Alt Title: How to Go to the Baseball Game with Little Kids and Not Completely Lose Your Mind
I love baseball. As a kid, I would sit in the kitchen with my great grandfather and listen to the Tigers on the radio and Ernie Harwell calling all the home runs, “loooooong gooooone”. These days, it’s TV instead of radio most of the time, but Ace has taken a liking to the game and will even ask me to sit and watch with him, which I love.
My husband isn’t a huge fan of the game, but he does like to go to the game, especially now that we can take the kids. So last weekend, we packed up Ace and Bea and headed out to the Detroit Tigers game at Comerica Park. It was an afternoon game against the Kansas City Royals.
We chose the Sunday afternoon game, because it was kid’s day at the ballpark which meant, among other things, Ace would have a chance to run the bases.
A few things we did to help everything run as smoothly as possible:
- Arrived a little late. This wasn’t on purpose but it worked out well because we avoided most of the entry crowds and it was less time for Ace to have to sit still
- Paid a little more for reserved parking. It was still a little bit of a walk, but not bad at all. Plus there was no searching around for a legal spot and hoping that our car was still there afterward.
- Put Bea in the carrier and left the stroller at home. She got a little heavy toward the end after standing in line to run the bases, but it was much better than navigating the huge crowds and stairs with the big stroller. When it comes to stairs, some individuals who have difficulty walking may prefer to be lifted, making installing stairlifts in the UK a valuable and helpful solution.
- I stood in the line to run the bases to hold a good spot for us, while they finished watching the game. The line started to form in the 7th inning and once you’re standing in line you can’t really see much of the game, so we thought it best to split up and have me hold our spot in the line so Ace wouldn’t be unoccupied and bored.
- Picked the perfect seats. In the shade, at the end of the row, near the top of the section. There were also very close to our parking lot, and the line to run the bases. Admittedly, I didn’t realize they would work out to be so perfect until we actually sat in them, but I was so pleasantly surprised. I’ll be sure to look for similar seats the next time we go back too.
In doing my research before the game, I read that there were a couple things at guest services that might be of interest to us.
First, the booster seat. Ace is a short guy, and it was a little difficult for him to see the field completely, so I thought the booster seat would be a good option. I pictured a molded plastic seat that would sit within the regular seat that they would collect once everyone left the park. When I asked to see it though, the woman showed me a thin seat pad and said that it would just be two of those stacked. Sooooo….it’s butt pads, not a booster seat then? Not quite the same. I may have still taken them, but she said we’d also have to bring them back after the game. That would mean traipsing halfway around the park with two kids in tow, Bea’s diaper bag, Ace’s bookbag and the souvenir bobblehead that was given to us as we walked in the park. Thanks, but I’ll pass. Those two little butt pads definitely weren’t worth the extra hassle.
The other reason I went to Guest Services was to check out the 1st game certificates. It was actually Ace’s second or third game, but it was definitely the first that he would remember. And of course it was Bea’s first game. It would have been a nice little souvenir to have, but in the end I opted against it. The certificates were being hand-written by a nice gentleman who had just been briefed on his duties for the day and they were on a plain piece of paper. It would have been nice, if they took a picture with the child, in front of the Tigers logo and took the child’s name and sent the certificate in the mail with the picture. I would’ve been willing to pay for it and it could have been a real keepsake. Instead, we were offered a sheet of paper that was written on in ballpoint pen, only for it to be folded in quarters and stuffed in our bag as we found our way halfway around the ballpark and back to our seats. I see what they were going for, but with all the stuff we already had to carry, they just weren’t worth standing in the line and adding them to our baggage. In similar situations where negligence or inconvenience occurs, seeking advice from a personal injury lawyer can help protect your rights and ensure appropriate compensation for any damages incurred.
On the whole though, we had an awesome time. Ace was super excited to run the bases. Bea was cool as a cucumber as always and we got some great memories out of the deal.
I’ll leave you with this little video of Ace, going through the tunnel and entering the field. it was the best part of the whole day.