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Monday February 6th, 2012

Douglas “Chuck” Booth (Baseball Writer)- At first you might say, what are baseball teams doing to our classic baseball parks?  After a few minutes of thinking you will realize that your team is in business to make money just like every other multi-billion dollar industry.  I am talking about ‘Gimmicks’ at the baseball yard of course.  They are often there to attract more casual female fans and children into walking through the turnstiles.  From a Ferris Wheel in Detroit, to increased kid/mom interactive coloring stations that are located in almost every park, these gimmicks give the casual fan something to spend their time doing at the ballpark.  I consider myself a hard-core fan, so does this kind of thing bother me?  Absolutely not… and I will tell you why.When I arrive at the ballpark, I am there to watch baseball only!   I usually have traveled a long distance, spent a considerable amount of money, time and effort in order to watch these games from the stands.  So what do I care if the stands are not full with people waiting for every pitch?  To tell you honestly, I would rather the casual fans spend more time in the concourses occupying themselves, rather than disrupting anything in my realm of vision for the baseball game. Seeing kids throwing temper tantrums is normal in any public place, so if they are not in their seat while having a conniption fit- that is great.

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