In lieu of great giveaways, again, which you get from other minor league teams, including the Inland Empire 66ers owned by Elmore Sports Group of which Bakersfield Blaze owner D.G. Elmore is the vice president, the Blaze are ramping up what they must perceive local baseball fans want the most or need the most to endure hot summer nights of baseball at Sam Lynn Ball Park  —  cheap beer.

With cut-rate beer and cervaza available on Micro Mondays ($2 micros), Tecate Tuesdays ($1.50 Tecates) and Thirsty Thursdays ($1 domestics)  it'll  be possible during the 2008 season to get really drunk, really cheaply at 41 percent of all home games. What a family-friendly development this is!

Savvy beer guzzlers can push that figure to more than 50 percent by taking advantage of free tickets to non reduced beer nights, spending on beer what they would on a ticket. Just show up on Must Win Wednesdays and get a free ticket to another game if the Blaze lose. I'm not sure what this year brings in terms of Ranger farm hand talent, but judging from the last two years, there'll be plenty of freebies dolled out.

The choice is a tough one — cash in the freebie on a cheap beer night and get value! value! value!  or add a fourth power drinking night  and amortize the  cost of the regularly-priced beer over what you would have paid for the ticket.

I'm sure the cops along Chester Avenue can't wait to see which strategy fans choose.