My second time ever to the Dell Diamond. It's so close to me, but I've never gone to a true Round…read moreRock Express game. Shame on me!
I had a coupon for me and a plus one to have a reserved seat for free at the Dell Diamond, and I wanted to take advantage of it. I convinced my buddy to go with me to an opening series game where the Round Rock Express faced the Gwinnett Stripers. We agreed to go on a Wednesday to get our dollar hot dog night on. You know how that goes.
Of course, going to every sporting event feels like they are going to nickel and dime you. It's $15 for parking, so if you can carpool, I'd highly recommend it. Beers range from $12 for domestic to $14 for craft. Everything is pricey. The hot dogs still remained $2 the whole night. Selfishly, I ate 5 over the nine innings. I didn't eat much through the day, and a decent ballpark dog was calling my name.
As for the actual game, it was over by the second inning. The night was very windy, so no balls had a chance to go yard. The Stripers scored 6 runs at the top of the 2nd and it was 7 scoreless innings for the Express. Ay caramba.
The nice gentleman in front of us was at the game with his wife and gave us good conversation. We watched kids rabid for the flying foul balls. Sometimes the game isn't even the most entertaining part because the stadium has a story of its own.
The hot dogs were very nice. At a dollar, they could be lukewarm, soggy, and wrinkled, but they were dense, flavorful, and actually pretty good. Sometimes I wonder if dollar dogs are cheaper and they probably are, but you couldn't fool me. They weren't jumbo quarter-pound dogs by any means, but they were a normal quality-sized wiener. I drank a draft of the Love Street Blonde, one of my favorite common craft beverages, and got a can of Michelob Ultra from a very nice hawker that I obviously tipped. I just don't really like Michelob Ultra, I realize.
I took a stroll through the Dell Diamond before leaving and there's a lot of cool spots from their yard in the back, which is great for just relaxing during the game, though the view isn't the most ideal for the action (great for bombs though). There's a full bar as well with baseball simulators and TVs showing other games, but if I'm paying money to park and watch a game, maybe that's not the move IMO.
Regardless of the Express getting rocked by the Stripers, I had a great time and want to return to more Express games this season. As a young adult, the deals on weekdays are too good to pass up. Thursday might be a move in the future for those $4 domestics, $7 drafts, and cheaper food options around the park. Maybe next time the Express will get more runs than hot dogs I ate.
RIYL: An affordable day out to the ballpark
