Let’s get to know a little bit about another popular sport here in the United States? I bet a lot of people are familiar with baseball because of the American movies, but since it’s not a famous sport in Brazil and other countries, we end up not having a lot of acknowledging, right? According to Marta Bosse – reader of the blog that helped me with this post and who loves baseball – few people understand/like baseball in Brazil. But there is a very cool community that talk about the games on Twitter. Are you thinking of including a baseball game in your itinerary in New York? So check out Marta’s tips!
Calendar – the baseball season is quite extensive – it begins in late February with Spring Training, which runs in Florida, where teams get prepared for the regular season. Then, there Regular Season runs from April to September, with games almost every day, on average the teams have 1 or 2 days off every 15 days. There is only a break in the All Star Game, usually for 5 days in July. After the Regular Season, the Post Season starts in October and November, with the playoffs. In other words, there are baseball games almost all year long!
New York Teams– a MLB, (Major League Baseball) There are two leagues (American League and National League) with three divisions each (East, West and Central). New York, as well as some other bigger cities, has 2 teams, one in each league: the New York Yankees, with more titles throughout MLB, and the New York Mets. But in addition to them, there is the Boston Red Sox, LA Dodgers and Chicago Cubs, who is the champion after more than 100 years of fasting, which are well know amon people.
New York stadiums – New York stadiums are Yankee Stadium (which is in The Bronx) and Citi Field / Mets (which is in Queens) and you can easily get both by subway. All baseball stadiums are a spectacle apart, incredibly organized. They have super fast wi-fi, lots of shops, lots of food choices and bathroom on all sides. At some points of Yankee Stadium, you can order and pay for the food through the app and someone brings to your seat. In fact, it is worth mentioning that MLB apps are very complete: you can download the MLB At Bat to follow the entire championship and the MLB Ballpark to use in the stadiums.
Prices and seats – the prices may vary a lot: first by stadium (each team has the price of its brand) and then by seat. The seats behind the Home Plate are the most expensive and the third-floor seats are the cheapest. Marta’s tip is to be near the 1st or 3rd base, on the field level, that the view is great and not that expensive. Remember that the bleachers always give you a better chance of picking up a lost ball during the game, despite the more distant view.
When to buy the tickets – the sooner, the better! In December the sale of next year’s tickets begins at discounted prices. If you already know when you will be in New York, buy it! It costs much cheaper than when the season starts. The official website is Ticket Master. There is also the official resale ticket website, which, if you are lucky, you can find very good seats at very nice prices. This is the Yankees ‘official website, and that’s the Mets’ website.
For a complete experience… – there are three Yankees stores in New York, perfect for anyone looking to buy an official team product: one on the Upper East Side (110 and 59th St), two in the Times Square area (245 W 42nd St and 199 W 49th St). The Mets have a store in the Times as well (11 W 42nd St).
Marta’s tips for anyone who wants to follow a game but does not understand much about Baseball:
The game is very different, slow (on average, a game lasts 2h30m). But it’s wonderful, believe me! Every move is a point chance, there is no curling. In addition, the game never ends tied, if it is 0 x 0, the game continues until someone makes point. My husband loves it and made me watch 3 games on TV before going to the stadium the first time. Obviously, I did not understand almost anything. But watching the game live, I fell in love! I learned everything slowly and today I count the days for the beginning of the season.
Thank you Marta for the collaboration with this post! Hope it helps anyone planning to see a baseball game in New York!
Laura Peruchi is a Brazilian blogger, author, and entrepreneur. She has lived in Manhattan with her husband since 2014. Since then, she has shared on her blog varied content about the Big Apple. From travel tips, including unusual things to do, shopping tips, etiquette, restaurants, and a lot more, her blog has become a reference in Portuguese (also available in English) for anyone planning a trip to New York City.
