Spring has sprung and is barrelling quickly toward summer…long days, lazy evenings, cold beverages, hanging out with friends…all the things we love. Why not combine all of these favorite things into an outing with the guys?
If you’re looking to get together with friends, with other dads, your best bet just may be to head to the local ballpark to enjoy America’s pastime.
You don’t even have to like or follow baseball for this to be worth your time. You just have to want to get out of the house with other adults. Need to convince the guys? Here are six reasons they should join you.

1. Baseball Is Affordable and Available

Let’s face it. Raising kids is expensive and time-consuming. It can be hard to schedule around all of the school events, kids’ sports, music lessons, parent-teacher conferences and so on.
But baseball teams play SO MANY GAMES, you’re bound to find tickets to a major league game on fairly short notice and for a more wallet-friendly price than football or basketball can offer.
Don’t want to pay MLB ticket prices? Head out to a college game. Or check out a local short-season minor league team. (These games have a high probability of getting a t-shirt shot to you from a t-shirt cannon, so, there’s that, too.) Even a high school game can be fabulous!
There are so many choices available, and you never know when you might catch a glimpse of a future Hall-of-Famer. Then you’ll have a story to tell your kids and grandkids. Over and over again, in true dad fashion.

2. The Pre-game Pub Crawl Is Awesome

If you’ve got the time to commit, get down to the park early, and then check out the local eateries, breweries and dives. Dig into the famous nachos, the giant burger or the crazy chili cheese fries everyone raves about…you KNOW your city has them somewhere.
In fact, the areas around baseball stadiums are often some of the best places to find local restaurants and pubs because the long season brings in enough people to support those mom-and-pop spots.
Major league teams play just over 80 games at home each year, so that’s a lot of days with big, hungry crowds near the ballpark, helping to support the local food scene.
Go ahead! Take a break from setting a good example for your kids – forgo the veggies and go straight for the heartburn!

3. Day Games = Playing Hooky

Got a lot of PTO to use and you’d rather not spend it at the mall with your family, picking out throw pillows or some other such stuff? Catch a day game!
Major League Baseball teams play over 160 games during the season, and MANY of those are during the day. You and the guys can cut out of work early, grab lunch at the ballpark and settle in for a game.
Depending on the timing, you could still be home by dinner, ready to spring into dad action for baths, homework, and bedtime. Win-win!

4. Summertime. Outside. Beer.

Pretty much sums it up. And if you want, you don’t even have to leave your seat. The food and drinks will eventually come right to you. Right. To. You. Enough said.

5. Baseball Is a Time Machine

You just can’t argue with it…stepping into a storied baseball stadium feels a little like stepping back in time. American has been playing baseball for 150 years, and very little about the core of the game has changed. It’s still runs, balls, and strikes.
Kids still bring their gloves with them, hoping to catch a home run ball. Men bring their scorebooks to track stats on their team. Raucous versions of “Take Me Out To the Ballgame” bring everyone to their feet.
And you can participate in the time-honored art of heckling. What other parts of your life allows…no, requires you… to loudly call someone a bum? How often do you have free reign to boo other grown men? Go for it. Get some frustrations out!
And on top of the history, baseball is a game that has no time. There’s no clock. The pace of the game can be called slow, but when you’re out with the guys, let’s call it “leisurely.”
The clock usually dictates our life. We dads have reminders, alarms, appointments, texts from our spouses telling us where we need to be and when. Dad life can be a hurried life. Enjoy a few hours where the clock doesn’t matter.
But the pace of a baseball game lets you shoot the breeze with your friends. There is an infinite amount of time in which the game can play, so there is no hurry. You have time to chat, time to sit in silence, time to cheer. There’s no rush.

6. Level Up With Spring Training Games

Once you’ve mastered the art of the guys’ night (or day) at a baseball game, consider if it’s time to take it to the next level. Hitting the road for Florida or Arizona in the middle of a dreary February to catch spring training games is THE BEST!
The Cactus League in Arizona has turned spring training into a party. Over a million people attend games there, and the community has spent hundreds of millions of dollars in new stadiums over the past decade. If you’re looking for a great guys’ getaway, spring training is just the ticket.
So, seriously, go to the ballgame with the guys.
Honestly, there’s no better way to pass the time than America’s pastime. Open up a cold one, settle into your seat and spend a few hours debating vital topics like who was the greatest right-handed pitcher? The pros and cons of the DH. Who would win in a fight, Mike Tyson or an elephant seal?
Take your time. You have nothing to do but wait for the crack of the bat and the roar of the crowd.