Baseball For Tourists

[andyschest]

My wife, 14 year old daughter and I will be making our second vist to Manhattan this summer, staying near the Rockefeller Center.

We have the idea that it would be a good experience to go to a Yankees game and I'm after some advice. Firstly, are we likely to enjoy it? We know practically nothing about the game so I would be interested to hear from others in a similar position. In case we decide to go, could someone help me with the following please:
1. What would be good value seats?
2. Where should we buy tickets and how far in advance would we need to get them?
3. How long before the game should we aim to arrive?
4. What's transport going to be like? Will the trains be packed out?

Thanks in advance.

[antinimby]

You should definitely go and experience it just once even if you don't know anything about the game. This way you can say you've seen a baseball game, and in all places, Yankee Stadium (which is really Mecca and the Vatican all rolled into one in the baseball world).

Also, this will be the final year of the historic stadium so there's no better time to go than this year.

Now, to answer some of your questions...

The cost of the tickets can vary widely. The best seats are the ones closest to the field with the best views and they can be hundreds of dollars while obviously the further away, the less they cost.

Since you won't really go to see the game itself but going for the experience, maybe you can look for cheaper seats. Go here (http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/nyy/ballpark/seating_pricing.jsp) for prices and the seating chart.

Yankee tickets are extremely popular and sell out very fast so you should definitely get them as soon as possible and as far in advance as possible. I would do it now if I were you.

You can buy tickets online here (http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/ticketing/index.jsp?c_id=nyy) and have them send it to you (not sure if they send it overseas but you can findout/ask).

If you want to enjoy the whole Yankee/baseball experience, I suggest you go several hours before the game so you can tour the stadium. Taking the tour (http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/nyy/ballpark/stadium_tours.jsp) is also highly recommended.

Later, you can also watch the players have pre-game batting/fielding practice. You are allowed to go near the field and even interact (take pics, sign autographs, get free balls) with the players up close.

The uptown (make sure you are going towards the Bronx) #4, D and B (weekdays only) subway trains will all take you to Yankee Stadium. Get off at the Yankee Stadium/161st Street station.

[Gunslinger]

As a UK Baseball fan and a Yankee fan I will obviously hearily recommend heading to the game

For a decent seat, without spending vast amounts - expect to pay between 40-50USD - though much cheaper seats are usually available.

Tickets are not shipped internationally - you can collect your tickets at the Will Call window at the Stadium - need photo ID and the credit card used to purchase them

The basics of the game is relatively easy to pick up <pm me for a quick crash course> but the atmosphere and buzz is amazing - especially so if the Yankees win

Agree about getting there early and exploring - Monument Park where the Yanks honour the legends that have played for them is well worth seeing.
Trains will be busy but transportation is well organised and no problem

Have been to games at YS several times - pm me for any further information

[Elixir]

We're going to see the Yankees when we visit in a few months. Cant wait. Booked our tickets through Ticketmaster (http://www.ticketmaster.com/). Not sure if they still have availability, we were advised to book early because its the last year of Yankee Stadium.

A good guide to Baseball is here (http://www.howbaseballworks.com/) or Channel 5 (UK) on Sundays and Wednesdays (Very late into Early morning) with a live game. If you have Setanta then theres usually a game on most days I think.

Our seats are about $50 each and I think the atmosphere is more important than the location (Thats usually the case at Old Trafford for Man United games anyway!) Unless you suffer from a fear of heights just book whats available.

[antinimby]

That's very helpful information about the Will Call window, Gunslinger.

There have been many questions about that from international visitors and I'm sure there will be more in the future.

I'll try to remember to steer future questions regarding that to your post here.

By the way, anyone can take advantage of that service (having them hold your tickets for you), not just fans coming from outside the U.S.

[DarrylStrawberry]

The other option is the Staten Island Yankees minor league park. You take a ferry from downtown, across new york harbor (the ferry is free), and the stadium is walking distance from there.

Great seats will cost you 13 bucks. food is cheaper, the trip across the harbor is awesome (you'll see the statue of liberty close up). The players wear yankee uniforms. On top of it all, the caliber of play is really very good, not quite as good as the pros in the Bronx, but if you don't really care about the game itself, you can save yourself a couple of hundred bucks and still have a great time.

Oh, and tickets are easy to get...siyanks.com

[v70cat]

You could also take the 7 train to see the Mets!:D

[antinimby]

I wouldn't recommend anyone going to Shea for their first baseball game. It is a rather unremarkable stadium, for those not familiar.

Maybe next year when the Mets move into the brand spanking new (and much better) Citifield.

