MLB Ballpark Guides
Best Way To Get To Camden Yards: Light Rail
Posted by Kurt Smith
When it comes to the best way to get to Camden Yards, you have enough options. Driving and parking generally isn’t too bad, at least by downtown ballpark standards, and if you book ahead of time.
But for most Orioles games, I prefer to use the MTA Light Rail, for several reasons:
(Pssst…interested in knowing everything about Oriole Park? Check out my complete guide to Camden Yards here!)
1) MTA Light Rail is cheap. It’s less than four bucks as of this writing round trip to use the streetcar, and parking at most stations outside of the city is free.
You won’t likely find decent parking at the ballpark that cheap…and on top of that, driving to the ballpark in that notorious Baltimore congestion can use up a lot of gas.
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(See why Ballpark E-Guides loves Gametime here!)
2) MTA Light Rail is convenient. Park for free, hop on the streetcar, and get dropped off right there just a few steps from the gate. You can even use nearby stops to get on or off; the Convention Center and Hamburg stations are still closer than most ballpark parking.
The Light Rail runs frequently enough that you won’t have to wait long before or after the game; for big attendance games you might have a to wait a car or two. Try using the nearby stations in the opposite direction of where you’re headed…your chances of having a seat are better that way.
3) MTA Light Rail avoids traffic. Maybe I should have ranked this higher. If you’re driving in from I-83, traffic north of the ballpark in the city is brutal, especially in the evening when the Inner Harbor gets hopping. The streetcar may take some time trudging through the red lights, but at least you know it will get there. Sometimes when you’re sitting in that downtown Charm City gridlock, you’re not sure.
For the best way to get to Camden Yards, you can’t beat the convenience and price of the Light Rail system. But there are lots of other ways, including by boat or bicycle, and you do have some cheap parking options if you do decide to drive your car.
Don’t wait till you get to the ballpark to get your Baltimore Orioles gear…
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(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!)
Cheap White Sox Tickets – 3 Useful Tips
Posted by Kurt Smith
When the Pale Hose struggle at the gate, there are numerous ways to find yourself some cheap White Sox tickets. Here are a few of my favorite tips.
Cheap White Sox Tickets, Tip #1) Get Team Ticket Alerts. I recommend this for every team, but the White Sox in particular offer very nice deals to their e-mail subscribers: monthly ballpark passes, flash sales of 200 or so tickets at a very nice price, and a “Sox Save of The Week”. No need to pay face price, especially when you can be flexible about when you go. Click here to sign up…
Don’t wait till you get to the ballpark to get your Chicago White Sox gear…
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Cheap White Sox Tickets, Tip #2) Use The Box Office. Except for Opening Day and Cubs games, most White Sox games don’t sell out, and there’s no online fee for buying tickets at the box office. If you’re buying multiple tickets especially, the online fees add up, and they’re not necessary. Just go on game day and get tickets there.
Cheap White Sox Tickets, Tip #3) Donate Blood Or Something. The White Sox hold community events and they offer free or discounted tickets to charitable groups…more so than most teams. Check the community and group tickets section of their website, because you may find a great deal for philanthropic sorts.
Gametime has your cheap White Sox tickets…with a lowest price guarantee, panoramic seat view photos, and great last minute deals…even after the game starts!
(See why Ballpark E-Guides loves Gametime here!)
Cheap White Sox Tickets, Bonus Tip!) Try Gametime! My friends at Gametime usually have among the best deals on White Sox tickets, and I’m not just saying that because they’re an affiliate of mine. Click here to check out their inventory of White Sox tickets…but remember that you can’t print them now.
There’s three ways to save money on White Sox tickets, but there’s plenty more deals out there…stay tuned. If you’d like to know some things about seating here, check this out.
(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!)
3 Cheap Parking Spots at Camden Yards
Posted by Kurt Smith
What you pay for Camden Yards parking at Orioles games generally depends on where you’re coming from…spots north of the ballpark tend to command a higher price, being closer to the nightlife and more ritzy hotels.
(Pssst…interested in knowing everything about Oriole Park? Check out my complete guide to Camden Yards here!)
So if you’d like to go cheap parking at Camden Yards, and go for an easier out too, here are a few spots south of the ballpark that may work better for you (after this quick word from our sponsor):
Never Drive To Camden Yards Without A Plan…
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Cheap Parking at Camden Yards, Spot #1) Orioles Lots F, G, and H. You can actually book spots ahead of time in Orioles Lots B and C close to the ballpark fairly cheaply, if you do it well enough ahead of time on the Orioles website…do that if you can.
But Lots F, G, and H near the Ravens’ stadium tend to be the cheapest choices, and they’re not too far away. You can even use the Light Rail one stop to the ballpark if you want to shorten the walk.
Cheap Parking at Camden Yards, Spot #2) The Horseshoe Casino. The Horseshoe is about a mile walk from Camden Yards, and you probably wouldn’t want to walk it at night. The neighborhood isn’t all that bad, just industrial and desolate in the dark.
But for day games, a free parking spot in an attended garage works well, and the walk isn’t too bad…Google calls it at about 18 minutes. No light rail near the casino yet, unfortunately, but maybe in the future…
Gametime has your cheap Orioles tickets…with a lowest price guarantee, panoramic seat view photos, and great last minute deals…even after the game starts!
(See why Ballpark E-Guides loves Gametime here!)
Cheap Parking at Camden Yards, Spot #3) Banditos Bar. Banditos is a Federal Hill institution that recently started offering rides to patrons going to Orioles and Ravens games, and you can park on the street nearby free of charge, or in an inexpensive garage nearby.
It’s actually about as long a walk as the Horseshoe if you don’t want to get a meal beforehand, but Banditos gets pretty good reviews, they have daily food and drink specials, and you get a free ride (although you probably should tip the driver).
There’s three Camden Yards parking options that won’t break your bank at your next O’s game. Try one and let me know how it worked out.
Photo of Bandito’s shuttle courtesy of Bandito’s Bar.
(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!)
Parking Near Rogers Centre – 3 “Green P” Spots
Posted by Kurt Smith
I highly recommend against driving and parking near Rogers Centre for Blue Jays games. If you don’t have to, don’t. There are many better ways to get there. But if you must, try using one of the “Green P” lots.
The Green P lots and garages in Toronto, including the ones for parking near Rogers Centre, are owned by the city and as such offer better rates than most. As far as I can tell, none of them charge “event” rates.
(Need more Rogers Centre help? I got ya! Check out this complete seating guide, some tips for bringing in outside food, and this helpful post for bringing the kids to a Blue Jays game!)
Here are my top three picks for a night at the ballpark…after a quick word from our sponsor:
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(See why Ballpark E-Guides loves Gametime here!)
Green P Lot #1) 40 York Street. I’ll probably get some grief for sharing this favorite spot of fans, but it’s probably the best deal that you’ll find for parking near Rogers Centre. It’s not only cheaper, but the event rate kicks in at 5:00, unlike 6:00 for most lots, so you don’t have to time your arrival so much. It’s a convenient spot too, especially coming from the east.
Green P Lot #2) 10 Portland Street. The night rate starts at 6:00 PM for this one, but it’s still fairly convenient at about a half mile from the ballpark, for a ten minute walk, and this one offers a relatively easy out going westbound.
Green P Lot #3) 2 Church Street. If you can’t score a spot at 40 York, this one isn’t bad coming from the east. It’s got over 2,000 spaces and has cheap nightly rates, including a Saturday special of $1/hour for the first two hours. So on Saturday especially you can arrive plenty early for a good spot and still pay a small fee to park for the evening.
One caution about the 40 York and 2 Church Street lots: these are both close to the Air Canada Centre, home of both the Maple Leafs and Raptors. I strongly recommend checking first to see if there is an event there before going…if there is, get there very early or use public transit.
There are other good options for parking near Rogers Centre, but I would advise that you try Green P first, especially if you can walk a little bit.
NEVER Drive To Rogers Centre Without A Plan…
Book A Great Parking Spot NOW With My Friends at SpotHero!
(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!)
The Best Way To Get To Nationals Park From Baltimore
Posted by Kurt Smith
For you Birds fans or other Baltimoreans looking for the best way to get to Nationals Park from Baltimore for a game, you have a few options.
Here I’m going to share some obvious routes…with a few things you should know. I go into much more detail in this post about how to get to D.C.’s ballpark…well worth a look if you want to know more.
(Hey Baseball Fans – Find out how to get cheap tickets, pick a great seat, get to the ballpark and choose what to eat at the game…and save money on all of it! Check out my complete Nationals Park Guide here!)
The Best Way To Get To Nationals Park From Baltimore, Route #1: Take the Green Line Metro from Greenbelt. The Metro train Green Line runs from Greenbelt station, conveniently located off of I-95/495, to the Navy Yard-Ballpark station at Nationals Park in about 40 minutes.
Even with typical I-95/I-495 traffic, this is probably the easiest route for using Metro, but you should have a plan to get back just in case this rare but frustrating occurrence happens.
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(See why Ballpark E-Guides loves Gametime here!)
The Best Way To Get To Nationals Park From Baltimore, Route #2: MARC and/or AMTRAK. Amtrak runs trains from Penn Station and BWI airport in Baltimore to Union Station (Red Line) and New Carrollton Station (Orange Line), both of which are a two train ride to Nats Park. The Camden-Washington MARC train runs from Camden Station to Greenbelt Station, requiring only one transfer, and the MARC is much cheaper.
Unfortunately MARC is only available during weekdays, so you’d need to use Amtrak (or a Metrobus, more likely, given their more frequent schedules) at least to get back after a night game.
MARC can be a nice option, sparing you traffic troubles, gas and parking money. Can be a little unwieldy though.
The Best Way To Get To Nationals Park From Baltimore, Route #3: By Car. If you’re going to just drive, I highly recommend that you 1) book your parking beforehand, and b) avoid the most common highways like I-95, especially during rush hour.
Try using MD295, which is truck-free, or if you’re coming from a western suburb like Ellicott City, try using the six-lane U.S. Route 29 highway to I-95/495, and then to MD 295. Route 29 is less congested than I-95 and can save you some aggravation.
Never Drive To Nationals Park Without A Plan…
Book Your Parking Spot NOW With My Friends at SpotHero!
Those are three of the better ways to get to Nationals Park from Baltimore; if you want to know about avoiding the hefty Nationals parking fees, check out this post.
(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!)
Should I Take The Ballpark Tour?
