Celebrating World Series Week! Top Ten Things I Like to do at the Ballpark
By Tracy March
Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie. I don’t know about you, but I get all swoony just thinking about baseball. I love it so much that I even wrote The Practice Proposal, a novel about a sexy MLB player, his (not so) fake romance, and his team’s quest for a World Series win. The Washington Nationals are his team, and mine, too. Sadly, they didn’t make it to the World Series, but I’ll still be watching, imagining the exciting day when the Nats (finally) get there—and win! Meanwhile, I’ll have to rely on my fond memories of exciting games at Nationals Park. When I’m lucky enough to attend a game, here are the top ten things I enjoy doing there.
10. Shopping at the Team Store – This is really saying something because I can’t stand to shop, but I’m like an awestruck groupie in the Nationals store where all that bright red and blue is on full display. I love that the selection of women’s styles has grown, offering some pretty cool fan gear so us girls can rock our team spirit!
9. Singing Take Me Out to the Ballgame during the Seventh-Inning Stretch – I’m no Adele, but I sure enjoy standing and singing this iconic baseball tune with 35,000 of my closest fan-friends. It’s traditional, all-American, and quintessentially baseball!
8. The Wave – Not! Please, oh please, could we just get past the wave? Seriously. Enough already! 😉
7. Pre-Game Happy Hour – And not just for the obvious reason—before-the-first-pitch, attractively-priced adult beverages! It’s a great time to socialize and bask in the excitement of just being at the ballpark, anticipating a big game!
6. Batting Practice – Which comes before/during Happy Hour. If you want to see some players smack some baseballs, check out easy-pitch batting practice when you’re most likely to catch a “home run” ball because so many sail into the stands. Ladies, bring your gloves!
5. Celebrating Awesome Plays with Other Fans – Sure, it’s fun to watch games on television and holler and cheer in your house. But it’s incredible actually being there and seeing that awesome double-play, that scorched home-run ball, that unbelievable defensive out. It’s exhilarating to share the excitement with other fans at the stadium and experience the electric atmosphere.
4. Walk-Up Music Fun – I love to hear the tunes that players select for their walk-up music—from country songs, to rock classics, to quirky ‘80s favorites. Often the crowd will sing along, or shout during breaks in the rhythm. Former Nationals player Michael Morse inspired a crowd favorite with his choice of A-Ha’s Take On Me as his walk-up music. Even though the music would stop, in a moment of collective Nattitude, the crowd always continued singing the chorus until they reached the high note. Have a look here. Feel free to sing along…you know you want to!
3. Eating a Hot Dog – Are there more appealing choices at the park than an often kept-in-the-warmer-too-long, foil-wrapped hot dog topped with mustard and a few onions? Of course! But nothing appeals to me more than the traditional fare of a ballpark hot dog—soggy bun and all!
2. Watching Amazing Plays – You could argue that this might be better accomplished watching a television without all the distractions of the game atmosphere, and you’d have a fair point. But there’s something even more awesome about watching the most talented athletes in the sport make nearly impossible plays in person. It’s what keeps me going back to Stub Hub looking for sweet deals on tickets!
1. Watching Hot Guys Make Amazing Plays – Maybe witnessing the talent and skill of pro baseball players competing should be enough entertainment, but I’m all for the sensory overload of watching hot talented and skilled players pouring all their testosterone into the game. Thank goodness the season is seven swoon-worthy months long! Play ball, guys!
How about you? Do you love baseball, or have another favorite sport? What are your favorite things to do at the ballpark?
Psst! We have a surprise for you. To celebrate the World Series, and The Practice Proposal being selected as a Top Pick by RT Book Reviews, Tracy is sponsoring an awesome Giveaway just for you. Come back on Thursday, October 24th, to see what it is all about and to enter. We promise it will be delicious!
About the Author:
Award-winning author Tracy March writes romantic thrillers influenced by her career in the pharmaceutical field, and her interest in science and politics. She also writes lighthearted romances inspired by her real-life happily ever after. Always up for travel and adventure, Tracy has flown in a stunt plane, snowmobiled on the Continental Divide, ziplined in the Swiss Alps, and been chased by a bull in the mountains of St. Lucia. She loves Nationals baseball, Saturday date nights, and Dairy Queen Blizzards—and rarely goes a day without Diet Coke and Cheez-Its. Tracy lives in Yorktown, Virginia, with her superhero husband who works for NASA. They recently spent two years living in Washington D.C., and enjoy visiting often—especially when the Nats are in town. You can follow Tracy on Twitter or like her on Facebook.
