If you have been reading my articles you know that I am a big advocate of attending minor league games in general.  For me, the best is baseball.  I am a big baseball fan and I think that attending a minor league baseball game is one of the true sporting delights available to people in this area.

However, attending a minor league baseball game is just different enough from attending a major league baseball game that it may truly be worth noting.  To those of you  making your decision on whether or not to attend a minor league baseball game you  may be a little intimidated.  You may not have any idea what it’s like.  You may, in short, not really know how to attend one.

The first step is to take your notions of what a professional baseball game is like and toss them out.  Gone will be the ridiculous crowds, problems finding parking, paying through the nose for parking and then paying through other orifices for tickets.  In fact, all of that is completely different and much cheaper than what you find at a  major league game.  If your baseball experience has been primarily Wrigley Field, you are really in for a bit of a culture shock and probably pleasantly surprised.

The next thing may be to spend some time visiting a team website.  Check out the layout of the stadium.  I have yet to run across a minor league team, in any sport, that did not have a stadium layout.  They also have detailed directions.  These stadiums tend to be a bit of a drive, particularly if you live downtown.  So, it pays to know where you are going.  It also pays to know what seating options are available.

Most of these websites also allow you to pay for tickets online.  If you order them soon enough, you can have them mailed to your home.  If the game time is very soon, then you can have the tickets available for you at “will call.”

Do not fret about parking.  You will find that, in most cases, the parking is free or so ridiculously low that you can easily pay with whatever change you have laying around in that change dish you may have in your car.  You will also generally find that there are cops directing traffic and plenty of available parking spaces.  Finally, there will be some very nice volunteer people guiding you to the available spots.  Also, the lots will not be packed like fish in a can so you can easily get out if you have to leave earlier than other fans.

Be patient when it comes to walking to the stadium.  Remember, this is the minor leagues.  Things are more laid back here.  The fans tend to be less frantic and panicked.  They are families, with lots of kids running around, so be patient if you are at Alexian Field to see a Flyers game and you have to wait to cross the street to the stadium from the parking lot.  Don’t worry, the crowds are smaller and they stock up a LOT on the giveaways.  There will, most-likely, be a bobblehead ready for you so just walk.  Getting hit by a car for a bobblehead has to be about the dumbest way to die.

If you have decided to try the lawn seats, be sure to bring a blanket.  It is much more comfortable to sit on one of those than just sit on the bare ground.  If you don’t mind grass stains on your behind, then it may not be an issue.  If you are like me, you’d rather not have to “shout-out” those kinds of things, so be sure to bring something like blanket or a picnic spread.

More than likely, you will be able to bring some food in.  Now, I am not 100% sure about the policy of bringing in food.  I have never done it, but there might be some who have.  You may have to sneak some food in like you would when you want to go to the movies and not have to pay.  Regardless, there is plenty of great food at reasonable prices that can be used to create a picnic right then and there.

Be sure you check out the “Dippin’ Dots” because of these places have them.  Sure, you can get them as U.S. Cellular Field, but they are cheaper and, therefore, better at a minor league game.  If you go to Elfstrom Stadium to see the Kane County Cougars, you may want to skip lunch and try one of their giant turkey legs like they have at Taste of Chicago.

Be prepared to stock up on souvenirs.  They have all of the same ones that they do in the big leagues.  The one thing I tend to like about the minor league teams is that they have fitted hats for guys like me with big heads.  I wear a size 8 cap and that is hard to find in a major league baseball stadium.  However, at the Flyers and the Thunderbolts I had no problem finding a hat.

Keep an eye out for the mascot.  This is especially true if you have kids because the kids are going to love the mascot.  At any minor league baseball game you are likely to see the mascot running around like some kind of Pied Piper with a trail of children after him.  If you are at Alexian Field, be prepared to have to stand in line to get Bearon’s autograph.

Be prepared for one of the closest baseball experiences of your life as a baseball fan.  Yes, you may have been in the front row, right next to Bartman, at Wrigley Field, but I am telling you that you will never be closer to the action than at a minor league game.  You will likely be able to talk with a manager or a player.   Your kids will probably be able to get as many autographs as they want.  They could also end up getting their hands on baseballs.  The players love to throw them into the stands.

Don’t worry about lines in the bathroom.  Most of the minor league teams have plenty of bathrooms and there are fewer people so there is less of a line.  You will also not have to pee in a trough like you do at Wrigley.  That lone is worth the price of admission as far as I am concerned.

Enjoy the playing.  You will soon forget you are at a minor league game.  The players play as hard as any  major leaguer, if not harder.  They are younger than the major leaguers.  They are trying to impress you and impress any major league scouts in the area.

Be prepared for a lot of hitting.  In the minor leagues the pitching duel is the exception and not the norm.  Quality pitchers tend to be snapped up by the major league teams.  What you usually end up with is a number of power-hitters.  So, look for a lot of long balls hit.

Be ready for fireworks.  Most minor league teams have a lot of fire works nights.  If there is no giveaway at the gate, it’s probably a fireworks night.  Be prepared to stay.  If you get a bleacher seat, be prepared to move because the fireworks might be right behind the scoreboard which is just next to the bleachers.  They don’t want any spectators set on fire, so they will ask you to move.  The fireworks will start just after the last out and may go as long as twenty minutes.

Look out for the various games between innings.  Sometimes the most fun you have at these games is watching the people plucked out of the audience to make fools of themselves.  Also, it is much easier to catch a T-shirt of soft-tee baseball tossed into the crowds here than at a major league game.

Relax when the game is over.  The exit will not be nearly as crowded or slow as at a major league game.  The parking lot will be relatively controlled and will keep moving at a reasonable pace.  Don’t freak out and don’t start cursing your fellow fans.

Be prepared to watch for a DH.  For some reason every minor league game I have been to has had a Designated Hitter.  Maybe this is to protect pitchers for major league teams or whatever, but there will likely be no pitchers batting.  If you are against the DH,  you may have problems with this.  If you are a smart baseball fan, you will not have a problem with this.

Have fun and become a fan.  More than likely it will make you an addict like it has me and others I have brought with me to games.  You will find yourself tuning into games online or looking for dates when you could go back.  The good news is you will be able to do it much more than you would a major league game because of all that was mentioned above.

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