[Big_Pun]

i started following baseball years back in the mid 90's when i was about 10, and have always supported the chicago white sox because my dad, completely oblivious to the sport, bought me one of their t shirts. seemed like a good reason at the time, and proved to be last year when we won the world series rather commandingly. so jus wondering if anyone else is into it. got a couple of mates into it, but not in a major way.

[DJT75]

Thinking I'd like Baseball I went to see a game at San Francisco in 2000. The new stadium had just opened & the crowd was pretty massive - but it was the dullest 3 hours of my life. Had they not had beer I would've killed myself . Basketball in Orlando was nearly as dull but the Ice Hockey was superb!!

[Shady]

Hi chaps

In 2003 me and the missus went to Florida for 3 weeks in September / October while the playoffs were on. This was the time the Florida Marlins got into the finals.

Now we knew nothing about baseball when we went, but got swept along with the whole experience - especially when our local bar in Orlando, the TGI sports bar, was showing it constantly. This bar has around 30 screens in the main bar area and the atmosphere was fantastic.

Last year we decided to do the west coast at the same time of the year, and as we were stopping in LA we decided to go and see a game. We booked the tickets before we went via the San Diego Padres website (I have got to say they have really got this sorted out - all the teams have the same style website and the ticket booking is identical. Much better than our system of each club having there own site, some good some poor...). We had a few questions like 'how long does a game last', and found that our questions were answered very quickly and in an extremely friendly manner. Also, I was surpised that we managed to get tickets having (1) no season ticket, and (2) not being affiliated to either team. Try doing that back here - can you as easily get to see Man Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea on a whim ? Not without a season ticket or being a member of some registration system.

Anyway, we went to Petco Park to see the San Diego Padres take on the LA Dodgers - and were absolutely blown away by the day.

Beutiful blue skies, beers and hot dogs bought to your seats, in fact all the things you imagine from watching american TV and movies.

As the game goes on for three hours or so there is plenty of time for entertainment both before and during the game. It is a real family affair with the crowds mixed - no fans segregation that we could see and a load of banter going on between rival groups. Before the game there were BBQ's and the coaching staff were taking kids through a game of 'wiffle ball' (like mini baseball).

During the game, much of the entertainment is centered around the video screen - from fans sending in pictures of their pets dressed in team colours (weird), to an animated race between 3 yachts around San Diego harbour - with the fans betting on which colour would win. You could here the crowd cheering on their favourite colour, and then either cheering or groaning depending upon the result and how much cash they had lost to their mate.

At the end of each innings there was something different to watch from a sing along to the girls firing t shirts into the crowd (The Simpsons had that one so right). At the end of the 7th innings they had what they called the '7th Inning stretch' - which was just that, everyone gets up, has a stretch, goes to the loo or gets some more beers (happy to say the wife drove back).

During the season I would strongly recommend anyone going to see a game - it is so much more than just the game, it is an event in itself, and one of the highlights of my holiday.

Sorry to rattle on, I really want to go back...


Cheers