Should I go to the All Star game?

[grabbergreen84]

It's coming to my town this year! Last time it was here, my car was brand new, (and owned by someone else) and I was young and dumb and broke. I watched it at home on a non solid state CRT television set.


Anyone else ever gone? I've never attended a sporting event of this magnitude. If I can get my hands on two or three tickets for not too obscene of a price, I will strongly consider it. One of my friends seems pretty damned sure that he'll be at the Home Run Derby. Will admission be more intrusive than boarding a commercial flight?

What does everyone else here think about something like this?

[STANGMAN116]

If you have the opportunity to go.. heck ya I would...

[TopGear85]

I agree, if you have the opportunity you gotta go.

[83gtstang]

Yes go, been kicking my self in the butt for not going to ZZ Top concert since last year...YOLO!

[84StangSVT]

I would say if you can get the tickets at a decent price then GO FOR IT! While baseball is not really something I watch or follow at all, attending a game is not much different than any professional sport. The worst part of the ordeal I have found is parking.....plan ahead, leave really early and try and beat the traffic as it is always a nightmare. As for security at the gate, it's not typically that bad as most check you for weapons with a wand and as long as you don't set it off you're good to go. Most stadiums don't allow large bags, coolers and I believe most have adopted a clear bag rule for people that need to carry in a bag for necessary items. I found it really isn't that unpleasant getting in, nothing like an airport.

[PaceFever79]

I say go! (many of our guys will be there)

Should be a great season of baseball in the NL Central

It's almost the perfect storm, Reds vs Pirates.

[stableboy]

Go. Take some photos so I can show the Phillies what real baseball players look like.

[grabbergreen84]

No one I know is going, so last night after four or five beers, I got a wild hair and decided that I would go anyway. I came home and got on the computer and found a few downloadable tickets, so I bit the bullet and went ahead and purchased one.
It's standing room only, and cost nearly two times its face value - and had a $67.50 service charge tacked on top of all of that!
I don't normally spend $300-plus on non-necessities, but how often does one get to go to an All Star game? I also spent $5.00 printing it off at Kinko's...
It's not a World Series game, but it does still have national significance. Plus I get to go to the ball park and I'm guaranteed to not have to see the Reds lose...

[grabbergreen84]

It was expensive but I went, and I'm glad I did. Just walking into the park put a smile on my face for 15 minutes. Most of my pics didn't turn out, but I was using my so-called smart phone.
Transportation was the cheapest part of the night, at $2.00 each way on the city bus - about a 15 minute trip. The fare was actually only $1.75, but the SOBs don't give you any change.
Security was like the airport, but your shoes stay on. I got 'wanded' because my boots set off the metal detector. They had the same little plastic bowls for your keys and phone and tobacco.
For part of the pregame festivities, they brought out the greatest living players, Johnny Bench, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Sandy Koufax. Sandy Koufax played here for the University of Cincinnati when he was in college! Pete Rose was permitted out on the field for a few minutes too, along with Johnny Bench, Barry Larkin, and Joe Morgan as the Reds Franchise Four.
My ticket was standing-room-only, so I stood at the top of the first level, along the 2nd-3rd base line.

16 ounce beers were $8.50, just like at regular season games. I actually had a few. I went ahead and got a T-shirt too, seeing as how the game has been played here just three times in the last 45 years.
I stuck around to watch the MVP ceremony, but Mike Trout chose a black Sliverado with some stupid-looking black wheels over a silver Camaro - although I respected his choice after he said that he got a Corvette for the same accomplishment last year...

I was surprised that I didn't see a single person I knew until I got on the bus to go home.
I would've liked to have seen the Home Run Derby as well, especially with Frazier winning it at home - only the second time that's been done.

I'm still impressed with the downloadable ticket thing. But I guess airline tickets have been printable at home for 10 years or so.

All in all, it was a great event.

[82_Twanger]

I LOVE baseball ! Of course living in the greatest baseball town ever !! St.Louis! Watched the game on TV. Those Dodgers allowed sooo many runs! But all in all my Cards did get some hits, and with Peralta starting at short, and Molina was given the opportunity behind the plate, the game was exciting! Looking forward to watching my Redbird s after Allstar break. Go Cardinals!!

[84StangSVT]

Glad to hear you had a good time, even at $8.50 a beer. It is always worth it, especially when it is a very rare occurrence that it happens to be in the neighborhood.

[gr79]

Glad you had a good time and a lasting memory.
Write it off as medical mental therapy.
Cost is similar to an extra few car payments.
Beer 8.50? And no lap dance?

Attending live is different. No broadcaster commentating describing the action always felt a little odd.

A friend and I, in the 80's, used to sweep the stands at Detroit's Tiger Stadium the morning after a game.
Helped pull the infield field tarp around a few times too.
Something we still talk about. Fond memories.
It was never about the pay, which was only gas and lunch money.

Years later he obtained, from the stadium demo auction, short sections of the actual fold up seats we swept under.
No way did we ever think we would sit in one, in his living room, watching a ball game!

I have a little kitchen appliance that cooks the Ballpark hot dogs on rollers just like they used to at the park.
Can get them 5th inning burnt.

We always attend baseball games when on vacation in another city.
We do not attend any locally now. 'New' park is just not the same.

[79mustangcobra]

That is cool! Is it true that they booed the Cardinals?

[grabbergreen84]

That is cool! Is it true that they booed the Cardinals?

Yes. First during the player introductions, and then when any of them stepped up to bat.
I can't say that I understand - I mean what are the Cards going to do to the Reds? Keep us out of the basement?

I booed at the Giants players, as SF knocked us out of the playoffs a couple of years ago.