Baseball is an underrated sport in the Philippines, but watching live might get you hooked. Here are some tips for your day at the ballpark.
In the movie Moneyball, Billy Beane asks in one scene, “How can you not be romantic about baseball?” I find myself asking the same question from time to time.
There’s so much to enjoy in baseball games that don’t actually have very much to do with the game itself. There’s the food, the drinks, the crowds—the whole nine yards.
So if you ever find yourself in a ballpark, be it here or in some other country, here are three tips to get the most out of your day at the beautiful ball game.
Tip #1: Don’t worry about the seats
The great thing about watching baseball live is that all the seats offer you unique experiences in watching the game.
When I watched the Colorado Rockies in Coors Field, my seats were on the first level. The best part about sitting in these seats is that you get really close to the players, so I’d recommend this if you’re watching your favorite team.
But on the other hand, you don’t get to see all the movement around the baseball diamond as well because you’re sitting relatively low in the stadium.
Watching the New York Yankees in Yankee Stadium, I got seats on the second level. This one is a good in-between because you’re still close enough to see the players pretty well, but at the same time, you get to see more of the entire field.
Going to Fenway Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox, we got to sit in the seats all the way in the outfield. You get to see the outfielders real close, but you’re pretty distant from the diamond.
But even so, having this full view of the field with Fenway’s classic architecture was a great experience.
So no matter where your seat is, no matter what your budget, you’re still guaranteed to have an awesome time.
Tip #2: Come on an empty stomach
When people think of watching baseball live, a lot of them are drawn to one aspect of it: the food.
That’s because the food at baseball games is a huge part of the experience. They have hotdogs, sausages, steak sandwiches, milkshakes, ice cream, and cold beer. Watching baseball live is sometimes just like being at a picnic with a baseball game in the background.
Here are some of the best things I tried.
The truth is, baseball can be unpredictable because sometimes, you don’t know if you’re going to only see one player score the entire nine innings. But the food makes the entire thing a lot more fun, regardless of the scoreboard.
Tip #3: Bring your friends (or make new ones)
In comparison to most other sports, baseball is a slow game. There are a lot of pauses in between pitches, batting changes, and innings. This is why a lot of people do find watching baseball relatively boring.
But trust me, it’s a great experience to share with your friends. And if your friends can’t make it, make friends with the fans cheering around you.
Toasting to a great play and trash-talking the other team with buddies makes the game a whole lot more exciting, even for a slower-paced game like baseball.
And here’s a pro-tip: if you’re a baseball fan, it’s a plus to bring a friend who isn’t one. In case of an exciting game, they won’t mind missing the action to buy you some snacks.
Baseball is truly a great game to watch live, and in our country, it’s pretty underrated. But the best part is you don’t need to be a die-hard baseball fan to enjoy the view, the food, and the company around you. And those things might just be the parts of the game that get you hooked.
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