Gibber-gabber
America’s favorite pasttime? Baseball, eating, or both?
Milo Plurnbottom 2008-03-08 21:45:43 UTC

Some might say, “Only in America.” Whether they are saying it with pride and glee or shock and disdain depends on the person.

Major League Baseball teams around the country are offering a whole new way to satisfy yourself during a ball game. All-you-can-eat seats!

Stadiums are converting seating blocks that have been going empty and/or selling for under $10 into $30 to $120 dollar seats with perhaps the
second most popular American pasttime – eating. For these increased ticket prices you can get anything ranging from standard Stadium faire
(hotdogs, hamburgers, popcorn, peanuts, and softdrinks) to carnival style (pulled pork, chicken sandwiches, bratwurst, italian sausage, ice cream).
The St. Louis Cardinals have even taken a classier path and created the poor man’s version of the exclusive club seating by offering traditional
buffet complete with meat carving stations.

We can only confirm 13 of the MLB teams that are offering all-you-can-eat options, and some just being introduced for the 2008 season.
Many of the teams that had been offering the buffet options are now expanding the areas due to the overwhelming popularity.

Not everyone is happy about the idea though. Dieticians are just about having a heart attack over the gluttonous health defying concept.
Though the teams defend the idea, saying that everyone seems to seriously overdo it the first time, but after a couple of games are rarely
eating more than they would have previously.

For some people the concept has gotten them back into the game. People who would not have attended a baseball game previously have gotten into
the spirit of it thanks to this unique marketing idea.

Most of the teams seem to offer the all-you-can-eat option from gates open until the seventh inning. I can wonder if things get unruly if the game goes into extra innings, or maybe everyone is too sick to care.

MLB teams offering All-You-Can-Eat seats

• Arizona Diamondbacks (Stadium food + bratwurst and padded seats)
• Atlanta Braves (Stadium food to Carnival food)
• Baltimore Orioles (Stadium food + ice cream)
• Florida Marlins (Stadium food)
• Kansas City Royals (Stadium food)
• Los Angeles Dodgers (Stadium food)
• Pittsburgh Pirates (Stadium food + salad)
• Oakland A’s Athletics (Stadium food)
• San Diego Padres (Stadium food)
• St. Louis Cardinals (Buffet/Club + beer)
• Tampa Bay Rays (Stadium food + italian sausage)
• Texas Rangers (Stadium food)
• Toronto Blue Jays (Stadium food)

Read the USA TODAY article Eating away the innings in baseball’s cheap seats by Michael McCarthy for more information.

Image of man eating gyro courtesy of Navin25 at Flickr under a creative commons license.