Time Begins on Opening Day- Thomas Boswell, baseball writer
Monday, March 31, 2014
Time Begins on Opening Day
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Buying Game Tickets
If you're like me, you're excitedly planning your trip and can't wait to buy your game tickets. Don't be like me. Wait. Go to Stubhub and look at the prices of tickets. As the game gets closer, the price of the tickets goes down. I've been monitoring some games since early February and have seen multiple price drops for my tickets of choice. This happens because few teams sell out. So the supply of tickets is usually greater than demand. If the game is sold out, there may be a lot of demand.
If you're buying 2 or 4 tickets, you can stick to this. If you're buying only 1 or 5 or more, your selections may be limited. So if you see a decent price for the number of tickets you want, jump on it. The price in that section may drop from $40 a ticket to $30, but it's possible that if you don't jump on the $40 price for the 6 tickets you see now the next time someone puts up 6 tickets they'll be $60 a piece.
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Getting To and From the Stadium
When you’re going to a game in a new city, you’ll most likely fly into the city. If you’re doing that, your big question is how do you get from the airport to the game. There are really only two choices, rent a car or take a subway/light rail. The bus is usually a very bad choice, as buses frequently stop and you might be doubling or tripling your travel time. Google maps says it’s a 30 minute drive from the Kansas City airport to Kauffman Stadium. With a bus transfer, it’s 1 hour 51 minutes long. The bus only makes sense if you’re close to the stadium, but just out of walking distance. Of course you first need to get that close. And a round trip on the Super Shuttle to a nearby hotel should cost as much as renting a car for a day. You could do that as an alternative, but that means getting a hotel close enough to the stadium to walk or take a short bus ride.
The following covers the stadiums I’ve either gone to or have made plans to go to. Those that I haven’t looked into are missing.
Philadelphia – This is a bit tricky. There is a train from the airport but it doesn’t take you to the nearby stadium. It’ll take you to the downtown area known as Center City. From there you can catch a subway on the Broad Street line. The problem with that is it’ll take you well over an hour to do a drive that’d take you 10-15 minutes. If you’re staying overnight I recommend staying in a Center City hotel. You catch a train there, check in and then take the Broad Street line. If not, you may want to rent a car.
If you have a car: Park it along the Broad Street line and take the subway to the game. You’ll save money and the hassle of getting out of the parking lot after the game. I recommend parking near Broad and Spring Garden. It’s a good neighborhood and right by a stop.
Baltimore – You’re in luck. Baltimore Light Rail can take you from BWI to Camden Yards. You can even stay in a hotel right by the stadium.
Washington – If you’re flying in to Dulles you’re screwed. Right now there’s no good public transit to there. Since having a car in DC can be more trouble than it’s worth you might as well take a Super Shuttle into DC. Just make sure you’re staying close to a Metro station. If you fly into Reagan, however, you’re only a few stops, and a transfer from the park on the Metro. Go you!
If you have a car: I haven’t done it with a car, but I imagine it might be difficult. DC traffic can be nightmarish and I don’t know how much parking there is near the stadium.
Boston – Fenway is accessible from almost anywhere in and around Boston as there are several subway stops nearby. Easy peasy.
Milwaukee – Forget it. You want to rent a car and drive from the airport. The airport is a good 10 miles from the stadium and there isn’t a good hotel near the stadium.
Seattle – Seattle Light Rail goes from the airport to Safeco. Perfect.
San Francisco – BART will take you from SFO to the city. Unfortunately, all the stops are at least a mile from the stadium. That’s not a terrible walk, but if walking isn’t for you, there is a bus.
Oakland – The airport and the Coliseum share a BART stop. That sounds like good news and it sort of is. The stop is right by the Coliseum, but you have to take a bus to get there from the airport. And it isn’t really that fast a bus.
San Diego – A bus from the airport could take you a while, but the San Diego trolley is just off the airport. So you can probably get a hotel shuttle from the airport to a hotel near the trolley and catch a trolley to the game. Some hotels in the Gaslamp Quarter, where Petco is, might even have an airport shuttle. If you get one of those, you can walk to the game.
