I know I'm dating myself but it used to cost $1.75 for a bleacher seat at Fenway Park. I used to go there on my paper route money. For another 50 cents, you got a "grandstand pass" which allowed you to leave the bleachers and enter the grandstand where you could grab any empty seat available (or stand in the back). I usually ended up in the rows right behind the Red Sox dugout by the end of the game as many businessmen would be out of there by the 7th inning. Especially if the Sox were losing, which was common in those days.
I did it up right too. I always purchased the scorecard, which came with a #2 sharpened pencil, and I'd properly score the game, paying attention to every pitch.
In those days, they sold beer right in the stands and they never checked IDs. In fact, the kids selling it was close to my age. So I acquired a taste for beer at Fenway as well. I think it was $1.25 back then.
The only time I go to ball games now is when the company is paying for it. My company has luxury booths in most of the parks around the country but it's not the same. We have to schmooze clients in those luxury boxes and nobody pays much attention to the action on the field.
Last time I want to a MLB ballgame on my dime was around 15 years ago. Even back then, it set me back over $500 taking my wife and two sons. What with the parking, the tickets, the food and the beverages. Adds up quick.
Basically MLB is a corporate thing now.
I do go to minor league games on a regular basis. Was up in Pawtucket a few weeks ago to see a AAA game. That's the way MLB baseball used to be.
Well given I live in Pittsburgh, more likely to see a better game down the road in the Frontier Wild Things games than you are at PNC Park...
I moved here in 86, was 15 years old, used to go to the game, get a drink and maybe a hotdog with my newspaper money. Well under $10 for a ticket, soda and a hot dog in the late 80s..
Would take my kids up until a few years ago at least once a season, could get sub $10 seats, food and drinks were outrageous, but could justify a nice night chatting and hanging out with my kids... the game almost always stunk, but you cold sit and enjoy a nice evening .... THen they had a few reasonable years, and jacked up everything... With fees and whatnot even 2 cheap seats you are looking at dropping $50 just to get in the door to watch one of the worst teams in baseball play....
Sorry, but I’ll keep driving down to washington.. pay $8 a ticket without the idiot fees... and spend less than the cost to get into a pirate game, and have a few drinks and some food, and see folks play who are at least HUNGRY... if nothing else.
If you were putting out good product, fine, but the Pirates have ZERO desire to put out a good product. Overpriced mediocrity at best... I really don’t see how MLB lasts for more than another generation or two... I was not even a huge sports fan as a kid, but I went to several games a year, and listened to a lot of games on the radio.... and knew tons of adults who never missed a game either on TV or RADIO... now I can’t name you a single person I know who follows them at that level, and can’t name you a kid I know who follows them to any degree either.