Author Bio & Stories

Matthew Brown

Matthew Brown is an architect who writes about stadia and sport venues past and present on his own blog and Twitter.

  • October 19, 2012
    White Elephant or Silver Bullet? — The Clog

    In the final installment of our 5-part series on retractable roofs in Major League Baseball, we look take a look at the structures in the past, the present and the future. 

  • October 18, 2012
    Going West — The Clog

    Chase Field in Phoenix and Seattle’s Safeco Field are perhaps the quintessential examples of what retractable-roof stadiums should be: baseball-only parks with roofs that are used regularly, and built specifically, to respond to their respective town’s beautiful - if unpredictable - climates. Whether or not that has translated to success on the field or at the box office is a different story.

  • October 17, 2012
    Northern Exposure (or Lack Thereof) — The Clog

    As we move up north for the third part of our series, we look at the what may be the best and worst retractable roof stadiums in the majors. Milwaukee's Miller Park have seen a resurgence of the Brewers, but the Blue Jays  have seen a steady decline since moving into Toronto's SkyDome (now Rogers Centre) 23 years ago. What this means, and what it may mean in the future, could have an effect on the viability of baseball in the north, for better and worse. 

  • October 16, 2012
    Southern Hospitality — The Clog

    With similar features and  a shared designer, there's a lot Minute Maid and Marlins Park have in common. Including housing two of the worst teams in baseball: the Houston Astros and Miami Marlins. Is their futility a function of their fabulous home bases or based off of a string of bad luck and poor team planning? 

  • October 15, 2012
    The Retractable Roof: White Elephant or Silver Bullet? — The Clog

    None of the six Major League Baseball teams that play in stadiums outfitted with massive retractable roofs found their way to the playoffs. Given the historical success (or lack thereof) of these teams in their bi-functional homes, the question remains: are these buildings the silver bullets modern baseball franchises would like you to believe or just expensive stadium accessories?