930 Forums
=> GENERAL DISCUSSION => Topic started by: sonickteam2 on January 19, 2007, 12:30:00 pm
-
They'll just charge more money for tickets to see the good teams play!!! (http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baseball/bal-sp.ostickets19jan19,0,6340080.story?coll=bal-home-headlines)
i think they should have one series a year at Camden Yards where the Yankees play the Sox!!! who needs the Birds there anyway!!!
The price is ... different
Single-game cost rises for Yankees games, Red Sox weekend dates and Opening Day
By Bill Ordine
Sun Reporter
Originally published January 19, 2007
The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox might be tough on the Orioles on the field, but they've been terrific at the box office.
So to apparently cash in on the popularity of their fiercest rivals, the Orioles are charging extra for single-game tickets to all games this season against the Yankees as well as weekend dates with the Red Sox and Opening Day against the Detroit Tigers.
According to the Orioles' Web site, 16 games - called "prime single games" - will be affected. Most single-game tickets for those dates cost from $1 to $10 more, depending on ballpark location, compared with regular games. The prices in a few locations remain unchanged. For instance, a field box seat between first and third base that normally costs $55 will be $65 for the prime games, and a left-field club box seat will increase from $25 to $30.
Last season, the Orioles went a combined 9-27 against the Yankees and Red Sox, but those two teams were popular draws, often attracting droves of fans wearing their caps and jerseys.
For instance, during a three-game stretch against the Yankees in June, the Orioles drew about 48,000 a game, and for a three-game homestand in April against the Red Sox, Boston helped attract almost 39,000 a game. The season average at Oriole Park was 26,582.
While it appears this is the first time the Orioles have employed so-called variable ticket pricing based on opponents, a team spokesman declined to comment on the team's pricing history and on the rationale for doing so this season.
"Orioles tickets are available at an array of prices that make attending games at Oriole Park at Camden Yards affordable for all fans," said Greg Bader, the Orioles' spokesman.
With variable pricing, the Orioles are following the lead of many other major league teams, including the Washington Nationals. For the second consecutive year, the Nationals will have a schedule of premium games. This season, those 15 games include Opening Day, some weekends and the Fourth of July; the Orioles play in three of them.
The Colorado Rockies - who have used variable pricing for about six years, according to a spokesman - have three price tiers for single games, plus a special requirement for early purchases of Yankees tickets.
For the most expensive seats at Coors Field, prices range from $45 to $75, depending on several factors including opponent and day of the week. Mid-range seats that cost $15 to $24 for "value" games jump to $45 for "classic" games.
A Rockies spokesman explained that until Feb. 10, fans seeking Yankees tickets are required to purchase a package that includes games against the Kansas City Royals and Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
The Chicago White Sox are in their third year of variable ticket pricing and also have a multi-tier system. For instance, a seat that costs $17.50 for Monday, Aug. 20, against the Royals increases to $44 for a game against the Red Sox on Friday, Aug. 24. And games against the Chicago Cubs cost an extra $5.
Some teams vary their prices depending on the time of the season or day of the week. For example, the Philadelphia Phillies, for the second year, will increase ticket prices between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Mark Kilbane, a Fells Point resident who is a Red Sox fan, said the Orioles are taking advantage of fans such as himself.
"I don't think it's fair to the people who live in this town who are fans of the other clubs," Kilbane said. "My knee-jerk reaction is that I'm against that, but I also know it's a business decision."
C.J. Wallace of Whitehall, who said he had attended just a handful of games over the past few years, had a more partisan view.
"If we can raise the prices and keep the Yankees fans in New York, double 'em," he said.
But a winning Orioles team is a better answer, Wallace said.
"If they had that, they could charge the fans for every single game," he said. "And you wouldn't have these special interest games that you'd raise the prices on."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prime dates
The ticket prices for these Orioles games this year could be $1 to $10 higher, depending on location of the seats (all times are p.m.):
Date Opponent Time
April 9 Detroit 3:05
June 26 N.Y. Yankees 7:05
June 27 N.Y. Yankees 7:05
June 28 N.Y. Yankees 7:05
July 27 N.Y. Yankees 7:05
July 28 N.Y. Yankees 7:05
July 29 N.Y. Yankees 1:35
Aug. 10 Boston 7:05
Aug. 11 Boston 7:05
Aug. 12 Boston 1:35
Sept. 7 Boston 7:05
Sept. 8 Boston 7:05
Sept. 9 Boston 1:35
Sept. 28 N.Y. Yankees 7:05
Sept. 29 N.Y. Yankees 7:05
Sept. 30 N.Y. Yankees 1:35
Source: Orioles' Web site
-
The reality is, this is actually sticking it to Yankees and Red Sox fans. They are the ones buying up all of the tickets because there's a good chance they'll get to see their teams win in a pretty stadium.
