Yesterday the family took in a Long Island Ducks game, a baseball team in the Atlantic league. There’s a lot to be said for grass roots teams. It costs no more than going to a movie and the ballpark seats a fraction of what you see in a major league stadium. You’re close enough to hear the crack of the bat or the ball thudding into the catcher’s glove. And there’s all sorts of cheesy contests for families to participate in.
But today Ariel and I (along with Glenn) took in a game at CitiField. And it’s undeniable that there’s an energy in such an environment that eclipses small parks. Maybe it’s because the stakes are higher. Maybe it’s because the Mets are still clinging to the slim hopes of a post-season berth, and today’s 4-0 win over the Rockies keeps the team on life support slightly longer. Maybe it’s because our freakin’ closer wound up in jail on assault charges, leaving the rest of us wondering just what the hëll his father-in-law said to him to set him off.
What do you guys think? Major leagues or minor leagues?
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I vote minor. Major leagues come with lots of ego and drama.
Watching the Orlando Twins play was pretty spiffy. After the game, the players would pass out baseballs, bats (somewhat the worse for wear) and would chat with you for a bit. To me it was more homey.
I’ve never been to a minor league game (although I’ve always been tempted to go see the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes play, just because their stadium is called the Epicenter, which I think is kinda cool… and plus they’re called the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes), so I’m going to have to vote for the majors here. I haven’t actually been to a baseball game (or watched one on TV) in about 15 years, but I always rather enjoyed it when my dad or my aunt or whoever would take me. For me, it was all about the experience: the food, the crowd, the immensity of the stadium itself. Even if I didn’t care about the outcome of the game (which I usually didn’t, at least until I got older), I loved exploring the stadium. The minors couldn’t possibly offer what the majors can.
The minors. Robb nailed it, more homey, more family intimacy. Egos and such at a minimum, plus you see guys who’ll be in the Big Show fine-tuning their skills. And sometimes the minors have parks that are almost as nice as the big fields.
I’ve been to one big league game; Detroit, don’t remember who their opponents were. I was nine or so, and Denny McLean was with the Tigers then. It was hot and loud, I wasn’t paying much attention. Too many people and too much noise. It wasn’t until I saw the Memphis Redbirds in their new digs somewhere around ’00 that I really enjoyed a live game. Maybe I needed to grow into it.
BTW, Peter, I saw that about K-Rod yesterday, and almost emailed you. After a few seconds, I realized that you likely knew already. I thought it was interesting that it a) happened on Mets property, and b)when the press asked him what all that was about, he snarled “None of your bleeping business!” All I can figure is that his father-in-law was ragging him about his lousy performance. That’d set me off.
Nice theory except that he didn’t play in the game that day. And yeah, K-Rod has his share of blown saves, but more often than not he’s gotten the job done.
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I haven’t been to a major league park since the early 1990s. Minor league parks win, hands down, for closeness to the action, and interaction with the players.
It depends.
If you want to see the best talent available, then I’d say Major. If you just want a day out at a ballpark, then I’d say Minor.
I’m a baseball fan, so both work for me. I keep score and watch the game, so it doesn’t matter to me if I’m at a major league game or double A.
I do always tell friends who have very small children to take their family to a minor league game FIRST. Not only is it cheaper, but it’s a great way to get them acclimated to going to a ball game and they’ll be entertained by the games and mascots (there are usually more than one). Eventually, take them to a major league game, and they’ll probably respond better, after their “experience in the minors”.
Here in Pittsburgh, we don’t have to choose! We can go to a beautiful major league ball park for practically minor league prices and watch a mix of minor league (in the home uniforms) and major league talent. There’s lots of stuff for the actual minors should they get bored with the game, including opportunities to get on the field and run the bases. And every once in a while, we even get to see the Mets!
Minor league games are much more enjoyable. You’re in a fun, friendly, family atmosphere; you can actually see the game without needing binoculars (or getting nosebleeds from the high altitude seats); you get to see future (and rehabbing) star players; and you just get a better value for the money you spend.
And, sometimes you get a chance to see or experience something you never have anywhere else. July 2006, I went to Coney Island for an afternoon Cyclones game; it ended up going 26 innings, and lasted almost 7 hours! In the end, there were less than 100 people left in the stands; we all sort of gathered around the dugouts, cheered on the players, collected a bunch of foul balls, and had ourselves a really fun time. It was like our own, private little baseball party. Most fun I’ve ever had at any game.
“Yes.”
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Major leagues: The energy from the crowd can be absolutely unbelievable. There’s nothing like what happens when your team hits a homer, or comes back from an 8-run deficit in the 8th to win. The farm teams, because the crowd *is* smaller, just doesn’t quite compare.
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Minor leagues: Better prices, can generally actually get seats if you just say “Hey, y’know what? Let’s go see a game this afternoon!” And at least in New England, the seats you get are WAY more comfortable lol And it’s generally easier to find someplace else to sit if you’re surrounded by a bunch of absolute jerks…
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I’ve been at games at Fenway Park, Kaufman Field, McCoy Stadium (AAA Pawtucket Red Sox), and Whateverthey’recallingitthisyear Stadium (AA Toronto affiliate 20 miles from home). I’ve also been to a few Cape Cod League (the oldest wooden bat league, for college-age kids). They’re ALL fun. It’s great to turn on the TV, see a new guy on the Red Sox and say “Hey, we saw him in Pawtucket this year! And playing for Portland last year!”
