![](\"http:\/\/www.danwashburn.com\/sportinglife\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/ballgame.jpg\")
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April 8, 2001 \u00e2\u20ac\u201d Baseball is big business. Duh.<\/p>\n
When Alex Rodriguez signed a contract worth more than the gross domestic product of Micronesia that became abundantly clear. As if it wasn’t before.<\/p>\n
As usual, ticket prices are up again \u00e2\u20ac\u201d a 13 percent hike to an average of $18.99 this year. Atlanta Braves tickets, up 11.5 percent to an average of $22.05, are the eighth most expensive in the major leagues.<\/p>\n
But baseball is still a bargain compared to other professional sports. The average NFL ticket price was $48.97 last year. It’s $51.02 in the NBA and $47.69 in the NHL.<\/p>\n
And there are still ways to see the Braves on even more of a budget. In fact, a day at the ballpark can be downright cheap if you plan ahead (or if you have a press pass). Of course, a trip to Turner Field can be as expensive as you want it to be, as well.<\/p>\n
I did some investigating last Wednesday during the Braves’ second home game of the season, against the New York Mets. Game time was 7:05 p.m. I left Gainesville at 3:30 p.m. The early bird gets the bargains \u00e2\u20ac\u201d and beats the traffic.<\/p>\n
One way to save some coin is by utilizing the public transportation provided by MARTA. I drove to the Brookhaven station, but the ones farther north in Chamblee and Doraville would serve Gainesvillians just as well.<\/p>\n
For a mere $1.75, you can take the train to Five Points and then hop on the Turner Field shuttle bus, which starts running two hours before game time. It drops you off right in front of the stadium. No traffic … and no $10 parking fee.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/danwashburn.com\/ballgame2.jpg\")
“It’s convenient,” said Armando Cabrera, 44, of Roswell, who along with six family members took the train from the North Springs station off of Ga. 400. “They pick you up. They drop you off. You can’t beat it.”<\/p>\n
I talked with Monte Williams, a MARTA bus supervisor at Turner Field, who told me that an average of 4,000 fans per game used the shuttle last season. On Wednesday, as many as 27 shuttle buses were running at once.<\/p>\n
For whatever reason, tickets to see the Braves \u00e2\u20ac\u201d winners of nine division titles in a row \u00e2\u20ac\u201d are still usually available on the day of the game. But you have to get there early for the $1 tickets. That’s right, $1.<\/p>\n
There are 186 $1 tickets available for most games. They go on sale three hours before the game, and usually sell quickly.<\/p>\n
“When we have really hot teams, there will be a line all the way back there waiting,” the gentleman behind the ticket window said, pointing far off in the distance.<\/p>\n
Even though the hated Mets were in town, there was no such line on Wednesday \u00e2\u20ac\u201d granted, there was the threat of rain and it was a school night. But still the dollar window (the one all the way to the right) closed at 5:55 p.m. after selling out.<\/p>\n
David Boettinger and Andrew Bennett got their tickets in time, though.<\/p>\n
“Just walk up, it’s that easy,” said Boettinger, a 25-year-old Atlantan. “Get here two hours early, pay a dollar, go back and drink some beers. It’s one of the nicest ballparks in the country, I think. There’s not a bad seat in the house.”<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/danwashburn.com\/ballgame3.jpg\")
Some of the best seats, according to Bennett, can be found at the Chop House, Turner Stadium’s bar behind the bleachers in right-centerfield.<\/p>\n
“We just get the dollar seats and hang out at the bar the whole time,” said Bennett, 25, of Atlanta. “It’s mostly college students and people our age. They just get the dollar tickets and chill out there.”<\/p>\n
But some actually sit in their $1 seats \u00e2\u20ac\u201d located at the either end of the upper deck \u00e2\u20ac\u201d and have quite a good time.<\/p>\n
John L. Williams, 69, of Northwest Atlanta, was up there making good on a promise to his grandchildren and their friends. Five seats for $5. Not bad.<\/p>\n
“Well, the fact is I didn’t have enough money to get the other seats,” said Williams, a charter bus driver. “And I promised the kids that I was going to bring them to a game on their spring break. This was my opportunity.”<\/p>\n
If the $1 seats sell out before you arrive, don’t worry. There are also 4,000 or so seats that cost only $5.<\/p>\n
Most food prices inside the stadium are relatively reasonable, as far as stadium prices go. Sandwiches and such top out at $6.75, which is $.25 less than a 24-ounce beer.<\/p>\n
If you prefer to eat cheaper, you can always pack your own meal. Turner Stadium allows fans to bring coolers small enough to fit under their seats. You’re not allowed to bring alcohol. And aluminum and glass containers are against the rules, too.<\/p>\n
