1. gregg on October 5th, 2005 at 4:23 pm
   

   I have an idea for an upgrade. How bout putting a team on the field that can win a friggin division title instead of a wild card birth in the playoffs.
2. Real Ms. P Martin on October 5th, 2005 at 4:45 pm
   

   HERE! HERE! GREGG… How about they donate the cost that for the upgrade to reduce the price of a ticket. Or, may be they could pay for thier own parking garage with the savings and stop robbing fans.
3. Rorschach on October 5th, 2005 at 4:56 pm
   

   so if the ball falls in the water hazard, does the batter have to go back one base or something?
4. Matt Bramanti on October 5th, 2005 at 5:12 pm
   

   Ground rule double, unless the player braves the alligators to retrieve the ball, in which case the side is retired.
5. squawkbox on October 5th, 2005 at 5:19 pm
   

   Butt gregg the Astros are “Wild Card Champs” two years in a row. “Wild Card Champs” wazzat all about. Dohhh I ranted about that somewhere eles on LST. Nevermind.
6. cameraguy on October 5th, 2005 at 6:08 pm
   

   If pinheads like J. Bagwell were able to survive on $5 million per 6 months of “work,” rather than the $18 million to $20 million he requires, it would not be necessary to take out a loan to attend a game. Also, great, old historical parks like Ebbets Field, Forbes Field, etc., would not need to be demolished and palaces built in their place at tax payers expense.

   Now, Yankee Stadium is scheduled to be torn down.

   Thanks, all you pinhead ballplayers. Why can’t you live on $5 million for 6 months of “work?”

   I so totally understand why Dan Patrick got out of sports coverage for something else.
7. Laurence Simon on October 5th, 2005 at 7:33 pm
   

   I’m still impressed by their installing the animatronic President Bush 41 from Disneyworld behind home plate.
8. sanfordhs on October 6th, 2005 at 8:33 am
   

   When I see stuff like this it really makes my blood boil. Minute Maid park is a great park!! It is probably the finest park in the country. The downtown location provides easy access and exit.

   As far as the cost of the game, there are thousands of $5.00 seats. Even the better seats are very reasonable. I wish people would get their facts straight before they write such nonsence.
9. Matt Bramanti on October 6th, 2005 at 9:25 am
   

   Hold on a second. Minute Maid is not the finest park in the country. The finest park in the country should not mean $10 parking and wading through a couple blocks of vagrants. It should also not involve a locomotive. I love the ‘Stros, but the Juice Box sucks.
10. Mike Martin on October 6th, 2005 at 9:46 am
    

    Go ‘Stros (10-5), but I shouldn’t be able to drink $20 worth of beer at a game and walk away sober.
11. jimb on October 6th, 2005 at 9:49 am
    

    Tell a real baseball purist that MM Park is the finest in the country. Bet they’ll vehemently disagree.

    It certainly didn’t make the list here and this is Traveler’s Digest, for cryin’ out loud.
12. jimb on October 6th, 2005 at 9:50 am
    

    *Traveler’s Digest = not exactly a baseball purist site, either.
13. cameraguy on October 6th, 2005 at 10:08 am
    

    SanfordHS - You don’t know what you are talking about. $10 parking. $10 program. $50 or more for some drinks, hot dogs, etc. But this is just the beginning. Soon it will be like an NBA game with the only seats worth sitting in costing more than $150 each. Because the players won’t agree to a salary cap. So the salaries are going to continue spiraling out of control. Get ready for $150 box seats in Houston very soon. Thanks, J. Bagwell. I’m putting the blame for that squarely on your useless right shoulder.

    And don’t forget, sanfordHS - the parks are paid for with our tax dollars!
14. squawkbox on October 6th, 2005 at 12:04 pm
    

    cameraguy
    I love the game of baseball and I have found minor league ball much more enjoyable. I spend my money traveling to Roundrock to watch the Express rather than watching the Astros in Enron (ooops I mean Minuite Maid). More bang for the bucks I think. The players seem to be more grateful to see and interact with the fans too. Weekend trips to San Antonio, RoundRock and Corpus are well worth the time. The occasional trip to Jackson MS to see the Generals is a hoot also.

    I have been to the “old ball” ballparks and frankly it is going to break my heart when Yankee Stadium goes away. I’ll take the bleachers at Wrigely Field anyday over the “ambiance” of Enron (dangit Minute Maid)anyday.
15. sanfordhs on October 6th, 2005 at 2:08 pm
    

    Hey folks this is 2005 not 1960. MM park is a great place and is relatively cheap compared to other entertainment options. If you folks do not think so then please stay home because that will make it easier to get better seats for me and my family. New attendance records for the stros mean you all do not know what you are talking about.

    PS: I park in the $35.00 lot across from the front door and it is well worht it!!!!!!! If you want $5.00 parking it is easily found.
16. Matt Bramanti on October 6th, 2005 at 3:01 pm
    

    Sanford, what “other entertainment options” are you looking at? I love baseball, and I go to games now and then, but I don’t try to pretend an afternoon at the ballpark is a cheap date.

    Let’s assume a couple, decent seats, two beers and a hot dog per person.

    Parking: $10
    Tickets: 2 x $20
    Beer: 4 x $6
    Hot Dogs: 2 x $4
    Homeless guy playing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” on a saxophone: Priceless.

    Total bill is $82. That’s if they don’t open the roof, forcing you to sweat and buy more six-dollar brews. Or you could go to a movie:

    Parking: Free
    Tickets: 2 x $8
    Coke: 2 x $3
    Popcorn: 2 x $3

    Total bill is $28, leaving you plenty of cash for cocktails or dinner.

