Bring your glove and Pepto-Bismol

January 12, 2007 11:00 AM

"We're offering a fan amenity. Fans can elect to choose it or not choose it. We are offering basic ballpark fare that most fans enjoy." An all-you-can eat section at the Dodger stadium for the coming baseball season. Quintessentially American.
posted by jaimev (47 comments total)

For my dads 60th birthday, we took him and the family to see a Phillies game and managed to get "Diamond Club" seats that included free concessions. You name it, it was free. It was even catered.

Over the top? Maybe, but it was fun. I guess I just don't see what the big deal is.
posted by Diskeater at 11:02 AM on January 12, 2007

Shit, I like it. I love all-you-can-eat places. You don't have to settle for one choice and you stop eating when you are full. and $40 isn't a bad deal when you realize they're throwing in a ball game, too. Too bad there isn't unlimited beer, or I'd move in.
posted by jonmc at 11:08 AM on January 12, 2007 [1 favorite]

Kansas City should do this. And include buckets for after the eighth inning.
posted by hal9k at 11:12 AM on January 12, 2007

The Los Angeles Dodgers will give fans something to chew on next season: all-you-can eat seats.

How many seats can one really eat?
posted by gurple at 11:18 AM on January 12, 2007 [3 favorites]

I foresee a whole new set of nonsensical sportscaster cliches.

"He was aiming for the all-you-can-eat section with that swing!"
posted by staggernation at 11:18 AM on January 12, 2007

How many seats can one really eat?

That depends on who's seat I'm eating.

/rimshot
posted by jonmc at 11:20 AM on January 12, 2007 [3 favorites]

Quintessentially American.
Indeed. A combination of your national sport and your international sport.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 11:22 AM on January 12, 2007

The local Madison baseball team, the Madison Mallards, have a similar offering appropriately named the "Duck Blind." However, the Duck Blind includes unlimited beer in addition to unlimited food. Some of my fondest and foggiest summer nights were spent there. At $25, it's a steal!
posted by corranhorn at 11:25 AM on January 12, 2007

I like it. I spent $35 each for tickets for my daughter and I to see the Mariners this year, and then another $20 each for sodas, burgers, and snacks. At $35 for everything, it's almost affordable enough to take the whole family.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 11:27 AM on January 12, 2007

How many seats can one really eat?
That depends on who's seat I'm eating.
/rimshot

Okay, awkward.
posted by hal9k at 11:28 AM on January 12, 2007

Does it include the giant pretzels? If it includes the giant pretzels, and the Brewers were to start doing this, I would get season tickets and a wheelbarrow.
posted by drezdn at 11:32 AM on January 12, 2007 [1 favorite]

A really nice idea, considering how much food items at the ballpark cost. At the Atlanta stadium, $35 might buy you tickets, a drink, and a couple of hot dogs. The ballpark is all about having a good time, and a key factor to the experience is eating hot dogs, chips, and drinking soda.

Sure it's not 'healthy', but the 'you have to live the way I say' crowd can go screw themselves.
posted by triolus at 11:39 AM on January 12, 2007

corranhorn writes "The local Madison baseball team, the Madison Mallards, have a similar offering appropriately named the 'Duck Blind.' However, the Duck Blind includes unlimited beer in addition to unlimited food."

God Bless Wisconsin.
posted by mr_roboto at 11:45 AM on January 12, 2007

Just be sure to wear clothes with big pockets.
posted by NationalKato at 11:45 AM on January 12, 2007

12 comments and no Tommy Lasorda jokes? C'mon, real Americans would have been all over this...

"I have a delicious shake for the first and third innings, and a sensible supper in the bottom of the 7th..."
posted by 1f2frfbf at 11:46 AM on January 12, 2007

Hopefully this guy will decide to take in a game or two.
posted by The Card Cheat at 11:59 AM on January 12, 2007

This could make the Orioles worth watching.
posted by bardic at 12:02 PM on January 12, 2007

Quintessentially American.

I went to a baseball game in Acuna, Mexico. As part of the ticket price, we had all of the home-made tamales we could eat--literally brought to the stadium from a bunch of kitchens in homes and cooked that morning. We had to pay for beers, though.