I wandered the stadium making note of concession costs. I’d stand in front of each stand and speak the prices into my tape recorder. I’m sure I looked like a moron.<\/p>\n
One curious onlooker approached me. He looked familiar.<\/p>\n
“Hi, I’m Stan Kasten,” the Braves’ president said. “I was wondering what you are doing.”<\/p>\n
I put the tape recorder down, and explained.<\/p>\n
“Well, we have the family thing, which is the ultimate deal,” Kasten offered, referring to the Braves’ “family value package”: four upper level tickets, four hot dogs, four soft drinks, a parking pass and a program for $49. “That’s a great deal. So you can do that if that’s what matters to you.”<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/danwashburn.com\/ballgame5.jpg\")
Then Kasten pointed to the upper deck: “And we haven’t changed any ticket prices upstairs in a couple of years. It still beats some of the other sports we have to compete with.” Kasten, by the way, is also president of the Atlanta Hawks.<\/p>\n
After food, I switched to merchandise. I found $5 hats and $10 T-shirts at the Five Points MARTA station and outside the stadium. Inside, you get a better selection (and likely better quality), but you pay for it. Adult T-shirts start at $20 and children’s at $12. Hats go for anywhere from $12-$25.<\/p>\n
Other Braves items of note: dog leash, $20; crocodile beanie baby, $10; dress socks, $9; Chipper Jones temporary tattoos, three for $5.<\/p>\n
When the rains came in the fifth inning, I ventured down to the Chop House to see what the young people were up to. They didn’t appear to be watching a baseball game.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/danwashburn.com\/ballgame4.jpg\")
“We came here because we didn’t want to sit in the rain \u00e2\u20ac\u201d and we were bored,” said 26-year-old Rachael Bass, an employee of a certain global cable news network based in Atlanta (I suppose taking advantage of cushy company-owned seats is another way to see the Braves on a budget). “We just like to come and hang out and be entertained.”<\/p>\n
“We like the socializing part of it,” added friend Mariah Weiss, 23.<\/p>\n
Bass and Weiss stood under an awning as the rain trickled down. They didn’t have a view of the field.<\/p>\n
“Do you know what the score is?” I asked.<\/p>\n
“4-1,” Bass responded with complete confidence.<\/p>\n
I winced.<\/p>\n
“4-2?” she offered with much less confidence.<\/p>\n
“The Braves are up 2-0,” I said.<\/p>\n
“Don’t tell anyone I said that,” Bass pleaded.<\/p>\n
I smiled in reply.<\/p>\n
If you’re looking to blow some cash at the Braves game, there are plenty of ways to do it. Here are a few:<\/em><\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u00a2 Rent a luxury suite: Prices range from $100 to $169 per person, assuming 15-45 of your closest friends agree to chip in. Total prices start at $2,160 and go all the way up to $5,800 per game.<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u00a2 Eat at the 755 Club: First you\u00c2\u00b9ll have to pay the $500 annual membership. That gives you the right to pay $35 for the dinner buffet. Enjoy a $10 glass of Kendall Jackson wine while you\u00c2\u00b9re at it.<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u00a2 Buy a jacket: The most expensive item at the Turner Field club shop is a $250 leather Braves jacket. No, it does not come with a life-size Andruw Jones.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" April 8, 2001 \u00e2\u20ac\u201d Baseball is big business. Duh. When Alex Rodriguez signed a contract worth more than the gross domestic product of Micronesia that became abundantly clear. As if it wasn’t before. As usual, ticket prices are up again \u00e2\u20ac\u201d a 13 percent hike to an average of $18.99 …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37,9,32],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/danwashburn.com\/sportinglife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/danwashburn.com\/sportinglife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/danwashburn.com\/sportinglife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/danwashburn.com\/sportinglife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/danwashburn.com\/sportinglife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=119"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/danwashburn.com\/sportinglife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":502,"href":"http:\/\/danwashburn.com\/sportinglife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119\/revisions\/502"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/danwashburn.com\/sportinglife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=119"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/danwashburn.com\/sportinglife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=119"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/danwashburn.com\/sportinglife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=119"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}