Great idea. I know T Mobile park in Seattle offers a value menu at all games now. I think a hotdog is $3 for a basic dog. Etc. and $10 value seats to many specific games also. Stadium is more full than ever since adding this. Esp on the games versus the less popular competition.
Oakland use to do dollar dog nights (and limted number of 2$ tickets) every home game on wednesdays for years. Attendance started taking a pretty big hit when they stopped doing it. they did half heartedly bring it back for like or 4 games this season but they arent even advertising those games as such its so half assed. FJF really drove that team into the ground so he could move them to a minor league stadium.
Phillies used to do dollar dog night 2 or 3 times a season. Now’s it’s BOGO night smh. Phillies blamed it on inflation but we all know it’s from fans throwing their dollar dogs last year
It's the opposite of what you think. The Phillies blamed the fans for throwing hot dogs and said that was the reason to switch to buy one get one hot dog. In the end, it is just a money grab on part of the Phillies. The Phillies don't need the money from hot dogs and they should reinstitute dollar dogs.
On OP's point, I would love to see kids eat free package as an option. Also, MLB really should start accepting cash as it is legal tender for all debts. Public and private businesses and organizations should not be allowed to ban cash as it is the most common US currency.
Might not be as big of an issue anymore since the team has been good the last few years and attendance has gone up, but you gotta believe the Phillies were making more money selling out random middle of the week games and all the extra alcohol and concessions sales that come with that than they were losing on the dollar dogs.
I’d imagine once the team is bad again and attendance goes down they’ll pull it back out of the hat
I didn’t go to another game after that incident. You have families and ppl trying to enjoy a game and get hit in the head by a hot dog. I’m glad they did it to teach fans a lesson. Now you’ll think about throwing that hot dog that isn’t $1
not really. the regular ones (most expesnive in MLB) arent good and they some how go cheaper on the dollar dog days. but that didnt stop people from eating dozens a night and inevitably spending a bunch on beer or soda as well.
The stRangers used to have dollar dog nights. A friend of mine, his wife sometimes got comp tickets and he'd ask me; we almost always got lucky enough to hit a dollar dog night.
Then it turned into for $5 you get a beer, two hot dogs, a personalized jersey, and your chance to see the game from the field along with other people who won't make it to the next major league city they call "home."
The Royals have a deal where it's 4 tickets, 4 hot dogs, 4 drinks, *and parking* for one low price. Last year it was $40. This year it's $60 since they're good.
Sea Tmo also allows you to bring in food. Brown bags, peanuts, hot dogs from outside etc. sealed water too.
I like the idea. But going on the cheap is also possible.
That’s great they do that I spent $15+ on a hot dog at Camden Yards. I think $12 for a hot dog at Nationals Park. The Phillies used to do a student steal before they got Bryce Harper. If you were a student you could get 1st row seats in the outfield for $10 and it came with a $12 food voucher. Now a ticket to the Phillies in seats like that is $100+ since almost every game is sold out. Also the teams can just write off these free meals I’m pretty sure. I think the nationals do it through their philanthropic team. Just saving a parent $15-$20 a kid when they go to the game is huge.
Also Camden yards hot dogs are $4.10. It’s a thing.
“The Orioles have an affordable All-Star Menu where hot dogs, popcorn, soft pretzels, Cracker Jacks, peanuts, and select drinks only cost $4.10”
Are there any parks that don't allow outside food? This has always been my experience, but very few people seem to take advantage of it. Why would you buy overpriced garbage food when you can bring healthy food from home?
I go to Miller Park and the only time I can remember anybody not having issues with bringing in food, is when it’s “snacks for the kids” type of things. In other words, little snacks are fine, but don’t really expect to bring in a hamburger.
Ok to be fair I’m a Phillies fan. Didn’t know bringing outside food to a stadium was even allowed. Never heard of it for Citizens bank. Pretty sure they don’t allow it
I never knew it. I just looked into it seems like some people get denied and some ppl say they just did it and didn’t have any issues. Definitely the move
Citizens Bank Park has always allowed you to bring in your own food. My family brings in cheesesteaks every time we go. You can also bring in an unopened water bottle.
I was soooo spoiled growing up with coors field. Their food policy allows for nearly any food item to be brought in and rockpile seats were always under 10 bucks. Nothing like bringing in Tupperware full of homemade nachos and a full pizza intothe game.
I completely agree baseball needs to retain affordable options for families and this seems like a no brainer program along with ways to get low income kids in on trips.
That’s amazing I think the orioles also allow outside stuff to be brought in if you follow their policy. It’s just some people don’t know until they’re told that low income families might have it where their kid only eats dinner. And sometimes that’s hard enough because the parents are working 2 jobs to provide. I know when I was a kid my mom made poor financial choices to take us to a game atleast once a year. I’m forever grateful she did it but if you want to keep growing your fan base offering a kids eat free program is an easy way to do it. You give the illusion that the customer is saving money so they might spend it somewhere else at the ballpark. Also the teams can most likely just write off the cost of it every year. At my job we serve over 100k meal and over 50k snacks a year for free. We get the funds from donations and grants but those donations and what not get written off.
We go to a ton of baseball games at half a dozen or so ballparks and this year we started bringing our own food and water bottles into the games to save money. Just buy one of those clear bags at the team shop one time, and then fill it with food and one water bottle per person in your party. Save hundreds after a few games. We've brought sandwiches, Taco Bell, chips, peanuts, cookies, pizza slices and more. Haven't had a single stadium have an issue with it yet.
This year we've been to PNC, Progressive, Great American Ball Park, and Coors Field and never had an issue.
Definitely going to start doing this. Eventually mlb will see this trend and either ban outside food or lower their prices to be similar to food that you can bring in.
It’s not a trend really, it’s just the rules lol they allow it so I do it. every now and then I’ll still get a hotdog or something, but it’s usually pretty rare
Just gotta check the policy for whatever field you're going to. Here's the policy for the Pirates PNC Park for example:
[https://www.mlb.com/pirates/ballpark/food-beverage-gate-policy](https://www.mlb.com/pirates/ballpark/food-beverage-gate-policy)
You bring spaghetti yet?
[https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/vevahe/just\_two\_orioles\_fans\_enjoying\_a\_ziploc\_full\_of/](https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/vevahe/just_two_orioles_fans_enjoying_a_ziploc_full_of/)
Affordable food prices is great, but the secret to cheap tickets is the same it’s always been: Go see a bad team. I took a family of 7 to see the Marlins in Miami earlier this for $70 AFTER taxes and fees.
(I realize people can’t just travel the country for a cheap baseball game I’m just adding my two cents)
The Orioles offer a Kids Cheer Free promotion that gives any kid 9 and under a free ticket with purchase of an adult upper deck ticket. Check that out next time you're at Camden Yards. I took advantage of that with my kid a couple of weeks ago. I then proceeded to spend wayyyy too much money at the team store, so they got their money out of me!