I should have let them know that they were doing such a quintessentially American thing.
posted by dios at 12:02 PM on January 12, 2007 [1 favorite]

i forsee impromptu hotdog eating contests breaking out in the stands.
posted by matt_od at 12:09 PM on January 12, 2007

I foresee a lot of thrown hotdogs onto the field.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 12:26 PM on January 12, 2007

I'm not sure what a great deal this is for all but those who need massive sustenance. The old tickets in the right field pavillion were, I believe $15. So for $25 more you get free food. Two dodger dogs, a bag of peanuts and a large coke are around $15. Plus the lines will be choked with free-loading fatties. Plus they don't serve beer in that section.
posted by cell divide at 12:28 PM on January 12, 2007

Ladies and gentlemen, the comedy stylings of gurple and jonmc.
posted by Ynoxas at 12:33 PM on January 12, 2007

A really nice idea, considering how much food items at the ballpark cost.

For all the suckage that comes with Philadelphia sports, at least the food thing is cool here. Like everywhere else, we pay airport prices for the concessions but you can bring in your own food (Phillies and Eagles, not Flyers). Is that great? I don't bring my kids to a Phils game without stopping at the WaWa and filling up a soft cooler with hoagies and bottles of soda and water, and we save literally hundreds of dollars a year. Only restrictions are no cans or glass, and no alcohol.

Also, if you know where to go, hot dogs at Citizens Bank Park are only a dollar. In the city of the Wing Bowl, the appetite of the sports fan is paid due respect.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 12:44 PM on January 12, 2007

Never been to Dodger's stadium, but wonder if the food there is the same as any other ballpark, because if it is, then people are getting excited about all you can eat crap.
posted by disgruntled at 12:54 PM on January 12, 2007

The Nationals also have the free and catered concessions with their "Diamond Club" seats behind home plate. But those tickets are pricey because they give you access to a special prison-like lounge (bottom right photos) with free food-stuffs. But, alas, no free suds.
posted by peeedro at 1:02 PM on January 12, 2007

languagehat writes "What exactly is your problem?"

I think he was making a joke.
posted by mr_roboto at 1:04 PM on January 12, 2007

"Quintessentially American."


quin·tes·sence (kwĭn-tĕs'əns) pronunciation
n.

1. The pure, highly concentrated essence of a thing.
2. The purest or most typical instance: the quintessence of evil.


Not exclusively, not solely-- quintessential.

Baseball has long been called the America's national pasttime, regardless of of its current status. America also stereotypically likes buffets, particularly Americans who are sportsfans.

So there really was no reason for languagehat to go in and snark about the way they do things down Mexico way, especially when he is talking about something entirely different, bringing your own food versus concessions.

In conclusion: languagehat, shut up.
posted by keswick at 1:08 PM on January 12, 2007 [1 favorite]

For all the suckage that comes with Philadelphia sports, at least the food thing is cool here.

And you should also be proud of your ballpark, which offers very good views from inexpensive seats and the cheap seats are even comfortable. Plus you have the only mascot that I don't want to set on fire.

I will see a game or two in Citizen's Bank Park this summer even though the Red Sox won't be there. The Phillies and CBP make me even happier that I married a Philadelphia native.
posted by Mayor Curley at 1:09 PM on January 12, 2007

Only restrictions are no cans or glass, and no alcohol.

The Rangers ballpark (sigh, fine..Ameriquest) has the same option.

It's nice to have friends that work in labs that have access to needles. We sure went through a *lot* of Capri Sun on opening day.

Just sayin'.
posted by Ufez Jones at 1:12 PM on January 12, 2007

Doesn't Dodger Stadium have sushi? That can't be included in the all you can eat deal.
posted by fixedgear at 1:18 PM on January 12, 2007

I think he was making a joke.

Apparently not! But I'd better shut up now.
posted by languagehat at 1:23 PM on January 12, 2007

So there really was no reason for languagehat to go in and snark about the way they do things down Mexico way, especially when he is talking about something entirely different, bringing your own food versus concessions.

Eh? The tamales were provided by the stadium as part of the ticket price. They were concessions available to the fan as part of the ticket price.

My point was that it is absurd to call "all-you-can-eat," "all-inclusive" or "pris fixe" or any method of consumption where a flat fee is charged for whatever you want to have "quintessentially American." Places all over utilize the concept.

America also stereotypically likes buffets,

Ahh, here we get to the point.

First, Stereotypically /= Quintessentially.

