Welcome to another edition of Around the Horn. This is going to be one of the more fun pieces in the series as this week’s theme is fans and the fan experience at games. We’ll discuss everything from foul balls to what’s on the menu this summer at your local ballpark in our walk off. I’ve also included our first standings update of the season as we’re through 40 games for just about everyone. Let’s dig in!
First Base
Big Blue Tidal Wave: Much like the Yankees, the Dodgers are well known for having fans all over the country that come out to see the team “on the road.” While they do show up just about anywhere, LA’s diehard fans make their presence felt the most when traveling inside their division, and in particular to San Diego’s Petco Park. They flexed their muscle on Saturday as they marched the streets of the Gaslamp District on their way to the ballpark to support the visitors against the Friars. Unfortunately for them, this impressive turnout wasn’t enough to lift their team to more than one win against the Padres.
Second Base
Right Place Right Time…Twice: Typically, that’s that what it takes to get a ball at an MLB game, just being in the right place at the right time. Unless your ball thief Zack Hample but let’s not dwell on him this week. Instead let’s talk about this lucky fan in Seattle Monday night, who came up with not one but two balls on consecutive pitches. Pretty incredible stuff from the gentleman on the left field line, and frankly, better defensive work than some of the Mariners players.
Third Base
Cloudy With a Chance of Hot Dogs: We’re staying in the pacific northwest, at the exact same ballpark where the Mariners are having an awful lot of fun giving food away. The newest promotional even at T-Mobile Park is “Hot Dogs from Heaven,” where the ballpark staff are parachuting hot dogs out of the upper deck to the fans below. All of this of course take place while Belinda Carlisle’s 1987 hit Heaven Is a Place on Earth blasts through the ballpark PA system. Keep it going Mariners, you’re making the ballpark experience better for everyone with stuff like this.
Home Plate
Owners, They’re Just Like Us: While we’re on the subject of fans, let’s talk about the Orioles most powerful fan. That of course if new owner David Rubenstein, who has grown into his role as the public face of the franchise with ease. What started with him being a part of the broadcast and buying beers for a bar full of fans, has morphed into him being in charge of the “splash zone” at a home game. The “splash zone” at Camden Yards is a special section where fans get showered with water to fight the summer heat when the Orioles score runs. Rubenstein seems to be having a blast so far this season, and he’s helping to bring one of the league’s historic franchises fully back to life with his efforts, something he deserves immense credit for doing all while acting like a regular guy with the public. It goes a long way in a league where the fans typically complain about stiff owners quite a bit.
Where They Stand
With a quarter of the season in the books, let’s take a look at the standings. We’ll start with the American League where we have tight races at the top of the divisions and a deep field of wild card contenders. While there are several strong clubs, it feels like the Yankees and Orioles are the clear class of the league. The three team race in the central division feels intriguing as the young and exciting Royals are battling the slugging Twins and the surprising Guardians. It promises to be a fun summer across the circuit.
Meanwhile over in the National League, the Phillies, Braves and Dodgers are setting the pace while the Cubs and Brewers are in a tight battle for the central crown that should last all year. The wild card field is crowded right now with teams that may not be postseason material like the Nationals hanging around the picture. But give them and the Mets credit, they have hung around so far this year and are giving themselves a chance as they hover around .500.
The Walkoff
Last week our Walkoff segment featured some additional headlines from around baseball, so this week I thought I’d change things up. I hope you brought your appetite, because we’re talking ballpark food. I selected a few of my favorites from around the league to share with you in the slides below. First up is the Orioles “yard dog,” named for their home Camden Yards, it’s a three-foot hot dog topped with an array of options ranging from crab dip to old bay potato sticks. Of course, if you’re going to have a dog at the game, you have to wash it down with the Cubs 26 oz baseball bat Beer, so you blend in with the Wrigley “bleacher bums.” Now if you don’t love hot dogs there is an array of options at Marlins Park as seen in slide three, and you can have everything you see in the picture in the Marlins “all you can eat section.” The even better news is you can get it all for the low cost of $52, as you only have to pay for your ticket in this section. Now that you’ve had eaten all the ballpark staples, let’s have dessert in Queens and the Southside of Chicago. The Mets have a new offering at Citi Field this summer, the rainbow cookie eggroll, taking a dessert favorite and putting a special twist on it. If you want to go big though, try the White Sox Campfire Milkshake, which is now more popular than any player on the club’s roster. There were a few that narrowly missed the cut so go do some digging of your own and enjoy the food and the games everyone!
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The Broadway Breakdown 
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