Bay Area Baseball
April Means Opening Day and a Full Slate of Games for Bay Area Baseball Fans
Whether you’re a Bay Area resident or planning a springtime visit, if you love baseball, you should plan on attending a game at AT&T Park, Oakland-Alameda County Stadium or both. While attending both ballparks may seem blasphemous to Giants and A’s fans, visitors from out of town do not have to bother with such tribal trivialities. They only need to check schedules to see if either team is in town during their visit and whether or not their ballclub is playing either of the Bay Area squads.
For sports fans, few trips are more fun that watching their team play in an opposing team’s venue and seeing that team’s traditions and players, as well as seeing and experiencing the venue itself. Baseball fans know that not all hotdogs are created equal and sampling a dog or three, along with local malt-based beverages during the game is a big part of the out-of-town experience. It is also often fun to sit next to opposing fans during the game and talk about players, key plays, the history and stories of the venue and other insider knowledge. These and other facets of the experience are a big part of the fun of watching a game while you’re visiting the Bay Area for business or pleasure.
Arranging tickets to attend either ballpark in April is a fairly straightforward process. You can either order tickets through the Giants’ or A’s official websites, check stubhub.com, craigslist or other secondary market purveyors online or buy directly from fans attending the game who have extra tickets for the game. It’s never a sure thing, but buying from fans is often the best way to get great seats for face value or near-face value, as they are eager to get rid of their extras as quickly as practical and many are more interested in recouping their expenses, rather than haggling for the best price.
Getting to either ballpark is quite easy through various Bay Area mass transportation options. If you want to bother with driving and traffic, there is usually plenty of pay parking available, but a big part of the out-of-town experience is striking up conversations with fans on their way to and from the game on buses and trains. So if you’re a baseball fan heading to Oakland, San Francisco or a Bay Area community this April, remember to dress warmly in layers, as either ballpark can get a bit chilly, not only in April but the summer months as well. Also remember that you’re most likely to sit next to and have great conversations with real fans in the cheaper seats in the upper deck and down either foul line. Heck, you might even end up sitting to a baseball fan from your town or another country. That would make for a very fun Bay Area baseball experience indeed!