“I absolutely love Kurt Smith's Ballpark E-Guides. Having written about ballparks since I founded BaseballParks.com, I like to think I know a thing or two about MLB stadiums. However, every time I read one of Kurt's E-Guides, I learn countless new facts about visiting that ballpark -- the best ways to get to the park, ticket specials, the food there and on and on. Each E-Guide is filled with solid-gold tips about the ballpark...I couldn't recommend these treasures more highly!” – Joe Mock, Owner of BaseballParks.com and author of Joe Mock’s Ballpark Guide

Greetings Baseball Fan!

And Welcome to the Ballpark E-Guides Home Page!

If you’re planning to go to a ballgame or two or a hundred in 2012, and get the most out of the experience, Ballpark E-Guides are for you!

First, thanks for visiting! I am Kurt Smith, former NASCAR commentator and now the owner and author of Ballpark E-Guides. I’m here to give you the skinny on everything related to going to a ballgame at your favorite ballpark… tickets, seating, getting there and food, and anything else I can think of!

I love going to baseball games, and I’m sure you do too. The ballpark is my favorite place to be. Even people I know that dislike baseball enjoy going to ballgames. And the only thing better than going to a ballgame is a road trip to see a ballgame in a different ballpark. But if you do as I did for many years, chances are you’re wasting time, money, and aggravation.

It’s so much better going to a game when you know what you’re doing. Take it from me...I’ve learned this, since I once was not crazy about Fenway Park. (AAAAGHHH!!!) Now it’s one of my favorite ballparks…check out the story of how I changed my mind here.

Just for starters, for each team featured on this website, I’ve included some of my favorite tips on seating, getting to the ballpark, and something related to the local grub. I have also included a “Schedule Picks” page that will help you pick a low demand game (or in the Phillies and Red Sox’s case, a lower-demand game) and save beaucoups bucks on tickets.

But this is just scratching the surface. Available on this site are Ballpark E-Guides; PDF-format, downloadable guides to just about anything you could need to know about attending a game in that ballpark. I’ll tell you best ways to get tickets, the best places to sit, the many ways to get there, and whatever food options are available at the ballpark.

That's Right...Ballgames Don't Have To Be That Expensive!

Using what I’ve researched, I saved close to $60 going to just one game at Yankee Stadium (coming from South Jersey). I saved money on everything: gas, parking, public transit, food and tickets. Not just that…I ate better than I normally would at a ballgame, I got there with very little hassle, and I even avoided a long line at the gate.

Sixty bucks! That’s just for one game…how much could you save going to five, or ten games?

I live in the Philadelphia area, about 15 minutes away from Citizens Bank Park. In the past, I would buy a ticket online, grumble about the “convenience fee”, sit in traffic on the way to the game, grumble about the price of parking, wait in a long line at the gate, sit in a seat I wasn’t crazy about, for food maybe have a hot dog and a beer, grumble about the price, sit in traffic after the game, and grumble about the cost of gas getting there and back.

Ballgames are still great fun of course, even with all of that grumbling…but why not make it easier and cheaper?

Now, for the same amount of money, I get a better seat, use an easier way in and out, avoid waiting in line at the gate, find a hot dog and a beer and maybe throw in a Schmitter and a soda, and sail out after the game without long waits in the parking lot.

I’ve shared some of those tips in links from the Citizens Bank Park Page. Go ahead, have a look. I’ll wait.

Back already? Found some good reading? Great…but those tips are only the beginning. With a Ballpark E-Guide you’ll know much, much more!

If a team is offering great deals on tickets, wouldn’t you want to know about it? Sure, it’s on their website…but have you ever tried navigating a team website? They’re not the easiest websites to get around, and they’re certainly not the fastest. And I don’t think that is by accident.

Take the Yankees (please). The field level seats at Yankee Stadium go for around $375…ridiculous, right? Did you know that you can go to the Modell’s in Times Square on game day and get those seats for half the price? Still too expensive, in my opinion, but that’s a $187 savings—for the same padded, comfortable seat.

Good luck finding that on the Yankees website.

And for every team there are deals on tickets to be had…that you may have never even thought existed. Many of us just accept that we’ll be paying through the nose for everything when we go to a ballgame. Well, you don’t always have to, even at Yankee Stadium.

Believe me, I’ve kicked myself in the head many times at things I’ve found doing research for Ballpark E-Guides. (But please don’t try that yourself; it’s very painful.)

What about getting to the ballpark? If you’re like me, you’ve driven and parked at games without even thinking about it, and just paid the sometimes exorbitant parking fee at the first lot you could find. What if you knew that there are lots nearby that are not only much cheaper but provide an easier in and out?

Most teams have viable public transportation options, too…and I am growing fond of not having to deal with city traffic. And if you use public transportation, you may discover a great takeout joint to fill up your goodie bag, as I have several times.

Don’t like being on crowded trains? I can understand that. Would you prefer a bus instead? They’re usually available too.

