Top 5 Peanut Allergy Friendly Major League Teams

I love going to Major League baseball games and have been a passionate fan since I started watching the Detroit Tigers play as a kid.  Spending a nice  afternoon outside enjoying the national pastime is one of my favorite things to do.  Unfortunately sharing my love for the ballpark isn't something I can easily pass along to my children.  My daughter has a severe, life-threatening food allergy to peanuts and taking her to a game without any special accommodations is just asking for trouble.

Take a look around the next time you go to a stadium for a ball game and you'll see more people than you might have expected snacking on peanuts.  Then look at the ground.  Wow! Stadiums are just littered with peanut shells and residue! The darn stuff is everywhere.  So we had just avoided going to the ballpark as a family and watched games on television because it wasn't worth putting my daughter in a situation that could result in her going into anaphylactic shock.

My daughter loves to watch ball games with me on television and started begging to go to a stadium to see one live.  Fortunately, some Major League teams have begun to make accommodations to make their games accessible to fans with peanut allergies.  We've gone on a few family outings to these peanut allergy friendly games and have had some really positive experiences.

When it comes to Major League teams making games accessible for people with peanut allergies it runs the gamut of not providing any sort of accommodation at all to taking advantage of these consumer's medical condition to price gouge them to making an honest, concerted effort to host an affordable, safe and enjoyable outing at the ballpark.  A Geek Daddy has reviewed the various options available for baseball fans with peanut allergies to enjoy an outing to a baseball game and complied a ranking of the 5 Most Peanut Allergy Friendly Major League Teams for 2017.  Criteria for the selection included the ease of finding information online about a team's efforts to cater to people suffering from peanut allergies, the affordability of ticket prices, the availability of tickets and number of games offered, and going above and beyond to provide an excellent experience.  So without further ado here are A Geek Daddy's top selections:

5.  TORONTO BLUE JAYS

The Toronto Blue Jays are hosting 15 peanut allergy friendly games in 2017.  A peanut-restricted section is designated and thoroughly cleaned prior to each of these games. A specific entrance that minimizes walking through the stadium is provided plus additional staff and emergency personnel are made available near the peanut allergy friendly zone.  My family attended one of these games at the Rogers Centre and had an excellent experience.

4. SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

The Giants may be only hosting one peanut allergy friendly game in 2017 but they are making it affordable for people to attend with $9 tickets.  The team will be providing a peanut-sensitive area that will be cleaned prior to the game and restrict the allergen from the area during the game.

3. MINNESOTA TWINS

I've been wanting to take my twins to see a Twins game at Target Field during one of their peanut allergy friendly games but we haven't made it yet.  The team has an exceptional relationship with the Anaphylaxis and Food Allergy Association of Minnesota and has been coordinating efforts with them for several years now.  The Twins private balconies located above left field will provide an outdoor peanut controlled zone for twelve games during the 2017 season.

2.  ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

The Diamondbacks will have a peanut-free suite available for a majority of their home games. People with peanut allergies can purchase $40 tickets to attend a game in the suite.  Fans with peanut allergies should contact the team's suite services representative Diney Ransford at dransford@dbacks.com.

1.  OAKLAND ATHLETICS

The A's are hosting a peanut-sensitive zone for all their 2017 home games at the Oakland Coliseum. 
No peanuts will be allowed in the section and it will be cleaned prior to each game. One entrance to the Coliseum will be designated as peanut-controlled to further minimize fans contact with peanuts in the stadium.

If your local Major League baseball team wasn't included on the list, contact them and see if they offer a peanut allergy friendly section anytime during the season.  If not, ask them why not? For more information about peanut allergies please click here.

THE BEST PEANUT ALLERGY FRIENDLY TEAMS IN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL FOR 2014

I had never heard of "anaphylactic shock" until the day my daughter suffered from it after eating some peanut butter and I found myself in a hospital emergency room not knowing if she might live or die.  Since that day, ANAPHYLACTIC SHOCK is something that is on my wife & I's mind everyday as parents of a young daughter who has to watch everything she eats and comes in contact with to avoid the peanut and tree nut proteins that trigger a deadly reaction from her own body's immune system.  Now because of the risk of contamination things that we used to do regularly aren't as easy to do anymore like eating at a restaurant or going on a family outing to enjoy a baseball game.  The next time you go to a Major League Baseball game look around you, you'd be amazed by the incredible amount of peanut shells that litter the ballpark...I have to admit I never noticed myself until the incident with my daughter and I was shocked.

While baseball is known as the "National Pastime" it is also strongly associated with "peanut and cracker jacks" and Major League Baseball (MLB) as a whole has really not done a very good job at balancing out these two points for people with peanut allergies who would like to cheer on their favorite team at the ballpark.  Often times people with peanut allergies just avoid MLB games because of concerns regarding contact with the shells that litter stadiums or worries that peanuts in the concession stands may contaminate food.  It's unfortunate that many fans because of health concerns that could be alleviated by some basic precautions and accommodations by sporting teams find enjoying the National Pastime at a ballpark with friends and family prohibitive.