That’s an awesome promo and to offer that when their team is such a good squad. I’m glad a lot of you are sharing stuff your stadium offers to bring ppl in. I need to stop walking into team stores at stadiums. At nationals I almost bought a cherry blossom jersey and then a hat caught my eye. Thank god I talked myself out of it.
They may have gotten their money but now you have stuff to remember taking your kid to the game. Memories > money plus I think there’s never a true costs when you’re treating yourself
Honestly did not know this was a thing. Definitely going to let my work know outside food can be brought into Phillies games. We’ll just pack the kids a meal to bring in so they can eat and enjoy the game.
I don't know about the Phillies park, but Camden Yards (Orioles) allows outside food with some restrictions. [https://www.mlb.com/orioles/ballpark/information/guide](https://www.mlb.com/orioles/ballpark/information/guide)
EDIT: And O's tickets are WAY cheaper than the Nats. I am a former O's season ticket holder and also have attended a lot of Nats games.
True, just gotta have those small coolers. It saves a ton of money if only in water alone. In the 80s we'd bring in a cooler with a case of beer and a bucket of chicken.
Honestly, MLB should just be giving away tons of free shit to kids at every opportunity. Hats, merch, autos whatever it takes to get kids hooked on the game. MLB is absolute dog shit at marketing their product and have no clue what the average baseball fan wants much less kids. A lot of us grew up on baseball cards and TBS and WGN games and of course ESPN and Baseball Tonight. What do we have now? Baseball cards aren’t sold but at a few retail places and are so expensive no kid can buy them. Blackouts and incompetence for coverage and ESPN gives SAS a 24 hour platform.
Orioles actually have a Kids Cheer Free program for kids under 9. [https://www.mlb.com/orioles/fans/kids/cheer-free](https://www.mlb.com/orioles/fans/kids/cheer-free)
MLB needs to slash stadium costs and make it dead-simple to watch every TV broadcast. There’s 2,430 games in a season, and it feels like the league is purposely making it incredibly difficult to watch a game without paying for an insane streaming package.
Stadium cost is absurd. As one person I spent probably $400 in 2 days at nationals park and Camden yards. Food cost at stadiums. A small hot dog they order in bulk shouldn’t cost me $7. They probably pay under 50 cents a hot dog since they buy in bulk.
Oh god the fact I can’t watch the Phillies when they’re home because it’s on Apple TV or peacock is the craziest concept to me. I get that you can get away with it because there’s 162 games in a season so missing a handful isn’t a huge problem but as for a huge fan of baseball it makes me not want to watch games even when they’re available.
Also why was the Rickwood game banned for me on the west coast? Someone mentioned all west coast games were blacked out in Hawaii? Whats up with the blackouts I thought they were in place to try and get people to buy tickets but how is that possible from San Diego to Birmingham or Oahu to Anaheim
Did you not opt for the teleportation pod in your residence? I’ve had family that lived in Hawaii. They tell me that it’s a must have! 
I 100% agree. I love a couple blocks from a stadium and would go all the time if everything inside didn't cost an arm and a leg. In April I sometimes think about buying two tickets and going to a nearby restaurant for food if I want
It.
The problem is that people aren't really buying a ton less as the prices rise.
People, this is not how you write a post. It took forever to get to the ACTUAL POINT, by which time I had basically quit reading it, and I forgot what it was anyways.
If you are not writing a detective novel, give away your ending at the start. Then fill us in with details.
I assumed every top comment would be like this, and I’m shocked I had to scroll this far to see one.
Dude wrote a mystery novel here lol. And a headline with no subject.
When I go to games I know I’m spending a shit ton. Hell even when I get free tickets to games. I got free tickets to Phillies games, flyers, and eagles last year through my work. When I do pay to go to these games I know the cost for me to eat and enjoy myself is a lot. Just my thinking is a kids meal shouldn’t cause a parent to stress out financially. Teams make enough money from their profit margins. If the Nationals out of all teams can do this then a lot of other teams can do it too. Plus it can be written off by the org. I think the nationals do this through their Philanthropic branch. Pretty sure every team has one
The Nationals have their "Kids Eat Free" program (which IMO isn't that great of a deal; you can get better deals buying from the food cart vendors outside the ballpark) because they are drawing very poorly right now. (Ignore their "official" attendance; I live in the DC area and go to their games sometimes. Their in-park attendance is often only about half of or even less than their "official", i.e. tickets sold or given away in some manner, attendance.)
The Father Day's Phillies/Orioles game in Baltimore, which semi-coincidentally I also attended, was a sellout. The Marlins/Nationals game in DC was most assuredly not. When you are hard up for fans, you create ticket deals to try to entice people to go to your games.
Yeah I wasn’t going by a number for the nationals game just walking into the stadium and seeing the amount seats filled for 2 terrible teams caught me off guard. Thats why I said they had a surprisingly good turn out.
Yeah I somehow got a ticket 5 rows up from left field at Camden yards for $88. Surprised it was that cheap for a sell out game between 2 of the top teams in the MLB.
Yeah I get stuff from the nats all the time trying to make deals. But I think just giving kids a free meal can help with bringing more families to the ballpark. If I had kids rn and they wanted to go to a game I’d have to use a credit card and take months to pay it back. Shouldn’t have to go in debt to take a family to a game and feed them. Yeah it’s a business but a kids eat free program can work as an illusion for saving money. It costs the org barely anything to offer it.
Imagine going to a nats game and you get your family there for less than $100 and then 2 kids you can feed for free. You’ll probably go again. Now if I’m paying $100+ in food on top of those tickets I’m going to question going to the game again.
At Target Field in MN you can literally just bring in food into the stadium as well as an empty water bottle to fill. They also have “family value” stands where everything is less than $5. I think more of this is going on than you probably realize as I routinely see school buses at day games during the spring.
Baseball games are a fraction of the cost compared to NFL, NBA or NHL games.
Glad the twins offer that. Love watching that team play too. Just guys that can play ball on that team. Unfortunately the Phillies don’t offer anything that I know of. They used to before Harper was signed
NHL flyers tickets aren’t to bad and they still get a decent crowd being horrible.
At PNC Park (Pittsburgh):
* You can bring in any food items you want and water bottles up to 24 oz.
* There are lots of guys outside the park selling water bottles for $1-2; no need to pay $6 in the park.
* The basic hot dogs at the generic concession stands cost $5.09.
* Wednesday night games are "dollar dog nights" so the price is cut to $1.
* Of course there are branded concession stands that sell fancier and costlier hot dogs, nachos, etc.--the point here is don't fixate on the first concession stand you see and conclude those are the prices everywhere.
* There is a "family pack" offer for the all-you-can-eat section that gets you seats and unlimited basic food and beverages (hot dogs, nachos, peanuts, popcorn, soft drinks, water) for $32 per person (minimum 2 tickets).
* Group tickets (minimum 10) come preloaded with $10 to spend in the park.