The point is that if you know well ahead of time all of the ways to get to the ballpark, you can pick a route that works best for you…and maybe save yourself big time traffic headaches, parking prices and gas. Or if you’d still prefer to drive, you can pick a lot that’s cheaper or easier to get out of.

I’ll use Wrigley Field as an example. Wrigley may be the most difficult ballpark in North America to reach by car. But there are ways to approach it, like from the south rather than the west, that can save you time and gas. And while parking can be upwards of $40 in nearby lots, at a weekday game you can very often find a street spot and park for free with little trouble.

You’d be surprised how many people don’t realize this.

Think about having an extra $40 to spend at The Friendly Confines, money that you would have spent on parking if you didn’t know better. That’s almost two Old Styles!

It’s the same with using the train to get to the ballpark. Sure, the Red Line El train drops you off steps from the corner of Addison and Sheffield and the right field entrance. It runs frequently and it’s efficient. All great. But the Red Line gets pretty crowded with Cubs fans, and it’s not always the most pleasant or quietest of train rides (not because of Cubs fans, of course, just because of the tight quarters of crowded trains).

You could use the Blue Line and the #80 Irving Park Road bus instead…and not have to either stay in a downtown hotel or park your car somewhere more expensive. The Blue Line and #80 (and a four block walk past popular takeout restaurants in Wrigleyville) are nowhere near as crowded…and you can access it from several inexpensive park and rides. Or you could use the much quieter and less crowded Brown Line, and stop at that line’s Belmont or Addison stations, which aren’t too long a walk from Wrigley.

All of these routes and many more are explained in detail in the Wrigley Field E-Guide. How much money (and gas and time, too) would it save you knowing about all of this?

There are easier ways to get to the ballpark than you use or plan to use…and I've shared them all in each Ballpark E-Guide.

Is there anything cheap to eat at the ballpark? Well, not very often. The Brewers have $1 hot dogs on certain promotional nights that are slightly bigger than your average index finger. The Phillies and Indians also have popular dollar dog nights on occasion. The Tigers and Rays have $5 beers in certain spots in their ballparks.

So if you’re going to lay out ballpark prices for food, at least get something that works for you. Don’t overpay for a plain ol' dog. Maybe try some local flavor if you’re from out of town. Or some unusual trimmings on your hot dog.

I’ll use Nationals Park in Washington as an example now. Have you ever tried a Ben’s Chili Half Smoke “All The Way”? If not, put it on your list if you like a spicy chili dog—it’s the best. How about the Hard Times chili nachos? Good value there and tasty, even if they’re close to $10. Have you heard about the new Shackburger, or the chipotle garlic wings at Blue Smoke?

The team website will tell you what they offer and where all of this stuff is, which is nice of them, but sometimes those pages are loaded with ads and are awfully slow to load. (It’s exasperating when doing research, I can tell you.) And there’s no pictures! A Ballpark E-Guide will not only tell you where the food items are, including gluten-free and vegetarian food, but I’ll share with you anything else I can find out about them, too. If ten people have said the chicken sandwich is dry, I’ll share that.

Maybe you’re a vegetarian, or you are allergic to gluten, like my wife is. Ballpark E-Guides will help you with that, too.

And Anything Else You Need To Know...

The E-Guide throws in some extra knowledge, too…like what to be aware of for the handicapped, what sort of statues or museums are worth a look, what the surrounding area is like, what sort of post-game entertainment exists, and any other nuggets that might be helpful to you. At the end of each guide is a list of websites and phone numbers for anything relevant. You even get a page for players to sign autographs on, just in case you need it!

For each Ballpark E-Guide, I went through thousands of reviews, blog posts and message boards; visited and explored not only the ballpark but the surrounding area and public transportation, and took thousands of pictures. I’m not bragging here—I’m happy to do it! And now you don’t have to bother with any of that…I’ve put it all into 30-35 page, PDF-format eBooks, with a table of contents, bookmarks on everything for easy navigation and helpful illustrations. And “Tightwad Tips” throughout to help you save moolah on all of it.

Most of all, it is my hope that you find a Ballpark E-Guide to be an enjoyable read, even if you're not heading to the ballpark anytime soon.

All for just five bucks! That’s a pretty small risk, I’d say. It's as safe as buying on eBay, too...they are sold through the e-Junkie service, and you can use PayPal or a major credit card.

But you don’t have to buy one right now. Go ahead and use the Schedule Picks; pick out a game based on low demand and hopefully you can save a bunch of money on tickets. It’s especially good if you’re less knowledgeable about baseball and are buying tickets as a gift for the fan in your family!

And by all means please drop me a line and share your opinion, good or bad. Please let me know if what’s on this website helps you out, or if you’d like something to be available. And if you like, sign up for the newsletter too…it’s usually got a tip or two in it!

See you at the Yard!

Best Regards,

Kurt Smith

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