If you have a car: I’d recommend finding a lot or street parking near a trolley stop and taking the trolley. You can probably find free parking if it’s a weekend.
New York Mets and Yankees – New York allegedly has one of the best subway systems but there’s no subway that’ll take you directly to LaGuardia or JFK, although JFK does get you close. A lot of your decisions depend on where you stay. If you stay in Manhattan, you can take 7 train to Citi or the 4 train to Yankee stadium. If you’re not in Manhattan, it can be a bit more complicated.
If you have a car: Leave it in the hotel garage. You paid an arm and a leg for it, don’t pay a second arm and leg to park at the game. The subway will suit you fine.
Chicago Cubs and White Sox – The subway is good here and can connect you from a lot of places. I stayed by O’Hare airport and I only had to change subways once to get to Wrigley. It’s the same for U.S. Cellular.
If you have a car: I don’t know what parking is like at U.S. Cellular but there isn’t a lot around Wrigley. Taking the subway takes longer, but you avoid the hassle.
Cincinnati – The airport is in Kentucky. Yes, really. Rent a car.
Cleveland – The subway red line takes you from the airport to within waking distance of the stadium. So if you’re staying near the stadium or near the airport, as I always recommend, you’re good.
If you have a car: I did and I found a parking spot on the street that was actually free because it Labor Day. Woo woo.
Detroit – You’ll need to rent a car. I did that. There could be a good hotel near the stadium but I didn't stay overnight.
Kansas City – The airport is pretty far from the city. You’ll need to rent a car. You could take a Super Shuttle to your hotel, but Kansas City is so big, and the stadium isn't downtown, that a car is the best choice.
St. Louis – Similar to Kansas City. You’ll need to rent a car.
Minneapolis – Here’s some good news. The Minneapolis Blue Line goes from the airport to Target Field. You’re in luck.
Dallas-Ft. Worth – If you fly into DFW, you can get away without renting a car. DFW and the Ballpark are fairly close to each other. Choose your hotel wisely. If you can find one that has a shuttle to and from the airport and to and from the stadium, you’ve saved boatloads of cash. You’ll probably stay in Arlington.
Houston – It doesn’t matter if you’re flying into George Bush or Hobby, you’ll need to rent a car.
Denver – I had a tough time deciding here. DIA is way out but there is a bus called RTD Skyride that goes non-stop from areas around downtown to the airport. If you choose a hotel near one of these stops, you’re in good shape. But none of the stops are within walking distance of the stadium. So you may need to take a bus. Additionally, the RTD Skyride doesn’t go to the airport that often on weekends. So you may be crunched on time if you have a morning flight. I decided to rent a car.
Los Angeles – There is a way to get from the airport to the stadium without renting a car. You can take a bus to the green line, take that to Union station, and then catch a shuttle to the game. That sounds complicated but it isn’t so bad if you choose an airport hotel that’ll shuttle you to the subway. Alternatively, you could stay downtown and be close enough to take a bus to the game.
Union Station is also home to Amtrak and has stops on different Metro rail lines. So if you decide to stay near one of those you can take the Dodgers shuttle.
If you have a car: LA traffic is as crazy as its reputation, but driving is the best way to get around. If you're not just going to the game, get a car. Plan for a lot of traffic if you drive to the stadium during rush hour.
Anaheim – I haven’t confirmed this but I’m guessing that Anaheim hotels have an airport shuttle from John Wayne Airport and might have a shuttle to Angels Stadium. Some are even walking distance if you don’t mind walking a mile. Your Anaheim hotel will put you close to Disneyland too.
The following covers the stadiums I’ve either gone to or have made plans to go to. Those that I haven’t looked into are missing.
Philadelphia – This is a bit tricky. There is a train from the airport but it doesn’t take you to the nearby stadium. It’ll take you to the downtown area known as Center City. From there you can catch a subway on the Broad Street line. The problem with that is it’ll take you well over an hour to do a drive that’d take you 10-15 minutes. If you’re staying overnight I recommend staying in a Center City hotel. You catch a train there, check in and then take the Broad Street line. If not, you may want to rent a car.
