By Candice Chio -- AP Personal Finance Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Forget the steroids and outrageous salaries. The real scandal in Major League Baseball for many fans is the price of a ball game.
One way to bypass the $7 beer is to head to the minor leagues or even college baseball. They've long been alternatives to the big leagues, but are getting renewed attention as the baseball season kicks off amid a prolonged economic downturn.
Attendance in the minors has gone up for five straight years. Over the same period, turnout in the majors fell for the first time last season. This year it's expected to drop another 7 percent.
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One likely reason is price. An Associated Press-Knowledge Networks poll last week that found the cost of going to a game is now the No. 1 problem for fans in Major League Baseball.
But savings aren't the only reason to check out the alternatives.
"Players are fighting to get noticed, so they put effort into every play," said Mike Gillespie, coach of UC Irvine's baseball team. That in turn feeds crowd excitement, he said.
Here's what you need to know about the minors and college baseball.
