Parking in downtown CLE: Free
Glatt Kosher Dog: $5.75
Front row seats: $25 (Well, being 2, Rafi’s seat was free).
Taking Rafi to his first ballgame (Tribe win!) earlier this afternoon: Priceless
I went to my first baseball game in the old Municipal Stadium on 06/28/92, got a free kids batting helmet giveaway, and saw the Indians beat the Blue Jays 7-6.Ā 22 years later I got to pass that onto my own son on a sun-kissed day at the Jake.
It’s funny how baseball brings out such powerful memories.Ā I’ll never forget the trip I got to take last year with my grandfather (one of the few Clevelanders who was there during the last Indians parade) to all 3 sports hall of fames, capped off with seats on top of the Green Monster to see the Indians beat up the Red Sox.
As a 10 year old I was such a fan that I sent in hundreds of handwritten postcards to win tickets to the ā95 World Series and got to attend 2 of the home games.Ā Earlier that year we had stayed at the Westin Harbour Castle Toronto where the Indians stay when playing the Blue Jays and got nearly (Albert Belle was of course the mean holdout, though I’ll never forget his ’95 walk-off grand slam game I attended) the entire teamās autographs.Ā Plus when the guy who called out to hold the hotel elevator for him turned out to be Manny Ramirez we got free box seats to that night’s game as well 
I’ve flown around the world in first class suites, but my coolest use of miles was for the opportunity to run out and literally steal second base during an Indians game.
Sure, it would be awesome to fly in a first class suite with your own private living room, bedroom, and shower. But $24K for 7 fleeting hours? That’s 33% more expensive than my car!Ā I’m far more proud of the numerous DDF fundraisers such as $24K raised on DDF to help a fellow DDF’er in need and the thousands of dollars raised as a scholarship fund for Jewda’s daughter.
Wake me up when I can use a reasonable amount of miles and I’ll be happy to compare it to the 57K miles I used for a Singapore suite.
Sure, the Indians may never again win it all unless baseball institutes a salary cap. But that doesn’t mean they can’t inspire memories.
2 months to go until his first haircut š
So, do you remember your first baseball game?
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56 Comments On "Better Than Any First Class Suite…Taking My Son To His First Ballgame"
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nebech!!!!!
Nice! And well stated. Kudos to a good father. A quick comment of a public safety notice: When giving children hot dogs, it is imperative to cut them down the middle as they can prove to be a very dangerous choking hazard, heaven forbid.
@sholom:
Yup, that’s what we normally do.
Very cool! I took my son, who is now 11, to Opening Day when he was a little over four months old. We’ve continued the tradition and have been to Opening Day at a different ballpark every year, so he’s been to 12 different stadiums. His younger brother started when he was 11 months old and has been to 9 now. I’m hoping we’ll make it to all of them eventually.
@Mike:
Awesome!
That is Awsome, invokes such powerful memories.
Where do you find free parking near the Jake?
@KD:
You’ll have to ask me in person š
@Dan: shudda known you can’t give away proprietary information in public ;-), gonna have to get that from you sometime
Fantastic and priceless!
Good man Dan, you rock
What’s up with the pony tail? that goes against all the manly bonding stuff.
You’re a good ta! Lots of nachas!
@Muggs:
I included a link just before the pony pictures for those that were curious about one of our more curious customs.
I’m counting down the days until people stop telling me what a cute girl I have š
@runnergirl:
I try š
Thanks.
$25 for first row? at yankee stadium/citifield those are 300+
I would love this post if they hadn’t beat my beloved Twinkies today!
A BUNCH OF EMPTY SEATS IN THE PIC.????!!!!!!!!!!!!!
shem dich chutchik
(its just my shlichus)
@Dan. Priceless !!
Too bad he is not a Yankee fan !!
He’s such a cutie!
7 years ago my daughter, son-in-law and kids made Aliyah. My son-in-law grew up in Hollywood, FL and so the kids are BIG Marlin fans. They came to the US for a month in the summer of 2012 to us in PA. A week before they left for home I found that the Marlins were playing the Mets in NY, in an afternoon game. So I bought three great seats and took her two older boys to their first game, where they could see their Marlins play. The Mets beat them badly, and the younger boy, who was only 9 was crushed. He walked out of the stadium crying profusely, and just couldn’t stop crying. I just smiled–that’s how real true baseball fans are made!
as long as they didnt beat the tigers
How sad that the greatest accomplishment of your sons life, and how proud you feel is over a baseball game, I hope you post the same post in his first day of cheder.
aaron and moshe , seriously who are you to be giving dan musar . He can do whatever the heck he wants , my first baseball game , dodger stadium , good times but no kosher dog
Congrats, Dan. I just took my 2 grandsons to Yankee Stadium for a “day out for the guys.” Nothing better than sharing the National Pastime with your boys! With kosher hotdogs, pretzels, and knishes! May you have many more!!