If you have a car: Park it along the Broad Street line and take the subway to the game. You’ll save money and the hassle of getting out of the parking lot after the game. I recommend parking near Broad and Spring Garden. It’s a good neighborhood and right by a stop.
Baltimore – You’re in luck. Baltimore Light Rail can take you from BWI to Camden Yards. You can even stay in a hotel right by the stadium.
Washington – If you’re flying in to Dulles you’re screwed. Right now there’s no good public transit to there. Since having a car in DC can be more trouble than it’s worth you might as well take a Super Shuttle into DC. Just make sure you’re staying close to a Metro station. If you fly into Reagan, however, you’re only a few stops, and a transfer from the park on the Metro. Go you!
If you have a car: I haven’t done it with a car, but I imagine it might be difficult. DC traffic can be nightmarish and I don’t know how much parking there is near the stadium.
Boston – Fenway is accessible from almost anywhere in and around Boston as there are several subway stops nearby. Easy peasy.
Milwaukee – Forget it. You want to rent a car and drive from the airport. The airport is a good 10 miles from the stadium and there isn’t a good hotel near the stadium.
Seattle – Seattle Light Rail goes from the airport to Safeco. Perfect.
San Francisco – BART will take you from SFO to the city. Unfortunately, all the stops are at least a mile from the stadium. That’s not a terrible walk, but if walking isn’t for you, there is a bus.
Oakland – The airport and the Coliseum share a BART stop. That sounds like good news and it sort of is. The stop is right by the Coliseum, but you have to take a bus to get there from the airport. And it isn’t really that fast a bus.
San Diego – A bus from the airport could take you a while, but the San Diego trolley is just off the airport. So you can probably get a hotel shuttle from the airport to a hotel near the trolley and catch a trolley to the game. Some hotels in the Gaslamp Quarter, where Petco is, might even have an airport shuttle. If you get one of those, you can walk to the game.
If you have a car: I’d recommend finding a lot or street parking near a trolley stop and taking the trolley. You can probably find free parking if it’s a weekend.
New York Mets and Yankees – New York allegedly has one of the best subway systems but there’s no subway that’ll take you directly to LaGuardia or JFK, although JFK does get you close. A lot of your decisions depend on where you stay. If you stay in Manhattan, you can take 7 train to Citi or the 4 train to Yankee stadium. If you’re not in Manhattan, it can be a bit more complicated.
If you have a car: Leave it in the hotel garage. You paid an arm and a leg for it, don’t pay a second arm and leg to park at the game. The subway will suit you fine.
Chicago Cubs and White Sox – The subway is good here and can connect you from a lot of places. I stayed by O’Hare airport and I only had to change subways once to get to Wrigley. It’s the same for U.S. Cellular.
If you have a car: I don’t know what parking is like at U.S. Cellular but there isn’t a lot around Wrigley. Taking the subway takes longer, but you avoid the hassle.
Cincinnati – The airport is in Kentucky. Yes, really. Rent a car.
Cleveland – The subway red line takes you from the airport to within waking distance of the stadium. So if you’re staying near the stadium or near the airport, as I always recommend, you’re good.
If you have a car: I did and I found a parking spot on the street that was actually free because it Labor Day. Woo woo.
Detroit – You’ll need to rent a car. I did that. There could be a good hotel near the stadium but I didn't stay overnight.
Kansas City – The airport is pretty far from the city. You’ll need to rent a car. You could take a Super Shuttle to your hotel, but Kansas City is so big, and the stadium isn't downtown, that a car is the best choice.
St. Louis – Similar to Kansas City. You’ll need to rent a car.
Minneapolis – Here’s some good news. The Minneapolis Blue Line goes from the airport to Target Field. You’re in luck.
Dallas-Ft. Worth – If you fly into DFW, you can get away without renting a car. DFW and the Ballpark are fairly close to each other. Choose your hotel wisely. If you can find one that has a shuttle to and from the airport and to and from the stadium, you’ve saved boatloads of cash. You’ll probably stay in Arlington.