Posted by Kurt Smith
I remember, when Camden Yards first opened, reading in brochures that the Orioles offered a ballpark tour. I remember thinking that it didn’t seem like something I’d be interested in, because at the ballpark I want to see a game. A pitching matchup. Home runs. Stolen bases. Extra innings. If you can’t root for the home team while eating peanuts and crackerjack, then why go to the ballpark?
But for the purposes of what I do helping baseball fans, I decided some time ago that ballpark tours would be helpful; I could get some great photos, have access to places I normally can’t afford, and maybe even learn a thing or two, and get any questions answered that I might have.
The first ballpark I took a tour of was Fenway Park in Boston. My wonderful wife Suzanne had given me Red Sox tickets for my birthday, the best birthday gift ever, and on our trip I convinced her to take the tour with me for the aforementioned reasons.
The Fenway Park tour starts in the Team Shop on Yawkey Way, where the tour guide starts off by asking if there are any Yankees fans in the group. Inevitably there are and they will, of course, proudly declare themselves, to which the guide will respond, “Okay, I’ll talk very slow for you.” And the tour continues in that vein, with the guide taking humorous shots at the Yankees throughout.
As I said, I didn’t think I’d consider a ballpark tour all that much fun. And I was totally wrong. The Fenway tour got me addicted to ballpark tours, and I take the tour whenever I can on baseball road trips. You learn about the ballpark’s history, stories of historic events that have happened there, and how certain parts of the ballpark like the Green Monster came to be. You get to see the field from several angles, often including the press box or the suites.
Most times you can sit in the home team’s dugout (I don’t know why that’s such an essential part of almost every ballpark tour, it’s not a big deal to me, but people love it). The tour guide will inevitably give people in the group a chance to show off their knowledge of baseball…and often little kids will answer their questions.
But here’s the best part of a ballpark tour, something I never gave much thought to before doing it: you get to see a baseball field in the morning. I know that doesn’t sound exciting, but there’s a wonderful peaceful charm to it, especially on a bright summer morning. It’s quiet. Grass is getting watered or mowed. Maybe a fence is being repaired in the outfield.
You think about what goes on behind the scenes and start to realize that hundreds of people put in thousands of hours of work to prepare the ballpark for the madhouse it’s going to become that evening. There is something about being in a ballpark in the morning that appeals to the types that hear voices telling them to build a baseball diamond in their cornfield.
Since Fenway I’ve toured a total of…let me get my slippers off here…fourteen ballparks. Of them the Wrigley tour may have been the most entertaining, simply because there is so much history and so much that people don’t know, and you get to sit in the bleachers. But all the tours are fun; PNC Park in Pittsburgh and Miller Park in Milwaukee were especially neat and full of stopping points.
At Progressive Field in Cleveland, and later at Nationals Park in D.C., I had the good fortune of being the only person taking the tour at that time, and I had a very enjoyable time talking with the tour guide. It’s nice when you can move at your own pace.
Going to a ballpark for a game, of course, is one of life’s greatest pleasures at any age. But going for a ballpark tour on a beautiful summer morning is a wonderful experience in its own way, and I highly recommend it, especially if you’re visiting a ballpark in another city.
Baseball Fan Mistakes I Used To Make
Posted by Kurt Smith
Since I’ve started researching everything there is to know about various baseball venues in the quest to help the non-affluent baseball fan, I’ve learned a lot. Some things have saved me money, some things have saved me time, and some things have saved me a lot of aggravation.
Even I still don’t always get it right going to a game, but I’ve definitely learned to avoid certain pitfalls. Here’s a list of four mistakes I used to make in my misspent youth…
Baseball Fan Mistake #1: Buying tickets from the team website. By itself, this isn’t always the worst thing to do. Many teams, like the Brewers and Nationals, offer pretty good ticket deals on their websites, and buying from the team at face value can be your best option for a high demand game.
But over the years I could have saved a TON of money by exploring all of the other options…like StubHub, eBay and other third parties, checking to see if there are sites like Travelzoo that offer deals, or simply buying from the team box office. I can easily stop at the box office in Philly since it’s close; most games aren’t sold out and you can find some seats on game day and pay the ticket without the obnoxious fees. Game day ticket sales are very popular at Fenway in Boston too.
On third party sites like StubHub, you can choose the exact section you want to sit and see what is available and the pricing. Teams are getting better at this, though. Many teams have seating maps that show the exact seats that are available, which is even better than StubHub. Remember though, you’re still paying the ticket fees.
Baseball Fan Mistake #2: Not looking into all my transportation options. Just driving to the ballpark and hoping to find a good parking spot is not a great strategy, and will likely result in your fuming at both the traffic and the cost of parking. I have had many a ballgame experience at least temporarily marred by this frustration, especially when visiting a ballpark for the first time.
I used to be able to tolerate the traffic in downtown Baltimore when I was able to park in a garage for $5, but since they’re nowhere near that cheap anymore, I just use the Light Rail if I’m by myself and park for free in Lutherville. With other people, I’ll use an app to get it done.
In my first visit to Comerica Park in Detroit, I paid $20 to park almost at the front door, because I was concerned about leaving my car too far away in Detroit. This was 2001 money, so $20 was a lot to park. In my second visit a year later, I accidentally stumbled on a cool tip, parking at the Fox Theatre garage much earlier in the day and paying just $2 for the whole night. And it was just a few steps further away. (It’s $5 today, if you get there early enough.)
I drove my car to Citi Field once too. Once.
Baseball Fan Mistake #3: Just getting a hot dog at the game. OK, maybe that’s not really a mistake. Nowhere does a hot dog taste better. But until researching Citizens Bank Park…and this is my home ballpark…I didn’t know about the roast pork and provolone from Tony Luke’s, the Campo’s Heater sandwich, the Schmitter, or the Bull Dog from Bull’s BBQ. Seriously. And I wouldn’t have a clue what Federal Donuts was. Talk about missing out.
Nowadays every ballpark has so many great food choices that it’s worth checking it out beforehand and deciding what you might like. At ballpark prices, don’t just get a simple hot dog and popcorn. Next time you’re at Citi Field, try Josh Capon’s Bash Burger. Or the garlic fries at Yankee Stadium. Don’t leave PNC Park in Pittsburgh without trying a Primanti Bros. sandwich with fries and slaw piled on. And a Ben’s Chili Half-Smoke at Nationals Park is worth the price of a Nats game ticket.
Baseball Fan Mistake #4: Not knowing about the local scene. For years I bought one beer at Camden Yards because I didn’t want to (and still don’t) pay ballpark prices for beer. I literally did not know that I could knock down a couple of cheap Natty Bohs across the street at Slider’s before the game. I made two visits to Cincinnati to see Reds games without having any clue about the restaurants and nightlife across the river in Newport. There’s a great bunch of eateries near E. 4th Street in Cleveland, just a short walk from Progressive Field.
And would you believe I didn’t even notice the tailgating party in my first trip to Miller Park in Milwaukee? Nor did I know about the large number of taverns that would have given me a ride to the game.
Knowing what I know now, I suppose it’s a testament to how much of a baseball fan I am that I enjoyed the games anyway. Dad taught me well.
But it’s so much better now that I know what I’m doing. That’s why I’ve shared the tips I’ve learned!
Um Bate-Papo com “Baseball Joe” – O maior fã de beisebol que existe
Posted by Kurt Smith
Eu conheci o Joe Vogel em 12 de Junho de 2016, enquanto me encontrava com um amigo e companheiro de viagem Dan Davies e o seu grupo de amigos viajantes que me convidaram para ir com eles para Pittsburgh.
Estava um dia perfeito no maravilhoso PNC Park enquanto os Pirates se preparavam para uma batalha de fim de tarde contra os Cardinals.
Naquele dia, porém, beisebol não era a única coisa na mente dos fiéis torcedores dos Bucs.
Sidney Crosby e os Penguins estavam em San Jose naquela noite, prontos para trazer a quarta Stanley Cup para a cidade. Eles realmente fizeram isso algumas horas depois que o jogo de beisebol terminou. Uniformes, camisas e bonés dos Penguins eram vistos em grande número para uma plateia de beisebol.
Em certo ponto, durante o jogo, um jovem torcedor fez uma “zueira”: apareceu com uma Stanley Cup de papel laminado, quase em tamanho natural e passeou com ela orgulhosamente por uma seção do estádio no “right field”. Ele foi aplaudido de pé pelos que estavam assentados por ali.
Mas, apesar de ser um nativo de Pittsburgh, Joe Vogel não estava gostando nada daquilo.
Sem aviso, como se o dever o chamasse, ele salta da sua cadeira no “Right Field Cove” (uma seção específica de assentos no PNC Park) e desaparece no meio das arquibancadas. Segundos depois, ele era visto andando ali perto de onde estava o cara que carregava a taça. Para grande diversão dos seus amigos do “Cove”, Vogel passou vários minutos numa busca determinada por aquele cara que, a esta altura, já estava longe há muito tempo.
O riso na seção do Vogel aumenta à medida em que a sua busca determinada continua muito além do tempo que aquela situação merecia. Porque após várias entradas sentados com aquela figura, eles sabiam exatamente porque ele estava atrás daquele orgulhoso fã de hóquei.
Era para envergonhá-lo. Para olhar para ele com uma cara feia. Para educar aquele jovem rapaz sobre as prioridades.
Isso, porque o “Baseball Joe Vogel” vai sempre deixar claro que só o beisebol importa. Todos os outros esportes são perda de tempo.
“Baseball Joe” é surdo e mudo em função de 3 derrames debilitantes. Ele se comunica através de gestos e sinais de mão, com um pequeno teclado, ou um pequeno alfabeto num pedaço de papel dobrado.
Ele mora num apartamento no centro de Pittsburgh pertinho do PNC Park, atravessando a ponte Roberto Clemente. Beisebol, especialmente o beisebol dos Pirates, é a sua vida. E assim tem sido desde que ele era um garoto. Ele se auto proclama “o maior fã de beisebol que existe” e até agora, no meu quase meio século de existência, eu ainda não encontrei alguém tão fanático por baseball quanto Joe… nem mesmo o meu pai, que considerava ser o maior fã desse esporte.
Os Pirates o conhecem bem. Ele vez por outra joga e apanha umas bolinhas com o técnico Clint Hurdle e até mesmo o aconselha algumas vezes por e-mail. Cortesia de um time que ama a sua dedicação, ele tem ingresso de sócio torcedor e vai a todos os jogos na seção coberta para portadores de necessidades especiais que fica no campo direito, embaixo da arquibancada, pois não consegue ficar no sol durante muito tempo. Ele, talvez, seja o único torcedor no PNC Park que não liga para aquele cenário pitoresco da cidade.