Robin (Masshole Mommy) says
October 22, 2013 at 8:29 amI see nothing wrong with kicking back and watching hot guys 😉
I am super excited that my Red Sox are in the World Series this year!
Jen says
October 22, 2013 at 8:31 amI love going to the ballpark! Our closest one is up in Denver, and the Rockies didn’t have the best season.. but that doesn’t mean we don’t have a blast when we do get to go! Our kids love it!
And hello… your #1 thing to do is MY #1 thing to do!
I’m looking forward to seeing what’s happening on Thursday!!
Rosie says
October 22, 2013 at 8:36 amThe ~Wave~ is right up there with my most favorite things.
Terry (My Journey With Candida) says
October 22, 2013 at 8:36 amI have been to the ballpark.. 2 times in my life. I did enjoy it very much and have no idea why I don’t do it more often. You make it sound like a blast. I might have to go with you the next time so I can look at the guys too.
Rosey says
October 22, 2013 at 8:49 amS’cuse me while I huddle over in the corner and cry now. Tigers are out and the coach is leaving. *sigh*
Marcy Meyer says
October 22, 2013 at 9:11 amI’m from Missouri, so I’m definitely happy that the Cardinals made it! It’s been too long since I’ve been to a game, but all those things seem like fun to me too!
Sarah Bailey says
October 22, 2013 at 9:15 amI have to admit I’m English and know nothing about the world series so half of this went over my head.. Hot guys I get though… x
Debi@TheSpringMount6Pack says
October 22, 2013 at 10:00 amWe had the best time when we went to the ball park. I can not wait until next year.
Tracy March says
October 22, 2013 at 10:10 amThanks for stopping by, everyone, and thanks to Imperfect Women for hosting me again! Congratulations to those of you who have teams going to the World Series. I’m so envious! Hope I live to see the day when my team wins. 🙂 I totally understand how sad it can be when favorite players or owners leave the team. My favorite player got traded this year–twice! But that just gives me more teams to root for, right? And isn’t it fun that we share a universal appreciation for hot guys? 😉
Amber Edwards says
October 22, 2013 at 10:41 amIt sounds like you had a blast! I don’t live anywhere near a ballpark, but it definitely sounds like so much fun to go and enjoy a great game.
Theresa says
October 22, 2013 at 10:44 amI love to go to the ballpark, even if they do charge an arm and a leg for a beer and a hot dog, the experience is so worth it!
Michele says
October 22, 2013 at 1:41 pmI am not a baseball or any other kind of a sport fan! My Dad sure was and I would have to watch every single baseball game on TV with him-it did not help-of course I’d like the hot dogs!
JennieIW says
October 22, 2013 at 2:06 pmI love baseball – I’ve been an SF Giants fan since I was 12. We’ve had a couple of good years lately 🙂 but this year, not so much. I love this list (and hate the wave!).
I also pay attention to walk-up music! It can be fun. Barry Bonds had the overture from “The Phantom of the Opera” and for a while Dr. Dre’s “The Next Episode”, both of which I loved. Rich Aurilia, who’s a NY native, had the Beastie Boys’ “No Sleep Til Brooklyn.” I really enjoyed that, too.
I am not a fan of either the Cardinals or the Red Sox, so I think I’m just going to have to figure out who I like less, root against them, and enjoy the WS that way. At least the odious Dodgers didn’t make it!
Ann@iw says
October 22, 2013 at 4:02 pmNope, not a fan, but my daughter discovered the fun of watching MLB when she went to the Pirates games with her friends. She loved it. It helps when the team wins.
PattyPie says
October 22, 2013 at 4:06 pmInterestingly enough I am not really a baseball fan, but I love going to live games. No so much for the shopping, or the haute cuisine ( NO WAY am I ever going to eat a churro being sold by a dude outside the gate from a cardboard box) or even the crowds of interesting folks. I just like the over all experience of being a big live event and cheering for the home team!
Oh and the hot guys make amazing plays doesn’t hurt either! 🙂
Love your post!