[Saftlad]

Yeah, we went to see the Mets last week against Atlanta, since the Yankees weren't playing whilst we were over from the UK. For a first ever match, we weren't overly disappointed but did think it could have been better.

At $17 a ticket, we got good value, though the best entertainment was watching a scrap between a couple of fans who got a bucket of water poured over them for their troubles before being escorted out.

We didn't have a clue what was happening on the field though, and eventually figured out the general gist of the game by the 4th innings. We missed a hit home run cos we were too busy taking part in a mexican wave :mad::D The other disappointment was the state of the food being sold. Perhaps it was because we just have the romantic version as seen on TV to base our expectations on...

Would we do it again? Definitely!! though as Anti says, probably next year when the Citifield is open, or make it to the Yankees.

[andyschest]

Thanks all for your helpful replies. There's a home Yankees game on while we're over so we'll try to get to that. It appears to be on Friday through Sunday but I'm sure there's a good reason for that!

[Elixir]

They tend to play a series of games against a particular side. Suppose its to do with the US being so large and they play each other a few times each season, all at once. It really does seem strange but the teams play pretty much most days throughout the season. I dont really understand how the Games are scheduled or why the National and American league teams play each other under different rules but they are only minor differences anyway.

It seems really simple at first, which is good for a novice, but gets really complicated when you look further into it. I'm definately looking forward to my first real life Baseball game... :D

[andyschest]

Having made the decision to go to the game, I now can't get tickets. Anyone else thinking about it, just get on and do it before it's too late!

[antinimby]

Like I had said (;))...

Yankee tickets are extremely popular and sell out very fast so you should definitely get them as soon as possible and as far in advance as possible. I would do it now if I were you.

Anyhow, what date(s) are you looking at going? Maybe you haven't looked hard enough. Did you try every seating section? Be flexible with seating and dates and you should find something.

[andyschest]

Like I had said (;))...
Anyhow, what date(s) are you looking at going? Maybe you haven't looked hard enough. Did you try every seating section? Be flexible with seating and dates and you should find something.
I only left it a few days!

I'm looking for August 16th or 17th. I've tried every section listed in the dropdown for both days several times. I've really had my fill of typing Penguin Bicycles and the like into Ticketmaster. Still, at least I'm apparently digitising a book for someone!

I had a look at the Mets last night and I think I can get tickets there. As a fan of 1960s architecture, I might also appreciate the stadium. I guess I'll have to make a decision about that soon before they sell out too.

[antinimby]

I went in and checked those dates and found tickets available for all sections. You must have done something wrong or went to the wrong place.

Go here (http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/schedule/index.jsp?c_id=nyy&m=8&y=2008).

Click on the green box with a "T" for the particular date you are interested in.

A new pop-up window will open asking you for the number of seats and section you would like.

After a security question/check, you will be allowed to purchase the tickets. ;)

[andyschest]

I went in and checked those dates and found tickets available for all sections. You must have done something wrong or went to the wrong place. Go here (http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/schedule/index.jsp?c_id=nyy&m=8&y=2008). Click on the green box with a "T" for the particular date you are interested in. A new pop-up window will open asking you for the number of seats and section you would like. After a security question/check, you will be allowed to purchase the tickets. ;)
That's exactly what I've been doing and I can't get three tickets in any section. Either you were finding single tickets or there's something very weird going on. Thanks for taking the time to try it for me.

[NYatKNIGHT]

I have gotten tickets to sold out games on e-bay, though I'm not sure how feasible that is for you.

[antinimby]

andychest, you must be correct--I was searching for single tickets but somehow three available seats side by side are harder to find.

Maybe you can try to buy two at a time and then buy another one, adding up to three altogether and then ask to switch seats with the persons sitting in the seats next to you.

Other than that, I don't know what else I can tell you. There are always the scalpers outside of the stadium on game day but they charge an arm and leg.

[DarrylStrawberry]

I still think you should check into either of the minor league teams (both yankees and mets). you will have just as good a time without the expense.

[andyschest]

E-bay looks like an option and also there's something called StubHub. I've looked at SI Yankees and Mets and they're definitely options we'll consider. Thanks all for your suggestions and credit to everyone on here who goes out of their way to help visitors to their wonderful city.

[eddhead]

^^

I can recommend the SI Yankees. The stadium right off the ferry in St George and overlooks the harbor. It is gorgeous, and easy to get to. Just take the SI Ferry which is free. You'll have a great time.

Stubhub is a virtual marketplace/broker where people who own tickets (usually season ticket holders who cannot make specific games) make tickets available to folks who want to buy. Normally they are available on short notice. Clever business model in sort of like ebay without the auction functionality.