield wall? You can at Busch Stadium, as the Mets' Daniel Murphy proves ... USA Today's senior writer Bob Nightengale wrote an extensive, informative article on the controversy raging over renovations being planned for Wrigley Field (left) ... The Cubs' owner, meanwhile, told a group that he would consider moving the team out of Wrigley Field if he's denied the ability to add revenue-producing signage and a video board ... Yankee Stadium will host two NHL games next January, and for the first time, the NHL will play a game at a baseball park in a warm-climate region, as Dodger Stadium will host the Kings and Ducks next January 25th ... The "For The Win" column in USA Today took a whimsical look at how a new MLB park could be fashioned from elements of existing parks.