The Texas Rangers are offering baseball fans a dream scenario on Saturday. With one swing of the bat, a participating fan could enjoy the thrill of a lifetime by hitting a home run at Globe Life Park, while at the same time winning a free ticket package for the 2016 season.
The event is called “Swings for your Seats,” and truth be told, it’s the coolest promotional concept going in baseball today.
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The Rangers are just the latest team to run this event. In recent years, both the San Diego Padres and Washington Nationals have offered fans the same opportunity. And though to our knowledge no fan has been successful at either ballpark, it’s still an event guaranteed to create buzz and get fans hyped for the new season.
And why wouldn’t it? We’re all itching for baseball in some form or fashion at this time of year. If there’s an opportunity to take the bat into our hands, that’s even better. And free tickets? That’s the icing on the cake, but it’s not the real draw.
Hitting a home run in a major league ballpark? That’s the draw, and that’s why Globe Life Park should have a strong February crowd come Saturday afternoon.
Whether it’s a pickup game at the nearby park or a major-league playoff game played in front of 50,000 fans, there’s nothing quite like hitting a home run. It’s the ultimate rush of adrenaline, because it’s the ultimate feeling of power, accomplishment and dominance over an opponent whose goal was to prevent that very thing from happening.
Every person who has ever played baseball or softball for that matter has dreamed of hitting a home run. Many have, most haven’t, but the feeling or dream of hitting a home run doesn’t just die, not even after their their playing days are over.
Players never tire of hitting them. Fans never tire of watching them. Writers never tire of writing about them. And it’s why stats-minded people are always looking for new ways to measure them and examine them. It’s a fascination, and that fascination is why some fans would give anything — a good chunk of money included — for one more chance to swing for the fences.
Of course, as with any contest, there are a few rules. In the Rangers’ case, participants must be 18 years old or older and they can’t be a current or former professional or collegiate baseball player. That means the odds are strongly stacked against a winner emerging from the pack, but it doesn’t mean fans will shy away from the opportunity, or better yet, the challenge.
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Participants also have to put down a 25 percent deposit on a half- or full-season ticket plan. In most cases, the fans would be happy just having the tickets and checking out the Rangers or whomever, but given the incentive attached here it’s almost like betting on yourself to deliver in the clutch.
Three swings. That’s all they’ll get. And the pressure will only mount with every swing.
Can it be done? Sure, anything is possible.
Will it be done? Only time will tell, but we’re certainly pulling for it.
What’s guaranteed though is a day and an experience participating fans will all remember forever.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
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