Take me out to the ballgame

I’m so glad this is our topic of the week because I just recently went to my first ever MLB game at Turner Field. I have always been a huge football fan, so watching a new sport that I was unfamiliar with was something new and exciting (plus experiencing it with some of my closest friends was awesome, too.) However, I can’t say that I fell in love with Braves baseball, but if I ever decided that I want to give it another shot I’m fully prepared with a Braves t-shirt, TWO tomahawks, a koozie, and some cool chopping moves.

While at the game, I noticed several things: there were massive lines and everything was super expensive. I mean, I expected both of these problems because I have been to tons of football games; however, Turner Field (just like all fields and stadiums) is huge. Sure, they make tons of money by charging $7.50 for a beer and $6.00 for a burnt hot dog, but waiting in line for 45 minutes and missing a home run could be disappointing to a die-hard fan. Some could argue that a serious fan wouldn’t leave his or her seat, but in reality everyone get thirsty, hungry, and has to go to the bathroom at least once.  And, the stand vendors only sell so many products, so if they are out of peanuts when a viewer is craving peanuts, well, that fan is out of luck.

I guess what I am saying is, with all of the space between sections, gates, and hot dog stands the organization could throw up a few more stands, add a few more attendants to help people to their seats, and add variety in the types of products sold in the stands. All of these thing would make someone in attendance more comfortable, and have a more enjoyable experience.

Something I did enjoy about the Braves game was the cheap tickets. I guess the mentality of Turner Field is to sell tickets for almost nothing and break the bank with everything else.

If I were to work for a PR team within the MLB community I would think about lowering the prices of everything. I think that advertising low prices and cheap tickets for America’s favorite pastime would entice people of all ages to come watch. Even if a team wasn’t having a winning season, I think people would be more inclined to support their team if they didn’t have to work a month to pay off the credit card bill. If the team was having a winning season, there could be a promotion dealing with something at a discount or free. Incorporating sponsors into a winning season would benefit both the team and the sponsor. Everyone loves free shirts, baseball hats, and food. For every win, a sponsor could give away a certain amount of joint logoed shirts or if a fan was at a beer stand at the time of a scored run a discounted beer could be given out to the first few customers.

Also, incorporating fun activities for families like a Fathers Day event or Fourth of July event would bring a large, diverse audience. For example, on Fathers Day allow fathers a free ticket with the purchase of a child’s ticket. This promotion would encourage a whole family to go to the game rather than Dad and his friends. It would build memories and maybe even a new fan.  The girls and me before we left for the game!