Seattle ranked No. 30 on curious “Best Baseball Cities” list

Bert Sperling, the “Best Places” guy who has churned out surveys on what makes the most livable cities and communities for three decades, has taken a curious turn with his latest effort – “Best Baseball Cities.”

The Portland resident chose to take the total number of big-league players from a specific metropolitan area, factor in the area population and come up with the Top American Baseball Cities of All Time. Both big-league and minor-league cities are included.

Does the number of big-league bodies really determine the “best” baseball town? What about stadium comfort, access, sight lines, food, cost, safety and fan energy?

The top city was none other than San Francisco (whose beloved Giants are playing for the World Series) followed by St. Louis and Los Angeles. Seattle was ranked No. 30.

Sperling points out the starting Giant shortstop Brandon Crawford is from Mountain View, which is just outside of San Francisco. All-time great Joe DiMaggio hailed from the Bay Area town of Martinez.

“We decided it’s more than wins and losses, attendance, and championships,” Sperling wrote. “It’s where there’s a batting cage in every backyard, kids sleep with their mitts, and families spend their entire weekend at the Little League field . . . We realized that every big-league ballplayer represents thousands of kids who once dreamed playing in the Big Show.”

Los Angeles, No. 3? Really?