* Pretty much anybody will qualify for discount tickets using various discount codes, [the most popular of which corresponds to our market-dominant supermarket chain (Giant Eagle)](https://www.mlb.com/pirates/tickets/specials/giant-eagle-loyalty-card-discount) and doesn't require any kind of verification.
Family pack sounds like such a good deal. Thanks for sharing this I’m actually making the trip to PNC on July 20th. I haven’t been there yet and can’t wait to see the stadium. I never knew bringing outside food and drinks was a thing at sports games… I’m surprised my mom never did this
I was just looking on a third party app I was seeing tickets for around $40. I kinda wanna sit nose bleeds behind the plate because the skyline and bridge background is so iconic there.
That’s a steal. Last Phillies game I went to I got free tickets through my work. I spent $100 in the hall of fame club. 3 beers a burger and Italian sausage.
The only people who complain about the price at a Brewers game are people who haven’t gone another ballpark. Go to most other ones, and you can spend around $15 for a Miller (or whatever the base beer of choice is there)
That’s the biggest scam ever is eating at the stadium. Sneak in your own food if you can basically I’m saying fuck the owners they want to make the cities pay to build their stadiums then they get extra money for me.? Fuck em
Stadium food and drinks might be the biggest rip off I ever seen. A lot of the food is like school cafeteria level but your paying an arm and a leg lol
The Royals sell a 4-pack to Sunday games that includes 4 tickets, 4 dogs, 4 sodas, and a parking pass. $60 get-in price, or $80-100 for better seats.
Last year they even put some games on sale for $40.
Pretty solid deal if you ask me.
I simply don't understand where this idea that it costs *hundreds* of dollars to go to a baseball game comes from.
A few weeks ago, my wife and I took our son to the game. He's an infant, so he doesn't require a ticket, but even if he did, it would have cost us less than $30 to get in (the Brewers do $9 tickets on Mondays).
I had a few beers, my wife ate, and all of our concessions buys also cost less than $30. Go ahead and double it to imagine that my infant son has a sister and they also want some food and a few beers, and we are still under $100. This trip was by far my most expensive of the season. I go to 40-50 games a year, and generally spend less than $20 per trip
If you don't make any sort of plan, buy premium seating, decide to eat your dinner at the game, and buy merchandise every time you go, sure, costs can get out of control. But if you want to attend a game with your family for a modest price, you absolutely have that option.
I bought the cheapest ticket at the Os game on Father’s Day. It was sold out. $88 just to get a seat. Had a hot dog with mac and cheese and crab $15. A beer was $10 I believe. Vodka lemonade $12. Phillies aren’t the only team where you experience high prices. Red Sox tickets can get pricey unless you sit bleachers. Cheapest ticket without fees was $60 to watch them play the Yanks at Fenway. I’m spending about $100 to $150 going to a game by myself. If I eat dinner before just for me alone around $60-$100 total to go to a game.
Majority of Phillies games it costs a lot just to get your foot in the door unfortunately. I was surprised the nats were charging $44 to sit in left field.
Yeah, I mean, buying tickets on a holiday for a sold out game and eating a seafood meal at the game isn't indicative of a systemic issue with baseball game pricing. I know prices on the east coast are most expensive than they are in Milwaukee, but I visited Nationals Park with my sister and brother-in-law last season and we watched a game from the field level for less than $100 because we went on a Wednesday afternoon. Attending a premium game and buying premium concessions are a choice. If you plan ahead, choose to attend games with discounted seats, and eat dinner before you go (or just but a regular old hot dog), it is easy to attend baseball games with your family for a reasonable price.
I’m gonna try this next game I go to. Phillies at Pirates on July 20th. Unfortunately already sold out but third party nosebleed is about $70 after fees. I’m shocked you can attend a game under $100. It sucks im a big foodie and like to try a solid hot dog at the games and then something that isn’t offered at citizens bank. I honestly think the crab Mac and cheese hot dog was reasonably priced. Under $20 for something with seafood on it.
Last time I did a weekday game it was rainy and citizen bank was packed per usual. I got tickets for free and then the food in the hall of fame club was $40 total since I was hungry still after an Italian sausage. Luckily I don’t mind spending the money to just enjoy myself a bit more. I gotta remember these tips when I start my family and go take them to games.
It’s also unfortunate Phillies are really good. When they were awful before Bryce and I was under 21 or would drive to games and not drink I’d spend about $50 for me and my gf at the time to go and eat.
Yeah east coast pricing can get out of hand. I think the nationals were charging $15 for a tall boy. I can’t remember the exact price because I got cracker jacks with it.
All and all I just don’t mind spending when I do something I don’t do often like going to a game but definitely all these tips people are sharing I’m gonna use since I’m planning to start an Instagram for visiting ballparks around the country starting with PNC on July 20th
The best value in baseball is going to a minor league game. There's MLB affiliated teams all over the country, many in small markets. The stadiums are small, so you always get a good seat. Tickets are $8-20 bucks, the beer is cheap and cold, it's the same hot dog you'd get at the big leagues but far cheaper. They're extremely family friendly as well. And where else can you cheer on a team named the Mudcats or the Jumbo Shrimps or the Isotopes or the IronPigs.
2 beers and 2 hot dogs at an A's game, $56. Tickets behind the dugout $79 each. Heckling the Royals and getting a ball from the Oakland dugout, priceless.
Yeah. The prices are crazy. I had to have one last game at the Coliseum.
Principals are great and all…but the ultra rich are beyond that. Whatever increases profits will always win out.
Sure, teams struggling with attendance could and should do this to drive more money spending adults to their stadium…but for monetary reasons.
And forget about major markets that still sell out when they’re bad. A packed house regardless of quality of play will pay out…why give anyone anything free if you don’t have to? (from the most assholey capitalist perspective I can conjure up - just being a realist)
Yeah that is true. And the ultra rich give to my job a lot. Depends on the person unfortunately. I think doing this even with a sold out crowd helps in the long run. You create this idea that parents are saving which they are but it’ll most likely lead to buying other things at the stadium.
I am biased because Nats park is my local stadium, but I think they do a lot of stuff right! They also have a cool-down room (I think it’s new for this year) for fans that are overheating and a sensory room.
I didn’t notice the cool down but I stayed in my seat most of the game. That’s awesome they have that because I could have used that in Baltimore. I got so beat by the sun I ended up getting sun poisoning when I got back to Philly. I saw Camden Yards had a sensory room which I think is always a simple and great thing to do for anyone that needs it. I honestly wish when I walked through the gates there would be a display with a map of the ballpark to take. Being at a new stadium can be overwhelming and taking a lap around a stadium can be daunting if it’s crowded. I didn’t even get to check out the first base side of Camden Yards. Just way too many people to walk by
I’ve got three kids and we live an hour and a half from target field. My gf and I just simply can’t afford professional games for all of us anymore. Between gas, the food, drinks, novelty items at the ballpark and a dinner for the road home my entire weekly paycheck is gone. It sucks, as a kid my dad took us to the dome 3-4 games a summer. And that was with four kids. I make more than he did back then, but it was also 90’s money where the dollar went further. It’s frustrating as a parent, all three play baseball or softball and love the sport.
