Baseball Season Means Taking the Family to the Game, and then Leaving Early

This morning my wife contacted me and asked if our son wanted to go to a Cardinals game in June with his baseball team. I told him he’d get to run the bases with his teammates, then we would go to our seats and watch some of the game. He was totally in. He wants to go, he’s excited to run the bases and see his friends and eat at the ballpark. He also told me he wants me, my wife and his sister all to go with him. I let her know what he said and she told me she’d get the tickets. I responded by saying great, and also, this would be my one Cardinals game I go to this year.

That really hit me. That statement spoke volumes to what sports I used to love, and which ones I love now as an adult. When I was a kid, the idea of going to a Cardinals game was such a big deal. It was so important and crucial that I went to as many home games as I could. It is a Saint Louis thing, going to Cardinals games. Everyone I know loves going to games. Former coworkers, my wife’s current coworkers, our friends and family, they love going to home games. But, where I am in life now, I will only go to a game with my family, and it has to involve my son’s baseball team.

I have no desire to go to Cardinals games anymore. They’re too long, food is too expensive, the games start too late and I’d rather watch football or basketball, especially live. Baseball just doesn’t do it for me anymore. That’s not to say I don’t like watching my son play. I LOVE watching him play. I live for that. I am his assistant coach. Little league involving my son is baseball worth watching. But, going to Busch Stadium to watch a mediocre pro team is not worth watching.

Like I said, I’d rather go to a college football game or an NBA game if I’m going in person. My dad and I make it a point to find the nearest Michigan football game to us, and we go to one every year. I very much look forward to that. The Wolverines are far and away my favorite sports team. And, I love seeing them live. Even if they get beat, win ugly or blow their opponent out, I enjoy the almost 4 hour live experience every time. Going to at least one Michigan football game every year is something I will do for the rest of my life. The same cannot be said about Cardinals games.

As far as the NBA goes, I love everything about the live viewing of a game. It is fast, NBA players are the best athletes in pro sports, the games are, at their absolute longest, 2 and a half hours, and it’s relatively cheap compared to other live sporting events. The only problem, I have to travel to Memphis or Chicago for a game. Those are the 2 closest NBA cities to me. But, the trip is all part of the fun of going to an NBA game. I have a great time watching professional basketball. It is so much fun, and I love seeing tremendous athletes live. That doesn’t happen at pro baseball games.

I don’t really know why this change has happened, but it has. Baseball, while I loved playing it as a kid and watching it too, I just can’t do it anymore. I haven’t stayed for an entire game in over a decade now. Even when I get free tickets, I leave early. In fact, I don’t know anyone that stays for full games anymore. Maybe it is just age, but give me college football or the NBA any day over baseball.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ll have a blast when we all go in June, but after that, if I don’t go to another game all year, I won’t be surprised or upset. I do still like baseball, I would much rather play or coach it though as opposed to watching it, especially live.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. The head editor was seething while editing Ty's article. The Cardinals are a mediocre team? Try living in Cincinnati where the Reds are trying to beat the record of 20 wins in an entire season. Mediocre my ass.

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