Sentado com ele, é quase impossível prestar atenção ao jogo, especialmente num dia em que os rebatedores adversários começaram com tudo contra os arremessadores dos Pirates, como os Cardinals naquela noite. “Baseball Joe” é tão divertido quanto a ação em campo… constantemente conversando com espectadores ao seu modo, pacientemente se comunicando com o seu teclado ou o seu surrado pedaço de papel quando as pessoas têm dificuldade de entender os seus gestos. Ele carrega uma bola de beisebol que ele frequentemente joga para funcionários que, casualmente, a jogam de volta pra ele, conhecendo o procedimento habitual. Durante o jogo, empregados de outros times aparecem para cumprimenta-lo. Ele constantemente ganha souvenires e parece ter um suprimento sem fim de copos de refrigerante colecionáveis, um dos quais, ele dividiu comigo.
Ao longo da noite, risadas são ouvidas na seção onde estávamos tanto pelo seu conhecimento do beisebol quanto por suas duras críticas aos torcedores que não respeitavam o jogo o suficiente.
Em um certo ponto, ele me pergunta se eu gosto de algum outro esporte. Esquecendo-me do seu desdém por aquele fã de hóquei eu falei pra ele que eu gosto de NASCAR também e ele balançou a cabeça. Ele fingiu estar dirigindo um carro, depois olhou pra mim com cara brava e fez o símbolo de “vergonha” com os dedos. Depois, segurou a bola de beisebol e fez um movimento circular com o dedo. Eu, então, entendi: “Beisebol o ano todo”.
Durante toda a noite, ele nunca parou. Com o seu teclado ele mandou várias perguntas sobre beisebol pros seus amigos, como “Cite dois jogadores no Hall da Fama que tenham o mesmo primeiro e segundo nomes.” Um sabichão no grupo responde com um tom pedante como se estivesse certo da resposta: “Ken Griffey Senior and Ken Griffey Junior!”.
Enquanto o resto do grupo gargalhava, Joe sorri, vira pra mim e informa: Henry Louis Aaron and Henry Louis Gehrig, or Joseph Paul DiMaggio and Joseph Paul Torre.
Mais tarde, Dan, que levou Joe com ele e seu grupo a vários estádios da liga e ao Hall da Fama, me contou a história de ele arrasando nas enquetes feitas por lá. Se houvesse uma edição de beisebol do “Jeopardy” (jogo de perguntas e respostas muito famoso nos EUA), “Baseball Joe” ganharia de qualquer adversário.
“Baseball Joe” detém o título de ser o primeiro fã a pedir o meu autógrafo, pelo menos como um autor de livros sobre beisebol.
Num jogo dos Pirates, ele me pediu para enviar pra ele o guia digital do PNC Park autografado. Ele também me deu instruções precisas: “certifique-se de assinar com o seu nome completo, incluindo o nome do meio e o faça em ordem”, coisa que eu não estou acostumado a fazer já que a minha assinatura é um garrancho horrível. Ele é um perfeccionista, especialmente no que diz respeito ao beisebol.
Joe amou o “e-guide” do PNC PARK e delirou sobre ele num e-mail… uma medalha de honra pra mim… mas ele também fez algumas sugestões: falar um pouco mais sobre os assentos, incluir mais fotos nos espaços em branco e, talvez, falar um pouco mais sobre a comida e outras coisas. Ele é a primeira pessoa a reclamar comigo dizendo que não há informações SUFICIENTES num “e-guide”.
Ele tem me pedido repetidamente para enviá-lo guias sobre o Wrigley Field e o Busch Stadium in St. Louis (este último eu ainda vou escrever). Eu sempre fico feliz quando tenho plateia.
Alguns dias depois daquela experiência em Pitsburgh, eu me encontrei com o “Baseball Joe” e o grupo de novo, dessa vez no Citizens Bank Park, na minha cidade natal, Filadélfia. Eu arrumei pra eles um lugar para estacionar o carro de graça e me assentei com eles no andar superior na hora do jogo. Durante a noite, Joe, novamente, me manteve mais entretido do que a ação em campo.
Eu contei pra ele que eu torço pros Orioles e ele levantou os dedos. Primeiro um sete e depois um um. Eu logo saquei. A World Series de 1971. Os Pirates sobre os Orioles em sete jogos. Eu tinha três anos.
Então ele fez um “7” e um “9” com seus dedos. 1979. Os Pirates, liderados por Pops Stargell, viraram uma série que estava 3 a 1 para, mais uma vez, baterem os Orioles em sete jogos. Minha reação foi tombar a minha cabeça e fingir enxugar as lágrimas dos meus olhos, ilustrando a decepção de um pequeno torcedor dos Orioles de 11 anos. Eu não dancei NUNCA MAIS “We Are Family”, informo a ele. (Em 1979, quando os Pirates ganharam a World Series, eles se uniram, porque a mãe do técnico Chuck Tanner tinha morrido. Então, eles adotaram a música “We Are Family” do trio Sister Sledge como música tema.)
Ele acena com a cabeça, entendendo. Ele também faz o gesto de esfregar os olhos mencionando o péssimo desempenho dos Pirates por tantos anos.
Ele me pergunta qual o meu jogador preferido e, quando eu digo Cal Ripken Jr, ele rapidamente traz com o seu teclado uma estatística pra mim: “A média de aproveitamento mais baixa de um jogador com 3000 rebatidas.”
Quando eu mostro pro Joe uma foto da minha filha posando com bichos de pelúcia vestidos com uniformes de beisebol que eu trago pra ela das minhas viagens ele brevemente digita no teclado e me mostra: “Você é abençoado. Eu não tenho família.”
Eu instantaneamente me senti não só triste por ele, mas também culpado por alguma eventual insatisfação que eu sinto com a minha própria vida. Ele está certo. Eu sou muito abençoando. Eu não só tenho duas crianças lindas e saudáveis, eu ainda tenho tempo para o único esporte que importa.
Muito depois que a multidão deixou o Citizens Bank Park naquela noite, “Baseball Joe” conseguiu deixar alguns funcionários sem jeito, já que resolveu sair da parte dos assentos somente depois de juntar tantos copos de refrigerantes de coleção, quanto ele podia. Dava pra ver claramente a agitação crescendo nos olhos deles enquanto eles antecipam o confronto (Ao fim de qualquer jogo nos EUA passado algum tempo, os funcionários começam a impedir que se transite ou até mesmo se permaneça dentro do estádio). Joe parece ignorar à aproximação da “polícia do estádio”, mas ele sai da área dos assentos no exato momento anterior em que o funcionário começar a ficar irritado. Ele é um expert nisso.
De volta ao hotel em que eles estavam hospedados, “Baseball Joe” e eu posamos para uma foto e ele me surpreendeu com um grande abraço! Aparentemente, eu deixei uma boa impressão. Eu fiquei feliz que ele não se chateou comigo por eu ter mostrado a ele as minhas fotos de família.
“Baseball Joe” e eu trocamos e-mail com frequência. Nos seus e-mails o assunto é quase sempre Beisebol. 24 horas por dia. 7 dias por semana. 366 dias por ano – se assegurando para não perder nem mesmo o dia extra do ano bissexto. Seus e-mails são geralmente breves, mas sempre muito atenciosos, desejando “bom feriado” para minha família e pra mim, me pedindo para mandar mais “e-guides” quando eu puder e dividindo comigo seus pensamentos sobre o destino dos Pirates. Logo depois que o time de Pittsburgh não foi para os Playoffs em 2016, ele me mandou um e-mail escrito: “Pirates eliminados – eu choro.” Por 33 anos e contando, esse fã dos Orioles sabe bem o que é isso.
Eu sempre fico feliz quando tenho notícias do “Baseball Joe”, porque sempre que eu penso nele, ele está certo. Outros esportes são perda de tempo.
E “Baseball Joe” sabe como ninguém que o nosso tempo é muito valioso para ser desperdiçado.
Joe Mock and 203 Ballparks
Posted by Kurt Smith
Fans whose yearly vacations revolve around a baseball road trip probably know the name Joe Mock. If they don’t, they should.
Mock is the author and webmaster at Baseballparks.com, the premier website for baseball roadtrippers. He is also the author of 2001’s “Joe Mock’s Ballpark Guide”, a delightfully illustrated book about the 30 MLB parks in use at the time. He regularly contributes to USA Today’s Sports Weekly about the North American homes of baseball.
His credentials for all of this?
How about visiting all 203 of the professional ballparks currently in use – that’s major league, spring training and affiliated minor league ballparks – a total that Mock will reach when he visits Suplizio Field in Grand Junction, Colorado, this July 12th.
Yes. Two hundred and three ballparks.
I caught up with Joe when I heard about this milestone, and he was kind enough to share with me his thoughts about the feat and how the journey started.
“About 20 years ago, I got the crazy notion that I’d like to see how many different ballparks I could visit in one season,” he remembers. “My first year of trying I was overjoyed when I got to ten ballparks, with the tenth being in Cleveland. At the time, I wondered if I’d ever be able to reach such a lofty perch again, because ten seemed like so many.”
Visiting all 203 wasn’t initially his goal, “but as I kept knocking them off, I kept getting closer. Along the way, I achieved the objective of seeing games in all 30 MLB parks. That happened in 2001, when I went to the Metrodome in Minneapolis.” (note from Kurt: yes, Joe has been to Target Field.)
Over time, his touring pace increased. Significantly. Imagine visiting 47 ballparks in one season – and calling it a down year. That was Mock in 2009, when he was challenged with two new venues in New York City, three new spring training facilities, new ballparks in Gwinnett, Columbus, Fort Wayne, Reno, and Bowling Green, and two significantly renovated baseball stadiums.
By this point, with a ballpark book and website in his name, plus dozens of ballpark-related projects – like publishing a poster – visiting new venues and sharing his insights about them had become his norm.
Joe Mock’s website is full of detailed reviews of dozens of ballparks. In each, he describes the ballpark’s setting and design, along with his likes and dislikes, all from the perspective of a dedicated fan of both baseball and its architecture.
After scrutinizing over 300 ballparks (the larger total includes non-affiliated and college ballparks), including venues that have now been replaced, he’s come to the conclusion that there are two things he likes to see in a park.
“First, I want to see something different,” he points out. “In the 1990s, the vast majority of new minor league parks looked the same. Most looked like you could lift them up and drop them in another market, and it wouldn’t have made any difference. That’s why one park of that era, the one in Altoona, has always stood out to me. It was very distinctive and picked up on the area’s fascinating railroad history.”
