2019 MLB All-Star Game
WHAT'S UP GUYS AND GALS! It's Mark Darden with a new blog post. It has been about a month and a half since the last time I made a post and that is with good reason. Over the past two months, I have had some amazing experience that I can't wait to share with you guys over the next few months. For today's post, I will talk about my experience at the 2019 MLB All-Star Game in Cleveland, Ohio.
The 90th edition of the mid-summer classic was in my hometown of Cleveland and it was great to see the MLB's best partake in the game. All-Star Tuesday had a late start as I didn't leave the house until 12:45pm. After a 20-minute ride on the RTA Healthline, I arrived at MLB PlayBall Park at the Cleveland Convention Center. PlayBall Park was the fan convention where you could meet some the legends of the game, participate in interactive games, and purchase All-Star Game gear. My time at PlayBall Park actually started on Mall B above the convention center where there were billboard pillars of all of the All-Stars as well as an outdoor concert on the main stage. My main reason for coming down to PlayBall Park was to ride the zipline. The zipline line went across the entire outdoor portion of PlayBall Park on Mall B across Lakeside Avenue and it was a thrilling experience. As I was gliding across Mall B, I noticed All-Star Parade occurring on Lakeside Avenue. The parade route took the All-Stars through Downtown Cleveland from PlayBall Park to Progressive Field. After spend a few minutes enjoying the parade, I went inside the convention center to check out the indoor portion of PlayBall Park. There a lot of interactive exhibits where you could learn about the history of the game, call your own play, and even get your own custom baseball card from Topps. I also learned about the Jackie Robinson Museum that will be opening in late 2019 in New York.
After my time at PlayBall Park, I walked over to BOLD restaurant in the Flats to meet up with a high school friend that I haven’t seen in 12 years. Our friendship is interesting because we knew of each other in high school, but didn’t talk to each other. Only after we both graduated we became friends via social media. We spent about 2 1/2 hours catching up with each other’s lives over drinks and calamari. After our late lunch, we walked around downtown discussing how much our high school has changed over the years. After saying our goodbyes and going our separate ways, I went over to Tower City to charge my phone before the game.
After the game, I walked down to the Right Field District to get one last look at the ballpark before going home. I always think that it is cool to see a ballpark or arena after an event and see how tranquil it can be. As I was walking towards the exit, I stopped by the All-Star Game shop on impulse and purchased a Cleveland Indians All-Star Game hat.
Now that you know what I did throughout the day, let’s breakdown the price of this trip in “How Much Did It Cost?”. All prices are in US Dollars.
TRANSPORTATION - $146.17
Rental Car - $140.67
RTA All Day Pass - $5.50
LODGING - Free
The House - Free
ENTERTAINMENT
MLB All-Star Game - $274.25
PlayBall Park - $20.00
PlayBall Park Zipline - $30.35
FOOD - $92.23
BOLD - $54.00
Happy Dog (Slider Dog and beer) - $21.00
Mountain Dew at Progressive Field - $6.00
Pepsi at PlayBall Park - $4.00
Protein Shake - $4.00
Energy Drink at BP - $3.23
MISC - $158.79
Travel Insurance - $26.00
Target - $51.57
Old School Iron - $12.00
Wal-Mart - $6.42
BP (Gas) - $10
Turkey Hill (Gas) - $10
All-Star Hat - $37.80
GRAND TOTAL: $721.79
Let's put the numbers into context. For transportation, I rented a car from Budget for three days. I wanted the convenience to be able travel wherever I wanted without restrictions. On All-Star Tuesday, I took the RTA Healthline to and from Downtown Cleveland to avoid parking lot fees and traffic.
For entertainment, the ticket for the All-Star Game was the most expensive purchase of the trip at $274.25. My “seat” location was in the Right Field Terrance in section 522. It was standing room only section, however, it provide a great view of the field and ballpark. Before the game, I went to MLB's PlayBall Park at the Cleveland Convention Center and rode the zipline that went across the outdoor portion of the park.
For food, as stated earlier, I when to BOLD in the Flats for lunch. Between drinks and calamari for two people, the cost was $54.00. At the ballpark, I purchased a Slider Dog, Great Lakes Rally Drum Red Ale beer, and a Mountain Dew for $27. For those of you that don’t know, the Slider Dog is the GREATEST hot dog in all of Major League Baseball. It is made by local Cleveland eatery, Happy Dog, and it is a hot dog topped with mac and cheese, bacon bits, and Froot Loops.
For miscellaneous, I stopped at Target to purchase a new pair of cargo shorts, athletic shorts, gum, and an energy drink before hitting the road to Cleveland. The travel insurance is through Allianz and it covered the three days of the trip.
Thanks for reading! Take it easy and live for the experience.
