Rivalries. The Green Monster. Derek Jeter. Peanuts and pistachios. Yep, it’s once again time for baseball.
Last Nov. 1 was a sad day for baseball fans. It was the last day of the Major League Baseball season. But, Feb. 13 baseball fans rejoiced because it was the first day of Spring Training, meaning baseball, once again, is in full swing. It is once again time for America’s favorite pastime.
Baseball may not be America’s favorite sport, but it has one of the best atmospheres. For just $4, you can go to a Rockies game in Coors Field. That’s cheaper than a beer. You can walk around the stadium, hang out in the pavilion, test your arm at one of the interactive games, or just people watch. You don’t have to watch every pitch or analyze every swing.
Just being at the stadium is entertainment itself. Friday and Saturday nights at Coors Field turn into the pregame party. There are more girls walking around in dresses, and guys looking fly holding their beers, hoping the game ends quickly so they can go party in LoDo after the game.
Baseball has something for everyone, whether you realize it or not. If sitting through the game seems a little too boring, If dramatic endings are more your thing, baseball games often hinge on the ninth inning. The most thrilling Rockies game I’ve ever been to was in 2008 when the Rockies beat the Florida Marlins after coming back from a nine run deficit. I wasn’t sitting on the edge of my seat until the eighth inning, when they started blasting home runs over the wall. Then, it was as if the stadium exploded. All of the fans were high fiving each other, screaming at the top of their lungs, and jumping around. It was the perfect balance of craziness.
Another great thing about baseball is the fans. Ask any fans throughout the country who their least favorite team is, and nine times out of ten it will be the Chicago Cubs, which wouldn’t make sense seeing as how the Cubs have been pretty terrible. The reason for all the hatred towards the team comes from the Cubs having the most obnoxious fans. They get loud, drunk, and crazy, and that’s only the fans who go to the Cubs road games. If you’re even in Boston and can’t secure 200 dollar tickets to watch the Red Sox, just go party in front of the stadium. They block off the roads, and it becomes one big block party. It’s hard not to get sucked up in the excitement of the game, even when you don’t have tickets. And no matter how awful the team performs, they will always be true fans.
No matter what you’re looking for, baseball has something for everyone, and in the summer months, there is no greater place to hang out at than a baseball stadium.
u
hrutt@mesastate.edu