Last week, a dozen dads and their kids participated in one of the coolest things you can do during a weekday in New York City. See a baseball game!
We ferried over to Richmond County Bank Ball Park in Staten Island to catch the Minor League defending champs, Staten Island Yankees. The NYC Dads Group decided to “high roll” and purchased the luxury suite (a room with a view) for the game, with an affordable cost of just $25 per ticket.
What does the Room With a View get you?
ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT. You get all the delicious hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken sandwiches and popcorn you want. Plus, cool down with unlimited amounts of soda and water until the end of the seventh inning. Truth: the food was mediocore, but it did not stop us from piling it on our plates.
PRIVATE, CLIMATE-CONTROLLED SUITE. We’re talking about the best seats in the Staten Island Yankees house. This Room with a View includes 12 stadium seats outside and additional seating options inside. Perfect for birthday parties, anniversaries, or just enjoying a baseball game with a bunch of friends. Truth: my two-year-old son enjoyed hiding underneath the concession table-cloth inside the suite so much, we missed innings 2- 8…but, he had a blast and I got to hang out wiht the dads in the air conditioning – not a bad option on a 95 degree day.
FREE STATEN ISLAND YANKEES HAT. Everyone in your group will receive a Limited Edition Staten Island Yankees hat.
ROOM WITH A VIEW. The real estate is so prime at the Staten Island Yankees ballpark that you view the N.Y. Harbor, Manhaatan downtown skyline, and the Statue of Liberty as you sit in the stands of the stadium.
Of the 100 + outings that I have done with the dads group in the past two years, this experience resides near the top. From the ferry ride excursion, to the luxury suite, to the all-u-can eat food, to the relaxed & enjoyable time with the dads, to the personal visit by mascot SCOOTER the Holy Cow, to the kids running the bases after the game – this was awesome! I would recommend attending a minor league game no matter how big your group.
Lastly, we did not catch a foul ball, although they were being popped into the stands nearby.
This clip enabled me to reflect on the only time I ever caught a foul ball and how it involved a young child…at the NY Yankees vs. Kansas City Royals Game about five years ago. Here is the scene:
I attended the N.Y. Yankees game with three friends in prime seats about twenty rows behind the visitors dugout. One of my friends (Matt) joined us with his 9-month old son, Max. Well, as memory would serve me, I went to the concession stand to buy a round of beers for the group. Upon my return, I was walking on the foot-path towards our seats carrying a cardboard box with four beers and a pretzel. A foul boul was coming my way. After bouncing up high on the foot-path in front of me, I scooped it up on the way down, without spilling any of the beer or sogging up the pretzel. Amazing! As you can imagine, I got a significant jolt of excitement from making the grab.
My friends stood nearby and were shocked that it was me that shagged the foul ball. As I returned to the seats (and Not being a parent yet), I was out of control with excitement. Jumping around and screaming like a complete moron – you know like a real sports fan. Well, Max (the 9-month old) did not share my enthusiasm. He was scared, upset, and in a complete tailspin towards a meltdown as a result of my antics. As a token of my sympathy (apology), I offered him the foul ball that I had caught. Matt would not accept it, but suggested getting him another ball in the gift shop. I quickly obliged. Full disclosure: I had the chance to spend quality time with Matt & his son numerous times after that ball game. For at LEAST a year, every time his son would see me, he would initially shy away, avoid me completely, or cry. Sorry Max! I apologize for my actions that day, but can’t promise I won’t act the same childish way if I catch another foul ball…
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