Ed. note: This is the first in a when-I-feel-like-it series of meditations on “third places,” spots to spend time that aren’t home or work.

I’ve attended two baseball games recently, a Tampa Bay Devil Rays game and a Clearwater Threshers game. The former, I think, cost too much to qualify as a viable “third space.” At the stadium, I spent almost $25 for an evening’s entertainment. That adds up for a family.

For argument, let’s put the cost of admission to the third dimension at about the cost of a movie, per person. Better less, but no more. The Threshers game was $6 for a decent spot off third base close enough to hear the players’ chatter. A bank promotion gave each ticketholder $1 in a gimmicky deposit envelope. Net: $5. (Grass seats were even cheaper at $3.) The game started at 7 p.m., and lasted until 10 p.m. A mere $5 for three hours of entertainment is a steal. Even if I had eaten at the stadium, like I did at the Rays game (a pretzel and a soda big enough to drown in), I bet I couldn’t gotten out for under $12. If your kids like popcorn, a baseball game runs cheaper than a movie.

The Threshers “dismantled” the Brevard County Manatees 11-5. It was fun to watch. The Manatee dugout even threw a fit at one point, adding to the drama.

I’ve had an indifference to sports in the past, though I’m learning. As a third dimension, a baseball game wouldn’t come first to my mind. Still, it makes the grade. It was cheap, and gives guys an activity where they can talk without having to make eye contact.