Baseball on a price range: a information for thrifty Rays followers

There’s no query that taking a household out for a day on the ballpark could be costly. Rays baseball, nevertheless, is extra inexpensive than Bucs soccer or Lightning hockey, and for the cost-conscious there are methods to save lots of — on tickets, on parking and on meals.

Right here we’re sharing some tips about having fun with the Rays with out breaking the financial institution; in case you are prepared to share a few of your concepts please accomplish that within the feedback as effectively.

Tickets… and costs

Ticket costs differ, relying on the place you sit and whenever you go to a recreation. The Rays cost extra on weekends than on weekdays, and cost an entire lot extra for “prime video games” (these in opposition to the Yankees and Pink Sox and in some instances in opposition to Nationwide League groups just like the Cubs). So in case your schedule is versatile, you’ll at all times save if you happen to can attend, say, a Tuesday evening recreation in opposition to the Royals fairly than a Friday evening recreation in opposition to the Yankees. For these nonprime video games, you may get superb seats for an inexpensive price. Outfield seats promote for $20; press degree (second deck) seats for $25.

There are additional alternatives for reductions as effectively. In case you are a university scholar, you may get $9 standing room tickets, and with the addition of the Porch, simply above centerfield, standing isn’t so unhealthy. Navy members, each energetic and non-active, obtain reductions.

For the month of August, the Rays even have a 20% off particular that applies to all tickets. I acquired a coupon by Valpak; see under for a picture with the low cost code:

Following the Rays on social media or sharing your e mail tackle with them may also aid you see another one-off or short-term low cost gives. For instance, there’s at the moment a flash sale for $15 tickets (accessible by 10 am on July 23 for any recreation in July or August).

Sadly the checklist value for tickets is rarely the entire ticket value story. Everytime you purchase a ticket some $5-8 {dollars} in charges might be added. In essence, groups just like the Rays have outsourced ticket gross sales to distributors like Ticketmaster, which earn their cash by tacking on charges. You’d assume the absence of precise printed tickets would assist decrease charges, however that doesn’t appear to be the case. Some years in the past you had been capable of buy tickets instantly from the ticket workplace on the stadium and keep away from all these charges; I’m undecided if that’s nonetheless the case.

Meals

Not way back we famous that the Rays at the moment are one in every of solely two MLB groups that don’t allow followers to carry their very own meals, a departure from their pre-COVID insurance policies and a disappointment for a lot of; nevertheless, you possibly can nonetheless assist lower down on concession spending in just a few methods.

First, there are some exceptions to the no meals coverage. You’ll be able to carry your individual sealed bottles of water, or carry empty water bottles to refill on the stadium. You’ll be able to carry snacks for kids and you’ll carry meals if vital for medical causes. Suffice it to say that the bag checkers will not be asking for physician’s notes.

Secondly, there are such a lot of alternatives to seize a meal or a beer close to Tropicana Subject which you could simply refill pre- or post-game. And no, Ferg’s is not the one recreation on the town. For the price range acutely aware, road food-themed locations like Bodega or Hawkers supply moderately priced meals and snacks. Right here is only one information to Central Avenue eateries that may be helpful to these heading to the ballpark.

Attending to the stadium and parking

There are certainly methods to get to Tropicana Subject with out driving, at the very least for these in Pinellas County. The stadium lies on the Pinellas path, which makes it fairly accessible by bicycle in case you are coming from factors north or south. There are additionally at the very least three Pinellas County buses (routes 16, 18 and 32) which have Tropicana Subject stops.

In case you are not coming from Pinellas County there is probably not good options to arriving by automotive. The Tropicana Subject tons closest to the stadium cost $20; there are some pre-paid choices for simply $15, however it may be less expensive.

My private favourite selection is to park within the public South Core storage ($1 per hour) and take the free “baseball trolley” (actually a bus) to the stadium. Moreover, the trolley doesn’t add that a lot time to my journey because it avoids the logjams when everybody leaves the stadium tons on the similar time, and it permits me to faux that I dwell in an actual metropolis with respectable public transit. Apparently, the Rays used to have details about this shuttle on their web site, however they don’t anymore. You could find data right here.

To make certain, in case your thought of an amazing day on the ballpark contains the perfect seats in the home, reserved parking and limitless concessions then the following tips won’t attraction to you. However for the cost-conscious, selecting off-peak video games, off-site parking, and limiting these $12 concession snacks ought to will let you take pleasure in baseball at cheap costs.