TAKE ME ouT To THE ANYKIND-oF-BALL GAME
Maryland offers virtually limitless spring sporting events for families to enjoy. By Steve Adams
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rowing up in Annapolis as a sports-loving kid, it was always a treat to make the trip to D.C. or Baltimore to watch a major league sports game. There aren’t many areas of the country with so many professional teams within an hour’s drive, and I undoubtedly took it for granted when I got to watch one play. Once I was old enough to start buying my own tickets and figuring out my own transportation, however, I quickly discovered that there aren’t many areas in the country with so many high-quality yet budget-friendly options on the semi-pro and collegiate level to choose from as well. In fact, Maryland’s virtual embarrassment of sports riches means that there’s not only a good chance that you can find an upcoming game to attend in whatever sport strikes your fancy, but also that you can avoid spending an arm and leg on it. Plus, there’s more going on in the local sports world in the spring than at any other time of year!
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chesapeakefamily.com
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M ARCH 2019
BASEBALL You’re surely familiar with the Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles, whose home openers are on March 28 and April 4, respectively, and whose many promotions include: • Impressive kids’ membership clubs. The $20 Jr. Nationals Kids Club offers a bunch of swag to its 4- to 12-yearold members, while the $25 Junior Orioles Dugout Club includes swag and tickets to 6 pre-selected home games. • Discounted pricing on package, group, and kids’ tickets, hopefully including a repeat of the O’s Kids Cheer Free program, an initiative that allowed adults in the Upper Deck to bring up to two children 9 and under with them for free. • Giveaways, theme nights and Friday night fireworks. And you’ve probably heard of, or maybe even seen, at least one of the many minor league teams that offer affordable, family-friendly entertainment, including giveaways and
theme nights that most definitely rival the pros, at unique ballparks scattered throughout the state: • The Aberdeen IronBirds, who play 38 homes games beginning June 14. • The Delmarva Shorebirds, Frederick Keys, and Hagerstown Suns, each open on April 4, which we may safely deem “the biggest day in Maryland AA baseball.” • The Bowie Baysox, whose first of 12 home stands begins on April 11. There are also many great under-theradar non-professional options as well, including: • Navy Men’s Baseball, which began its season in mid-February but will play a whopping 25 home games—all of which have mid-afternoon start times and offer free sit-wherever-youwant admission—at beautiful Max Bishop Stadium in March and April. • University of Maryland Baseball, which hosted its first homestand in late February and has 21 total home games left to play at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium.
