Minor league baseball is better than major league baseball

Baseball has long been considered “America’s Pastime,” associated with the nostalgia of the likes of Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, and many others, along with competitive thrill; and of course, a love of peanuts and cracker jacks. My love for baseball is deeply rooted and I look forward to the World Series every year, so I have nothing against the major leagues. But, in my opinion, minor league baseball is more enjoyable to watch than major league baseball. Now, before you draw and quarter me, and before you raise your eyebrows at me (looking at you, Mia), let me explain. 

First of all, minor league baseball games are more fun and interesting than major league games. By the time the players get to the major leagues, they are at the absolute top of their game. Their skill level is higher than it has ever been, and they are so practiced that even the most difficult pop-ups or fastest grounders are quickly and easily caught.

Minor league baseball players are still very talented, and I mean no offense to them, but they aren’t masters yet; they still regularly make mistakes, primarily, in my experience, dropping or missing balls that likely wouldn’t have been missed by major league players. Many times, this leads to the team failing to get the batter out, or even other runners on base, leaving the other team in a position to score. Games can be won and lost with just one or two errors, and the wrong move can be costly for a team.

However, for the fans in the stands, it just increases the drama and raises the stakes. It makes the game more exciting, puts fans on the edge of their seats, and creates energy in the stands. Whenever you see a player in the outfield catch a pop-up without breaking a sweat, if anything, the energy in the crowd decreases, even if your team is the one getting the out. It was easy for the major league player, who didn’t even have to think about the save, and that isn’t entertaining. While minor league players also have their fair share of anti-climactic catches, they more often than the major leagues, literally drop the ball, and make things interesting.

The stands also tend to be much emptier at minor league stadiums than they do in major league stadiums. The major league teams are the important ones for the World Series—the penultimate challenge in professional baseball. Their games are the ones that determine who will compete and win the World Series and draw copious amounts of attention. Minor league games tend to draw more attention from locals who come out to support their community teams. 

Many people enjoy the energy a big crowd brings, and I respect that. But it can get pretty miserable when that one drunk guy is, by just your luck, sitting next to you, incoherently spitting insults at the players; it’s equally dismal when the concession stand lines are longer than the foul lines, or when the game is going so well that it’s boring, like my first point states. Big crowds bring even bigger issues, where moving around becomes nearly impossible, especially if you have to use the restroom. Not to mention parking, which is a real issue in big crowds; in many cases, even getting out of a minor league game is a nightmare—trust me, I’ve lived it.

At a minor league game where there are significantly less people, you have room to breathe. It’s relatively easy to get up and check out the concessions stands and see what you’re hungry for, get to the restroom (where you may still have to wait, but not as long as would for the major leagues) and, get this, pick better seats that are unoccupied. Just be aware that an usher can and will kick you out if the people who bought tickets for those seats show up. But chances are, if the first inning goes by and no one claims them, they are up for grabs. 

Now, I know a lot of you die-hards are probably pulling your hair out and will still love going to major league games despite my points above, and that is awesome for you. But personally, I’ll stick with my minor league teams for now—more chili cheese fries for me.