(MONEY Magazine) – In 1995 I took something of a radical step, at least for me: I stopped attending major league baseball games. After 25 years of going to ball games, I'd grown disenchanted--the players and owners were drowning in their own greed, the game had been merchandized and commercialized beyond all reason, and a players' strike had wiped out the 1994 World Series. The whole situation had become offensive, and I decided not to support it with my ticket purchases anymore. Instead, I began attending minor league games.

As I soon discovered, the minors are an ideal curative for anyone who's become disgusted with big-time sports. The players eagerly sign autographs and haven't yet turned into egomaniacs. The stadiums are small and cozy, so there usually isn't a bad seat in the house (or an expensive one, either). Minor league cities tend to be small too, so there's often a sense of neighborliness running through the crowd. Goofy promotions keep things lively, and there's always the chance that you'll see a young superstar on the rise. Best of all, the minors are loaded with playful eccentricities--where else but at an Asheville Tourists game could you find a scoreboard that lists the score for VISITORS and TOURISTS?

I'm a serious baseball addict, and the lure of big-league games eventually brought me back to major league parks a few seasons later, but I continue to see minor league games whenever I can. There are hundreds of minor league parks, in every region of the country (for a complete breakdown, check out www.minorleaguebaseball.com). Most offer comparable levels of intimacy, community, value and fun, so the real distinctions come down to the stadiums themselves. The best ones generally fall into two categories: those built in the 1920s, '30s and '40s, which exude character and history, and those built in the '90s, when a design renaissance resulted in a new generation of wonderful ball parks combining modern amenities and old-school charm.

Here are my favorites from both camps, from oldest to newest. Most have opened for the season, which runs through Labor Day (the others will open by mid-June).

WAHCONAH PARK

(105 Wahconah St., Pittsfield, Mass.; 413-499-6387; www.pittsfieldmets.com; tickets priced from $3 to $6.75). Ball parks are typically oriented with home plate to the west and center field to the east, but this rugged Berkshire beauty, built in 1919 and now home to the Pittsfield Mets, is positioned the other way around, resulting in a unique ritual: The sun sets in the batter's, catcher's and umpire's eyes on summer evenings, occasionally necessitating a sun delay. With plastic owls hanging from the rafters to ward off pigeons, and fans and players mingling as they exit via the same walkway, Wahconah offers the definitive old-time minor league experience.

JOHN O'DONNELL STADIUM

(209 S. Gaines St., Davenport, Iowa; 319-324-2032; www.riverbandits.com; $4 to $7). Built in 1939 and now home to the Quad City River Bandits, this lovely brick-exterior stadium offers one of the most spectacular views in baseball. Sit along the third-base side and beyond the right-field fence you'll see the majestic Centennial Bridge stretching across the Mississippi River. A crucial stop for any baseball fan traveling in the Midwest.

BOWEN FIELD

(2001 Stadium Dr., Bluefield, W.Va.; 540-326-1326; www.bluefieldorioles.com; $1 to $3). With a breathtaking mountain forest setting and ridiculously low ticket prices, this 1939 ball park is a rustic baseball paradise for the hometown Bluefield Orioles. It's also perched right on the state line, which leads to a charming quirk: A ball hit out of the park starts out in West Virginia but lands in Virginia.

MUNICIPAL STADIUM

(588 E. Alma Ave., San Jose; 408-297-1435; www.sjgiants.com; $4 to $8). One little-known chapter in baseball history is that many minor league ball parks were built by the New Deal's Works Progress Administration. This attractive 1942 stadium, currently the home of the San Jose Giants, is among the best remaining WPA stadiums, offering a history lesson in social policy as well as baseball. As with so many WPA projects, there are even paintings and murals located throughout the facility. This emphasis on aesthetics is enhanced by the Santa Cruz Mountains, which offer a fine backdrop beyond the outfield fence.

THE DIAMOND

(500 Diamond Dr., Lake Elsinore, Calif.; 909-245-4487; www.stormbaseball.com; $4 to $7). The 1950s through the 1980s were generally a drab time for stadium design, but the 1990s brought some wonderful new ball parks. This one, which is home to the Lake Elsinore Storm and opened in 1994, is among the best, with modern features like a high-tech scoreboard, cup holders at every seat and excellent sight lines from everywhere (including the concession stands). On the field, the asymmetrical outfield is full of fun corners and angles, and features a 36-foot-high right-field wall (sort of a minor league version of the Green Monster at Boston's Fenway Park). First rate.

HANK AARON STADIUM

(755 Bolling Brothers Blvd., Mobile; 334-479-2327; www.mobilebaybears.com; $4.50 to $7). The Mobile Baybears play at this 1997 park, named for hometown hero Hank Aaron. Much like The Diamond, it's modern and comfortable (the scoreboard is particularly impressive) but still has its own distinct character. I especially like the brick wall that runs behind home plate, just like the one at Chicago's Wrigley Field.

BRICKTOWN BALLPARK

(2 S. Mickey Mantle Dr., Oklahoma City; 405-218-1000; www.redhawksbaseball .com; $3.50 to $13). This 1998 stadium, home to the Oklahoma Redhawks, does a masterful job of evoking baseball's nostalgic past, with an old-style red-brick exterior, a multitude of posters documenting Oklahoma's baseball history and two grassy knolls beyond the outfield walls, where fans can picnic while watching the game. But the stadium design and amenities are fully contemporary. There's even a second deck, a rarity for a minor league park.

Most of these ball parks, and about 100 more, are profiled in the fine travel book Baseball Vacations by Bruce Adams and Margaret Engel. Another invaluable guide is Baseball America's 2000 Directory, which has schedules for every team along with other useful information.

At age 36, travel writer Paul Lukas has finally admitted to himself that maybe he won't grow up to be a ballplayer after all.