Saving at the Ballpark

Buying peanuts and Cracker Jack just might cost you an arm and a leg at the ballpark these days.  Here are some tips for enjoying the ballgame for cheap.

By Jay Berman for MSN City Guides

Anyone planning to attend a major league baseball game in 2009 would be well advised to take along a cap, a wallet and a degree in finance.

The cap, of course, is for tradition. The need for the wallet will be greater than ever this season, and the money skills will be required to navigate the maze of pricing schedules adopted by most clubs in recent years. These plans raise and lower ticket prices depending upon seat location, opponent and day of the week.

It wasn’t always like that. Typically, ballparks had one price for box seats, another for general admission and a third for the bleachers.

Today, fans face as many as 24 ticket prices in at least two venues (Washington’s Nationals Park and Angel Stadium of Anaheim), and as many as five pricing structures—the New York Mets’ platinum, gold, silver, bronze and value—depending on the visiting team. Several clubs also have adopted higher ticket prices for Friday through Sunday games and holidays, and some are charging more for tickets bought on the day of the game.

The most expensive ticket? The New York Yankees’ Legends seating for opening day at the new stadium will run you a cool $525.  The cheapest? The $4 center field Rockpile at the Colorado Rockies’ Coors Field, where the seats are so far from home plate that you may be watching players who were traded away a couple days ago.

Then there’s parking, which ranges from Seattle’s $20 to $25, dropping down to the Minnesota Twins’ $7 and the Pittsburgh Pirates’ $5.

There are a few local quirks in the parking situation. The Atlanta Braves charge $8 to $12 for parking near Turner Field, but one site—appropriately named the Lexus Lot—is available to Lexus vehicles only. The Tampa Bay Rays, who normally charge $10, offer free parking to cars carrying at least four people. And the Mariners balance their $25 lot by offering free parking for bicycles.