Written by Greg Fertel
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16 February 2007
48 days until the rosters are settled and the minor league season begins. The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre club will be celebrating their first season as a Yankees affiliate with a home game at PNC field. The Trenton Thunder open up at home against the Bowie Baysox, the Tampa Yankees are playing at Lakeland and the Charlestown Riverdogs are hosting the Greenville Drive.
With everyone counting down to MLB's Opening Day and watching the Yankee's schedule, it seems that a shadow has been cast and the Minor Leagues have been thrown to the side. Let's face it, the reason most casual Yankees fans go to MiLB games is because of a rehabbing major leaguer. Unfortunately for them, they get the worst of the Minor League experience - Thick crowds, long lines, and managers trying to manage around someone who does not fit on their team.
I truly believe that if more fans got out to their minor league parks on days when Hideki Matsui or Carl Pavano (ha!) weren't rehabbing, they would fall for the sport. While, yeah, you aren't seeing Hideki Matsui, going to a Minor League game removes all of the distractions that make Minor League games so unpleasant sometimes. And since I really like lists, here are my favorite reasons why Minor League games rock.
1.
They're cheap: I believe the most expensive ticket at Waterfront Park last season was $9.00 . With that, you're two rows at most from the field and right near the dugout. At Yankee Stadium, the cheapest seats are $12.00. With that, you get surrounded by sweaty older men wearing tank tops and reeking of $8.00 beer, and if you're lucky, a view of the game. And did I mention no scaplers? It isn't the tickets that make the difference, though, it's the food. As previously stated, beer at Yankee Stadium costs $8. At Waterfront Park, you'll pay $2.50. A hot dog in the Bronx will make you say goodbye to four Washingtons. In Trenton, it'd be half of that, and you probably won't be nauseous afterwards.
2.
The Players Like to Chat: If you get to the games before they start, chances are you'll get a chance to talk to any player you want to. It's a good way to get insight on the Manager's thoughts, or find out why that pitcher you saw last week isn't starting today. You also get quite a few amusing stories from people like (catcher) Jason Brown, who'll confirm that Matt DeSalvo isn't as strange as he seems... "he's stranger!". If you happen to bring young kids to the game, they always seem to get a kick out of talking to someone "famous". And who knows, that card that Charlie Manning signed for you may be worth a pretty penny some day...
3.
You can stretch out: I've only been to two or three minor league games that you could call "crowded", and both were during rehab starts. Sections are never completely filled, and rows usually allow a seat or more of spacing in between groups. Unlike in Major League ballparks, you don't have to worry about who has the right to the armrest - you, or the 6'10" football player to your left. And while I'd be thrilled to see more than a three thousand people show up for a Trenton/Portland Rivalry game, I have to admit that I like the short restroom lines.
4.
Promotions: Okay, so nothing will ever beat Lava Pen Night at Yankee Stadium, but the Minor Leagues have the best promotions around. Two years ago, the Trenton Thunder held a "Reset the Curse Night", during which the Babe himself was signing autographs and a Thunder victory over the Red Sox AA "Seadogs" assured that it will be another 86 years before the Sox win it all. The Yankees single-A Riverdogs had one of the better promotions lately: Nobody Night. They busted the league's attendance records by not letting anybody in until after the 6th inning, and holding a party for fans in the parking lot. The Riverdogs have also hosted the infamous Call In Sick day, when fans were given notes to hand to their bosses. It isn't just the fun fan-participation nights, though. The Bat and Cap Days, T-Shirt giveaways, and Bobblehead nights make almost every trip to the park worthwhile. Remember, you only paid $9 for the ticket.
So as Spring rolls around and you find yourself itchin' to see some baseball, don't grumble about fighting traffic and hoodlums in the Bronx to watch a $250 game from $75 seats while trying to see over the Marge Simpson hair in front of you. Take a few minutes and find out where the closest Yankee affiliate is to you, and make the trip.
You'll catch some good baseball, have an awesome time, and see players who may turn out to be the next Robinson Cano.