What do u think of Johnny Manziel ending up in CLE
Dan is the man!
such nachas heart warming
Why is this in the category of miles?
Although I’m glad you are raising your son right by taking him to see his hometown team, The Designated Hitter rule is Chilul Hashem
@Aaron:
how sad that after (presumably) so many years of Jewish education, they didn’t teach you how to be a decent human being.
Amazing! Lovin it, cant wait to take my kid, kol hakavode!
@Aaron: Really, get a life Aaron. Dan’s big accomplishment is SPENDING TIME WITH HIS KID! That’s one of the main reason if not THE main reason) that kids can still turn out alright today. Way to go, Dan!
Fenway Park 1913!
@Capt Frederick D: i don’t know, watching a pitcher bat is kind of “lifnei iver”…
Epic story man. Wishing you guys many great memories to come!
Nice post, not sure about the ramblings at the end, maybe I am missing some inside jokes. Nice to have a day out.
Beautiful!!
do the Yankees or mets do something nice for a kids first game like a certificate
Dan, Doesn’t seem like anyone will tell it to ya but some of us readers view sport spectating as a colossal waste of time – please spare us next urge
thanx
No…my dad took to my first football game on October 27, 1974. It was Jets vs Rams at Shea. Jets lost 20-13 up 13-6 in 4th q. They lost ALL their games like that back then. Namath played. We set behind “home plate.”
@Ahron:
Ahron was that you ahead of me in traffic with the bumper sticker “Bishvilli Nivra Haolam” blasting “I’m the man” out your windows.
I took my son Rafi to his first game at Yankee Stadium two years ago. He got a certificate! A month ago, I took my son Koby to Citi Field. I don’t know why it has been almost 20 years since we went to a game together! Sad, but true.
Alright fellows, there is so much more to life then taking your kid to a Ball game, teach how proud you are of him when he does mitzvos, and makes a kiddush hashem!
Some people here have very judgmental and narrow minded forms of Judaism that I personally want no part of.
If you’re holding on such a high spiritual level that’s wonderful, but don’t foist that interpretation on others please.
@Nice:
Those that got it, got it š
@Ahron:
Do you know what else is a colossal waste of time? Browsing the internet.
Do you know what is even a bigger colossal waste of time? Browsing the internet and commenting on a story that holds no interest for you.
I don’t write this blog about things that interest you, I write about things that interest me. Been that way since day 1.
@Ari:
Why is that a contradiction?
B’chol dirachcha dayayhu means that even at a baseball game you can appreciate the beautiful world we live in. And you can use the energy found there to do positive things.
Rafi goes to sleep singing the alef-beis and made an unprompted bracha on that hot dog that even the umpire could have said Amen to. I couldn’t have been prouder.
@Mendel:
Amazing how people don’t get that. The negative nancy’s here are just never-ending.
If only it was a mob caliber team!!
Great Father!
Dan: You said it! It amazes me how people can go to your website, take your advice, and then criticize you for spending time with your son. Some orthodox don’t believe in the internet either. So perhaps they should get off and keep their opinions to themselves. You help us find travels deals so that we have more opportunities to see the world, enabling us to visit our families more frequently, and add a little fun into our lives. Ignore them Dan, they are miserable self-centered people and will always be that way. The expression is “scornful yet jealous eyes.” Keep up the good work and help us enjoy the things that you have managed to do.
Dan,
Kol HaKovod!
Took my boys to a game at “Shea” (old habits die hard) on Chol HaMoad and
had a wonderful time. Its the chance to spend time with your kids that you and they will always treasure! To all those holier then thou well ” wow” good for you, if you guys are so holy why exactly is it that you are not abiding by all the takanas about the internet?
How cute! It’s nice to see that Dan is a normal guy and has cute little kids like the rest of us. Shame on anyone who posts something negative here. How unbelievably pathetic.
@Ahron – Seriously you’re talking about wasting time (and he is spending time with his child, not just watching for the sake of watching), and you are sitting here commenting and reading, wasting your own time. You are the one making a Chillul Hashem here, no one else.
Dan, this is the first time I have seen you respond to the NN’s, is that an official change in policy, or did something this time push you over the edge? š
Great write up Dan! Rafi sat through the whole game? I’ve been wanting to take my son (he’s 3) for some time now but fear he would get bored after a couple of innings. I guess it would still be worth it..
Dan I suppose you knew that when you put up such a post it will bring mixed feedback and still you posted about it
that’s what makes the Internet so different that different ppl express different options
I also want to take my kid to a game. Which Chabad Rav can I consult with?
@moshe: There is still no reason for people to attack him on his own blog.
My husband is from Ohio so we moved back to Cincinatti for him to get his CDL while we stayed with his parents. During his training, my father in law took our son to his first baseball game and he was beaming from ear to ear after ward. We didn’t even know he’d like it that much, he is 5, but I think getting the hot dogs and ice cream was the best part for him. they stayed the whole game!