Houston – It doesn’t matter if you’re flying into George Bush or Hobby, you’ll need to rent a car.
Denver – I had a tough time deciding here. DIA is way out but there is a bus called RTD Skyride that goes non-stop from areas around downtown to the airport. If you choose a hotel near one of these stops, you’re in good shape. But none of the stops are within walking distance of the stadium. So you may need to take a bus. Additionally, the RTD Skyride doesn’t go to the airport that often on weekends. So you may be crunched on time if you have a morning flight. I decided to rent a car.
Los Angeles – There is a way to get from the airport to the stadium without renting a car. You can take a bus to the green line, take that to Union station, and then catch a shuttle to the game. That sounds complicated but it isn’t so bad if you choose an airport hotel that’ll shuttle you to the subway. Alternatively, you could stay downtown and be close enough to take a bus to the game.
Union Station is also home to Amtrak and has stops on different Metro rail lines. So if you decide to stay near one of those you can take the Dodgers shuttle.
If you have a car: LA traffic is as crazy as its reputation, but driving is the best way to get around. If you're not just going to the game, get a car. Plan for a lot of traffic if you drive to the stadium during rush hour.
Anaheim – I haven’t confirmed this but I’m guessing that Anaheim hotels have an airport shuttle from John Wayne Airport and might have a shuttle to Angels Stadium. Some are even walking distance if you don’t mind walking a mile. Your Anaheim hotel will put you close to Disneyland too.
Saturday, March 15, 2014
The App You Have to Have
There's an app called "At the Ballpark" from MLB. While it also gives you information about the stadium, the biggest thing is that it's like Four Square. It allows you to check in at the stadium and keeps track of every game you go to. I got it last season and my app says I've been to 9 ballparks and 12 games. I can tell you the scores of all the games and how many times I've seen each team. The Phillies are 0-5 in games I went to, while the Brewers and Dodgers are each 2-1.
It's really cool.
It's really cool.
Monday, March 3, 2014
Minnesota and Missouri
I looked at several non-hub cities for where to go next and found that there was a game in Kansas City the next afternoon. A day game has an advantage that you have flexibility for the next game afterward but the disadvantage of limiting travel choices getting there. There were only a few choices. Only one of them was non-stop and that one was by far the least expensive. And that choice is a 7 AM flight that gets to Kansas City at 8:40 AM. The only later flight that could get me in before the game was a 7:30 AM United flight with a stop. It would be 3 hours and 48 minutes instead of 1 hour and 40 minutes and it'd cost 50% more. Yuck.
Besides waking up super early, this flight also means I'll get into Kansas City super early. At 8:40 AM I can't check into a hotel or even find anything open on a Saturday morning. I'm still a few hours early for the stadium gates to open. So I have no idea what I'll do over the next 3-4 hours.
The final game I chose for Sunday is the Phillies-Cardinals game at Busch. I chose it not only because my beloved Phillies are in it, but also because I saw that American has a 6:55 PM flight I can catch to LA after the game. I don't know much about Missouri, but Kansas City and St. Louis are only 250 miles apart. In California there'd be a a lot of flight choices. I only found one airline that flies between the cities. I'm blown away by that. Fortunately, that airline is Southwest. They always have low fares. And I have a lot of flexibility on time. I could fly Saturday night or Sunday morning. Unfortunately, Southwest has no Saturday night flight between the two cities and their only Sunday morning flight arrives in St. Louis at 12:20 PM. That's cutting it close for a 1:10 game.
What are the alternatives? I checked the train and found that it took over 5 hours and didn't leave at a convenient time. The bus took a similar amount of time. Driving myself would take half the time. That made a lot of sense until I saw the price of a one way rental in Missouri. It was astronomical! So I'm not sure which way to go here. Ideas welcome.