I don’t have kids currently but I see it at work how hard it is for these kids. Living in the city struggling just to avoid gun violence and going down the wrong path. Parents working twice as hard just to provide for their kids so they can get them out the hood.
I grew up where my dad was on disability my mom works at a hospital. They were so broke at one point they filed for bankruptcy. My mom is in a lot of debt but doing fine now. As a kid she would run up credit cards just to let us experience the nicer things in life. As a kid we maybe went once a year. I know it costs a lot for my mom. And she even let us get some novelty stuff when we asked. She sacrificed a lot and I think that’s just unacceptable.
Yes going to the game is a privilege but this privilege shouldn’t have a family trying to pinch Pennies for the rest of the month to make it by. Yes stadiums do deals on things but it’s not every team. The Phillies I haven’t seen a single deal for any games. NLCS the first year they made a playoff run in years it was over 1k to get into the game. When they played the diamond backs last year in the playoffs it was cheaper to fly to Arizona stay in a hotel and go to the game.
I just can’t fathom how an avg family can afford to go to a game without worrying. And wait now we have to pay for several streaming services if we want to watch a game at home.
When I go to a game I’m there to enjoy the most out of it because I don’t get to do it often but I’m blessed to be able to go to a few games a year. Sometimes on my own dollar sometimes my work will give me a pair of tickets with nice seats. When I go I know it’s going to cost around $100 in just food and drinks. So if I’m doing that by myself I can’t imagine a family being able to afford 2 adults eating and drinking and then feeding a child or two while also getting them treats like ice cream or dippin dots. Especially now with the cost of everything rising.
I think just offering a meal for kids for free would help parents a lot. Maybe since they got that free meal they’ll say yes to their child asking for ice cream or cotton candy. Or they just save and then come to games more which will grow the fan base. Parents are happy because they treat their kids more to going to the ballpark and kids get to experience the game more and really become fans.
And yes it’s a business but if one of the worst teams can offer free meals to kids every team can. It’s cheap for the organizations, it grows the fan base, and i wouldn’t be surprised if the org could write off the cost since it’ll be considered a donation.
Also the cost to pay for things to let your kid play the game is on another level. The bats, the gloves, food, cleats, seeds, and more. I remember as a kid I maybe got a new bat once every four years because we couldn’t afford the newest and best bat every year. I feel you though and hope things change to allow family’s like yours to go to games more often without having to spend a paycheck. When I went to dc and Baltimore it costs me around $1,200 for gas, hotel, food, drinks, and a ticket to each game. Spent 2 nights in dc and then drove to Baltimore Sunday morning. I’m not even including the cost of me eating and experiencing the cities after or before the games. If I included that my trip cost me about $2000
What you're looking for is MiLb.
$10-20 tickets, hot dogs are a few bucks.
I'm not sure on the cashless part, but that seems like it could be handled by the org creating a cashapp account that can accept donations (or chaperones can add funds to via their card if a kid only has cash).
Exactly and the marketing side imagine you can say you gave 300k free or discounted meals this year for kids. Not only that you create the illusion of saving. Parents will probably spend that extra saved money on something else at the ballpark. The cost for the stadium food is nothing. They order so much bulk their profit margins are outrageous. You’re probably talking a .50 cent hot dog being sold at $7. A $2 beer cost being sold at $13. In the long run they’ll with a program to feed kids at the game would lead to them profiting. You know how hard it is to tell a kid no to ice cream or cotton candy without them begging/ throwing a temper tantrum. In the end you’ll give in to make sure your child has a great time at the game
Baseball is a business. If they need to spend any extra money, they absolutely won’t. Whether you go or not hundreds, if not thousands of other people will go. It’s a nice idea in concept but expecting millionaires to care about the commoners probably not gonna happen lol
Besides. On a truly different note, comparing the Washington nationals to majority of other teams. Is incredibly unrealistic. The Washington nationals are incredibly below average baseball team. They don’t even have one star let’s maybe compare it to a middle of the order type of team. When and if the Washington Nationals start winning, I guarantee they won’t be affordable anymore. A story as old as time.
Yeah I mean I see it with the Phillies now. My thing is these teams can write it off. It costs the teams about $5 to offer a hot dog, healthy snack, and juice. It also will make the league and team look good to the public on the PR side. It also creates the illusion that “oh I didn’t have to spend $20 on my kid to eat, maybe we should get ice cream” you create the illusion of the customer saving money. It costs you $5 to make me spend $15 on overly priced treats. And if my job can give over 100,000 free meals a year as a non profit that brings in 10 mil plus a year then a baseball org can easily incorporate this.
Great idea. I know T Mobile park in Seattle offers a value menu at all games now. I think a hotdog is $3 for a basic dog. Etc. and $10 value seats to many specific games also. Stadium is more full than ever since adding this. Esp on the games versus the less popular competition.
Oakland use to do dollar dog nights (and limted number of 2$ tickets) every home game on wednesdays for years. Attendance started taking a pretty big hit when they stopped doing it. they did half heartedly bring it back for like or 4 games this season but they arent even advertising those games as such its so half assed. FJF really drove that team into the ground so he could move them to a minor league stadium.
Phillies used to do dollar dog night 2 or 3 times a season. Now’s it’s BOGO night smh. Phillies blamed it on inflation but we all know it’s from fans throwing their dollar dogs last year
It's the opposite of what you think. The Phillies blamed the fans for throwing hot dogs and said that was the reason to switch to buy one get one hot dog. In the end, it is just a money grab on part of the Phillies. The Phillies don't need the money from hot dogs and they should reinstitute dollar dogs. On OP's point, I would love to see kids eat free package as an option. Also, MLB really should start accepting cash as it is legal tender for all debts. Public and private businesses and organizations should not be allowed to ban cash as it is the most common US currency.
Citi Field has reverse ATMs - get a spendable stadium gift card in return for cash. Of course I bet they make a killing on the unspent card balances.
Might not be as big of an issue anymore since the team has been good the last few years and attendance has gone up, but you gotta believe the Phillies were making more money selling out random middle of the week games and all the extra alcohol and concessions sales that come with that than they were losing on the dollar dogs. I’d imagine once the team is bad again and attendance goes down they’ll pull it back out of the hat
Philly.
I didn’t go to another game after that incident. You have families and ppl trying to enjoy a game and get hit in the head by a hot dog. I’m glad they did it to teach fans a lesson. Now you’ll think about throwing that hot dog that isn’t $1
Talk to Joey Chesnut and get some o them vegan Impossible Dogs ...
Are the hotdog any good?
not really. the regular ones (most expesnive in MLB) arent good and they some how go cheaper on the dollar dog days. but that didnt stop people from eating dozens a night and inevitably spending a bunch on beer or soda as well.
The stRangers used to have dollar dog nights. A friend of mine, his wife sometimes got comp tickets and he'd ask me; we almost always got lucky enough to hit a dollar dog night.
