Baseball, the All American pastime. It came to America in the 1800s from England, a close descendent of the English game, Rounders. By 1856 newspapers were calling it the National Pastime. Baseball clubs sprung up all over the city; it didn’t take long for the sport to become a professional league, bringing in the modern baseball game experience.
Major League Baseball
The average ticket cost for a Major League Baseball ticket is $26.64, according to the Team Marketing Report (TMR) and the Fan Cost Index (FCI) reports that the average cost of an MLB game for a family of four is $196.89. This includes the ticket price and a modest amount for food, parking and souvenirs. The average ticket price for the New York Yankees is $72.97 and the FCI is a staggering $410.88. These statistics do not include premium seating or luxury boxes, which would send the average outta the park.
For most families, in these recessionary times, that’s a lot of money.
Minor League Baseball
The Brooklyn Cyclones, a minor league team, put baseball in a completely different ballpark. The team has called Keyspan Park in Coney Island home since it opened up on Surf Avenue in 2001. The Park’s big, brightly colored lights evoke a amusement park atmosphere, appropriate for the neighborhood that is home to the team’s namesake, the Cyclone Roller Coaster.
The Ball park’s seating capacity of 7,500 makes it big enough to enjoy the baseball crowd atmosphere but small enough that there isn’t a bad seat in the house, unlike their major league counterparts. Yankee Stadium holds 51,800 and a maximum of 45,000 fans can watch the Mets at Citi Field. Fans get lost in the high up “nosebleed” seating, but at Keyspan Park everyone can feel like part of the action.
There are plenty of entertainers between innings, including mascots Sandy the Seagull and Pee Wee. Kyle Petersen is the Seventh Inning Stretch Juggler and popcorn vendor. Kyle has been juggling for the Cyclones since 2007. When asked why the Brooklyn Cyclones are such a crowd pleaser, he replied,
“Brooklyn always has been and still is one of the greatest baseball towns in the country. We love our Mets and we love our Yankees, but 1957 still weighs heavy on our collective consciousness. The Cyclones have a ready-made fan base in Brooklyn, still heartbroken by the loss of the Dodgers but eager to cheer for a team of their own. [Also] The stadium's location is also a major bonus. The beach, the boardwalk, amusements, music, Nathan's and baseball. What more could you need?”
The Mascots bring fans out on to the field for between inning games and birthday announcements, keep the crowd cheering and entertain during the slower moments. Then there are the Cyclone Cheerleaders, all very tan in tight shirts and short shorts, if you are in to that sort of thing. With their big hair, long nails and just a little too much makeup they look like every girl in every movie ever made about Brooklyn. If all that isn’t enough, often fireworks displays after the home games.
With an average ticket cost of $11.66, this is an affordable game. The ballpark is accessible by subway, the concessions are reasonable and so are the souvenirs. It doesn’t take an FCI to show that a family of four could have a good night out at the ball park for under $100.
It is major league fun at minor league prices.
 |