Which brings Mock to his second most-desired ballpark attribute, which in some ways is related to the first. “I want the park to have a ‘sense of place,’ so that it looks like it belongs in its city. I want it to have the appearance that it couldn’t have been built anywhere other than where it is.
“PNC Park in Pittsburgh is an obvious example of this. In the minors, Altoona, North Little Rock, Corpus Christi and Stockton have always struck me as really belonging where they were built. With the exception of Altoona, the whole Eastern League looks like any park could’ve been built in any of its markets.”
Needless to say, he has his favorites and not-so-favorites. Tops on his list is Wrigley Field in Chicago — a structure that Mock, who isn’t afraid to use a touch of exaggeration occasionally, calls “the greatest structure ever built by man.”
Mock believes that Wrigleyville, the neighborhood that surrounds the Cubs’ beloved home, “certainly offers the greatest setting in sports. The structure itself is stately and the sense of history is overwhelming. I truly love every visit I’ve ever made there, and I’ve been there plenty of times, almost freezing to death at several early-season games.”
He is conflicted, of course, about the planned renovations there, since like many Wrigley fans, a part of him doesn’t want a single change to be made. “However, when I come to my senses, I realize that a baseball franchise has to make money, and the ad signs and video screen will provide revenue streams that other teams have had for years, and the Cubs haven’t.
“And if that revenue helps keep the Cubs in Wrigley for another couple of decades, then that’s good enough for me,” he added emphatically.
While he doesn’t often get an argument over his opinion of Wrigley’s greatness, Mock has gotten occasional grief from website visitors over his rankings of other ballparks. One example was his favorable piece about the new Marlins Park in Miami, which was an architectural risk that didn’t go over well with some ballpark fans.
“I didn’t like its location, but its bright colors, fantastic food, liberal use of art and miraculous engineering truly make it a marvel. And it’s perfect for South Florida. Baseball fans should go to Miami to see it.
“However, mostly because folks around the country tend to hate the Marlins, their owner and their former manager (Ozzie Guillen), they couldn’t accept that the team’s ballpark is any good. Interestingly,” he adds with a chuckle, “most of the harshest criticism of me came from people who had never been to Miami.”
Mock, of course, is happy to entertain the opinions of his readers, providing comment sections at the end of his reviews. And he does engage dissenters, thoughtfully and respectfully. After all, talking about visiting ballparks is the next best thing to doing it.
To visit upwards of 50-60 baseball cathedrals a year is indeed a challenge, especially when it’s not a full-time job.
“It helps that I never lose my motivation to travel long distances to visit baseball facilities. Once I realized how passionate baseball fans are about parks, it gave me even more incentive to visit and report on them.
“Truly, if there is a ballpark I want to see, I find a way to make it happen – like Grand Junction, for instance. Sometimes, it just takes me a while to work a place in.”
Many of his readers don’t realize it, but ballpark chasing isn’t his primary job. “I operate an agency that deals with health insurance, and I have clients all around the country. Therefore, some of my travel to see ballparks is actually part of my day job, while frequent flyer miles accumulated doing the business travel help get me to ballpark destinations later on.”
It also helps that his website is successful. “By no means does this (the frequent-flyer miles) cover all of the costs, but I’ve been fortunate that my freelance writing has generated revenue that I then spend on going to more ballparks. Also, Baseballparks.com has gotten more and more popular, and ads that appear on it add to the incoming revenue.
“I don’t do all of this ballpark visiting because it’s my job to do it, because it isn’t. I do it because I really love visiting and assessing ballparks.”
Having visited all of the ballparks currently in use is a remarkable achievement indeed — and it’s a reflection of just how much we baseball fans love the game. To all of us, nothing beats seeing it live with a favorite local sandwich sitting in our laps. (Joe’s favorite concession stand, by the way, is Turkey Mike’s BBQ in San Jose.) It’s hard to imagine that Joe Mock would have any plans to slow down – and he doesn’t.
“I will continue to go to every new ballpark as soon as it opens,” he predicts. “And soon thereafter, readers can expect an in-depth review of the park along with dozens of photos. I’ll also continue to provide updates on all of the ballpark news of the day, on my site and via Twitter. And as long as the USA Today sports editors keep wanting me to write ballpark-related pieces for their publications, I’ll gladly take on their assignments.”
While it’s true that only a handful of brand-new baseball palaces open each year – except in the aberration of 2009 as Mock reiterates – the changes made to existing venues never stop.
“The ballpark renovations will continue to keep me running around to see all of them, and when the changes are major enough, I will do an in-depth review of them for my readers.”
So while having seen all of the 203 current parks is truly impressive, Joe reflects that “the fun is in the chase more than the achievement of the goal. I’ve truly had a blast along the way, and met a lot of outstanding people. Some of my best friends today are guys I met at ballparks.”
People who, no doubt, were fascinated by the depth of Mock’s baseball travels. And probably a little envious, too.
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Save Money On Ballpark Souvenirs: Three Tips
Posted by Kurt Smith
I deliberately haven’t put information on how to save money on souvenirs in Ballpark E-Guides. I may mention what ballparks have an outside vendor scene, where a fan can buy cheaper T-shirts or caps or pennants. But for the most part I don’t go beyond recommending against buying anything in the team shop. Rarely will you find the best deal there.
But since Mike Gagliardi of “Garris and Gagz” informed me that the my Yankee Stadium info is lacking in souvenir buying options—which I can’t argue—I thought I would offer three tips on how to acquire your mementos without shelling out a nice meal’s worth of money.
So here we go:
Save Money On Souvenirs, Tip #1) Use Giveaway Nights. The team website is your best friend when it comes to getting a cap or T-shirt. Every team has a promotional schedule in the “Schedule” section of the website. There are always giveaways of T-shirts, caps, bobbleheads, tote bags, whatever. The Cubs actually give away gloves for those early months in Chicago.
The best part is that very often giveaway nights include a souvenir because they’re typically not the kind of night that fills the ballpark. Many teams have things like “T-Shirt Tuesdays”, largely because Tuesday isn’t a great attendance night for most of them. So not only do you get a free team lunch box, you can often get tickets very cheaply for that game. On two occasions I took advantage of my free Orioles birthday ticket on T-shirt nights.
An Orioles game and a T-shirt absolutely free. And they say baseball isn’t affordable.
Save Money On Souvenirs, Tip #2) Find a Local Sporting Goods Store. If you’re looking for a T-shirt, cap, jersey or other gear especially, you can pull up a map and dig up the nearest Modell’s or Sports Authority, or even a Walmart for that matter, and in those stores you can find these things far cheaper than in the ballpark.
As common as such stores are, if you’re visiting a city you shouldn’t have any problem finding one, and it’s usually worth the side trip to get a T-shirt for $12 instead of $30 in the ballpark. The only drawback is that the selection might not be as good. If you’re looking for selection, try one of the touristy areas of the city, e.g. St. Louis Union Station or Underground Atlanta, and see if any stores there have what you’re looking for. It might be a little more, but still cheaper than at the game.
Save Money On Souvenirs, Tip #3) Volunteer For A Team Function. This is a lesser known option but is a great way to score T-shirts, autographed memorabilia, even tickets with some teams. In the Community section of each team’s website, there are usually functions like a 5K run or a blood drive that includes gifts for participants. Teams with troubles at the gate, like the Pirates, will even throw in tickets for people giving their time.
Plus you’re helping out the community and making the team look good, and at least one of those two things is worth it on its own.
So there you go; three ways to save money on souvenirs at the ballpark. Perhaps I should start including these tips in Ballpark E-Guides…but I’ll try to come up with some more deals before I do so.
Gluten-Free At The Ballpark: Some Tips
Posted by Kurt Smith
If you are the proud possessor of a gluten allergy, you might think it’s next to impossible to eat gluten-free at the ballpark. But fortunately, that is not the case anymore.
Because my wife is afflicted with celiac disease, it makes finding food at any recreational event somewhat difficult. Obviously the classic hot dog with the bun is out, as is pizza, soft pretzels (in most cases), pretty much most of the menu—and perhaps most sadly, beer, although that is a big money-saver.
Fortunately, baseball teams are far more customer-oriented these days. Teams are not only expanding their menus in a big way, they are also going above and beyond to accommodate people with needs: peanut-free suites, vegetarian and kosher items, and yes, gluten-free selections.
But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t prepare for a day at the ballpark, so here’s a few things you should do before you go.
1) Gluten-Free at The Ballpark Tip #1: Visit the Team Website. Many teams will tell you what foods are available at the ballpark for vegetarians and celiacs; some teams will even have a stand dedicated to serving gluten-free items only. The Red Sox, Phillies, Mets, Braves, Rays, Yankees and Nationals all have stand alone concession stands for celiacs, with things like dogs or BBQ sandwiches on gluten-free buns, gluten-free cupcakes or brownies, pizza sometimes, nuts and other snacks, and Redbridge or another brand of gluten-free beer.
In the ballpark section of the website, there’s usually an Amenities Map. This will tell you the location and items sold at each concession stand; if they don’t have a stand for gluten-free items they might have some items at their regular concession kiosks.
If you don’t see any of this information, it doesn’t hurt to e-mail the team and ask them what they can do for you. Usually they’ll get back to you with all the information you need; it’s highly probable they’ve heard the question before.
2) Gluten-Free at The Ballpark Tip #2: Bring Your Own. It’s not much of a secret anymore that you can bring your own food into the ballpark, so it’s no problem to bring a small bag of Cheetos, Rice Chex, peanuts or anything else your stomach will allow you to legally snack on. You can’t bring alcohol, but at most ballparks you can bring in sealed drinks.
This is an especially nice thing at a place that doesn’t have a dedicated stand for celiacs; you can bring in your own hot dog roll and ask for that footlong dog without the bun.
3) Gluten-Free at The Ballpark Tip #3: Watch for Awareness Nights. I’m seeing this more and more these days—Celiac Disease Awareness Night at the ballpark. It usually just means they’ll tell you where the gluten-free food is, and you might get a discount on tickets. If you sign up for the team’s ticket alert newsletter, they’ll let you know when it’s coming. I know the Phillies and Mets do this, and I’m sure they’re not the only ones.
4) Gluten-Free at The Ballpark Tip #4: If All Else Fails… You can always try the ballpark restaurant for a meal before or after the game. Most all ballparks have a restaurant attached these days, and they’re often part of a chain that should have at least some experience in serving folks with allergies…Miller Park in Milwaukee has a TGI Friday’s, Yankee Stadium has a Hard Rock Café, and Comerica Park in Detroit has the Beer Hall and Corner Tap Room attached. Most times you can enter and exit the restaurant without having to leave the ballpark.
