Family fun at minor league baseball games

It's summer and what would summer be if you didn't go to a baseball game? My family loves baseball. Of course our favorite team is the Tampa Bay Rays! But we also like to support the minor league teams in our area: the Dunedin Blue Jays, Clearwater Threshers, Tampa Yankees and Bradenton Marauders. 

These teams are a lot of fun for the family. Recently we went with our girls softball team the Riptides from Gulf Beaches Little League to the Clearwater Threshers game and bought tickets for $14. The price included admission plus all you could eat and drink from select concession items including hot dogs and hamburgers. We had a blast that night because the softball team was honored at the game. 

Our girls team was announced prior to the game, given a baseball, had a chance to meet all the ball players and get a picture with Phinley the team's mascot. The kids had great seats and even caught a few foul balls. Some of the girls from the softball team were in the races the Thresher's play during innings like spaghetti dodge ball and riding small bikes around cones. One of our coaches, Darren McClellan even won $300 by throwing a baseball through a very small hole! The Thresher's made it a memorable night for both the kids and their families.

Minor league teams are great because the teams do all sorts of promotions throughout the week to get you to their games and the tickets are very reasonable. Most ticket prices around $8 for adults and $6 for kids and seniors. A lot of the minor league teams even have a day when kids get in free to the game and some have fireworks after the game.

My family had the opportunity to attend mascot day at the Dunedin Blue Jays game a few weeks ago. We went to the game because my youngest daughter received free tickets from her golf camp because Largo Recreation's mascot Captain play was going to be at the game. It turned out to be a pretty inexpensive night. We even got parking for free because at this stadium parking is free. The only money we ending up spending was on concessions and the prices weren't too bad. Drinks were $3-$5, pizza was $3.50 and hotdogs were $3. The kids were so excited because they even got a free bobble head of the Blue Jay's mascot D.J. There were tables once you got inside of all sorts of fun things to do with the kids.

The girls got their faces painted, a person made balloon animals and there were games. My oldest daughter even won a free Blue Jay's shirt with a $10 gift card to Rally. We had great seats too right down the first base line. The only sad thing that night was the Blue Jay's lost. We will have to go back again to see them win.

If you get a chance head out this summer with your kids to a game. Check online to see what kind of promotions each team is running. If your kids are on little league teams and you want them to have the opportunity to take the field with the pros, call the team. It's a great experience and one your kids will remember.