Then it turned into for $5 you get a beer, two hot dogs, a personalized jersey, and your chance to see the game from the field along with other people who won't make it to the next major league city they call "home."
The Royals have a deal where it's 4 tickets, 4 hot dogs, 4 drinks, *and parking* for one low price. Last year it was $40. This year it's $60 since they're good.
The Rangers have dollar dogs every Wednesday. Lots of families out there!
I noticed at Busch last night that they offer one as well
Sea Tmo also allows you to bring in food. Brown bags, peanuts, hot dogs from outside etc. sealed water too. I like the idea. But going on the cheap is also possible.
They even had it going at the all star game. It was the cheapest non $2 beer night beer I’ve ever gotten in a stadium by far.
That’s great they do that I spent $15+ on a hot dog at Camden Yards. I think $12 for a hot dog at Nationals Park. The Phillies used to do a student steal before they got Bryce Harper. If you were a student you could get 1st row seats in the outfield for $10 and it came with a $12 food voucher. Now a ticket to the Phillies in seats like that is $100+ since almost every game is sold out. Also the teams can just write off these free meals I’m pretty sure. I think the nationals do it through their philanthropic team. Just saving a parent $15-$20 a kid when they go to the game is huge.
You know you can bring outside food into Camden Yards, right?
Also Camden yards hot dogs are $4.10. It’s a thing. “The Orioles have an affordable All-Star Menu where hot dogs, popcorn, soft pretzels, Cracker Jacks, peanuts, and select drinks only cost $4.10”
They do, but…only sold in one spot & the products are much smaller in size.
Are there any parks that don't allow outside food? This has always been my experience, but very few people seem to take advantage of it. Why would you buy overpriced garbage food when you can bring healthy food from home?
Detroit
I go to Miller Park and the only time I can remember anybody not having issues with bringing in food, is when it’s “snacks for the kids” type of things. In other words, little snacks are fine, but don’t really expect to bring in a hamburger.
Yeah I saw a video about it after my trip there unfortunately. A local would know this but an outsider like me would have never known.
An outsider can simply Google "outside food Camden yards" and the first result details their policy which shows food can be brought in
Ok to be fair I’m a Phillies fan. Didn’t know bringing outside food to a stadium was even allowed. Never heard of it for Citizens bank. Pretty sure they don’t allow it
I know they allowed outside food last year and I don't see anywhere that says that policy has changed.
I never knew it. I just looked into it seems like some people get denied and some ppl say they just did it and didn’t have any issues. Definitely the move
Citizens Bank Park has always allowed you to bring in your own food. My family brings in cheesesteaks every time we go. You can also bring in an unopened water bottle.
Never knew that about the bank. Definitely something I’ll do in the future when I don’t feel like paying stadium prices
I’ve been there several times and I didn’t know that. They certainly don’t publicize it very loudly.
Kids under 9 are free at Camden Yards w and adult ticket. And bleacher seats during the week are $10-$12 bucks. I love what the Nats do also.
I was soooo spoiled growing up with coors field. Their food policy allows for nearly any food item to be brought in and rockpile seats were always under 10 bucks. Nothing like bringing in Tupperware full of homemade nachos and a full pizza intothe game. I completely agree baseball needs to retain affordable options for families and this seems like a no brainer program along with ways to get low income kids in on trips.
That’s amazing I think the orioles also allow outside stuff to be brought in if you follow their policy. It’s just some people don’t know until they’re told that low income families might have it where their kid only eats dinner. And sometimes that’s hard enough because the parents are working 2 jobs to provide. I know when I was a kid my mom made poor financial choices to take us to a game atleast once a year. I’m forever grateful she did it but if you want to keep growing your fan base offering a kids eat free program is an easy way to do it. You give the illusion that the customer is saving money so they might spend it somewhere else at the ballpark. Also the teams can most likely just write off the cost of it every year. At my job we serve over 100k meal and over 50k snacks a year for free. We get the funds from donations and grants but those donations and what not get written off.
Coors\* And they still allow that. Last game I sat next to a lady with a full fried chicken from King Soopers.
Oops thx 😅 that sounds like me, no qualms about having a 5 course meal in the rockpile
We go to a ton of baseball games at half a dozen or so ballparks and this year we started bringing our own food and water bottles into the games to save money. Just buy one of those clear bags at the team shop one time, and then fill it with food and one water bottle per person in your party. Save hundreds after a few games. We've brought sandwiches, Taco Bell, chips, peanuts, cookies, pizza slices and more. Haven't had a single stadium have an issue with it yet. This year we've been to PNC, Progressive, Great American Ball Park, and Coors Field and never had an issue.
Definitely going to start doing this. Eventually mlb will see this trend and either ban outside food or lower their prices to be similar to food that you can bring in.
It’s not a trend really, it’s just the rules lol they allow it so I do it. every now and then I’ll still get a hotdog or something, but it’s usually pretty rare
I have never heard of or seen anyone do this at a game before. I feel like it should be more popular thing to do.
Just gotta check the policy for whatever field you're going to. Here's the policy for the Pirates PNC Park for example: [https://www.mlb.com/pirates/ballpark/food-beverage-gate-policy](https://www.mlb.com/pirates/ballpark/food-beverage-gate-policy)
Dodger stadium allows it too! That way I can afford to go to like 10 games a season if I do not buy stadium food.
The Braves allow this as well. Now if MiLB jumped on board that would be great.
You bring spaghetti yet? [https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/vevahe/just\_two\_orioles\_fans\_enjoying\_a\_ziploc\_full\_of/](https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/vevahe/just_two_orioles_fans_enjoying_a_ziploc_full_of/)
No. But chickpea/pasta salad is refreshing at a game
that sounds pretty good actually
Affordable food prices is great, but the secret to cheap tickets is the same it’s always been: Go see a bad team. I took a family of 7 to see the Marlins in Miami earlier this for $70 AFTER taxes and fees. (I realize people can’t just travel the country for a cheap baseball game I’m just adding my two cents)
Going to see a Marlins game is ironically the most affordable thing to do in Miami
yeah the Royals had a deal where you could take a family of 4 for 40 bucks... they're better this year so it's 60 now.
I mean I just went to go see the nationals and my ticket was $54 lol. Food and drinks probably $100
One Million Upvotes
The Orioles offer a Kids Cheer Free promotion that gives any kid 9 and under a free ticket with purchase of an adult upper deck ticket. Check that out next time you're at Camden Yards. I took advantage of that with my kid a couple of weeks ago. I then proceeded to spend wayyyy too much money at the team store, so they got their money out of me!
That’s an awesome promo and to offer that when their team is such a good squad. I’m glad a lot of you are sharing stuff your stadium offers to bring ppl in. I need to stop walking into team stores at stadiums. At nationals I almost bought a cherry blossom jersey and then a hat caught my eye. Thank god I talked myself out of it. They may have gotten their money but now you have stuff to remember taking your kid to the game. Memories > money plus I think there’s never a true costs when you’re treating yourself
Glad this was first. Huge win for Camden Yards on this. We get so many kids.