The ballpark restaurant is much more likely to be able to accommodate your allergy needs, since they’re serving different kinds of food all day long. If you can’t go for a burger without the bun, there will probably be nachos, chili, chicken salads, and a selections of other things that should be safe.
So there’s four tips that should make going gluten-free at the ballpark much easier on you, since it’s awful tough to enjoy the game without at least a hot dog. Teams are great about this these days, so the ballpark is at least one place where you shouldn’t have to worry about what to eat.
Healthy Food At The Ballpark: Some Tips
Posted by Kurt Smith
Finding healthy food at the ballpark isn’t easy. The multitudes of food offerings at ballparks, often celebrating local flavor, are wonderful but can be overwhelmingly tempting, especially when one knows they’ll be doing some walking off of the calories.
Despite what I do here, I’m not at as many ballgames as people think. And since I make an effort to eat healthy most of the time, when I’m at the game I usually think it will be okay to have a dog or two and maybe one of the popular sandwiches or fries at the ballpark. I love a good Federal Donut or AJ Bombers Burger, so I’ll park farther away if that helps me walk it off.
But daily sustenance of this kind probably isn’t a wise choice (or an economical one, for that matter) for someone with season tickets, or for someone who is on a baseball tour and needs to stay sharp and not get sick before they point their car at the next ballpark.
So just so you have an idea, I’ve provided some tips to help you keep it healthy when you’re cheering on your heroes at your or another ballpark.
Healthy Food at the Ballpark, Tip #1) Look At The Menu. All teams now feature “concession maps” on their websites; these maps will not only help you find food stands, they’ll also let you know what’s offered at each of these stands. In most cases, you can find veggie dogs or veggie burgers, and you can find out where they’re handing out smaller (and cheaper) portions for the kids. They even list the drinks, and you may find a spot where something like juice is available as opposed to beer or soda.
Healthy Food at the Ballpark, Tip #2) Seek Out The Deli. Most ballparks have something of a delicatessen-style concession stand—there’s the Boar’s Head Deli in Yankee Stadium, the East-West Delicatessen at Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay, or the popular Mama’s of Corona at Citi Field in New York. Most of these places will offer either a vegetarian sandwich of some kind or a wrap version of whatever sandwich they make. Sometimes both.
Healthy Food at the Ballpark, Tip #3) Bring Your Own. As you certainly know if you’ve bought a Ballpark E-Guide, most all ballparks will let you bring in a bag of goodies of some kind. It’s a given that you can bring in trail mix (which is the S&M of snack food in my opinion, but some people like it) or fruit or another healthy snack.
There’s usually some eateries near the ballpark, or at least near a train station you might be using, that can sell you a healthier sandwich than what is available inside. Yankee Stadium in New York, Wrigley Field in Chicago, Comerica Park in Detroit, and Progressive Field in Cleveland among several others all have Subway stores within a short walk of the ballpark (a few ballparks have Subways inside as well, but don’t pay those prices if you don’t have to).
Healthy Food at the Ballpark, Tip #4) Avoid All You Can Eat Seats. This probably goes without saying. I don’t care that at some ballparks, like PNC Park in Pittsburgh, salad is one of the all you can eat offerings. To have unlimited access to possibly uncooked hot dogs, burgers, heavily buttered popcorn and nachos with that thick mystery liquid they call “cheese sauce” is asking for a stomach that will be very angry with you, and a lot of calories that you aren’t going to walk off heading back to your car unless you parked in a rival city.
Healthy Food at the Ballpark, Tip #5) Try The Ballpark Restaurant. Instead of buying a hot dog and some nachos and sitting them on your lap or on a counter where they risk bird droppings, try one of the sit-down restaurants that all ballparks have today. Yankee Stadium has a Hard Rock Café and NYY Steak; Miller Park in Milwaukee has a TGI Fridays; Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia and Citi Field in New York both have a McFadden’s. Most of the in-ballpark eateries aren’t likely to be much more expensive than you’d expect at a typical restaurant, and with a full menu of choices in front of you, you can order a chicken sandwich and some vegetarian chili before the game, making that cheesesteak far less tempting later.
That’s five tips that should help you the next time you’re at the game and thinking that maybe you should back off of the two-foot chili and cheese dog or the loaded Old Bay extra salty fries. Those things might be okay as an occasional indulgence, but they won’t help your chances of winning a triathlon.
$219.53.
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Baseball’s Biggest Loss Of 2014
Posted by Kurt Smith
Few things were funnier than my father’s occasional profanity-laden philosophy.
Before baseball’s last collective bargaining agreement, I asked him if he would quit watching if the players went on strike again. Like everyone else, he was angry as hell about 1994 and once said to me that he wouldn’t care if he never saw another millionaire play baseball again.
But this time he said, “You know Kurt, I’ve been thinking about that. In life you have to give up s***. I gave up smoking, I gave up drinking, I even gave up ice cream, and you know what, it’s tough giving up ice cream! F*** it, man, I’m tired of quittin’ s***!”
My dad believed that we should spend our short time here being happy, and nothing made him happier than baseball.
I remember way back when cable television first appeared, and one channel just showed line scores of progressing games throughout the league every night. It was the equivalent of just staring at the out-of-town scoreboard at a ballpark. He’d leave that channel on all night if he couldn’t find anything else to watch, and it was just fine with him.
Later I couldn’t count how many times he told me how much his own father would have loved the baseball packages that today enable fans to watch any game around the league. I never doubted that, because Dad sure loved it. He’d sit in his chair, keep score of two games a night and be happy as a clam.
Dad was baseball smart enough that his fantasy team won him $400 one season. Most years, though, his teams were hobbled by injuries. It drove him nuts. In our phone conversations he would spew his frustration: “You aren’t gonna believe this Kurt, this is beautiful!” And then he’d list his dozen or so stars that were on the DL. Sure enough, when they healed, his team would climb up the standings, but often too little too late.
I really believe he might have made a decent GM. Two seasons in a row he predicted the World Series winner in July.
In 2003 he declared the Marlins to be the team and didn’t blink twice when Josh Beckett shut down the Yankees in Game Six of the Series. He probably wasn’t the slightest bit surprised at the Cubs’ collapse in the Bartman game, either.
The following July he went out on a limb, defied the baseball gods and picked the Red Sox.
Back then I bought into the Curse—not so much because I really believed it existed, but because so many people did that it affected players and managers on the field.
Take the 2003 ALCS (please), when Red Sox manager Grady Little was too paralyzed to notice that the Yankees were pounding everything Pedro Martinez was throwing, and the Sox lost a game they should have easily won. I e-mailed Dad the next day and said “it ain’t the Curse of the Bambino, it’s the Curse of the Bad Manager!”
He agreed, adding that the confusing part was that he’d been bitching all year to his girlfriend Carole…who wouldn’t have had a clue what he was talking about…that all year long Grady spent games changing pitchers until he found one the other team could hit.
So when he picked the Red Sox, I said “OK, talk to me in November.” On October 28, 2004, the day after the Red Sox won the World Series for the first time in 86 years, Dad sent me this e-mail:
Hey Kurt—
Remember when I picked the Red Sox to win the World Series and you said “Talk to me in November?”
I can wait until Monday.
Love,
Pop
Despite the dig, I was duly impressed. His streak ended in 2005 though; he picked the Braves.
Not long ago Dad told me that he’s in trouble if God is a Yankees fan. His father was a Red Sox fan who used to root for the Yankees’ plane to crash. My father grew up a Yankees fan who idolized Mickey Mantle. Somehow the two still spoke to each other.
In his thirties Dad outgrew his misguided support of the Evil Empire and became an Orioles fan, while the Smiths lived in Towson just minutes away from Memorial Stadium. With the switch he raised a family of loyal O’s fans, who by definition despise the Yankees.
But after about ten years of Peter Angelos, Dad had had enough and switched his allegiance again…reaching the legal limit for one lifetime…this time to the Red Sox, his father’s team. He may have played a part in breaking that Curse. After all, he believed in the Red Sox in 2004. Maybe that was all it took.
During the mini-uproar when Derek Jeter was busted pretending to be hit by a pitch, my father shared with me something his father once told him: “Bill, ain’t none of them Yankees are any damn good.” He added, “You know what, Kurt? He was right.”
Dad possessed a typical Red Sox fan’s attitude toward the Yankees, but he especially disliked Derek Jeter…and the obligatory gushing press towards the Yankee great. He never bought into the Jeter Is God mentality, ever, never missing a chance to point out how overrated a fielder he was, and always letting me know when “the greatest player ever hit another 200-foot pop-up over that bull**** right field fence in Yankee Stadium again!”
That was Dad. He loved the game of baseball and especially loved going against conventional wisdom. He knew that Cole Hamels was the real ace on the Phils; that Rick Ankiel’s switch from being a pitcher to an outfielder was far more historic than the press it got; that Tony La Russa was overrated as a manager and that the American League was always superior. In June of last season, he dismissed the Yankees’ strong start and assured me they wouldn’t make the playoffs. He was right about that, too.
Dad could forgive you for not knowing the game like he did, so long as baseball knowledge wasn’t part of your job description. His disdain for the Philadelphia sports media was legendary. He had no patience at all for WIP hosts or Inquirer writers—people who were somehow paid to cover baseball while knowing so little. Throughout the season Dad could always tell you what was really going on with the Phillies or any other team, and if you gave a hint of parroting something Angelo Cataldi said, he would dedicate the next few minutes of his life to making sure you never did it again.
He would have been great on the radio, especially in Philly. Whether he was talking baseball, politics or anything else, Dad didn’t have a PC bone in his body.
For those who knew him well, it was one of the most endearing things about him. His notorious cantankerousness effectively masked a sensitivity that could melt the coldest of hearts. No one who dared argue baseball with him would ever believe it, but he really was a sweet, generous, kind-hearted man. Carole, his children, and his closest friends all knew that.
I’m not going to just miss my father. I’m also going to miss the most knowledgeable and dedicated baseball fan I ever knew.
Welcome to heaven, Dad. Go give those lazy sportswriters hell, if there are any.
Baseball Tickets On Craigslist – Are They Legit?
Posted by Kurt Smith
People often come up to me and matter-of-factly ask, “Kurt, I’ve been thinking of buying baseball tickets on Craigslist. But should I? Can that medium be trusted?”
Sports fans love to tell the story of the great deal they scored on tickets once…be it through a scalper, great timing on StubHub, a classified ad, whatever. We love it. It makes us feel so much smarter than the suckers who paid three times the price for the same seats.