    Like I said, I like baseball as much as the next guy, but a Major League ball game is no bargain. Minor league games, those are a bargain.

    The South Bend Silver Hawks used to have Dollar Mondays. Dollar Pepsi (not coke!), dollar beer, dollar hot dogs, dollar admission. That was a good time, and a good deal for a starving college student.
17. sanfordhs on October 6th, 2005 at 3:10 pm
    

    Well, sounds like a lot your expense and budget($24.00)is for beer and cocktails. Perhaps you should leave your drinking habit at home and enjoy the ballgame. There is nothing worse than a drunk at a ballgame, especially when the people around the drunk are actually trying to enjoy the ballgame.

    You are right as to one thing, it is much cheaper to get drunk at home in front of the TV
18. Mike Martin on October 6th, 2005 at 3:21 pm
    

    Backing the $24.00 out of the $82.00 gives you $58.00 spent without beer. More than double the $28.00 spent at the movies. Not drinking at the game is not a problem for me personally, I don’t need it to enjoy the game. But the lack of affordability definitely is a distraction. Not that any entertainment is particularly cheap these days, but I fear professional sports in general is pricing themselves right out of existence for the average consumer.
19. sanfordhs on October 6th, 2005 at 3:29 pm
    

    Baseball is the best buy in the city and will stay that way in the forceable future. You, the fan, have the option to go cheap or spend a lot. It is your option!!!!

    You apparently want the best seats for a cheap price. FREE HANDOUTS, boy does that sound familiar. Ticket prices are driven by the free market. This works very well, thankyou. Astro’s attendance figures are at an all time high. Does that not tell you “pinheads” something.
20. Matt Bramanti on October 6th, 2005 at 3:55 pm
    

    Sanford says:

    “Well, sounds like a lot your expense and budget($24.00)is for beer and cocktails. Perhaps you should leave your drinking habit at home and enjoy the ballgame.”

    Dude, that was two beers each for two people. Not exactly a binge.
21. Mike Martin on October 6th, 2005 at 3:55 pm
    

    Free handouts? Certainly not. I would say that while baseball is a relatively low priced sporting event, hockey in Houston is more affordable (and more interesting in my opinion). I agree 100% with you that ticket prices are (and should be) driven by the free market. I wonder, though, how many of the attendees are just walk-up kinda people as opposed to corporate box holders (or the lucky recipient of those tickets through work like I was once). I’m not implying that corporate boxholders are a problem mind you, just curious.
22. Matt Bramanti on October 6th, 2005 at 4:04 pm
    

    I’m not bitching that tickets are too expensive. I think the price is actually too low. If owners had to pay for their own stadiums, they’d likely be quite a bit higher. To claim that professional sports are driven by the free market is ludicrous.

    Nor am I asking for a handout. When I go to a game, I pay for good seats. You’re setting up a straw man when you suggest that I’m some sort of commie baseball fan looking for a freebie.

    I was merely claiming there are better deals out there competing for my entertainment dollar. And I did it with an actual factual example, without calling you a drunk or a pinhead. It’s amazing how that works, huh?
23. Mike Martin on October 6th, 2005 at 4:23 pm
    

    Free market driven in that if at least some people weren’t willing to pay the price of the tickets, the whole thing would be a non-issue.
24. sanfordhs on October 6th, 2005 at 4:35 pm
    

    Hey, no one is forcing you to go to the games. Prices are great and for all incomes. If you think a movie is a better deal then go to the movies by all means. As for me I will continue to go to the games and be thankful it is such a great deal. MM stadium and the Astros is one of the best things about this town, but there are always those like some of you folks that will gripe about anything!!!!!.

    GO ASTROS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
25. jimb on October 6th, 2005 at 4:46 pm
    

    Dude, I thought this whole thing was about making jokes about a pool in the outfield with ‘gators in it.

    Lighten up, already.
26. Matt Bramanti on October 6th, 2005 at 4:50 pm
    

    Sanford says:

    “Hey, no one is forcing you to go to the games.”

    True. Too bad someone is forcing visitors to foot the bill for the stadium.
27. Mike Martin on October 6th, 2005 at 4:50 pm
    

    #25,

    Good point, this is merely entertainment after all.
28. Matt Bramanti on October 6th, 2005 at 4:51 pm
    

    Good call, Mike.

    I’d just like to point out that tickets to LST are still free, and there’s not a bad seat in the house. No seven-dollar beers, either. We’re a BYOB establishment.
29. sanfordhs on October 6th, 2005 at 5:10 pm
    

    Well don’t go the games then!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 And I am not a ""dude"" you jerk. You may call me Mr. or Sanford!! Dude is something you read on a democractic webbsite!!!!!!

    Relax for a minute. There is no reason to get upset. And watch the name calling.
    Squawkbox
    Moderator
30. squawkbox on October 6th, 2005 at 5:23 pm
    

    jimb #25
    You mean they are not going to put a pool with alligators in centerfield?!? Aww heck I was going to give up my wrestling tickets to see that.
31. jimb on October 6th, 2005 at 9:39 pm
    

    We ought to call it Extreme Baseball and sell it to Spike TV…

    On another note, I always love it when I see this:

    !!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

    Gotta time that shift key a little better, no?

    Oh, and BTW - this is one conservative who will use the term “dude” until he dies.
32. Walter S. on October 6th, 2005 at 9:51 pm
    

    I liked it best when that dude called us pinheads.
33. malcolm on October 7th, 2005 at 8:04 am
    

    #32 Me too! I haven’t had that term of endearment used for sometime. Refreshing! I think I must have sat next to this “dude” at one of the games. Something he said about the umpires……

Feel free to leave a comment...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!

You must be logged in to post a comment.