Why not bring food to the game? The Orioles allow it.
Honestly did not know this was a thing. Definitely going to let my work know outside food can be brought into Phillies games. We’ll just pack the kids a meal to bring in so they can eat and enjoy the game.
I don't know about the Phillies park, but Camden Yards (Orioles) allows outside food with some restrictions. [https://www.mlb.com/orioles/ballpark/information/guide](https://www.mlb.com/orioles/ballpark/information/guide) EDIT: And O's tickets are WAY cheaper than the Nats. I am a former O's season ticket holder and also have attended a lot of Nats games.
Busch Stadium allows any food and any non-alcoholic drink into the stadium, and any amount of either.
True, just gotta have those small coolers. It saves a ton of money if only in water alone. In the 80s we'd bring in a cooler with a case of beer and a bucket of chicken.
Wow! I like the Nats more after reading and learning about this program.
Right when I saw it I was like oh I guess the MLB does has them all doing this. Found out it’s not offered by every team.
Honestly, MLB should just be giving away tons of free shit to kids at every opportunity. Hats, merch, autos whatever it takes to get kids hooked on the game. MLB is absolute dog shit at marketing their product and have no clue what the average baseball fan wants much less kids. A lot of us grew up on baseball cards and TBS and WGN games and of course ESPN and Baseball Tonight. What do we have now? Baseball cards aren’t sold but at a few retail places and are so expensive no kid can buy them. Blackouts and incompetence for coverage and ESPN gives SAS a 24 hour platform.
Orioles actually have a Kids Cheer Free program for kids under 9. [https://www.mlb.com/orioles/fans/kids/cheer-free](https://www.mlb.com/orioles/fans/kids/cheer-free)
MLB needs to slash stadium costs and make it dead-simple to watch every TV broadcast. There’s 2,430 games in a season, and it feels like the league is purposely making it incredibly difficult to watch a game without paying for an insane streaming package.
Stadium cost is absurd. As one person I spent probably $400 in 2 days at nationals park and Camden yards. Food cost at stadiums. A small hot dog they order in bulk shouldn’t cost me $7. They probably pay under 50 cents a hot dog since they buy in bulk. Oh god the fact I can’t watch the Phillies when they’re home because it’s on Apple TV or peacock is the craziest concept to me. I get that you can get away with it because there’s 162 games in a season so missing a handful isn’t a huge problem but as for a huge fan of baseball it makes me not want to watch games even when they’re available.
Also why was the Rickwood game banned for me on the west coast? Someone mentioned all west coast games were blacked out in Hawaii? Whats up with the blackouts I thought they were in place to try and get people to buy tickets but how is that possible from San Diego to Birmingham or Oahu to Anaheim
Did you not opt for the teleportation pod in your residence? I’ve had family that lived in Hawaii. They tell me that it’s a must have! 
I 100% agree. I love a couple blocks from a stadium and would go all the time if everything inside didn't cost an arm and a leg. In April I sometimes think about buying two tickets and going to a nearby restaurant for food if I want It. The problem is that people aren't really buying a ton less as the prices rise.
Games only being shown on Apple or Roku is a joke. This just pisses fans off.
People, this is not how you write a post. It took forever to get to the ACTUAL POINT, by which time I had basically quit reading it, and I forgot what it was anyways. If you are not writing a detective novel, give away your ending at the start. Then fill us in with details.
I assumed every top comment would be like this, and I’m shocked I had to scroll this far to see one. Dude wrote a mystery novel here lol. And a headline with no subject.
it must be a shock for you coming from the non-profit world (God bless your heart) to the MLB world
When I go to games I know I’m spending a shit ton. Hell even when I get free tickets to games. I got free tickets to Phillies games, flyers, and eagles last year through my work. When I do pay to go to these games I know the cost for me to eat and enjoy myself is a lot. Just my thinking is a kids meal shouldn’t cause a parent to stress out financially. Teams make enough money from their profit margins. If the Nationals out of all teams can do this then a lot of other teams can do it too. Plus it can be written off by the org. I think the nationals do this through their Philanthropic branch. Pretty sure every team has one
Yankees let you pack a lunch from home (or from a lunch spot I guess) but this is so, so much better.
Bodega sammiches slap in the Bronx
The Nationals have their "Kids Eat Free" program (which IMO isn't that great of a deal; you can get better deals buying from the food cart vendors outside the ballpark) because they are drawing very poorly right now. (Ignore their "official" attendance; I live in the DC area and go to their games sometimes. Their in-park attendance is often only about half of or even less than their "official", i.e. tickets sold or given away in some manner, attendance.) The Father Day's Phillies/Orioles game in Baltimore, which semi-coincidentally I also attended, was a sellout. The Marlins/Nationals game in DC was most assuredly not. When you are hard up for fans, you create ticket deals to try to entice people to go to your games.
Yeah I wasn’t going by a number for the nationals game just walking into the stadium and seeing the amount seats filled for 2 terrible teams caught me off guard. Thats why I said they had a surprisingly good turn out. Yeah I somehow got a ticket 5 rows up from left field at Camden yards for $88. Surprised it was that cheap for a sell out game between 2 of the top teams in the MLB. Yeah I get stuff from the nats all the time trying to make deals. But I think just giving kids a free meal can help with bringing more families to the ballpark. If I had kids rn and they wanted to go to a game I’d have to use a credit card and take months to pay it back. Shouldn’t have to go in debt to take a family to a game and feed them. Yeah it’s a business but a kids eat free program can work as an illusion for saving money. It costs the org barely anything to offer it. Imagine going to a nats game and you get your family there for less than $100 and then 2 kids you can feed for free. You’ll probably go again. Now if I’m paying $100+ in food on top of those tickets I’m going to question going to the game again.
At Target Field in MN you can literally just bring in food into the stadium as well as an empty water bottle to fill. They also have “family value” stands where everything is less than $5. I think more of this is going on than you probably realize as I routinely see school buses at day games during the spring. Baseball games are a fraction of the cost compared to NFL, NBA or NHL games.
Glad the twins offer that. Love watching that team play too. Just guys that can play ball on that team. Unfortunately the Phillies don’t offer anything that I know of. They used to before Harper was signed NHL flyers tickets aren’t to bad and they still get a decent crowd being horrible.
At PNC Park (Pittsburgh): * You can bring in any food items you want and water bottles up to 24 oz. * There are lots of guys outside the park selling water bottles for $1-2; no need to pay $6 in the park. * The basic hot dogs at the generic concession stands cost $5.09. * Wednesday night games are "dollar dog nights" so the price is cut to $1. * Of course there are branded concession stands that sell fancier and costlier hot dogs, nachos, etc.--the point here is don't fixate on the first concession stand you see and conclude those are the prices everywhere. * There is a "family pack" offer for the all-you-can-eat section that gets you seats and unlimited basic food and beverages (hot dogs, nachos, peanuts, popcorn, soft drinks, water) for $32 per person (minimum 2 tickets). * Group tickets (minimum 10) come preloaded with $10 to spend in the park. * Pretty much anybody will qualify for discount tickets using various discount codes, [the most popular of which corresponds to our market-dominant supermarket chain (Giant Eagle)](https://www.mlb.com/pirates/tickets/specials/giant-eagle-loyalty-card-discount) and doesn't require any kind of verification.