Frequently when I am poring through ballpark reviews, one or two folks will talk about getting their tickets on Craigslist, and saving a bundle of cash.
In case you’ve never used it, Craigslist is a website that falls somewhere between eBay and newspaper classifieds. It’s people trying to sell stuff they can’t use to people who can. Sports and concert tickets are routinely sold there, probably in the millions.
I did some research on the deals available for baseball tickets on Craigslist, by looking into what was available for the Phillies Opening Day game last year.
I saw Diamond Club seats in Section C, Row 9, being sold from a season ticket holder, for $395 apiece; seats in Row 7 of the same Section went for $849 on StubHub (that StubHub figure, in my opinion, is ridiculously inflated, and it will probably come down if no suckers are found).
Another person had four tickets going for $125 apiece in Section 116; similar tickets on StubHub were $237—this person said they were willing to meet close to their house to deliver the tickets.
So if these people are legit, then indeed there are some great deals to be had for baseball tickets on Craigslist. Sellers and buyers also avoid the fees associated with brokers, which drops the prices, especially on high end tickets.
The catch is that unlike with official brokers like StubHub, there are no guarantees to protect you from being scammed, and you don’t have to look very hard for stories about people being taken to the tune of hundreds of dollars buying very authentic-looking tickets.
In those stories, I’ve noticed that you’ll often read a quote from someone who works for Ticketmaster or another broker, preaching about the dangers of buying tickets on Craigslist. When the Yankees started their own Ticket Exchange, they tried selling the public on the dangers of StubHub.
I didn’t read a lot of articles about Craigslist victims, but the stories I did read made the problem seem a lot bigger than it probably is. One story mentioned a Patriots game where 50 people were turned away with fake tickets. When you think about it, that number is small enough that one clever scammer could have nailed all of them. And that story, incidentally, almost blatantly plugged the “official” NFL Ticket Exchange, even linking to it. Have a look here.
So should you risk Craigslist? I’ve never tried it, but there are ways to minimize the risk. Craigslist advises meeting with the seller in person, in a public place, and they say this will help you avoid 99% of the scams. A blogger added to this…get the person’s phone number, license plate number, any info you can. And bring someone with you, since you’re meeting with a stranger that knows you are carrying cash.
Now, if the seller is a season ticket holder, you can verify that with the team. Teams have accounts and information about their best customers and you can ask them if the person you’re dealing with is a legit season ticket holder. You can also ask the seller what other games they’d have. There are ways to flush people out.
Look at the tickets carefully and don’t buy them if your gut tells you something is wrong. Check the date and the opponent. It’s not difficult to produce excellent counterfeits these days, but smudged ink, shoddy paper, or scissor marks are easy to spot. Be especially wary with high demand games, like playoff or Opening Day games.
For the most part, I’m guessing most folks on Craigslist are legitimate, and you can always do some investigation on the seller, especially if they are season ticket holders.
The rules for buying baseball tickets on Craigslist, in my opinion, would be the same as patronizing scalpers, which I’ve done a few times. Use your best judgment, and accept the possibility that you could get ripped off. If it’s happened to you, feel free to air me out and I’ll update this.
If you find the right seller, you might have a great story to tell about the deal you got on Opening Day tickets.
5 Nationals Park Tips For Newbies
Posted by Kurt Smith
If you’re visiting the ballpark in our nation’s capital for the first time, or if you’re coming from out of town, there are definitely a few things you should know…here are five Nationals Park tips for a great ballpark experience. If you want to know more, there’s plenty where this came from in my complete Nationals Park guide!
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Nationals Park Tips, #1: Check the Nats website for deals. The Nats offer some decent deals on tickets for a team that has been contending. If you subscribe to the team newsletter, they’ll send them to you in e-mails. For low demand games especially, the team will often offer buy one get one or discounted food deals, great for families.
Nationals Park Tips, #2) Consider standing room. I could give you some seating recommendations (I’ve done just that with this post and this post), but if you really want to go cheap, you can go to the Nats box office on game day and get those Grandstand seats for almost nothing.
But you don’t have to sit way up there…in the upper level in the outfield are some great food items and lounge areas, and quite a few spots where you can grab a stool and sit and rest your food on a counter. If you don’t mind standing, there are rails to lean on almost everywhere else in the ballpark, just make sure you’ve taken care of business before you stake a good one.
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Nationals Park Tips #3) Take the Metro. Advice varies on the best way to get to Nats Park, but the parking situation there is among the worst of ballparks I’ve visited. There are a limited amount of lots, and even the ones that are a mile or more away can be $20. The traffic situation for games has been improved, but it’s still not much fun if you are there less than two hours before gametime. Even street parking is scarce and expensive.
Just take the Metro. It isn’t perfect, but it beats the traffic and parking prices, and it drops you off right there at the very cool center field entrance.
If you still want to drive and park at the game, by all means book your parking ahead of time.
There’s lots more to know about getting to the ballpark, by the way…and I discuss many of them in much more detail here!
Nationals Park Tips #4) Get a Ben’s Chili Half-Smoke. It’s not cheap…ballpark food never is…but save the Shake Shack and Box Frites and that Danny Meyer stuff for your next trip to Citi Field. Ben’s is a real, genuine D.C. institution, and their spicy sausages with chili and cheese are still a go-to item here if you can handle the kick.
There are lots of great choices for food at Nationals Park, like the Jammin’ Island jerk chicken and the unusual nachos, but try the Ben’s dog first.
Nationals Park Tips #5) Be in your seat in the middle of the fourth. One of the stories you want to share with people about your first game at Nats Park, of course, is not only who won the famous President’s Race, but also the spectacular fashion with which Teddy Roosevelt lost. And you’ll want to read about it in the excellent “Let Teddy Win” blog the next day.
Finally, if you’re a visiting team fan, expect the locals to be respectful so long as you’re not in their face. Nationals fans have to deal with visiting Phillies and Mets fans, and they tolerate a lot. They’re nice people, but don’t push them. At least unless you plan on buying hot dogs for an entire section. (Yes, I saw a really loud and obnoxious Mets fan do that once. Baseball is a goofy goofy game.)
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Nationals Park Seating: Two Helpful Tips
Posted by Kurt Smith
The Nationals Park seating chart features a wide range of seating and a wide range of pricing. Here are a couple of tips…one to try and one to avoid.
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Nationals Park Seating Tip #1: Use The Standing Room. Yeah, I know. You don’t want to stand for the whole game. I get that. I don’t either. But Nationals Park, in my opinion, has probably the best standing room options in baseball for several reasons.
The first is that unlike Yankee Stadium or Fenway Park, the standing room spots aren’t designated (and priced accordingly). You can pretty much choose any spot. At Nats Park, you not only have the open concourses in the lower level, but on the mezzanine in the outfield there are numerous places to sit on barstool type seating, and have a place to sit your food or beer. As far as I can tell, no ballpark has more places to sit and watch the game that aren’t designated paid seats than Nats Park.
The second Nationals Park seating tip is that up on that mezzanine level in the outfield is everything you need for that social scene that the millennial baseball fans love…there’s a full bar with occasionally discounted brews, several lounge areas with misters for hot days, and as great a food selection as you’ll find, with not only the popular Shake Shack and Box Frites, but also that Jammin’ Island BBQ.
If you prefer just a fun time to seeing the pitcher’s facial expression, the cheapest ticket to get into Nats Park works just fine.
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Finally, you also have access to the Budweiser Brewhouse (formerly the Red Porch) restaurant and the covered loft on the upper level. It gets packed during rain delays, but on a nice day in the later innings you may be able to snag a table or even outdoor seating with a center field view and have a decent meal with your baseball.
Nationals Park Seating Tip #2: Avoid Lower Right Field Seats. The lower right field seats in Nationals Park are completely covered by the second deck overhang and certain sections are tucked underneath the second deck behind the bullpen. The only advantage of such seats would be being able to watch pitchers warm up, which isn’t a bad thing, but otherwise you should avoid these seats.
It’s not a big deal to miss the flight of fly balls, but in today’s ballparks especially you’ll want a view of the entire field, and obviously you’ll lose a lot of it here. On top of that, you’ll have no view whatsoever of the big scoreboard in right field…and this is a key thing here, because I couldn’t see anywhere else where you can see who’s batting or what the score is. The LED boards surrounding Nats Park show mostly ads, even during play. There are TVs in this section to keep you posted on the action, but you probably have one of those at home.
So if you have a choice, you’re better off either sitting in the upper level in the infield, or in the left field seats if you’d like to be closer to the Bud Light Loft and such. But for viewing the game these are not good seats. Unless Strasburg is pitching and you want a close-up of his warm-up tosses.
That’s just two tips for finding the best spot to stay for nine long innings…for more Nationals Park seating advice, check out my tips here and here.
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Visiting Rogers Centre – 5 Tips For Newbies
Posted by Kurt Smith
If you’re visiting Rogers Centre in Toronto for the first time, there are a few tips you definitely need to know. The home of the Blue Jays is unique in many ways, some of which present some interesting challenges for the fan.
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Visiting Rogers Centre Tip #1: Consider demand when buying tickets. When the Blue Jays are good, they draw very, very well. That means you should plan ahead and buy from the team first. Most weeknight games against opponents other than the Yankees or Red Sox don’t sell out, so you can pick up tickets at the box office where the fees are lowest.
Should you be looking for a low demand game…say, if the Jays are having a disappointing season…sites like Gametime will help you find the best deal on tickets. Weekends sell far better than weekdays, partly due to the insane rush hour Toronto traffic.
Visiting Rogers Centre Tip #2: Try the mezzanine level. The mezzanine level at Rogers isn’t as close to the field as you might like, but the seating is much lower than the 500 SkyDeck level, and the seats have cup holders. The seats are around the same price as the field level seating below them, and it will be easier to duck out of the elements there should you have the need.
One caution though, don’t sit in the outfield on the 200 level…way too many ways to lose the view. Stay in the infield if you can.
You have a ton of seating options here though, so if you want to find out more, check out my detailed guide to Rogers Centre seating.
Visiting Rogers Centre Tip #3: Use public transit (TTC or GO). Rogers is in the heart of downtown Toronto, and there are two major highways that both run south of the ballpark that get jammed at rush hour. During the week especially, you don’t want to be driving there; instead use the TTC from elsewhere in the city or the commuter-friendly GO Transit trains from the suburbs.
The Yonge-University-Spadina line of the TTC stops at Union Station; all of the GO lines from every direction also stop there. Union Station is a short walk to the ballpark through a covered walkway, and there’s a whole lot of cheap places to fill up a pre-game doggy bag.
