Baseball
The San Diego Padres baseball team of the National League plays games all summer and are pretty easy to get tickets to. Home games are played at Qualcomm Stadium. Ticket prices are $6 to $16 and can be ordered through the following phone number: 619-283-4494. The International Scholars and Students Office at Scripps also reserves seats at two games a year and then gives the tickets to international post-docs and students. Most of these people don’t want their tickets and will gladly give them away to poor grad students. Info can also be found at www.padres.com.

Football
The San Diego Chargers are the city’s well-loved football team, and as a result tickets are very hard to get during a good season. The season runs August through December. Ticket prices are $41 to $84. Ticket information can be found at 619-280-2121, ticket sales at 619-220-TIXS, or at www.chargers.com.

Horse Racing
The racing season starts mid- to late-July at the Del Mar Racetrack (Via de la Valle and Jimmy Durante Blvd). Races take place every day of the week except Tuesdays. It can get really crowded on weekends so my advice is to take an afternoon off and go to the races. General admission is $5, clubhouse admission is $8 and parking is $5. Post time is 2pm. Call 858-792-4242 for more information or look on the web at www.dmtc.com.

Ice Hockey
Yes, San Diego does have a hockey team and they are called the San Diego Gulls. The team plays in the West Coast Hockey League (WCHL) league, and home games are from October to march at the San Diego Sports Arena (3500 Sports Arena Blvd). Tickets can be charged by phone at 629-220-8497. This is not really good hockey - if you are starved for a live hockey game then you should go see them, otherwise you’re best advised to stay away. Free tickets are given away on a regular basis by various radio stations, and the tix in general are pretty cheap. Other than that, you can catch some NHL action with the Kings or the Ducks up north.

Over-the-Line
Over-The-Line started in 1953 as a simple sand baseball game. Since running bases in the sand is difficult, the game evolved in a more static fashion: the batter attempts to hit the ball past or over the heads of the opposing 3-person team. Hits are scored when a ball is hit into fair territory on the fly without being caught by fielders. Three hits in an inning score one run. Each additional hit in the same inning scores one more run. Now notorious the world over, the Old Mission Beach Athletic Club (OMBAC) Over-The-Line (OTL) Championship is a ribald celebration of sun, surf and sand. The event’s bad taste reaches its quintessence in the names the teams select for themselves, focusing on body parts concerned with reproduction, lactation, and defecation. Many in attendance find the off-field activities more interesting than those at the plate. Food booths are in full-fry, and there are always lots of tasty brew to quench your summer thirst. The event takes place through two July weekends on Fiesta Island. Admission is free. Games start at 7:30 am and end at dusk. Call OMBAC at 858-688-0817 for more info.