Game 16: Friday, June 20, 2014, White Sox at Twins, Target Field
Game 17: Saturday, June 21, 2014, Mariners at Royals, Kauffman Stadium
Game 18: Sunday, June 22, 2014, Phillies at Cardinals, Busch Stadium
Game 17: Saturday, June 21, 2014, Mariners at Royals, Kauffman Stadium
Game 18: Sunday, June 22, 2014, Phillies at Cardinals, Busch Stadium
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Game Schedule Update
I've made a few changes to the schedule for this season:
Game 1: August 25, 2013, Red Sox at Dodgers, Dodger Stadium
Game 2: August 30, 2013, Angels at Brewers, Miller Park
Game 3: August 31, 2013, Phillies at Cubs, Wrigley Field
Game 4: September 1, 2013, Indians at Tigers, Comerica Park
Game 5: September 2, 2013, Orioles at Indians, Progressive Field
Game 6: September 3, 2013, Cardinals at Reds, Great American Ballpark
Game 7: September 7, 2013, Rockies at Padres, Petco Park
Game 8: Thursday, April 24, 2014, Yankees at Red Sox, Fenway Park
Game 9: Friday, April 25, 2014,, Royals at Orioles, Camden Yards
Game 10: Saturday, April 26, 2014, Padres at Nationals, Nationals Park
Game 11: Sunday, April 27, 2014, Marlins at Mets, Citi Field
Game 12: Sunday, April 27, 2014, Angels at Yankees, Yankee Stadium
Game 13:Tuesday, April 29, 2014, Mets at Phillies, Citizens Bank Park
Game 13: Saturday, May 24, 2014, Astros at Mariners, Safeco Field
Game 14: Sunday, May 25, 2014, Twins at Giants, AT&T Park
Game 15: Monday, May 26, 2014, Tigers at Athletics, O.co Coliseum
Game 16: Friday, June 20, 2014, White Sox at Twins, Target Fiel
Game 17: Saturday, June 21, 2014, Mariners at Royals, Kauffman Stadium
Game 18: Sunday, June 22, 2014, Phillies at Cardinals, Busch Stadium
Game 19: Thursday, June 26, 2014, Twins at Angels, Angel Stadium
Game XX: Thursday, June 26, 2014, Cardinals at Dodgers, Dodger Stadium
Game 20: Friday, July 11, 2014, Twins at Rockies, Coors Field
Game 21: Saturday, July 12, 2014, Angels at Rangers, Ballpark @ Arlington
Game 22: Sunday, July 13, 2014, Red Sox at Astros, Minute Maid Park
Due to a work issue I have to cut the east coast trip short. That isn't a big deal on my quest. I actually have been to Citizens Bank Park many times and was there last season before the official start of my quest. I've also added a trip to Minnesota and Missouri that I'll talk about in my next post. This'll put me at 22 stadiums in my quest, leaving only 8. I've been to a couple of them before this quest, but since that doesn't count I'll make sure to hit them late this season or early next year.