Public transit is almost always your best option…I tell you a whole lot more about that here.
If you do decide to drive to the ballpark, book your parking beforehand…
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Visiting Rogers Centre Tip #4: Get the street meat. Rogers Centre has great food items, especially if you’re into nachos…check them out at the Muddy York Market, the King Club or at the 12 Bar. But to get a good-sized dog at a much cheaper price, Torontonians will tell you to get the “street meat”…dogs from the numerous hot dog carts that surround the stadium.
You can get a good-sized dog for about half the cost of one inside, and you can pile on a great choice of condiments. There are even veggie dogs from Yves out there if you look. If you want more variety, check out Front Street north of the ballpark; there are always some unique food trucks there.
Visiting Rogers Centre Tip #5: Remember you’re a foreigner (if you’re visiting Canada). Toronto isn’t very different from most baseball cities, but remember a few things…like checking with your phone service provider about using your phone abroad, getting your money exchanged at a bank or hotel and not at the exchange centers that take an exorbitant cut, and check with your credit card company about overseas purchases. Gas is much more expensive in Canada too, so if you can, fill up stateside. Oh, and don’t forget your passport!
There you go; five tips to help you for your first time visiting Rogers Centre. If you’re bringing the kids, remember Saturday is Jr. Jays day, and that’s when the kids can get their face painted and run the bases and stuff.
And relax, because you know a game will be played in this ballpark whatever the weather.
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Rogers Centre Food: 3 Things To Try
Posted by Kurt Smith
The Rogers Centre food situation has been improving, and today the Jays’ home features a fairly impressive menu, even if it’s not quite as varied and full of gourmet options as some ballparks. After doing my customary and thoughtful walkthrough, I found three items that are certainly worth trying if you’re wondering what to eat:
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Rogers Centre Food, Tip #1: The Garrison Creek Home Run Footlong Dog. OK, just call it a Home Run Dog or Garrison Footlong if you don’t want to say all that when you’re debating what to get with your date. But this puppy is one nicely dressed dog, different from any I’ve seen at a ballpark.
It’s a footlong dog obviously (and come to think of it, why isn’t it a two-decimeter dog or whatever the metric version of it would be?), but it’s thicker than most ballpark footlongs…and it’s adorned with maple flavored baked beans, cheddar and bacon bits.
You could just put bacon bits in maple baked beans and I’d be happy, but add that big dog to it and I might even pay to see a losing team.
Rogers Centre Food, Tip #2: Sweet Potato Fries. At the Gourmet Frites stands (and at other stands around the ballpark), you can find appetizing looking sweet potato fries. Judging by the amount of people I saw carrying them around, they’re a pretty popular item here.
The sweet potato fries come with a chipotle style dipping sauce, so it’s not something you can walk around eating, but it isn’t healthy to walk while eating anyway. And I’m guessing that people who choose sweet potato fries are looking for a healthier choice over just plain old potato fries.
Rogers Centre Food, Tip #3: The Hogtown Stak. The Hogtown Stak, so I’ve read, is a creation of executive chef Elizabeth Rivasplata, who the Blue Jays hired both for her cool name and to answer the knock on the lack of gourmet options here.
It’s a truly amazing plate of baseball food…russet potato fries smothered with pulled pork, farmer’s sausage and smoked bacon gravy. Red jalapenos too, so be ready for the kick. It’s big; you’re probably want to share it. Find them at the Muddy York as I write this.
There are plenty of other choices of Rogers Centre food; I mean no disrespect to Liberty Village sausage poutine or the multitude of choices at the Muddy York Market. Or the impressive selection of nachos.
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Can You Bring Food Into Rogers Centre?
Posted by Kurt Smith
There’s no shortage of a selection of food at Rogers Centre, but as in any ballpark, it’s expensive. Fortunately, if you want to bring food into Rogers Centre, you can…and you have some great alternatives just outside.
(Need more Rogers Centre help? I got ya! Check out this complete seating guide, the best ways to get to the ballpark, and this helpful post for bringing the kids to a Blue Jays game!)
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Some ballparks have a better outside vendor scene than others. Fenway Park and Wrigley Field are among the best, but so are Yankee Stadium and Camden Yards…which would suggest that a good choice of outside vendors is actually more due to a ballpark’s location than its age.
Being in the heart of downtown Toronto, Rogers Centre fits into this category, but it’s not quite the same sort of activity. Outside, the food carts selling hot dogs and sausages are plentiful largely because the Blue Jays allow them on the grounds. Torontonians refer to the vendors’ wares as “street meat”, an appropriate appellation.
In Toronto, Rogers Centre is surrounded by such carts. Many of them are operated by Shopsy’s, a popular local deli, or Yves, a manufacturer of veggie dogs and burgers. But some of them are operated by local Joes just making a buck.
The carts on the Rogers Centre grounds don’t differ much in their offerings: they mostly sell large dogs, sausages, and veggie versions of both.
The neat thing is the condiment choices; you can pile anything from chopped onions, hot peppers, pickles, sauerkraut, even bacon bits if you’re lucky. The dogs are also hefty, making them well worth the price.
While the carts on the grounds of the stadium certainly can handle your hot dog or even your vegetarian “meat” fix, there are some extra options if you’re willing to venture onto Front Street north of the ballpark: during my visit, there was a Don Juan’s truck, whose fries are very popular, and I also spotted a truck called Crazy Fries, which sells burgers along with dogs and the ever-popular poutine (fries with gravy and cheese).
The policy to bring food into Rogers Centre is quite lenient. You can even bring a whole pizza, I’ve read. If you’d like to see what’s in the neighborhood as far as street food, check out the “Toronto Food Trucks” website.
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It’s not that the inside food at Rogers Centre is awful by any means—they have good-sized dogs, popular sweet potato fries and an impressive selection of nachos among many other things. But as always, the stuff is quite overpriced inside, and maybe it’s just me, but it seemed even more so at Rogers.
So if you not only want to save a buck but get a tasty hunk of ballpark food, talk a walk around and go for the street meat.
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3 Tips For Visiting Canada To See Baseball
Posted by Kurt Smith
A quick glance at a road atlas reveals that unlike any other MLB city, Toronto isn’t in the United States. If you’re headed to Toronto for a Blue Jays game, you should probably be aware of some tips for visiting Canada.
(Need more Rogers Centre help? I got ya! Check out this complete seating guide, the best ways to get to the ballpark, some tips for bringing in outside food, and this helpful post for bringing the kids to a Blue Jays game!)
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That’s a cool thing, of course, because it makes you the ballpark roadtripper an international traveler! But it also means that you’ll be entering a foreign country, maybe for the first time, and if you do there are definitely some important things to know.
Here are three that I consider pretty important:
Tips For Visiting Canada, #1: Have a passport. Yes, you’ll need one of these even just driving your car across the border into Canada, and you’ll have to go through a customs service if you’re flying so they want to know you have permission to enter. This didn’t used to be the case, but it’s something you need to know now.
Sometimes there are long delays at the border because someone forgot something pretty important. Don’t be one of them.
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Tips For Visiting Canada, #2: Be sure you can use your phone. I learned the hard way that my phone service didn’t cover me in Canada…I had to send e-mails to my wife from the hotel and tell her to call me there. Eventually I got myself a phone card which helped, but it will save you a big headache if you know beforehand if you can use your phone there.
And you’ll be surprised at how much you miss it.
Tips For Visiting Canada, #3: Be aware of money transactions. Get your money exchanged for Canadian money at a bank or at your hotel; do not use the exchange centers that take a big cut of your cash. Also, check your credit card company and see if they add foreign transaction fees, and if they do, use cash as much as you can because those fees add up.
Remember that you can use American money at most establishments, but you will get Canadian money in return, so as you’re leaving don’t pay for your cup of coffee at Tim Horton’s with an American twenty. It’s a headache turning Canadian dollars back into U.S. dollars, even at TD Bank. Take it from me.
There are some more things to know, but these are the important ones.
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When It Was SkyDome
Posted by Kurt Smith
The Blue Jays of 1993, who played in what was then called the SkyDome, and the Blue Jays of 2014 were similar in that the majority of either team’s superstars weren’t home grown talent.
Joe Carter, Roberto Alomar, Paul Molitor and several other stars on the 1993 champs were acquired from other teams, while recent Jays teams featured Colby Rasmus, Melky Cabrera, and R.A. Dickey among others, all of whom were stars before they came north. But it doesn’t seem the same as it did in 1993, when everything seemed to go the Blue Jays’ way.
And like the team, the perception of their home ballpark has changed too.
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When the Blue Jays consistently finished atop the AL East, their ginormous brand new home had a different name— SkyDome (not “the” SkyDome, just SkyDome). It was named through a fan contest, with the winner receiving lifelong tickets to any events there.
SkyDome was seen as modern, futuristic, the spark of change in baseball venues from stadiums to entertainment centers. SkyDome influenced today’s ballparks in more ways than you probably think.
Sit-down restaurants with a view and chain eateries are common in baseball venues today, but they were a novelty when SkyDome first opened. It was also the first ever venue with a working retractable roof. Today six major league parks have opening roofs, rendering “Spahn and Sain and pray for rain” obsolete as a managing strategy.
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And there was that hotel attached to the ballpark, with rooms overlooking the field—apparently without consideration that folks may tend to amorous desires in front of thousands, as some did before the hotel made guests sign an agreement not to share their wares in the window. That hasn’t caught on as a ballpark feature, but it still could someday, especially in the minor leagues.
SkyDome, and its features and prices, was the future of ballparks. But just a couple of years later Camden Yards would open for business to rave reviews in Baltimore. Almost overnight, concrete and artificial turf became a serious liability with fans.
This 180-degree change in ballpark design trends coincided with the declining success of the team.
The Jays had won several AL East titles before finally taking the World Series crown in 1992 and 1993, with a team that could pitch, field and hit like few in history. The 1993 Blue Jays roster read like a who’s who of baseball’s biggest stars at the time: Roberto Alomar, Paul Molitor, Joe Carter, John Olerud, Juan Guzman, Jack Morris, Rickey Henderson, the list goes on.
After coming up short in the playoffs a few times, they finally came out on top of the baseball world two years in a row. One of the most iconic moments of baseball history is of Joe Carter leaping into the air running the bases following his World Series-winning home run. A packed-to-capacity crowd that night made so much noise you could barely hear the fireworks in the ballpark.
