Opening Day, opening wallets

Money-saving ideas for Major League junkies

April 3, 2000
Web posted at: 5:26 p.m. EST (2126 GMT)

(CNN) -- Baseball's Opening Day has finally arrived in the United States. Hear the crack of the bats, roar of the crowds ... and ding of the registers.

Team loyalty comes at a cost -- lodging, transportation, tickets. Sports travel experts have some suggestions to help you conserve cash so you won't break a sweat when the kids sing, "Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks..."

Lodging

Staying at a hotel or motel may be the biggest expense for out-of-town fans. Tim Schneider, editor of SportsTravel magazine, suggests they check with hotels located nearest the ballparks to snag a deal.

"Many of these sports-friendly hotels offer special rate packages tailored to guests who will be attending games," he says. "In some cases, opening day and weekend packages include discounted game tickets."

The SportsTravel Web site contains a hotel directory listing which hotels are located nearest the stadiums and which hotels host the visiting teams. But they may not always be the best deal for the budget-conscious, Schneider warns.

"The hotels where the pros stay tend to be more expensive," he says, "so having a big-league experience can carry a pretty steep price."

Schneider says the Renaissance Toronto Hotel at the SkyDome in Toronto offers one of the best packages for a traveling baseball fan. Seventy of its rooms offer views of the diamond where the Blue Jays play their home games, he says.

"Rates for the field-view rooms start at $189 per night and range up to $729 for a split-level room that can accommodate eight people," he says. "The good news is, you don't need to buy tickets for the game."

Consider hotels and motels in the suburbs, says Andrew Lahana, publisher of the online site Sports on the Road. "The more aggressive rates are going to be farther out," he says.

Don't be afraid to bargain, Lahana adds, especially if you're planning a road trip to several cities. If you don't mind staying in the same chain each place, try negotiating with that chain's reservation center, he says.

For even more savings, Lahana suggests choosing accommodations with kitchens to save money on eating out.

The goal of many road-tripping fans is to maximize the number of games they see and minimize time on the road. That means planning, says Lahana.

Check the game schedules and determine a region to visit, he says. One year, Lahana and some buddies stadium-hopped in the Midwest. He says they saw five games in six days: the White Sox and Cubs in Chicago, the Brewers in Milwaukee, Tigers in Detroit and the Indians in Cleveland.

Worried about renting a car? Remember that many agencies offer weekend deals or give discounts to AAA members, says Lisa Delpy Neirotti, professor of sports management and marketing at George Washington University.

Or use public transportation and save money on gas and parking, she says. It will also give you a chance to rub elbows -- or trade elbows, depending on who you're rooting for -- with the locals.

Consider Amtrak instead of driving, Delpy Neirotti adds. Taking the train along the Northeast corridor can bring you to such baseball hubs as New York (Yankees and Mets), Baltimore (Orioles), Boston (Red Sox) and Philadelphia (Phillies). Discounts are available to students, seniors, children and groups, according to Amtrak's Web site.

If airfare is the big concern, look for deals on airline Web sites, or sign up to receive their weekly specials via e-mail. Delta even has Delta Fan Fares, an e-mail notification service tailored to sports buffs.

Also check the fares to different area airports, Delpy Neirotti says. For example, someone flying to an Orioles game may find it cheaper to arrive in Dulles International or Ronald Reagan National instead of Baltimore-Washington International.

Airfares also may fluctuate depending on what days you fly, she notes.

Free or discounted tickets are hard to come by, unless you're hooking up with the right hotel, or entering contests. One such giveaway can be found on the Web site Pro-Sports, which specializes in hard-to-get tickets. With luck, you could win two free tickets to a game in your area.

You also may be able to find good tickets for a fair price by scanning the classifieds in newspapers, Delpy Neirotti says. And some teams are experimenting with high-tech ways to let people sell tickets secondhand.

The San Francisco Giants and Cleveland Indians are planning to launch a Web exchange program, according to Delpy Neirotti. It would let season ticket-holders post the passes they cannot use on the Internet for resale or exchange, she says. A difference between the two programs: Giants' tickets would be available to the general public, while Indians' tickets would be available only to season ticket- and suite-holders.

The Baltimore Orioles do it the old-fashioned way, says Delpy Neirotti. The team has an area where ticket-holders can unload their passes -- not above face value, of course.

If value and convenience make you cheer, sports travel agents recommend joining a group in a package deal that includes tickets, airfare, lodging and transportation. "One call does it all," says Dan Pranka, owner of Sports King in Stoneham, Massachusetts.

As an added bonus, Delpy Neirotti says, those packages sometimes include special VIP treatment -- a session with a player or coach, for example, or stadium tours.

And for those times you can't hit the road to see your favorite franchise -- or the bank account looks a bit skimpy -- check out FreeShop.com. It has a list of free or discounted baseball publications to help you keep up with the Joneses -- Chipper, Andruw, or whomever.

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SportsTravel
Sports Hotels
Sports on the Road (Opening soon)
Pro-Sports Tickets: Free Stuff
Sports King
FreeShop.com: Health & Sports
Amtrak
Delta Air Lines
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