PattyPie says
October 22, 2013 at 4:08 pmPS The delicious giveaway on Thursday isn’t ball park hot dogs or outside the gate churros is it? 😉
Growing Up Madison says
October 22, 2013 at 5:00 pmI am really not a sport fan so don’t really watch the games. I have no idea who is playing most of the time. Hubby on the other hand watches everything. 🙂
Amanda says
October 22, 2013 at 6:02 pmI am not much of a baseball fan but do enjoy a good game of hockey! Ice cream was always my treat at the games I indulged in.
Annemarie says
October 22, 2013 at 6:09 pmThe kids and I had an amazing time going to watch.. and the hot men were not too bad either 😉
Cynthia L. says
October 22, 2013 at 7:46 pmI am not a baseball fan, but I still enjoy going to a game every once and a while. There is something about the crowd that gets the blood pumping!
Tough Cookie Mommy says
October 22, 2013 at 8:07 pmThere is just something magical about visiting the ballpark. There are so many things to see and to experience that it is magic for your five senses. My boys love going to the ballpark.
Liz @ A Nut in a Nutshell says
October 22, 2013 at 8:20 pmYes! The seventh inning stretch is really fun! I’m with you on the walk up music too. Entertaining!
Tess says
October 23, 2013 at 6:03 amI thnk I would have a fun time with the kids going there. the hubby doesnt like baseball, so he probably wouldnt. lol
Amanda McMahon says
October 23, 2013 at 7:43 ami like baseball. but right now, being in india, i’m stuck with my husband watching cricket
Tracy March says
October 23, 2013 at 7:53 amI’m loving all of your comments! It’s so much fun to see that, even if you aren’t a baseball fan, you can still find some magic at the ballpark. There’s something so all-American about baseball since the game is so steeped in nostalgia. I took the picture at the top of this post one night after a day game at Nats Park. My husband and I were walking in the area, amazed at how quiet the stadium was after all of the excitement of the day. Just looking in at the hazily-lit ballpark gave me this surreal, romantic feeling about baseball. So I chose this setting for the first meaningful kiss between my hero and heroine in The Practice Proposal. I sure hope I conveyed the atmosphere well, because it was certainly a memorable experience for me. So happy I have a picture to help me remember it. 🙂
Jen says
October 23, 2013 at 8:04 amAll this talk makes me want to go to a game! Any game! Okay, maybe I really want to go to a Broncos game. LOL
Tracy, I will now be picturing your picture when I read this kiss scene in The Practice Proposal!
Can’t wait to check out the giveaway for tomorrow!
Kristen @ kristenione says
October 23, 2013 at 12:41 pmThis sounds so fun! I’ve never really been into sports that much but these activities want to make me change my mind!
Brittany at The Frugal Free Gal says
October 23, 2013 at 1:31 pmI love baseball games!!! I love the atmosphere and I love getting a hot dog while I’m there!
Casandra says
October 23, 2013 at 2:37 pmI’m a fan of the San Francisco Giants, ever since I lived in the city for 2 years. I’ve only been to one game, but I had a blast! Enjoying a beer and watching the crowd go wild for their favorite team has to be my favorite part!
Pamela says
October 23, 2013 at 3:55 pmI’ve never been to a baseball, but your list covers what I want to do when I go to one…especially number one. That’s the best part.
Laurie - Steals and Deals for Kids says
October 23, 2013 at 5:45 pmGrowing up in Vero Beach FL, we always went to see the Dodgers at spring training. They don’t come here anymore and my grandkids don’t get to experience the fun. Makes me sad…good memories!
Maria says
October 23, 2013 at 6:07 pmI vote for #1!! Ha!! no seriously i’m a big fan, so excited!!
Jennifer Williams says
October 23, 2013 at 6:09 pmMy husband and boys love baseball, I love going to the games to eat but that is the end of my love of baseball. They will be glued to the tv for the series.
Jenn says
October 23, 2013 at 6:32 pmI’m one of those bandwagon jumpers. The last time I engaged in the World Series hype was back in 1992-93 when the Jays won the world series. Unfortunately since then they haven’t come close! lol! Enjoy the world series if its in your town!
Malia says
October 23, 2013 at 10:53 pmbelieve it or not, i have never been to a ballpark! I bet it’s lots of fun.
Lexie Lane says
October 23, 2013 at 11:46 pmSo … I always wonder why it’s called a World Series if only America is in it? Good post though! Definitely makes you want to go regardless!
