The baseball season kicks off today, and if you're a major league fan looking to showcase your allegiances, here are some ways to dress up your home and let your team colors fly.
The Grass is Always Greener
True baseball fans know that the real stars of the stadium are the groundskeepers. Maintaining a few acres of perfectly manicured grass over the course of 81 games is no easy feat. But now you can get that picture-perfect outfield look in your own back yard.
To get that stadium-perfect look, you first need to start off with the right seed. A few years ago, Scotts teamed up with Major League Baseball to offer the actual seed varieties used on your favorite field. So if you’ve always dreamt of transforming your backyard into Wrigley Field or Yankee Stadium, you can grab a branded bag of seed that comes with the head groundskeeper’s stamp of approval. Although Scotts has since discontinued the branded seed, big league fans can still grab a bag from an online retailer like Amazon or Sears.
While the right seed is a nice touch, to really get that authentic ballpark look, you’ll want
to get that iconic cross-hatched pattern that marks the fields of most stadiums. Toro’s Lawn Striping System is a simple attachment that hooks up to your lawn tractor or mower. Using 20 pounds of sand, the roller pushes down the grass to create those distinctive ballpark stripes.
To really boost the authenticity of your newly cross-hatched lawn, finish it off by showing your team colors with a lawn logo paint kit. The kit includes a stencil of your favorite team’s logo and cans of grass-friendly spray paint that match the team colors.
Show Your Colors
Home Depot and Glidden have teamed up to offer a line of wall paints that precisely match your favorite team’s colors. Unfortunately, while they offer matches for NFL, NHL and several other leagues, MLB teams are not included. But worry not! Simply grab a poster, decal or some other piece of memorabilia from your favorite team and bring it in to a major hardware store with a paint color matching system, and the store should be able to match the colors perfectly.
Yankee Stadium Bench
When they tore down Yankee Stadium a few years ago, they thankfully saved the stadium seats and have put them on sale so that die-hard Yankees fans can get that authentic ballpark experience at home. While a set of seats goes for around $1,500, it’s still cheaper than season tickets.
If you’re not a Yankee fan, you’re out of luck, but keep your fingers crossed and maybe a wrecking ball will be making its way through a cherished, historic stadium near you in the near future, allowing you to pick up a piece of memorabilia.
Keep Your Eye On the Ball
If you don’t have time to watch every game, but want to keep an eye on your favorite team, check out the Liveboard, a simple digital display that keeps you abreast of the score in real time. The Liveboard emulates the look of a classic ballpark scoreboard, but fits comfortably on your desk, so you’ll know how your team is doing even if you have to work late. Or transform your iPad or smartphone into a virtual scoreboard with the MLB app (iOS/Android), which gives you play-by-play coverage as the game is happening.
For the most dedicated fans, a subscription to MLB.tv and a set-top box like the Roku, AppleTV or an Xbox, are the most important pieces of home decor. With the ability to stream most out-of-market games in full HD, MBL.tv will keep you leaping from the couch in joy and defeat all summer long.