- “SOMEBODY, ANYBODY, TAKE SOMEONE OUT TO THE BALLGAME.” ~ Minute Maid Park
I. LOVE. Baseball.
I’m not what you would call the sporty type. I was absolutely indifferent to how the Texans’ most recent (first?) playoff run went, and I can’t name any Rocket that’s not Luis Scola. Wait, Kyle Lowry. That’s a guy, right?
So yeah, I’m totally not a sports nut by any means. Except when it comes to baseball, and my beloved Houston Astros. I’ve made a tradition of attending Opening Day, I’ve bought season tickets, I’ve even proven superiority of the Super Star Dog using advanced science. Baseball is a passion, and Minute Maid Park is where I make that sweet, sweet love to the game.
Except that, lately, it’s been an empty, open love, since the attendance at Minute Maid plummeted right alongside the Astros’ standings. At the end of the 2011 season, the Astros finished dead last in the Major Leagues, and there were like 26 people there in the park during the last game (and most of them were Cardinals’ fans). To bring fans back to the park to catch our boys of summer, the Houson Astros announced some “fan-friendly initiatives” to bring some people out.
First off, ticket prices have been slashed all over the park, bringing Field Box tickets down nearly a whopping 30% to $29. Club Seats got overhauled to include a new Power Club section that only costs $35, but comes with a $15 credit for use on food, drinks, or the team store. Among other price changes, an All-You-Can-Eat Mezzanine ticket goes for $30, and Outfield Deck tickets have dropped to a measly $5 for adults and $1 for kids, making a night at the ballgame cost less than a fast food value meal. No word on the peanuts and Cracker Jacks.
Speaking of meals, the organization announced a new policy allowing outside food and water into the stadium, meaning you don’t have to indulge in the mighty Super Star Dog if it doesn’t fit your budget (or your diet). Even beer prices got reduced, with a domestic 14 oz. brew only costing a Lincoln.
That’s a $5 bill, for those of you who had to check.
You can find the complete rundown of these initiatives on the Astros’ news feed.
I’ll be there anyway. What about you guys?Anymore incentive on having someone Take you out to the ballgame?
I need more cheap activities in my life! Especially if I can feel VIP on a budget! =)
It’s an amazing value. I’ve had dinners out that cost more than a game would, and this provides a few hours of entertainment to go along with it.
It’s the right move, and I hope people take advantage of it.