Jess C says
October 24, 2013 at 12:31 amThis post made me so nostalgic! Can’t wait to get back into going to baseball games! It really is the best fun…
Eileen says
October 24, 2013 at 1:55 amI feel your excitement halfway around the globe! haha. We are not usually big on baseball. It is basketball that people here go gaga about. I particularly love college basketball. I watch the games live at the arena and I wear my school colors. To watch a live sports event is just exhilarating!
Paula -Growing Up Bilingual says
October 24, 2013 at 2:38 amCan’t believe I’ve never been to a game. I really need to take the kids, it does sound like so much fun and although I’ve always thought baseball was a bit boring watching hot guys is certainly not.
Jen says
October 24, 2013 at 7:03 amDid anyone watch the game last night? I didn’t pick a team but the Red Sox sure did beat those Cards!
Pam@IW says
October 24, 2013 at 8:21 amWe watched it. Not a great game. I hope the Cards come back and make it a great Series.
Tory Blum says
October 24, 2013 at 8:46 amI’ve never to a baseball match before but it would be cool someday 🙂
Tracy March says
October 24, 2013 at 11:09 amIt’s amazing the wonderful mix of women here, and that we’re located all around the globe. I’m so thrilled you all have read the post and commented. I love the different perspectives, and the common ones like hot guys are definitely awesome (but who could argue that?!). I did catch most of the game last night–it went kind of late for east coast US. Sadly, I don’t have a team in the hunt, but I sure hope the Cardinals will bounce back and give us an exciting Series. We wait all season for this, after all! 🙂
Katherine Bartlett says
October 24, 2013 at 12:24 pmThe last time I went to a baseball game, I was a teenager. I miss going so much!
Judy Gregory says
October 25, 2013 at 11:40 amOne of my last great memories of my grandfather was watching the 79 world series.
Tracy March says
October 25, 2013 at 12:29 pmWell now we have a World Series, ladies! It’s tied 1-1 and the teams are headed to St. Louis for the next several games. Here’s hoping the rest of the games are awesome! 🙂
Anya@IW says
October 27, 2013 at 7:26 pmGreat article, Tracy. From everything I have heard, the Nats have a promising, young team. You have Bryce (“That’s a clown question, bro.”) Harper! I think your time is coming soon…
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Love everything on your list. I have to admit when I go to live games, I probably pay less attention than I should. Although, I’m not one of those obnoxious people talking on their phone. 😉 I like to get a beer and chat through the first few innings with my family/friends. Then, depending on how the game is going, I’ll get serious and really focus my attention.
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I have to say Twitter has made baseball a lot more fun for me. I love following some of the cool guys on our team. It makes me feel more connected and it’s fun to tweet the players you love!
Michelle F. says
October 27, 2013 at 10:18 pmsad my team didnt make it. but I’m still watching
Shanna says
October 28, 2013 at 6:21 amThis is too funny. We try to get out to a game at least once a year. It’s so fun.
Judy Gregory says
October 28, 2013 at 6:56 amI was a pretty big sport fan but I’m taking a break. Am I the only one sick and tired of cheating (steroids etc.). It’s kinda taken away the fun.
Karen Glatt says
October 28, 2013 at 10:01 amI like watching the World Series this year. It sure is exciting and I love eating my special Hot Dogs when I watch. I am rooting for the Red Sox!
Tammy Woodall says
October 28, 2013 at 4:11 pmI like watching baseball. Nothing beats actually being at the Baseball Game though. The energy you feel in the stadium is really hard to describe. The World Series is always exciting – no matter if your team made it or not.
Doorsie M. says
October 28, 2013 at 10:42 pmOh this was a FUN read!! I’ve never been to a baseball game (YET!!) & I soo look forward to experiencing things… thank you for listing some I didn’t know!! 😀
Tracy March says
October 31, 2013 at 8:24 amSo the Red Sox won the World Series! Congratulations if you’re a fan! Now that baseball season is over, I’ll start counting the days until Spring Training, and catching up on some of the shows I missed over the last seven months while I’ve been watching baseball!
Thanks, everyone, for stopping in and commenting. I just love the community here at Imperfect Women. Wishing all of you wonderful, memorable times at the ballpark! 🙂
md Kennedy says
December 10, 2013 at 8:55 amAs a Red Sox fan, I always love it when we sing Sweet Caroline at the top of our lungs in the 7th inning stretch. So special!