The Major League Baseball season is in full swing.  Even though the negative press swirling around A-Rod and the fact that “Manny being Manny” seems to mean “Manny taking stuff that would allow a donkey to win the Preakness” has been a downer, there’s a lot of good stuff happening out there.  Zack Greinke and the Royals (yes, THOSE Royals) are in first place, the Rangers look better than they have since John Wetteland was closing out games with his mega-sweaty ballcap and it’s hard for many of us not to enjoy all of those Yankees fans calling for Joe Girardi’s head.

It’s a great time to head out to the stadium to watch the boys of summer do their thing.  Unfortunately, many people who would have a blast at the old ballyard are staying home because of the costs involved.  Attending a little slice of the nation’s pastime can be an exercise in excessive spending.  Tickets aren’t cheap, you could fill in every pothole on Main Street for what it costs to park and concessions nearly require a second mortgage.

Luckily, there are ways to root, root, root for the home team on the cheap.  Here are a few pointers that might just convince the penny-pinchers of the world to get out there to boo the ump.

Sit in the cheap seats. Although tickets are getting expensive, most of the big league teams have one or more cheap ticket options.  You don’t have to drop $80+ for a lower level “look I’m on TV” seat.  You can watch the game from outfield bleachers or cheap uppers for a fraction of that price.  Colorado Rockies tickets start at $9 per person.  You can catch the Oakland A’s for as little as $9.  Even the Yankees have an option for less than $15.  You may have a hard time snagging the cheap seats for popular games–those sell out fast–but if you aren’t too picky, you can get in on the cheap.

Look for special deals. The recession is taking a bat to the ballclubs, too.  Thus, they’re willing to deal.  Almost every franchise has specials.  You can get four tickets with concession vouchers on the cheap.  There’s one night of the week with special low-price tickets.  There’s a special day where they have a better than usual deal.  Visit your local team’s website to find out what kind of deals are going on with your home team.  Also, look for special prices for those who purchase tickets online.

Tailgate. If you eat out in the parking lot, you can pay Costco prices instead of concession prices.  Bright your mini-Weber and grill up some hot dogs.  If you’re a beer drinker, a six-pack from the local liquore store will probably cost less than a single beverage in the stadium, so take care of your imbibement needs prior to entry.  You get the idea.  Bring your own and eat in lot.  It’s fun, too.

Take a bus. Most teams have some kind of shuttle to and from the stadium and it’s often much cheaper than paying for parking and gas.  It might not be compatible with tailgating, but it can be really convenient.

Bring your own. Most stadiums are okay with fans bringing in their own plastic bottle of water and I’ve never seen a woman with a bag of sunflower seeds or a few sandwiches in Ziplock bags booted out of the stadium.  Check your local stadium’s rules to avoid inconvenience, of course, but you should be able to save some bucks by bringing a few of your own goodies.

You hear these horror stories about how it costs $300 to take the family to a ballgame.  It’s possible to do that.  If you’re buying $10 drinks and $8 hot dogs for everyone, it adds up.  With a little planning though, big league ball can be affordable.