When the House of Commons debated how to rebuild its bomb-ravaged chamber in 1943, Winston Churchill famously said, "We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us."

Which is another way of saying, if you're going to play in Yankee Stadium, you better have some left-handed pitching.

What ballpark is baseball's best? I've written many times on that subject, but now you have a chance to weigh in with your opinion. Over the coming week, you'll get a chance to cast your vote in our Battle of Ballparks bracket. We begin with 14 matchups between 28 seeded venues (Pittsburgh's PNC Park and Boston's Fenway Park get first-round byes) and the winner of each will move on to the next day. Come Friday, you'll vote for the champion between the top two remaining ballparks.

Before you cast your ballot, though, consider this your voter's guide to what makes a good ballpark: