Genius Orioles Promotion To Let Kids 9 And Under Attend Games For Free

The Baltimore Orioles announced an enticing new promotion on Monday that will enable children to go to games for free.

According to what ESPN reports, the program is called “Kids Cheer Free,” an initiative that will allow kids nine and under complementary admission.

Based on what the same report says, the organization will allow every adult who purchases an upper-deck ticket to bring up to two children (9 or under) with them without spending a dime.

The Baltimore Sun’s Eduardo A. Encina reveals that the promotion applies to all home games through April 29 (with the exception of Opening Day). Following April 29, tickets to games later in the 2018 campaign will be obtainable on a month-to-month basis.

Encina adds that the Orioles’ average attendance in 2017 was 25,042, their lowest tally since 2011. Therefore, implementing the “Kids Cheer Free” program could very well amplify those numbers.

Rich Dubroff of Press Box exhibits that the Orioles were tinkering with the idea for a long time. The very first person to conjure up the suggestion was their executive vice president, John Angelos.

Angelos recently took the time to comment on the Orioles’ brilliant promotion. As transcribed by MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli, this is what Angelos had to say on the matter.

“The Orioles’ mission, and that of the national game of baseball, is to cast a broad community outreach, and that effort starts with thoughtfully expanding our initiatives benefiting kids and families,” Orioles executive vice president John Angelos said in a press release.

“In the United States today, baseball now attracts more than 110 million Americans each year to Major and Minor League Baseball games, before accounting for the many millions of Americans who cheer for their college, scholastic and youth baseball programs. The Orioles are committed to sustaining the access for families from all walks of life to our great game, and that commitment is reflected in the Kids Cheer Free initiative and our many other family-focused programs.”

The AL East team is also modifying other family-friendly aspects. Via NBC Sports’ Craig Calcaterra, the organization intends to amp up its Kids Corner in order to keep youngsters occupied. Calcaterra conveys that the Orioles’ Kids Corner will boast attractions such as bounce houses and jungle gyms.

Ghiroli’s article points out that the team also plans on expanding its fireworks schedule. Additionally, she unveils that the Kids Run the Bases program will continue to be in effect after every Sunday home game.

According to a report from WBAL Radio, the Junior Orioles Dugout Club is going nowhere in 2018, either. Akin to the Run the Bases initiative, it is available to fans 14 years of age and younger. The promotion includes a ticket to six home games and a backpack, among other merchandise.

Calcaterra’s piece explains the other benefits behind the Orioles’ “Kids Cheer Free” program. Most importantly, he details that the incorporation of this feature will make it easier for kids to fall in love with the game.

“Ballparks have become a decidedly business class experience over the past couple of decades. The construction of Camden Yards, ironically, helped usher in this business class age. As such, this is a good move by the Orioles. If a kid has fun at a ballgame when he or she is little, he or she is way more likely to be a fan for life. By letting kids into the place for free, there will be a lot more kids having fun at ballgames.”

Needless to say, too, the lives of parents become a bit less taxing as well. Matt R. Lyons of SB Nation’s Let’s Go Tribe likes the move (granted he is not an Orioles fan).

Lyons discusses that since kids can become “disinterested after a few innings,” taking them to the ballpark is not always a treat. The tikes may not want to stay for long, forcing the parent(s) to have to leave early. However, due to this genius new option, the risk of wasting hard-earned money no longer applies.

Lyons asserts later in his article the respect he now has for the Orioles. Analogous to what Calcaterra asserts, the former argues that the “Kids Cheer Free” program could cause little ones to love their hometown club. That is the real beauty behind this promotion.