In the sports world, summertime means one thing: Major League Baseball. There are plenty of reasons as to why an individual should attend a major league game, however for casual fans the MLB can be a turnoff as the event is largely focused on the game at hand.
Yet Minor League Baseball packs all the entertainment of the sport and adds a campy, silly, almost gimmicky element to the game.
From $1 beer nights, unique bobble head nights and even "Harry Potter" or "Star Wars" nights, a minor league game has something for everyone, even for the people who do not enjoy baseball.
Unlike the majors, minor league games are heavily invested in the fans. Where a t-shirt toss may be a professional team’s one and only promotion for the night, minor league games have one practically every half-inning.
To be a part of one of these on-field promotions is never a challenge as attendance during the weekdays may be low, meaning an individual’s odds of obtaining a gift card or team merchandise just for playing a simple game on the field increases significantly. Not bad for a $9 ticket value.
While it is possible to find major league tickets for cheap, minor league stadiums have no bad seats in the house. So those $6 tickets that require binoculars at a major league game can mean sitting a few rows away from the field at a minor league game.
Also for any food junkies out there, minor league baseball is the place to be. The array of food is endless from traditional items like hot dogs and popcorn to items like the Twinkie dog which is a hot dog stuffed inside a Twinkie topped off with whipped cream and a cherry. If those don’t catch the eye try the Fifth Third Burger which is a $20 4,889-calorie, four-pound burger topped with five patties, chili, cheese, chips, salsa, lettuce and sour cream, all wedged between a giant sesame seed bun.
MLB games, while great in their own right, are massive events that individuals, as a fan, just simply spectate. However, at a minor league game the fan has limitless options on how they want to spend their time at the ballpark.
Whether its taking the kids out on the field to run the bases after the game or hop around the bouncy castle, going out with friends and enjoying food and drinks at a much cheaper value, or just taking a baseball and scoring some autographs from some future MLB stars or a major league rehabber, a minor league game has something everyone can enjoy.
The minor leagues provide baseball, but at a very low cost of entry and a very low level of commitment. So if seeing that major leaguer rehab for just a few innings is the primary goal, one can do so, leave by the 5th inning, and still feel like their $9 were well spend.
In an on-demand world, Minor League Baseball serves people exactly what they want, however they want it and with team names like the Flying Squirrels, the Rubber Ducks, and the Biscuits (yes, these are all real team names), how can one not enjoy?