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Minor leagues are generally at least as good as major league games… and for what it costs to go to a major league game anymore, you can take in half a dozen minor league games… so I guess the minors get a slight edge. But there’s still absolutely nothing to compare to an MLB game.
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And now I’m off to fly back out to KC to catch a Yankees game. There’s something wrong with this…
I like them both, but the edge for me goes to minor leaguers, they run out grounders.
Since I’ve always lived close to major league parks, I’d have to say Majors, too. Plus, I know the players better and can see my fantasy players in person! I was at yesterday’s game, too, Peter, friend of mine has season tickets and since I work nights I was available to go. Although I’m a Yankee fan, I like Citi Field better; it’s just cozier. This Monday, I was able to get a decent ticket for Yankees-Red Sox off StubHub for under $50, so that was fun, too. I’m lucky my wife likes baseball, we try to go to another city’s park every year. Since we went on a cruise out of Fort Lauderdale, we went to the Marlins Stadium, which has almost no personality. Out of the ones we’ve gone to, AT&T in San Francisco is No.1, but PNC in Pittsburgh is a close second. If only they had a better team…..
I’ve been to all of one minor league game, back in 1997. Got to see Mike Lowell and Torii Hunter in their youth. It was fun and a bit less commercial.
But I love a day at the ballpark when it’s the big leagues more. Bigger crowds, better standards of play, and really good facilities.
The minors are of course cheaper, but you get what you pay for. And strangely, neither of NYC’s minor league teams plays its day games at what I consider a good hour.
The one thing I could do without at both levels are the gimmicks. What I REALLY want to see is a major league game before subway races and giant scoreboards. Bring back the organist!
I’m with the Minor league crowd for many of the reasons above. I lived in Akron, OH for years, and watched their Double A team all the time. Saw many players who were in the Majors two or three years later, was $7 for the seats behind home plate, food was cheap, and was very family friendly. Much more of a laid back atmosphere and a fun way to relax in a nice small but nice ballpark.
I’ve never been to either one, but minor league sounds much more appealing to me. Those major league crowds are just so huge. It must be a nightmare entering and exiting the stadium. And the ticket prices are outrageous. Minor league games are cheaper, less crowded, and they actually exist outside of giant metropolises.
I’ll go with the majors on this one.
I now live right near Coca-Cola Field, the home of the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, the Phillies’ Triple-A affiliate. And the park is a joy.
To go to a minor league game is a great, fun day at the park. The prices are better, the seats are better, the promotions are better, and there’s a homier atmosphere.
However.
It doesn’t count.
The entire purpose of a minor league team (aside from making money) is to get players ready, and get them up to the Show.
If the team loses, then oh, well. There’s a joy in seeing up-and-coming players who might soon be on the Big Team in the Big Leagues (as I saw while watching Domonic Brown just before he was called up), but there’s nothing in watching the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs beat the Pawtucket Sox which compares to seeing my Phillies beat even a crappy team while in the hunt for the playoffs.
To have one’s minor league team win a championship is a nice point of pride, sure–but it’s NOTHING compared to seeing your team in the Bigs win a World series.
Minors… In 2001, some friends and I spent the summer going to Macon Braves games and loved it. Sometimes we’d stand in the bleacher area and actually talk to the pitchers in the bullpen, getting them a bottled water if they needed it… And you could get team autographs as they left the stadium, no problem. Some might end up being future stars of the majors… And once in a while, you get to see a Major Leaguer make a rehab start…
Tough call.. I love going to games at Comerica Park with the Tigers, but having saw my first Minor League game last weekend, I have to say that I probabily had a better time watching the Toledo Mud Hens that I do the Detroit Tigers..
The Mud Hens have more interaction with the fans… Even did a Cub Scout Sleepover so that my son and I could sleep in Centerfield.
My son was able to easily score at least 7 autographs from the dugout… Couldn’t have done that with a Major League team.
We got seats 13 rows up behind Home Plate for $9… Those kind of seats in Detroit would have been $100 or more..
Lastly, you can tell the guys in the Minors want it more.. I’ve seen some recent Tigers games where the team gave up in the 7th inning and didn’t even try to come back, whereas the Mud Hens scrapped the entire game and came fairly close to beating the Scraton Yankees.
I go to both the Bowie Baysox (AA) and the Baltimore Orioles games. The Baysox stadium is about a mile away, so it is really convenient. It is loads of fun and you can get really close to field without paying too much. The have all the various crazy contests and if you have the right item with you and are fast enough you can win some lottery tickets (I did win 15 tickets at one game this season – 3 tickets were winners for a grand total of $4 in winnings).
The Orioles have the Dugout Club. Children under 15 years of age can buy a Dugout Club kit for 10 preselected games for $17. Family and friends can come along for $6 each game. They turn some of the upper reserved sections into an unreserved area. It is probably one of the best deals in baseball and a great way of introducing children to the game. We’ve been doing this for quite a few years and this is the last year Alan is eligible. This year and last we saw quite a lot of the 2008 Baysox team playing for the Orioles and it was quite exciting to see them in this new environment along with the rest of the team. Now if the Orioles can really turn around and be competitive I won’t mind paying more for games in the years ahead.