In its early years, SkyDome was filled to capacity almost every night, and for three seasons the Jays topped the four million mark in attendance, averaging a still today unheard-of 49,000+ per game. This was in the days before the Internet and StubHub…so Blue Jays tickets were extremely tough to get.
But less than a year after Carter’s home run landed into the deliriously ecstatic crowd, baseball went on strike, and like with many teams, the Jays’ attendance crashed as fans everywhere shunned a sport that had sacrificed a World Series to the altar of palpable greed.
The Blue Jays never did bring four million through the turnstiles again, many times averaging just half that amount, especially as the 1993 stars departed and the team’s win totals went downhill for several years. In their recent return to contention with a division title in 2015 and a wild card victory in 2016, they’ve definitely increased their numbers, but in 2016 they still only reached 3.3 million.
Perhaps it’s fitting that the name of the venue has changed. Baseball is still very popular in Toronto, but looking back at the atmosphere and novelty of SkyDome, Rogers Centre almost feels like a different ballpark. It’s still a fine venue in its own right and houses a competitive team, but things seem different today.
People nostalgic for the SkyDome name are no doubt also nostalgic for capacity crowds and World Series games. Any fan can appreciate that. It was a wonderful time in Toronto baseball.
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5 Tropicana Field Tips For Newbies | Tampa Bay Rays
Posted by Kurt Smith
If you’re going to a Tampa Bay Rays for the first time, there are a few things you should probably know, and I’ve included some of my favorite Tropicana Field tips here. The Trop is one of the more wallet-friendly venues in baseball and won’t break your bank, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few ways to save on a trip to the game.
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Visiting Tropicana Field, Tip #1: Check the secondary market. The Rays are the lowest drawing team in baseball, so with the exception of a few high demand games like Opening Day and weekend Yankees games, you can almost always score a great deal on secondary outlets like with my friends at Gametime. If all you care about is getting in, though, you can buy the cheaper seats at the box office.
Visiting Tropicana Field, Tip #2: Buy the cheap seats. As stated, the Rays don’t draw big crowds, so you can almost always move to a better seat if you don’t get greedy. The upper level especially is almost universally the same price for seats, so no one is likely to care if you move a few rows down and closer to home. In the lower levels the ushers are more likely to give you a hard time, but you could probably find a decent place to sit.
Visiting Tropicana Field, Tip #3: Take advantage of parking options. The Rays no longer offer free parking to cars with four or more people riding in them.But you have plenty of parking options that can help you save money, walk less, and enjoy good times before or after the game. Check out my complete Tropicana Field parking guide here!
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Visiting Tropicana Field, Tip #4: Try the Mac Bat or a Cuban sandwich. The Mac Bat is probably something you’ve never seen before; it’s a breaded cone shaped like a baseball bat (obviously) full of mac and cheese, which is then topped with chili, layers of bacon and jalapenos. Yes sir.
But there’s also the classic Cuban sandwich, which is as good a go-to items here as any…ham and gooey Swiss cheese on pressed bread. There are other cool food stuffs too, but the Mac Bat and Cuban are best for first time visitors.
Visiting Tropicana Field, Tip #5: Post-game at Ferg’s. Ferg’s is more or less the only tavern within walking distance of the Trop…it’s right across the street in fact, and you can park there fairly cheaply if you don’t have enough folks in your car for free parking. Ferg’s has decent wings and other food, inexpensive drinks (at least compared to inside the Trop), and it’s an indoor/outdoor bar with a great atmosphere. Most Rays fans always make Ferg’s part of the game day experience.
There you go; five useful Tropicana Field tips to make your Rays game experience a better one. The Rays are happy to get people into the ballpark, so they offer lots of deals on tickets and parking. All you need to worry about is what you’re spending your food dollar on.
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Tropicana Field Seating Tip
Posted by Kurt Smith
Here is my best Tropicana Field seating tip: Don’t pay more than you have to.
OK, let me start this by saying I don’t necessarily condone moving into a seat that you didn’t pay for. It really isn’t fair to people who did pay for those seats, especially when they are the premium seats that cost a second mortgage.
However, I don’t recall ever minding someone keeping a good seat warm that belonged to me, so long as they get out of it immediately and didn’t break wind too much.
My philosophy on moving to a better seat is this: it’s okay so long as you don’t get greedy. If there’s 10,000 people in the ballpark, and you move from a seat that’s in the upper level in the outfield to an upper level seat behind home plate, that’s not going to bother me.
If I paid for the Legends seats at Yankee Stadium and someone who bought a bleacher seat distracts an usher enough to sit next to me, I might not be too happy about that. And there are some premium spots on the Tropicana Field seating chart.
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Anyway, to my point. The Rays average about 15,000 a night for most games. When the ballpark is barely half full on a good night, and if I wasn’t planning to sit in a premium seat, I would just get the cheapest ticket in the ballpark (which, at present, is for the tbt* Party Deck in left field) and move somewhere behind home plate out of everyone’s way.
In my last trip to the Trop my seat was behind home plate anyway, and it wasn’t too expensive. But the three of us moved around and checked the ballpark out from different perspectives (all part of the job) with no problem whatsoever. By the end of the Tampa Bay loss we were sitting in seats that probably cost three times what I paid.
My guess is that by the second or third inning, you can improve your lie to a much better seat, so long as you’re not trying to get the field level seats in the infield. Just be ready to move if the nice usher asks you to.
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More about Tropicana Field:
Visiting Tropicana Field – Five Tips For Newbies
Free Parking at Tropicana Field
Three Foods to Try at Tropicana Field
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The Tropicana Field Party Deck
Posted by Kurt Smith
Tropicana Field doesn’t have a lot of retro classic ballpark feel going for it, which is what makes the Tropicana Field Party Deck special. Sorry, forgot the sponsor, the GTE Financial Party Deck.
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The Rays, like most teams in baseball, have to offer special enticements to get people to sit in the worst seats in the venue. In this case those seats are in Party Deck, formerly known as the Beach.
These seats are in the highest level in left field; imagine the view from the Green Monster seats at Fenway without the prestigious experience (or the prestigious cost!). Not to mention that they’re bench seats, great for touching cheeks with your neighbor.
So what’s the advantage of the Party Deck? Well, they cost the same as the upper reserved tickets and are as such the cheapest seats in Tropicana Field. And being separate from the rest of the ballpark, chances are you won’t have to wait in line for your Cuban sandwich, always a plus.
But it’s a very different atmosphere…the concourse area behind the Party Deck is designed like Ybor City, with bright colors, gas lamp style lights and concession stands like the Ybor Cantina selling Cuban sandwiches. The bench seats give the area a bleachers feel, as if you were channeling your inner Wrigley Bleacher Bum.
In other words, the Tropicana Field Party Deck wouldn’t be the section of choice for most fans.
But here’s what’s cool about baseball. You still see people sitting in there. There seems to be a sense of belonging here. In the same way that the super-royal-Legendary-Lexus box seats in the newer ballparks give people a sense of belonging to an exclusive club distinguished entirely by income level.
Why pay $500 more to bond with someone, especially if they’re not even into baseball? It is, after all, still a ballgame.
I know which group I’d rather hang out with, especially if I’m picking up the tab for my ticket. A smartphone addicted salesman who is still hashing out major deals in the top of the sixth of a one-run game with two men on is not my type of ballgame companion.
College kids could go just about anywhere outdoors in Florida and have a better party atmosphere. People could network anywhere in the Ybor City area in Tampa or somewhere in downtown St. Petersburg. But for whatever reason, they’d rather go to a ballgame and sit miles away from the action in an indoor stadium with artificial turf.
That’s my kind of fan.
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Tropicana Field Food – 3 Things to Try
Posted by Kurt Smith
Like most ballparks, the Tropicana Field food menu is varied and goes well beyond hot dogs and popcorn, but the Trop is unique in that I’ve seen several items lately that I’ve never seen anywhere else…or more correctly, the popular items here aren’t featured much in most other ballparks.
Here are three food items that you could try when you talk about your visit to Tropicana Field; two of them are definitely unique to Tampa Bay baseball, and the Cuban Sandwich is pretty rare elsewhere too.
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Tropicana Field Food, Tip #1: The Cuban Sandwich. You have several choices of Cuban sandwiches at the Trop; there’s the stand that actually is called “Cuban”, but if you don’t like things too obvious, you can get one at the Bay Grill or at Pipo’s Café. I don’t know if they’re all different, but it seemed to me like the Pipo’s edition was heftier.
The Cuban sandwich is something of a go-to food thing in Florida; it’s ham, pork, and Genoa salami with Swiss cheese, pickles and yellow mustard on bread that is pressed to make the sandwich flat. Gooey Swiss makes any sandwich good.
In addition to the classic, the Cuban stands feature Cuban-style burgers with two patties added to the rest of the ingredients, or a veggie version with grilled vegetables and mozzarella. Remember, gooey cheese.
Tropicana Field Food, Tip #2: Pipo’s Chicken Paella. I picked this one simply because I’ve never seen paella at a ballpark before, and if they’re gonna serve wings and chili, I see no reason why paella wouldn’t be included as a “ballpark food you need to sit at a table to eat”.
Pipo’s Cuban cafeteria joint has been in the Pinellas County area since 1979, so they’re pretty well known around here. At the Trop they offer Cubans, fried plantains, and beef empanadas, but the paella is the standout thing. I tried the empanada and it wasn’t great, but it was easy to eat at least.
In case you didn’t know, chicken paella is a mixture of chicken, rice, peppers and onions, with other meats like sausage and ham. Something like jambalaya but without the Cajun flavoring. A nice filling thing and obviously, something different at a ballpark.
Tropicana Field Food, Tip #3: Ducky’s West Tampa Bowl. Ducky’s Sports Lounge is Evan Longoria’s Tampa restaurant; it’s known for “creative cocktails” and four lanes of mini-bowling. The menu at the restaurant features unusual bar food like roasted Buffalo cauliflower, duck fat fried sweet potato tots, and quinoa burgers.
The menu isn’t nearly as varied at the Trop outpost of Ducky’s located next to the outfield porch, but Ducky’s does have the “West Tampa Bowl” here…marinated pork with sautéed onions in a bowl of brown rice and black beans. All served with plantain chips and mango vinaigrette. Try listing those ingredients when telling people about your ballpark meal.
Ducky’s is also a spot for healthier stuff, incidentally; they have turkey wraps and California salads here too.
There you go…three foods to try at Tropicana Field that you probably won’t find at most ballparks. (I’ve never seen paella anywhere else, anyway.) But there’s also gourmet grilled cheeses, the amazing mac bat, the hefty grilled cheese burger and of course, Chicago-style dogs. Stay tuned.