Reese Kaplan -- A Lovely Day to go Broke at the Ballpark

The economics of the game of baseball have seriously altered the experience of enjoying a live game at a major league ballpark.  I can remember vividly as a child being in a station wagon or on a bus ride bringing a large number of other kids to the stadium where everyone would enjoy picnic baskets full of sandwiches and other snacks while also enjoying plastic bottles filled with a gallon of Kool Aid to enjoy during the hot summer.

Now as a child I was likely not aware of the expenses associated with these trips to Shea Stadium, but I do know that after paying to park there were relatively other outlays of capital as we were struggling to make ends meet.  Yes, like any other young fan, we whined at my father to buy us programs, the yearbook, caps and other Mets-logo souvenirs.  That didn't happen, of course, but I do recall that programs cost something like 50 cents so we had to make do with that as the primary way of remembering the game.  

With the program in hand I can vividly recall the lessons my father gave me in how to put in the lineups, how to record the action in the box score and how to stay focused on all of the details of the game.  Nowadays everyone would want to do that electronically on a cell phone or a very small tablet rather than embracing the primitive nature of using a pencil and paper.  

Think about now what it's like for the family to consider a ticket to Citifield.  Ticketmaster informs me that for an April 8th game at Citifield you're facing anywhere between $37 and $421 per ticket depending on how far away from the action you're willing to sit.  Assuming a traditional family of four, the tickets alone will set you back (in the cheap seats) something on the magnitude of $200 at a rate of $50 each.  

That's unfortunately only the beginning.  Before you even get into the stadium, you have to pay the cost of fuel and tolls just to reach the stadium.  Then comes the fee of $25 to park at Citifield, not including a tip.  

Of course, you could economize by approaching the event by subway but then comes the forking over of the green once you pass the gates.  A $3.00 beer at Coors Field will run you over $10 at Citi Field.  A $1.50 hot dog in Baltimore runs $6.50 in Queens.  Of course, these prices are from 2021.  Expect they will be higher this season.  So multiply a meal cost for four folks and you're looking at $68+ for just a hot dog and a beer for your family visit.  That's on top of the $200 for the tickets and $25 to park.  

The issue here is not that the prices are overly inflated (they are).  It's that the average family cannot enjoy the live ballpark experience when they're approaching a $300 expenditure with the most modest indulgences.  If you factor in souvenirs, then $500 is easily reached.  I don't know, maybe I'm just getting old but that seems like an incredibly high price.

Now some folks are indulging in the baseball need by approaching the minor league ballparks (including the independent leagues).  The tickets are cheaper.  Parking is cheaper.  Food is cheaper.  Beer is cheaper.  Souvenirs are cheaper.  More importantly, however, is that minor league parks remember that going to the game is not just about scoring runs or striking out batters.  It's about having fun.  They have between-inning activities, giveaway events for attendees and other methods to make the people who shell out their hard earned money go home with smiles on their faces instead of merely with empty wallets.  

Granted, back in the days when Tom Seaver was a rookie there were no $341 million player contracts for 10 years and the whole concept of free agency hadn't yet been born.  Costs have indeed gone up for the team owners, but it appears that the revenue sources have also increased with Internet-based streaming media and other technologies that hadn't evolved yet.  Maybe it's time not just for the team owner to buy the best roster, but also to remember that fans aren't billionaires that have very deep pockets.  Make it fun and affordable again.