Take Me Out to The Ballgame, a la 2008

[bryanac625]

No, this post is not about the 100th Anniversary of the song; it's about what it's like going to a game these days.

Last night was my first visit to Nationals Park and my first visit to a ballpark this season. The place was very impressive and they did a great job (built in less than two years. I still can't believe the clarity (and size, for that matter) of the HD Jumbotron. The food was great (Ben's Chili Bowl) and except for the Nats losing the game, it was a nice evening.

But something bothered me: maybe it was the newness of the ballpark, but I was really struck by how commercial everything was. I've certainly seen the gourmet foods, the Playstations, the luxury suites, fireworks every time the home team hits a homer; the bouncing houses for kids and the mascot races at ballgames before, but it just all seemed like the place was more about "stuff" and a ballgame happened to be thrown in. You almost wonder if everything were offered as it was but no game was being played on the field, how many people would show up?

Don't get me wrong; I love the new ballparks and their assymetrical fields with real grass. THey are all state-of-the-art. But I guess I really felt distracted by all the other "stuff" going on. I know up in Detroit, the ballpark has carnival rides. The Diamondbacks park has a jacuzzi pool. And so on. It just amazes me all the bells and whistles we need to get people out to the ballgame these days.

I'm currently reading the book Crazy '08 by Cait Murphy, about the Cubs-NY Giants pennant race of 100 years ago. No, I'm not one of those fans that wants- or expects- the game today to be like it was then, when you went to the park and all it was was the game. I realize then it was marketed basically to grown men only and now you have to provide for families (and having a sizable income is very helpful). But I've just been thinking about all this today.

What do you all think about the ballgame experience today? Is it for better or for worse?

[sturg1dj]

my sample is much smaller since I have been only going to games since the early 90's...but I agree with not liking the extra crap that is added to baseball stadiums. I am a Tiger fan so I have been to Comerica many times, and yes there is a Ferris Wheel and a Carousel...but you are not bombarded with them...you need to find them...which is good.


the thing that bothers me is the idea that you need to design a stadium so that it will sell out even if your team is terrible. I mean its great having full stadiums and fans but I also liked going to old Tiger Stadium when it was half-full and only having real baseball fans there instead of now where people are going who have no idea what is going on and are just there because its the place to be in the big city (no matter how crappy Detroit is it is still "the big city").

but its better than having no money and not being able to compete (how much did we pay to be 1-7 again?)

[Pere]

I think it's okay to have extra stuff going on, as long as it's not interfering with the game. Some minor league parks have certainly gone over the edge on this. I didn't really notice a problem with this aspect of Nationals Park, although I did find myself explaining very elementary concepts to people (adults) around me.

[Stray Cat]

A lot of the extra stuff is for the kids so they won't get bored. When I was a kid I never got bored at a game, didn't want to leave my seat in case I missed something.

[bigtime39]

Washington is especially bad with the between-innings crap. It's like a basketball game broke out or something, with all the cheesy junk on the jumbo tron. I half expected to see those little zeppelins flying around at some point.
The sad part is that some of this junk has made its way up the road to Baltimore.

[Pere]

Washington is especially bad with the between-innings crap. It's like a basketball game broke out or something, with all the cheesy junk on the jumbo tron. I half expected to see those little zeppelins flying around at some point.

I was talking mainly about stuff on the field, or on concourses in close proximity to the seats. I didn't notice problems there. The game arcade is far enough from any seating section, and any path between seats and concessions, that it doesn't really intrude.

As for video board antics, I chose seats that weren't facing the big screen, so I was able to ignore it most of the time. I was actually more annoyed by the video strips along the second deck, when they were trying to direct the crowd to "GET LOUD!" and "GET ON YOUR FEET!"

[philipthegreat]

The biggest problem I have to say sadly is my generation. My generation is the generation of I-pods and thirty minuet classes. Most so called baseball fans where I live for the most part instead of talking about the game will talk about the cool bobblehead, or foam finger.

It takes gimmicks to get my friends to do anything, even to go to the ballpark. The reason why you need things like playsations at ballparks is because kids have to be bribed to do anything nowadays.

The ball park expirence is generally bad, especially when the friend you are going with wants the Jumbo icecream and complains when you try to walk past the souvenir store without buying anything.

[SamtheBravesFan]

The biggest problem I have to say sadly is my generation. My generation is the generation of I-pods and thirty minuet classes. Most so called baseball fans where I live for the most part instead of talking about the game will talk about the cool bobblehead, or foam finger.

It takes gimmicks to get my friends to do anything, even to go to the ballpark. The reason why you need things like playsations at ballparks is because kids have to be bribed to do anything nowadays.

The ball park expirence is generally bad, especially when the friend you are going with wants the Jumbo icecream and complains when you try to walk past the souvenir store without buying anything.

Then you obviously need to get some new friends.

[SamtheBravesFan]

I was actually more annoyed by the video strips along the second deck, when they were trying to direct the crowd to "GET LOUD!" and "GET ON YOUR FEET!"

That's why that every time the audience stands up and cheers for an important situation, I say the scoreboard tells them to do it.