Baseball

Lord Tyrion

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I'm going to New York in early August and I fancy going to a baseball match, it's pretty much the only sport played at that time. The Mets are playing at home and I know I can get tickets through stub hub. I've not been to baseball before. Do I want to be sat behind the batter or opposite? Which gives the best view or experience?

Any other tips for going to the Mets?
 
Can't offer any Mets specific info, however I can offer an experience of going to the baseball!

Went to memphis last August and went to the Redbirds - the minor league team for the St Louis Cardinals. We had great seats, to the left of a right handed batsman, about a third of the way down the stand. I'm the sort of person that will watch any sport on the tele the incsudes a ball (apart from tennis. That's dull as anything!) but I couldn't get into the baseball at all. It was one of the most boring sporting events I've been too. Even though it was minor league, we still saw a pretty good match up with a local rivalry and I can't recommend going at all!

You may well have a completely different experience, but I definitely can't see myself being tempted again!
 
Went to the Yankee’s a couple of years ago, when Mrs S was 50. We sat between home and first base, good view but agree the game is long and boring. It is good for people watching though!
Would suggest you pay the extra money and ensure you are under cover and not high up in the bleachers as the sun is roasting in the summer
 
The match we are likely to go to will be in the evening, 7.10 start, so sun should not be an issue. Baseball has never appealed but US sport is an experience and this is the only one happening when we are there. If we hate it we can always leave. The stadium is relatively new so the whole environment, eating etc should be interesting. Anyway, Friday night is free tee shirt night at the Mets so I'm coming away with something that evening 😁.
 
From the games I've been to it is, as many American sports seem to be, long periods of inactivity and advert breaks, punctuated by a bit of sport now and then. They do is extremely well and it is a great experience attending top level US sports in the flesh, but it is very different from how we are used to watching live sport.
 
Been to a game, was in my early teens tho. Can’t remeber much other than it was hot and long. I don’t think we stayed for all of it!
 
Went to watch the red sox when we were in Boston and we loved it. Yeah its a dragged out affair but its as american as it gets. Loved it when they played the organ watching folkfulling there faces throughout the game. Brilliant. Came out early and watched the kids racing round for balls that were topped off the bat and went over the stadium Was just unreal to so see.
 
I'm going to New York in early August and I fancy going to a baseball match, it's pretty much the only sport played at that time. The Mets are playing at home and I know I can get tickets through stub hub. I've not been to baseball before. Do I want to be sat behind the batter or opposite? Which gives the best view or experience?

Any other tips for going to the Mets?

Don't bother with StubHub, buy them direct from the Mets;

http://purchase.tickets.com/buy/MLB...s:_Schedule:_Schedule-na-x0-Desktop-Landscape

Went to Citi Field (or Piti Field to Yankees fans) about 8 years ago, sat to the right of the batter facing the pitcher quite high up, but perfectly good view, depends how close you want to get. Pay via CC and print tickets here. I enjoyed it, Mrs. BiM not so keen on "glorified rounders". A number of Americans seem to treat it as background noise, turning up late, leaving early and treating the time inbetween as an opportunity to overeat, chat and generally ignore the game which struck us as change, might be different in better seats. If you see one studiously filling in their scoresheet they are normally happy to explain the finer details between innings. Travel by train from central New York is dead easy. I'd recommend it. :thup:
 
I went to a SAN Francisco Guants game a few years ago and loved it. Ticket prices ranged from $20 up to $100 + for the best seats. We got our tickets from one of the merchandise shops near our hotel and went lower end and was able to pretty much walk 360 deg around the stadium watching the game from designated areas, drinking beer and eating as we went. Totally brilliant experience, even the missus loved it. It was a Friday night and you had everybody there, die hard locals who were scoring in a cricket type fashion, groups of young lads watching the game before going out on the lash, families with their kids, couples and big groups of friends. They really do cater for everyone.
 