Game 1: August 25, 2013, Red Sox at Dodgers, Dodger Stadium
Game 2: August 30, 2013, Angels at Brewers, Miller Park
Game 3: August 31, 2013, Phillies at Cubs, Wrigley Field
Game 4: September 1, 2013, Indians at Tigers, Comerica Park
Game 5: September 2, 2013, Orioles at Indians, Progressive Field
Game 6: September 3, 2013, Cardinals at Reds, Great American Ballpark
Game 7: September 7, 2013, Rockies at Padres, Petco Park
Game 8: Thursday, April 24, 2014, Yankees at Red Sox, Fenway Park
Game 9: Friday, April 25, 2014,, Royals at Orioles, Camden Yards
Game 10: Saturday, April 26, 2014, Padres at Nationals, Nationals Park
Game 11: Sunday, April 27, 2014, Marlins at Mets, Citi Field
Game 12: Sunday, April 27, 2014, Angels at Yankees, Yankee Stadium
Game 13:
Game 13: Saturday, May 24, 2014, Astros at Mariners, Safeco Field
Game 14: Sunday, May 25, 2014, Twins at Giants, AT&T Park
Game 15: Monday, May 26, 2014, Tigers at Athletics, O.co Coliseum
Game 16: Friday, June 20, 2014, White Sox at Twins, Target Fiel
Game 17: Saturday, June 21, 2014, Mariners at Royals, Kauffman Stadium
Game 18: Sunday, June 22, 2014, Phillies at Cardinals, Busch Stadium
Game 19: Thursday, June 26, 2014, Twins at Angels, Angel Stadium
Game XX: Thursday, June 26, 2014, Cardinals at Dodgers, Dodger Stadium
Game 20: Friday, July 11, 2014, Twins at Rockies, Coors Field
Game 21: Saturday, July 12, 2014, Angels at Rangers, Ballpark @ Arlington
Game 22: Sunday, July 13, 2014, Red Sox at Astros, Minute Maid Park
Due to a work issue I have to cut the east coast trip short. That isn't a big deal on my quest. I actually have been to Citizens Bank Park many times and was there last season before the official start of my quest. I've also added a trip to Minnesota and Missouri that I'll talk about in my next post. This'll put me at 22 stadiums in my quest, leaving only 8. I've been to a couple of them before this quest, but since that doesn't count I'll make sure to hit them late this season or early next year.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Baseball Chaser Tips Part II
Game tickets - When I read Will Leitch's 30 Games in 30 Days, I was surprised that he decided "I'll get the cheapest upper deck tickets possible." Is he nuts? He spends $300+ flying in, taking a cab, and staying a hotel, but he wants to save a little money on the game ticket? The game is the reason you're doing this. Stay in a less expensive hotel. Take public transportation. But when you're spending this much money getting there you should sit in the seat you want to sit in. I'm not advocating buying a luxury suite to every game, but I prefer to sit between 3rd base and 1st base. I hate the seats down the lines that are beyond the bases. In some ballparks they don't even face the infield. So you have to contort yourself to watch the action. An outfield bleacher seat is fine in some ballparks, I usually reserve that for old time stadiums to get the experience. As I found out at Dodger Stadium, sitting in the bleachers limits your food and beverage choices.
So I'll almost always sit between the bases. At that point I look for value and I do it on stubhub.com. I check out what the seats I like cost up high and then look down a level or two, including field level. I look at the Club Seats, which often include better food, as I found in Milwaukee. I look at the prices. If it's $33 to sit up high, but I can find a field level seat for $57, I'll go for that. If I can get a Club Level seat for $62, I may make that choice. I don't go nuts on game tickets, but I'm not there to cheap out.
Beer - I'm a bit of a beer geek. I don't believe in buying a Bud Light, but many ballparks have local brews. Go through my trips last summer and you'll see several that I've tried. Always go local if you can. I think it enhances the ballpark experience.
Souvenirs - This is huge. You want something to remind you of the ballpark. It's nice if you're there for a giveaway, but if you're not improvise. Get a Brewers mug for your beer or save a Comerica Park napkin. When I'm done I'll have 30 souvenirs.
If you're thinking of going to some ballparks, hopefully this'll help you both save you money and be efficient with your time.
So I'll almost always sit between the bases. At that point I look for value and I do it on stubhub.com. I check out what the seats I like cost up high and then look down a level or two, including field level. I look at the Club Seats, which often include better food, as I found in Milwaukee. I look at the prices. If it's $33 to sit up high, but I can find a field level seat for $57, I'll go for that. If I can get a Club Level seat for $62, I may make that choice. I don't go nuts on game tickets, but I'm not there to cheap out.
Beer - I'm a bit of a beer geek. I don't believe in buying a Bud Light, but many ballparks have local brews. Go through my trips last summer and you'll see several that I've tried. Always go local if you can. I think it enhances the ballpark experience.
Souvenirs - This is huge. You want something to remind you of the ballpark. It's nice if you're there for a giveaway, but if you're not improvise. Get a Brewers mug for your beer or save a Comerica Park napkin. When I'm done I'll have 30 souvenirs.
If you're thinking of going to some ballparks, hopefully this'll help you both save you money and be efficient with your time.
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