Baseball Gift Ideas and Great Presents for the Major League Fan

Fans of Major League Baseball teams are proud to wear clothing and other items from their favorites. MLB.com has all the standard jerseys and jackets along with more unusual gift ideas for Christmas presents.

Baseball Jerseys and Team Clothing

Official team websites, specialty sports stores and even general merchandise retailers carry specific team clothing during the holiday shopping periods. Fans can find jerseys, sweatshirts and caps for their local teams year round. Merchandise featuring nationally popular teams like the New York Yankees is available just about everywhere.

Advice on buying clothing items for baseball fans:

• Buy a bigger size than you might normally. T-shirts and sweatshirts tend to be made of cotton and shrink when washed.
• Stick to general team merchandise, rather than a specific player. Players tend to change teams quickly these days. It is possible that a player may change teams between the time the present is bought and given.

Baseball Tickets as Christmas Gifts

Baseball, more than most sports, is best enjoyed at the ballpark. Days are warm, the action is leisurely, food and opportunities to buy it are plentiful, and a fan gets a much larger perspective in person than just watching the pitcher and catcher on television.

Tickets to a major league game are a great gift idea for fans. Prices of tickets can be fairly expensive, but great seats can provide a winter’s worth of anticipation. Buying seats in a club section like those in Citi Field in New York or other major league parks can help ensure that the game will be enjoyable even if the weather is less than great.

Be sure that the game doesn’t conflict with family vacations or big events like reunions. A safer choice is buying a voucher for tickets and allowing the fan to select their own game.

Minor league baseball tickets are also a good choice. Less expensive than the majors, minor league games are still a lot of fun. Plus, it is a chance to see young players before they become famous. Fans love to be able to say about a major leaguer, “I saw him down at Double AA, and I knew he was going to be good.”

Other Baseball Holiday Gift Choices

Along with clothes, anything that enables a fan to show off his loyalty for his favorite team can be a good choice:

• Duffel bags and totes with the team insignia
• Watches and jewelry, especially for women fans
• Travel mugs and glassware, particularly beer mugs.
• Portable chairs, seat cushions and even household items such as shower curtains.

If a loved one is a collector, there are baseball cards and patches to commemorate teams and players. These are not usually a good choice for adult casual fans. Something useful is more likely to be enjoyed.

Those buying gifts for fans may want to avoid expensive items not likely to be used often, such as team neckties or dress watches. A businessman may love his team, but will still want to maintain a professional image at work.

Fans who love baseball will enjoy getting a useful gift as a Christmas present. A little bit of planning can make the experience even more enjoyable on the holiday.