Here’s my dirty little secret (okay, not so dirty, and not so much a secret): I like baseball, but I don’t really understand anything about it. Like, anything.

There are a lot of rules, a ton of strategy and a surprising amount of math involved. And if there’s three things I’m bad at, it’s rules, strategy and math. But I love baseball in the way that I love watching Italian-language movies even though I don’t totally get what they’re saying.

It’s about the experience.

It’s a fun way to pass an afternoon and I actually find the game’s slow pace and super-passionate fans interesting and a little reassuring that not everything has to be instant gratification these days. I get to even more games since meeting my husband, Matt. Matt loves baseball like most people love their kids. He knows everything about baseball; he knows all the players and what year they won their division or that title and what year they had that knee injury or whatever, and he has a really beautiful enthusiasm for the game that has no hint of pessimism (Ryan Braun was framed!).

Last night we took in the Lakeshore Chinooks season home opener at Kapco Park, located on the grounds of Concordia University in Mequon. The Chinooks handily defeated the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters, starting off the game with back-to-back home runs that even I couldn’t misunderstand.

The evening served as a good reminder that although within the city limits there are plenty of wonderful events, it doesn't hurt to venture up north a little bit once in a while for some family-friendly summer fun.

The team’s name is no joke: these games are played on the lakeshore. Like, you can see the lake. The view is absolutely beautiful. Last night’s first pitch was thrown out by Bud Selig and caught by The Kid himself, Robin Yount (whose lemonade is the only brand my husband will buy, and luckily, Kapco Park sells it with proceeds benefiting the MACC Fund).

The onfield host was Tiffany Ogle of TMJ4’s "The Morning Blend," keeping things light in between innings with fan contests that included trivia rounds, lawnmower races and cute interactions with the mascot Gil the Chinook.

I had as much fun at this game as I usually have at Miller Park - maybe more, because of the economy of the night ($5-$11 for tickets, meals that ranged from $2-$5, beer for $4.50). It’s a great venue for families; there’s a kids area with bouncy houses and a playground with a beautiful view of the lake. There are group options, too, like Usinger’s Uecker Club or Leinenkugel's Fan Dock, which accommodate groups of 50-100 and include all-you-can eat Usinger’s products and two drink vouchers per person. You can also purchase seating at four-person concourse tables for $80, which gives you a little more space and access to wait staff. There are also wandering vendors and 50/50 raffles, just like at Miller Park.

I’m definitely planning to return later this summer. I can’t promise I’ll understand the rules – I can probably promise that I won’t – but beer for $4? That’s something I definitely understand.