Baseball Fan Resources
Why Gametime Is My New Ticket Reseller Affiliate
Posted by Kurt Smith
Hello dear readers! I have recently made a change to my site and wanted to let you know why.
As some of you know, this blog is supported in part by affiliate programs. When I send my readers to certain sites and they make a purchase, this blog receives a percentage of the sale. It helps to pay for hosting, site support, promotional services, and other necessities of running a blog.
Below, I’m sharing why I now recommend Gametime for finding deals on baseball tickets.
I chose Gametime for several reasons. The biggest one was my surprise when I compared them to other resellers. When doing price comparisons, I found that Gametime was offering better prices than SeatGeek, TickPick, StubHub and several others for seats in similar sections. In fact, sometimes the price difference was significant. It may not be always the case, but I did notice it. (You can read more about comparing Gametime to other resellers here.)
In addition, I’ve found multiple benefits with using Gametime that not every other reseller offers. Have you ever been overwhelmed by all the seating choices for an event? Gametime only shows you the better deals. They’re aware you’re not going to pay $4,000 for a Rays bleachers ticket. You can use their panoramic seat view option to see the view from your seat, which helps make the decision easier.
Most importantly, you can toggle “all-in pricing” so you can see the full cost of the ticket…which is a big factor in the price as we all know.
One more selling point for me was that as I write this, Gametime has an A+ rating on the Better Business Bureau website. (I don’t care about 1-star ratings or lack of accreditation. No one goes to BBB to talk about the great experience they had.) It may ultimately not be that significant…SeatGeek gets an F on BBB and I’ve never had a problem with them…but the A+ looks better, especially in a field where there is a lot of mistrust.
Gametime specializes in last minute tickets, which is something I frequently recommend people do. As they told me, planning is overrated! (I respectfully disagree, but I like their spirit.) They guarantee their tickets of course, and even offer a low price guarantee as well.
So as of April 2024, Gametime is the Official Third Party Ticket Provider of Ballpark E-Guides. As a guy who writes plenty about finding deals on MLB tickets, I definitely like Gametime.
So check them out!
And needless to say, since they are an affiliate, if you use that link and make a purchase, Ballpark E-Guides receives a percentage of the sale, at no extra cost to you. As always, I really appreciate your support. If you have any questions about this or anything else, feel free to contact me.
Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you at the Yard!
(Note: this article contains affiliate links. If you use an affiliate link to make a purchase, Ballpark E-Guides earns a commission, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!)
Prepaid Baseball Game Parking With SpotHero
Posted by Kurt Smith
If you’ve read my ballpark tips for a while, you know that I will always recommend whether to use your car or public transit to a game. But if you’re driving and parking at or near the ballpark, you should always have a plan. You do NOT want to be driving around Baltimore or Boston looking for a decent and affordable spot. (I speak from experience!)
Using SpotHero makes the process simple, and even fun if you do it right!
Sitting in ungodly slow traffic with a full bladder in Toronto or Washington can make for a memorable ballgame experience for the wrong reasons. You could also, of course, seriously overpay for parking if you go without a plan (see: Fenway Park).
So while I offer a lot of advice here, it does come down to booking in advance. This is especially the case if the ballpark is in the heart of the city, as many of the newer ones are. If most fans going to the game use public transit because of traffic and costs, SpotHero is your best bet for parking.
What I love about SpotHero is that I can choose well ahead of time where I’d like to park, and I choose my spot based on a number of factors.
In Baltimore, for example, I find a garage near the Inner Harbor for a nice waterfront walk before or after the game.
In Pittsburgh, I find a spot near the other side of the Clemente Bridge, for a stunning approach to the ballpark.
In Boston, I get a spot near the Prudential Center…it’s a long walk, but I can also use Commuter Rail (or a Boston Pedicab!) and get off a fly ball away from the ballpark…at a lot where people paid five times as much as I did to park.
In Atlanta, I just want to be able to find my car after the game.
You can choose your spot based on the easiest exit, be near other city attractions or eateries, or simply go cheap.
Here’s a favorite trick of mine in several cities: if you’re making a day of visiting the city with your baseball, you can land a spot near a public transit station that will take you to the game and back (or the other way around). In some places, you can park close to the ballpark before the event rate kicks in, and enjoy a day in the city before the game. I’ve done this numerous times and saved a bundle.
