BASEBALL IS COMING

[cblj_backup]

Now that most of the farm leagues have their 2017 game schedules finalized, I’ve been building my summer baseball calendar. My stepdad got me a ten-game pass to the Railcats for Christmas, but I’m also within an hour’s train ride of the Cougars, Boomers, and Slammers (sounds like the title of a hip anthropology book about middle-aged white people). So I have a calendar set up to list which games I can get to, and which games I should especially try for. Sadly, it looks like I won’t be seeing the Wingnuts play this year.

All of the teams have “theme nights” meant to draw crowds; there’s almost always a Star Wars Night, a Christmas In July, a Bark At The Park where you can bring your dog, a “Halfway to Halloween” costume night, and interestingly a Princess Night. There are lots of firework nights and a few all-you-can-eat nights and cheap draft beer nights. 

But I think my favorite so far is that the Kane County Cougars have a Peanut Free Night. I’m not so allergic to peanuts that I can’t even be around them, but some people are, and peanuts are all the fuck over the place at ball games, particularly non-MLB games. So despite not ever having seen the Cougars play, they have already endeared themselves to me for that. (I can’t actually go to the Peanut Free Night game, but I’ll be cheering for them in spirit.)

If I do it right I can attend every Bark in the Park, two Star Wars, Christmas, Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day, two all-you-can-eats (one is crawfish, which seems…unwise) and something called Strike Out Stroke Night which I think could have been better named. 

And maybe I’ll take out a small loan and go to a Cubs game at some point. 

BASEBALL! 

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Comments

[shortysc22.livejournal.com]

Have you thought about White Sox? A few years ago when I was in Chicago, a friend and I got tickets for $10 each from Stubhub and it happened to be fireworks night, so it was more fun for us.

I don't know if the Cubs or White Sox do fun giveaways, but the Yankees usually have some good nights, I got a really nice knitted R2-D2 hat last year and a bobblehead the year before.

Have fun with all of the baseball games, minor league games are awesome and I try to do them every time I'm traveling in the South.

[copperbadge.livejournal.com]

Stubhub is generally where I go -- you can't get decently priced tickets to the White Sox OR the Cubs without it -- but I'm a Cubs guy, so the Sox are out unless it's the Crosstown Classic in which case the tickets will be pricey regardless :P But yeah if I'm gonna shell out for MLB and put up with MLB fans, it'll be Cubs. :D Mostly that was a joke about how ticket prices hike after a Series win.

I should see if the Red Sox are at home the week I'll be in Boston, come to think of it. I don't have the kind of time while I'm there to spend a few hours at the ballpark, but it might be nice to go down to Fenway for a few minutes and sort of revel in the pageantry...

[shortysc22.livejournal.com]

Do the Cubs ever do groupon deals? Because I usually get to see the Yankees for about $20-25 which isn't bad considering it's the Yankees and they're terrible about ticket prices.

I love traveling to games. I've found baseball games are a great entertainment for something to do at night so that my friends and I aren't just sitting in a bar. Most places, by that time, the touristy things close down, and minor league games are fun and cheap.

[copperbadge.livejournal.com]

I don't know -- if they did, after winning the Series they probably won't anymore. The Cubs don't traditionally have issues putting butts in seats, as far as I know.

I'm going to SoCal in July and wanted to go to a game of some kind, but I'll be in Anaheim and all the stadiums are kinda far.

[shortysc22.livejournal.com]

Unless it's just your schedule, but the Angels actually play in Anaheim! There might be minor league teams further out and Anaheim to LA is a super easy drive (not sure on timing in July though). When I went to SoCal a few years back, we took a bus from downtown LA to Disneyland in Anaheim and I think it was only an hour or hour and half, which isn't bad for me.

I have one friend who is trying to visit all of the major league baseball stadiums. I think he's up to 16 now. (Living on the East Coast helps a lot)

[copperbadge.livejournal.com]

Well, the drive is less the issue than the lack of car :D I'll check the Angels though, thanks for the tip!

[teaboyfan.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a great schedule! I'm ready for the season to start, especially after the unhappiness of the last few months. Baseball is a great healer, with its balance of serene grace and wild excitement.

[heather mccrillis (from livejournal.com)]

Have you mentioned which Railcat games you'll attend? Hopefully, this will be the year I get to see the Saints at CHS Field. I went to Midway a few times.

[copperbadge.livejournal.com]

Tickets aren't available yet, but I've got ten nailed down that I'd like to see!