Family pack sounds like such a good deal. Thanks for sharing this I’m actually making the trip to PNC on July 20th. I haven’t been there yet and can’t wait to see the stadium. I never knew bringing outside food and drinks was a thing at sports games… I’m surprised my mom never did this
That game is sold out and the prices on the secondary market are crazy, like twice face value. Hope you already have tickets!
I was just looking on a third party app I was seeing tickets for around $40. I kinda wanna sit nose bleeds behind the plate because the skyline and bridge background is so iconic there.
I know at Miller Park, there’s a Sunday bundle that gets 4 tickets, sodas, hot dogs and parking. It’s, like $60, but parking itself is around $20.
That’s a steal. Last Phillies game I went to I got free tickets through my work. I spent $100 in the hall of fame club. 3 beers a burger and Italian sausage.
The only people who complain about the price at a Brewers game are people who haven’t gone another ballpark. Go to most other ones, and you can spend around $15 for a Miller (or whatever the base beer of choice is there)
Yup it’s expensive when you have big stars on your team. Phillies game prices for food and drinks have always been pricey though
That’s the biggest scam ever is eating at the stadium. Sneak in your own food if you can basically I’m saying fuck the owners they want to make the cities pay to build their stadiums then they get extra money for me.? Fuck em
Stadium food and drinks might be the biggest rip off I ever seen. A lot of the food is like school cafeteria level but your paying an arm and a leg lol
You don’t have to sneak food in Cleveland! You’re allowed to bring it in.
The Royals sell a 4-pack to Sunday games that includes 4 tickets, 4 dogs, 4 sodas, and a parking pass. $60 get-in price, or $80-100 for better seats. Last year they even put some games on sale for $40. Pretty solid deal if you ask me.
I simply don't understand where this idea that it costs *hundreds* of dollars to go to a baseball game comes from. A few weeks ago, my wife and I took our son to the game. He's an infant, so he doesn't require a ticket, but even if he did, it would have cost us less than $30 to get in (the Brewers do $9 tickets on Mondays). I had a few beers, my wife ate, and all of our concessions buys also cost less than $30. Go ahead and double it to imagine that my infant son has a sister and they also want some food and a few beers, and we are still under $100. This trip was by far my most expensive of the season. I go to 40-50 games a year, and generally spend less than $20 per trip If you don't make any sort of plan, buy premium seating, decide to eat your dinner at the game, and buy merchandise every time you go, sure, costs can get out of control. But if you want to attend a game with your family for a modest price, you absolutely have that option.
I bought the cheapest ticket at the Os game on Father’s Day. It was sold out. $88 just to get a seat. Had a hot dog with mac and cheese and crab $15. A beer was $10 I believe. Vodka lemonade $12. Phillies aren’t the only team where you experience high prices. Red Sox tickets can get pricey unless you sit bleachers. Cheapest ticket without fees was $60 to watch them play the Yanks at Fenway. I’m spending about $100 to $150 going to a game by myself. If I eat dinner before just for me alone around $60-$100 total to go to a game. Majority of Phillies games it costs a lot just to get your foot in the door unfortunately. I was surprised the nats were charging $44 to sit in left field.
Yeah, I mean, buying tickets on a holiday for a sold out game and eating a seafood meal at the game isn't indicative of a systemic issue with baseball game pricing. I know prices on the east coast are most expensive than they are in Milwaukee, but I visited Nationals Park with my sister and brother-in-law last season and we watched a game from the field level for less than $100 because we went on a Wednesday afternoon. Attending a premium game and buying premium concessions are a choice. If you plan ahead, choose to attend games with discounted seats, and eat dinner before you go (or just but a regular old hot dog), it is easy to attend baseball games with your family for a reasonable price.
I’m gonna try this next game I go to. Phillies at Pirates on July 20th. Unfortunately already sold out but third party nosebleed is about $70 after fees. I’m shocked you can attend a game under $100. It sucks im a big foodie and like to try a solid hot dog at the games and then something that isn’t offered at citizens bank. I honestly think the crab Mac and cheese hot dog was reasonably priced. Under $20 for something with seafood on it. Last time I did a weekday game it was rainy and citizen bank was packed per usual. I got tickets for free and then the food in the hall of fame club was $40 total since I was hungry still after an Italian sausage. Luckily I don’t mind spending the money to just enjoy myself a bit more. I gotta remember these tips when I start my family and go take them to games. It’s also unfortunate Phillies are really good. When they were awful before Bryce and I was under 21 or would drive to games and not drink I’d spend about $50 for me and my gf at the time to go and eat. Yeah east coast pricing can get out of hand. I think the nationals were charging $15 for a tall boy. I can’t remember the exact price because I got cracker jacks with it. All and all I just don’t mind spending when I do something I don’t do often like going to a game but definitely all these tips people are sharing I’m gonna use since I’m planning to start an Instagram for visiting ballparks around the country starting with PNC on July 20th
The best value in baseball is going to a minor league game. There's MLB affiliated teams all over the country, many in small markets. The stadiums are small, so you always get a good seat. Tickets are $8-20 bucks, the beer is cheap and cold, it's the same hot dog you'd get at the big leagues but far cheaper. They're extremely family friendly as well. And where else can you cheer on a team named the Mudcats or the Jumbo Shrimps or the Isotopes or the IronPigs.
I’ve been thinking about doing a MiLB game. Heard they have really cool promotion nights too to make things cheaper
I work for a minor league team. Yeah, the tix are cheaper but they charge for parking and food is probably as expensive as at a major league game.
Losing teams do this type of thing more often. The Orioles had stuff like this while they did the rebuild
2 beers and 2 hot dogs at an A's game, $56. Tickets behind the dugout $79 each. Heckling the Royals and getting a ball from the Oakland dugout, priceless. Yeah. The prices are crazy. I had to have one last game at the Coliseum.
I’ve never heard of bringing outside food into a stadium. Interesting idea.
Baltimore has a great spaghetti in a ziplok bag [policy](https://fansided.com/2022/06/19/fans-homemade-baseball-snack-orioles-rays/)
Ok calm down with the "cost families HUNDREDS N HUNDREDS of dollars"
Wow that is so cool, and thanks for pointing it out. Much respect given from this Met fan to The Nats organization
Principals are great and all…but the ultra rich are beyond that. Whatever increases profits will always win out. Sure, teams struggling with attendance could and should do this to drive more money spending adults to their stadium…but for monetary reasons. And forget about major markets that still sell out when they’re bad. A packed house regardless of quality of play will pay out…why give anyone anything free if you don’t have to? (from the most assholey capitalist perspective I can conjure up - just being a realist)
Yeah that is true. And the ultra rich give to my job a lot. Depends on the person unfortunately. I think doing this even with a sold out crowd helps in the long run. You create this idea that parents are saving which they are but it’ll most likely lead to buying other things at the stadium.