SpotHero provides other details too, including if your car will be under elevated train tracks and may get oil spilled on it. (That’s a thing in Chicago. True.) Each spot description shows a star based review, whether you have in/out privileges, and even a photo of the lot or garage entrance so you know what it looks like, which is very helpful in a big city.
Order the spot, get the address, put it in your map app, and go. Show your barcode at the entrance and you’re in. Easy peezy.
As some of you know, I used to be a fan of ParkWhiz. They aren’t bad, but I’ve definitely found that SpotHero offers a larger selection and is better for baseball game parking. When I found myself using SpotHero instead of ParkWhiz based on that, I switched my affiliation, and now SpotHero is the Official Prepaid Parking of Ballpark E-Guides!
(Again, that’s not really a thing, but it sounds good.)
In a downtown city ballpark especially, try SpotHero for your ballgame parking. Or any prepaid parking, for that matter.
And please use this link to tell ‘em Ballpark E-Guides sent you!
(Note: this article contains affiliate links. If you use an affiliate link to make a purchase, Ballpark E-Guides earns a commission, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!)
Save On Ballpark Team Store Prices…Use MLBShop.com!
Posted by Kurt Smith
If you’re like me, you love checking out a team store every time you visit a ballpark, especially a new one. There’s always cool stuff to buy. But for me anyway, it’s hard to part with my hard earned cash there. No matter what I look at…team jerseys, caps, pencils, golf balls, jigsaw puzzles, it’s impossible to think I can’t find it cheaper someplace else.
That’s why I love MLBShop, for several reasons…
Don’t wait till you get to the ballpark to get your team gear…
Order your caps, jerseys, and more now at MLBShop.com and save!Click here to order your official MLB gear today!
For one, I can get my gear ahead of time. I don’t have to waste valuable time in the team store trying to decide on the Adley Rutschman or Gunnar Henderson jersey. That time is better spent enjoying a Boog’s BBQ sandwich!
It’s also, in almost all cases, cheaper to order at MLBShop.com than it is to buy your gear at the ballpark, especially if you take advantage of specials. As I write this sentence, for example (just before Black Friday), MLBShop is offering up to 50% off on items using a discount code.
Yes, I’m aware that “up to” is a flexible phrase. But that said, you VERY rarely see deals like this at the actual team store. (And I did score a nice deal on a gift for my son just now.)
It can work the other way too. Did you like the Space City jerseys you saw in the Minute Maid Park team store, but balked at paying $159.99 for one? Again, as I write this, with the aforementioned discount code, MLBShop is offering that jersey for $108.79. Even with shipping, you’re coming out ahead.
That’s not just jerseys, of course. MLBShop features bags (see why I recommend having a tote bag or something similar here, here, and here), car accessories, flags, pajamas, in other words, most of the cool items you can find in a ballpark team store. You can search for items featuring your favorite player (hmmm…Adley? Gunnar? Adley? Gunnar? You see the problem.), by brands, even holiday collections.
It’s also official team sanctioned stuff, which is usually higher quality. Shopping for cheaper bootleg items from vendors outside the ballpark is fun in its own way, but you’re limited by their selection…and possibly their level of quality control.
Besides, if you’re worried that the cool thing you’re checking out won’t be available online, you can always just pull out your phone and check. (And compare prices.)
So here’s a piece of money and time saving advice for you. If you’d like to rep your team before going to the game, by all means find your ideal jersey, cap, hoodie or shorts at MLBShop.
If you’re not sure what you’d like to get, by all means roam that team store…because so many of them have awesome stuff.
But then take pics with your phone of things you like, and order them online. You’ll not only save money on that adjustable cap, new pillow and set of team pens (remember to add the shipping cost though), you won’t have to lug them around the ballpark and back to your car!
There’s lots of reasons for any baseball fan to love MLBShop, and that’s why they’re the Official MLB Gear Store of Ballpark E-Guides! (That’s not really a thing, but it could be.)
And if I’ve helped you out, using this link to get your gear at MLBShop will help keep this site rolling at no extra cost to you…and I really appreciate your support!