We went to Citifield in August 2014 during a trip to NYC en route to Orlando.

check when the US Open tennis on, as the subway to citifield is the same station as flushing meadow, if the dates coincide expect it to be fairly busy getting 7n and out. The train from Grand Central takes about 25 mins iirc, although not all trains stop at all stations.

get there early, there’s loads to do both outside the stadium and inside, especially good for kids. We also got a free t shirt each when we went.

ref seating, the best place to sit is between home plate and 1st Base, you’ll see lots of action there, and there’s always the chance of a foul ball heading your way. The lower down the better, although these tend to be the more expensive seats.

By that stage of the season, depending on how the mets are doing, the stadium could be rammed or half empty, when we went it was the latter. The atmosphere was still pretty good though.

get your tickets direct through the mets, there should be a seat map where you can choose the seats you want to purchase. Print at home or download the mlb app and have the tickets on your mobile device.

just this morning I purchased our tickets for the Tampa Bay Rays vs Boston Red Sox in Tampa August 25th.
 
One more tip, make sure you take ID if you intend to drink as the sellers that come round to the seats insisted in seeing everyones ID before they sold them a drink
 
We went to Citifield in August 2014 during a trip to NYC en route to Orlando.

check when the US Open tennis on, as the subway to citifield is the same station as flushing meadow, if the dates coincide expect it to be fairly busy getting 7n and out. The train from Grand Central takes about 25 mins iirc, although not all trains stop at all stations.

get there early, there’s loads to do both outside the stadium and inside, especially good for kids. We also got a free t shirt each when we went.

ref seating, the best place to sit is between home plate and 1st Base, you’ll see lots of action there, and there’s always the chance of a foul ball heading your way. The lower down the better, although these tend to be the more expensive seats.

By that stage of the season, depending on how the mets are doing, the stadium could be rammed or half empty, when we went it was the latter. The atmosphere was still pretty good though.

get your tickets direct through the mets, there should be a seat map where you can choose the seats you want to purchase. Print at home or download the mlb app and have the tickets on your mobile device.

just this morning I purchased our tickets for the Tampa Bay Rays vs Boston Red Sox in Tampa August 25th.

US Open starts end of August so not an issue for LT, we were there when it was on & no problems at all, it ran like a well oiled machine.
 
I went to Yankee stadium in New York, was a good day out. Didn't even watch much baseball found it really hard to follow, but they make the entire thing in to an event with stuff happening between each innings.

The chanting is real bad, lots of people shouting Derek Jeter, Derek Jeter etc


It was scorching day, about 42c. I must have sweat through my t shirt and more...could wring it out after.
 
I watch every Tampa Bay Rays game either live or on-delay and will be at a bunch of spring training games in Florida next month. If you are going as a one-off, go lower level and pay upto $100 for the best seats you can get around the infield. It is always the fielding that amazes most first-time viewers. The pitching is easier to follow on TV suffice to say it is a lot harder than I threw when I played in the British League - but enjoy the whole experience.
 
Got taken to Dodgers v Padres in LA way back in 1991. As others have said it's a fun American cultural thing, peanuts (unshelled) and beer. National anthem sung, 'lets all go to the ballgame' played etc.
I got a sunburnt nose as you sit in the same spot for about 3 hours! Remember sunblock!
Dodgers won and Daryl Strawberry (their David Beckham) hit a grand slam which is when all bases are loaded and you hit it out of the park for 4 runs I think. That was the game highlight.
Seating wise I was high up and to the batters right or pitchers left, offered a decent view of things.
Enjoy.
 
I've only been to 3 baseball stadiums - Yankee stadium (the old one), Red sox (Fenway park) and Wrigley field (Chicago Cubs) and an American said to me that they are the most iconic/historical 3. Apaarently the equivalent in footy terms of the Bernabeu, Nou Camp and Anfield.;)

Loved all 3, although still dont know the rules.

BTW we caught a Washington redskins vs Pittsburgh Steelers pre-season game in August, and there were still 60,000 in, as Pittsburgh brought about 10-15k with them, so have a look to see if any pre-season games on.:thup:
 
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