Advertising, promotional giveaways, and supporting charities (the funny side of baseball)

As a kid, going to the ballpark was a once a year privilege. Every year when they had Nazarene night at the royals our whole family would go and have a blast. The first time I went to a royals game the hot dogs I think were around $2.50, you could bring a small cooler, the turf was artificial and the cheap seats were orange. Yet every year the promotions staff always trys to find new and inventive ways to get you to come to the ballpark. When I was young you were lucky to eithier get a hat, bat or some stuffed animal to promote the team. Nowadays, we have bobbleheads, buck night on hot dogs for only a select few games and T-shirt tuesdays. (This coming tuesday they have T-shirts of the three condiments that are used in the hot dog race) Although, the promotions from the Royals are not too bad compared to like Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
This Friday the Devil Rays are promoting Legends of Wrestling Night where famous wrestlers from the WWF past will wrestle after the game. This probably would have been cool if I was back in the fifth grade. I'll take Fireworks Friday anytime thank you very much. The Milwaukee Brewers earlier this month had Free prostate cancer screenings.....if you get your screening you will receive two tickets for a future brewers game. Look, I'm all for screening cancer, but why not do it at a doctor's office instead of mobile unit outside of the stadium. You must desparately want tickets if you want to bend over for Dr. Jellyfinger.
Speaking of prostate cancer, MLB is celebrating prostate cancer awareness on Father Day's. Now last weekend, MLB did the same thing on Mother's Day for Breast Cancer awareness. Don't get me wrong....I'm all for supporting charities whether it be a ribbon, a patch or a pin. When MLB starts using pink bats it messes up the game. I can only imagine what they'll do on Father's Day eithier using blue bats or blue baseballs.
Finally my last gripe of the day is the advertising. I know teams need to sell advertising to make money and all, but when you read a story like I read today about how Fenway Park which is known for their left field wall "The green monster". Anyway, their thinking of selling advertisemnet on that wall. There are some things that are sacred in baseball .....the green monster and the ivy in wringley field is another. However, if they decided to have adverstisements on these spots..... I would suggest the following....For the ivy Ivy's Italian garden resteraunt and the green monster would only be fitting if they put a green monster energy drink can.

Signed
Tim "just keep baseball simple stupid" Crippen