Over the last few years, some teams have begun making efforts to make their games accessible to people with peanut allergies.  To reward their initiatives and promote awareness of these efforts, I've compiled a listing of the BEST PEANUT ALLERGY FRIENDLY TEAMS IN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL for 2014.  This list does not include every team that is providing a peanut allergy friendly experience for fans, but rather is a listing of teams that after reviewing every MLB team have stood out based on a variety of factors.  This is the second year I've highlighted teams for their efforts when it comes to addressing peanut allergies at the ballpark...some of the teams are the same and some have changed from last year's list: BEST PEANUT ALLERGY FRIENDLY TEAMS IN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL.  The criteria for making the 2014 List were: ease of finding information regarding team specific peanut allergy friendly program information, quality of team's promotional/informational materials, frequency and quality of games, and affordability and availability of  tickets.

#1 MINNESOTA TWINS

The Twins have partnered with the Anaphylaxis & Food Allergy Association (AFAA) to provide 12 games that are designated as Peanut Controlled Days at Target Field.  Tickets are affordable ranging from $18 to $24 dollars.  The Twins private balconies, located above left field will be a "peanut controlled zone" during designated games.  Traditional ballpark fare (not peanuts and contamination free) will be available for purchase on the open air balconies.  CLICK HERE for more information.

#2 SEATTLE MARINERS

The Mariners will be holding 4 special peanut controlled area games at Safeco Field in 2014.  No peanuts will be allowed in the reserved areas with 200 seats available for each games.  Tickers are only $11 so people with food allergies can bring family, friends, even all their colleagues from work if they like, to enjoy the game with them.  The seating area will be cleaned and checked just prior to the gates being opened for the game.  CLICK HERE for more information.

#3 TORONTO BLUE JAYS

Every Sunday home game during the season for the Blue Jays is Peanut/Nut Reduced Zone designated game.  Tickets are $30.  Additional staff will be assigned to the area surrounding the zone to prevent peanut or nut-based products into the zone.  Extra emergency personnel will be made available during these games in case of a food allergy reaction.  CLICK HERE for more information.

#4 KANSAS CITY ROYALS

2014 will be the FIRST year that the Kansas City Royals provide a peanut allergy friendly option for their fans!  They will be providing a peanut allergy friendly suite for 5 games.  Tickets are $55 which also includes a peanut/tree nut allergy safe menu buffet and non-alcoholic drinks in its price.  For more information, CLICK HERE.

Several teams are now offering suites on select games for fans with peanut allergies.  The Detroit Tigers host 2 games per year (early in the season) for $40 tickets that doesn't include food but they let you bring in your own meal/beverages with you.  The New York Mets host one game with tickets at $90 but it includes a peanut allergy safe buffet and non-alcoholic beverages into the price.  The Yankees outdid the Mets with a $100 per person ticket price for a similar suite package. The Baltimore Orioles have a suite available for 5 games priced at $27 per person without food or beverages but received a low mark for difficulty in being able to find information about their program.  It is located in the AtoZ Guide of their website. Several other teams have suites available that fall between the Orioles and Yankees in prices, availability and accommodations.  Kansas City's suite package was selected for this list in recognition of this being their 1st year hosting such an event, accessibility and ease of searching for event information, frequency of the games they are hosting, and affordability value of the tickets when considering meal and beverages are included in the price of watching a game from a suite (with its own private bath room).

#5 PITTSBURGH PIRATES

The Pirates may only be holding a food allergy friendly night once during the season but during the event they are making an effort to educate the whole stadium on the issue.  The Pirates have reserved The Deck for fans - along with their family and friends - affected by life threatening peanut allergies.  The Pirates will also be providing tips throughout the game to help ALL FANS be more aware of life threatening allergic reactions.  Special Discounted Tickets for The Deck peanut allergy friendly zone are $25 which includes $10 that can be used at concessions or the gift store.  CLICK HERE for more information.

#5 SAN DIEGO PADRES

The Padres had partnered with FARE: Food Allergy Research Education to host a Peanut-Controlled Zone during the team's Sunday July 20th game versus the Mets.  Additional games may follow.  A portion of ticket sales from these games will be donated to FARE which is a leading reputable non-profit advocacy and research organization for food allergies.

Preparations for the Peanut Controlled Zone will include:
+ Power washing the seating section;
+ Placing emergency responders nearby;
+ Removing items with any peanut related ingredient from the immediate area;
+Posting "No Peanut Zone" signs around the section.

For more information, CLICK HERE.

HONORABLE MENTION:

 




ST LOUIS CARDINALS - have the best give-away items taking place at the stadium during their peanut controlled section days with a cool batting practice cap and a build-a-bear clydesdale horse.

St. Louis is hosting 3 games that will have Peanut Controlled Sections allowing fans with peanut allergies to sit in a "Peanut Controlled Zone" - sales of peanuts will be halted in the section and fans will not be allowed to consume peanut products in that area.  For more info, CLICK HERE.

For a more detailed listing of peanut allergy friendly Major League or Minor League games taking place in 2014, please visit the websites for PEANUT FREE BASEBALL or FARE.