OP needs to find a better AI to write their posts.
Hahaha saying this was written by AI a good or bad thing?
Nobody hates baseball more than MLB.
Marlins have very tasty Nathan's Hot Dog's for $3 the whole game located in 2 sections. $5 beers, too, in those sections. C
I am biased because Nats park is my local stadium, but I think they do a lot of stuff right! They also have a cool-down room (I think it’s new for this year) for fans that are overheating and a sensory room.
I didn’t notice the cool down but I stayed in my seat most of the game. That’s awesome they have that because I could have used that in Baltimore. I got so beat by the sun I ended up getting sun poisoning when I got back to Philly. I saw Camden Yards had a sensory room which I think is always a simple and great thing to do for anyone that needs it. I honestly wish when I walked through the gates there would be a display with a map of the ballpark to take. Being at a new stadium can be overwhelming and taking a lap around a stadium can be daunting if it’s crowded. I didn’t even get to check out the first base side of Camden Yards. Just way too many people to walk by
I’ve got three kids and we live an hour and a half from target field. My gf and I just simply can’t afford professional games for all of us anymore. Between gas, the food, drinks, novelty items at the ballpark and a dinner for the road home my entire weekly paycheck is gone. It sucks, as a kid my dad took us to the dome 3-4 games a summer. And that was with four kids. I make more than he did back then, but it was also 90’s money where the dollar went further. It’s frustrating as a parent, all three play baseball or softball and love the sport.
I don’t have kids currently but I see it at work how hard it is for these kids. Living in the city struggling just to avoid gun violence and going down the wrong path. Parents working twice as hard just to provide for their kids so they can get them out the hood. I grew up where my dad was on disability my mom works at a hospital. They were so broke at one point they filed for bankruptcy. My mom is in a lot of debt but doing fine now. As a kid she would run up credit cards just to let us experience the nicer things in life. As a kid we maybe went once a year. I know it costs a lot for my mom. And she even let us get some novelty stuff when we asked. She sacrificed a lot and I think that’s just unacceptable. Yes going to the game is a privilege but this privilege shouldn’t have a family trying to pinch Pennies for the rest of the month to make it by. Yes stadiums do deals on things but it’s not every team. The Phillies I haven’t seen a single deal for any games. NLCS the first year they made a playoff run in years it was over 1k to get into the game. When they played the diamond backs last year in the playoffs it was cheaper to fly to Arizona stay in a hotel and go to the game. I just can’t fathom how an avg family can afford to go to a game without worrying. And wait now we have to pay for several streaming services if we want to watch a game at home. When I go to a game I’m there to enjoy the most out of it because I don’t get to do it often but I’m blessed to be able to go to a few games a year. Sometimes on my own dollar sometimes my work will give me a pair of tickets with nice seats. When I go I know it’s going to cost around $100 in just food and drinks. So if I’m doing that by myself I can’t imagine a family being able to afford 2 adults eating and drinking and then feeding a child or two while also getting them treats like ice cream or dippin dots. Especially now with the cost of everything rising. I think just offering a meal for kids for free would help parents a lot. Maybe since they got that free meal they’ll say yes to their child asking for ice cream or cotton candy. Or they just save and then come to games more which will grow the fan base. Parents are happy because they treat their kids more to going to the ballpark and kids get to experience the game more and really become fans. And yes it’s a business but if one of the worst teams can offer free meals to kids every team can. It’s cheap for the organizations, it grows the fan base, and i wouldn’t be surprised if the org could write off the cost since it’ll be considered a donation. Also the cost to pay for things to let your kid play the game is on another level. The bats, the gloves, food, cleats, seeds, and more. I remember as a kid I maybe got a new bat once every four years because we couldn’t afford the newest and best bat every year. I feel you though and hope things change to allow family’s like yours to go to games more often without having to spend a paycheck. When I went to dc and Baltimore it costs me around $1,200 for gas, hotel, food, drinks, and a ticket to each game. Spent 2 nights in dc and then drove to Baltimore Sunday morning. I’m not even including the cost of me eating and experiencing the cities after or before the games. If I included that my trip cost me about $2000
What you're looking for is MiLb. $10-20 tickets, hot dogs are a few bucks. I'm not sure on the cashless part, but that seems like it could be handled by the org creating a cashapp account that can accept donations (or chaperones can add funds to via their card if a kid only has cash).
I mean that’s great for the pricing but I don’t want to watch minor leagues as much as pros.
I would love this.
I think you can bring food into a lot of ballparks
Yeah I didn’t know that at all. They don’t advertise it but they never say you can’t so
MLB doesn't have any control over this. What teams do inside their stadiums is up to each team.
Such a great idea and great marketing to get people to the games! I agree that this should be universal - or something along these lines
Definitely something like that even discounted. The thing is they can most likely write off the cost of supplying free meals for kids at the game.
I'm sure they can easily sell these for $3-5! It creates more fans and will increase their revenue in the long run (i.e. jerseys, tickets, etc.)
Exactly and the marketing side imagine you can say you gave 300k free or discounted meals this year for kids. Not only that you create the illusion of saving. Parents will probably spend that extra saved money on something else at the ballpark. The cost for the stadium food is nothing. They order so much bulk their profit margins are outrageous. You’re probably talking a .50 cent hot dog being sold at $7. A $2 beer cost being sold at $13. In the long run they’ll with a program to feed kids at the game would lead to them profiting. You know how hard it is to tell a kid no to ice cream or cotton candy without them begging/ throwing a temper tantrum. In the end you’ll give in to make sure your child has a great time at the game
Baseball is a business. If they need to spend any extra money, they absolutely won’t. Whether you go or not hundreds, if not thousands of other people will go. It’s a nice idea in concept but expecting millionaires to care about the commoners probably not gonna happen lol Besides. On a truly different note, comparing the Washington nationals to majority of other teams. Is incredibly unrealistic. The Washington nationals are incredibly below average baseball team. They don’t even have one star let’s maybe compare it to a middle of the order type of team. When and if the Washington Nationals start winning, I guarantee they won’t be affordable anymore. A story as old as time.
Yeah I mean I see it with the Phillies now. My thing is these teams can write it off. It costs the teams about $5 to offer a hot dog, healthy snack, and juice. It also will make the league and team look good to the public on the PR side. It also creates the illusion that “oh I didn’t have to spend $20 on my kid to eat, maybe we should get ice cream” you create the illusion of the customer saving money. It costs you $5 to make me spend $15 on overly priced treats. And if my job can give over 100,000 free meals a year as a non profit that brings in 10 mil plus a year then a baseball org can easily incorporate this.
You’re telling me the $22 beer at Yankee Stadium is actually turning the owners a profit to pay for the players?
Filling their own pockets and more with that. Greed at its finest