And that is partly what I was mocking with the stupid post. The poster was obviously going for the "Amerikans are obese gorgers lol" angle. If he had come out and said it, it would have been deleted. But instead he commented on the fact that there would be a flat concession fee charged and alluded to that being an American thing--which is not.
posted by dios at 1:34 PM on January 12, 2007

The Rangers ballpark (sigh, fine..Ameriquest) has the same option.
posted by Ufez Jones at 3:12 PM CST on January 12

Really? I didn't know that. If they have an 'all you can drink section,' I might actually be inclined to go to more than 2-3 games a season.
posted by dios at 1:36 PM on January 12, 2007

If you want to see why this will be a huge hit, take a look at Malingering's photos of the Dodgers and their fans on Flickr.
posted by redteam at 1:37 PM on January 12, 2007

Doesn't Dodger Stadium have sushi? That can't be included in the all you can eat deal.

I don't get it. First y'all bitch about how bad ballpark food is, then you want sushi there? Even ignoring the food poisoning thing, that's just going to be crappy sushi.
posted by spaceman_spiff at 1:38 PM on January 12, 2007

You're all little bitches.

Except you, of course.
posted by Burhanistan at 1:41 PM on January 12, 2007

take a look at Malingering's photos of the Dodgers and their fans on Flickr.

That was the foulest-looking "Chicago dog" I've ever seen.
posted by solid-one-love at 1:49 PM on January 12, 2007

My mistake, the old price of the bleacher seats was only $6! Meaning you get $34 worth of food, or $30 since the new price of left field is now $10. I don't think this represents a big value for most people.
posted by cell divide at 1:56 PM on January 12, 2007

Just a random question: Barring the distracting noises to other patrons, one doesn't consider eating/drinking during something like a symphony/opera/ballet/etc because it would totally interfere with the process of absorbing the performance. What is it about spectator sports that people are compelled to introduce food/alcohol throughout? I think it has something to do with unconscious resistance to the passive nature of sitting and watching others move around, and eating and drinking engages the body on some level. It could also be a simple matter of social conditioning by savvy stadium vendors.
posted by Burhanistan at 2:05 PM on January 12, 2007

For maximum efficiency each seat will contain a small bottle of Ipecac and a portable defibrillator.
posted by Dizzy at 2:36 PM on January 12, 2007

languagehat writes "Apparently not!"

Huh. Go figure.
posted by mr_roboto at 2:40 PM on January 12, 2007

The right pavillion is typically reserved once a season for mormon night. I wonder if the menu will be altered.
posted by hatcherdogg at 3:02 PM on January 12, 2007

Really? I didn't know that. If they have an 'all you can drink section,' I might actually be inclined to go to more than 2-3 games a season.

I was talking about the BYOF and Non-Alcoholic Drinks. I went to a game in '05 where we sat a few rows behind a family that was basically doing a steady gorging throughout the game. It was almost hypnotic.
posted by Ufez Jones at 3:22 PM on January 12, 2007

from the L.A. Times article (which is registration-protected):

"Fans spend an average of $12.30 on food and drink per game, a major league executive said."

The bleacher price is $10.

Would you really pay $25-30 *extra* for all-you-can-eat concessions? Per *person*? You can't get just one all-you-can-eat seat (unless you want to sit alone.)

The most I would ever spend for concessions is on the range of 2 beers, 2 hot dogs, fries for about $25. This plan does not include beer. The food amounts to about $11.

Unless it lets you skip the line (and get 20 hot dogs at a time or something), I can't see the value. If you are served in your seat (between every inning or so) that might be different.

But I think Oakland has similar seats (right behind home plate) with all you can eat and 2 beers for $185, so maybe there are enough suckers out there.

I'd pay the $10 and smuggle in sandwiches and whiskey down my pants.
posted by mrgrimm at 3:59 PM on January 12, 2007

The all-you-can-eat section allows the fan to engage in a little competition of their own while watching the game. The challenge is to eat enough food to make sure Dodger Stadium loses money.
posted by FYKshun at 4:49 PM on January 12, 2007

Burhanistan writes "Barring the distracting noises to other patrons, one doesn't consider eating/drinking during something like a symphony/opera/ballet/etc because it would totally interfere with the process of absorbing the performance."

It would interfere with the process of absorbing the performance because of the distracting noises. You can't just arbitrarily bar the primary factor; that's like saying "barring the high price, poor people don't consider driving luxury cars because they are beyond their means".
posted by Bugbread at 5:16 PM on January 12, 2007

mrgrimm, Oakland has been doing $1 dogs on Wednesdays for years. Also $2 bleacher tickets. Some sort of BART promotion.
posted by robot at 11:49 PM on January 12, 2007