America's Pastime is the Best...except that it seems to leave my wallet empty. Have you been to a Major League Game lately? First it's the parking, then the price of admission, next you're left reeling over a hot dog that is the price of a gourmet meal! For me, there's no fun when I feel that I've been taken advantage of...and that is definitely how I feel at a Major League Game.
That's when I discovered something that beats the Majors by a long shot: The Minor League. When we decided to take my son to his first baseball game, there was no other choice but the Minor League. The closest Minor League Team to us are The Frederick Keys (FK), the AAA League of the Baltimore Orioles (BO). So let's compare some of the prices to see how we saved:
Parking
FK $0.00
BO $20.00
Price of Admission
FK $33/3 Front Row Box Seat Tickets (Special Fireworks Night)
BO $285/3 Front Row Field Box Seat Tickets
Concessions
FK $50.00 - 2 Sausage & Peppers w/Fries, 1 Hot Dog w/Fries, 3 Sodas, 1 Dippin' Dots, 1 Crab Pretzel (yum)
BO $61.00 - 2 Cheeseburgers w/Fries, 1 Hot Dog w/Fries, 3 Sodas, 1 Brownie Sundae, 1 Nachos
Accessibility to Players
FK - Major League's next big stars are within arms length = Autographs Galore = Priceless!
BO - Forget About It!
Another major advantage of visiting a Minor League stadium is that they are just about everywhere, so you will not be stuck driving for miles and miles to find one near your hometown! For more information on how to find a Minor League Baseball Team near you, visit the MiLB website.
Fake-It Yourself Breakdown:
Minor League Day at the Game: $83.00 for 2 Adults, 1 Child
Total Fake-It Cost: $83.00
Major League Day at the Game: $366.00 for 2 Adults, 1 Child
Total Fake-It Savings: $283.00
Play Ball!
Oh you are so right.. Love that you did the math to see how much money you save!! We have a AA baseball team in Portland, Maine.. farm team to the Boston Red Sox... the Portland Sea Dogs.. a fun and much less expensive day to enjoy and not that far away!
ReplyDeleteNext Friday is Scout Night at our local Minor League Field. My daughter and I, along with some friends from her Girl Scout troop get tickets to the game, hot-dogs and soda, meet and greet with the players, fireworks, a campout in the outfield (in our tent), and breakfast the next morning all for $20 per person. Take that Major League!
ReplyDeleteIsn't it the best? Glad you all are enjoying the Minor League too!!!
ReplyDeleteI love our local minor league team.
ReplyDeleteI just discovered your fabulous blog and subscribed to your feed, so this is a bit after the fact, but, hey! it's spring training season, so I thought I'd add my two cents on cheap vacation advice.
ReplyDeleteIf anyone comes to Cape Cod for vacation, do not miss the Cape Cod Baseball League, the country's premier summer collegiate league. With more than 200 major league players as alumni, it's truly a place where you can "see the stars of tomorrow play today." And admission is FREE! If you like, you can participate in the the 50/50 raffle, but even then, you're simply contributing to grounds maintenance and support of the players.
And if you ever come to Cape Cod, come say "ciao!"
Judith Ann