Fuck em
-
well, no one else is buying the tickets.
nice business strategy though, charge the people who actually come to the ballpark more money, instead of trying to get more people to come to the ballpark.
if this price increase was directly related to a a price decrease for remaining home games, i would give them credit. this looks like nothing more than Angelos trying to put some more cash in his pocket.
its not going to stop any sox or yanks fans from coming to the games.
its not going to make it cheaper to go to any other orioles games
its not going to make the Orioles a better team
-
surly, i think that claim is highly dubious. after all, the o's have st. louis browns win/loss baggage. the yanks have to be the winningest team in baseball history, after that i'd say it's some mix of the cardinals, giants, a's and dodgers.
-
People ARE buying tickets to the games. It is just a simple fact that, for Boston and New York fans, it costs them LESS to travel to Baltimore for their teams' games.
I have tickets to opening day this year for the first time ever. I'm excited!
I love the Orioles and will continue to go to their games...even if they aren't that great of a team.
Personally, I think it's time for Angelos to give us our team back! At least they've spent some money on middle relivers this year. Hopefully, the 6th inning won't be such a terror anymore.
-
Don't get me wrong, I'm going to keep going to games. But man, ever been to a Red Sox or a Yankees game at Camden Yards? It's embarassing how the opposing team's fans outnumber us. Granted, alot of them may be those pathetic image loving/bandwagon hopping "fans" that have always lived around here, but still...
-
let me revise something. . .i forgot that the nl has an 18 year head start on american league teams. simply by using pitching wins, mlb says winningest franchises are the giants, cubs, braves, dodgers and cardinals.
i'm guessing that if you exclude those 18 or so years, the yanks would be number 1
-
They're just jumping into the fray with all the other teams that have been doing this variable pricing stuff for years. Odd thing is my Opening Day tickets I got today aren't priced any higher than normal.
-
so which teams have the highest winning percentage, I assume you are talking about most wins
-
What, no love for the Pirates?
-
I've bought tickets to games at both Yankee Stadium and Fenway, and no way are the tickets themselves more expensive than the necessary travel, food, and lodging cost that a trip to Baltimore from Boston or NYC would require. Please don't give me this "It's cheaper for them to go to a game in Baltimore than in their own stadium" crap.
-
Fenway sells out the season as soon as it goes on sale. I'm sure its not cheaper, but it is a relatively inexpensive trip to come down to see the Red Sox play in Baltimore where tickets are easier to come by.
-
you arent thinking of reality here, rhett. face value of tickets arent more expensive, no.
if you can get tickets it is. but i have tried for 3 years in a row to buy tickets at Fenway and have been unable to secure but one game. sold out immediately (you dont know how lucky you are if you get tickets!)
so if you dont get tickets when they go on sale, you pay a scalper. about $200 for a pair of tickets, bleacher seats mind you.
orioles tickets are half the price at $100 a pair, for the good seats!!!!
now, say you and your wife wanted to go to 3 games. (and you lived in Boston).
$600 for 2 tickets to 3 Sox games
OR
$300 for 2 tickets to 3 Orioles games, $100 to drive to Baltimore and back and $200 for hotel rooms for 2 nights.
plus you get a vacation of sorts, you get a nicer stadium and way better seats.
if you want good seats to sox games, its definitely cheaper! believe me, rhett, i know people who've done it!
-
Not to mention that if you're driving to Fenway, it's hundreds of dollars to park your car.
I have been to an Orioles game when the Yankees are playing. Honestly, I stay away because I get so angry at all their asshole fans, that I can't enjoy myself at the game.
-
I bought bleacher seats for Fenway a week after they went onsale. Didn't seem like a problem to me if they were still available a week after going on sale.
Months later, I sold them on stubhub for well under $200.
So people had two chances at those tickets for well under the $200 you state.
-
top 5 teams in all time winning percentage:
1) yankees (.567)
2) giants (.539)
3) dodgers (.524)
4) cardinals (.517)
5) red sox (.515)
i might add that the cubs are 6th (.513) and pirates are 9th (.507). the o's are tied for 21st with the mets (.477).
-
cubs are helped, cards are hurt by early twentieth century
-
the Nats have had "prime" pricing for FOREVER
-
pollard- i won't necessarily disagree with your statement about eras, but the cards cleaned up in the aa under chas. comiskey. . .but, once he left, they pretty much were terrible until hornsby took over and into the 30s and 40s.
as for the cubs, i might add that they have an additional 7 years on other nl teams (as do the braves) by virtue of starting play in 1876.
-
I bought bleacher seats for Fenway a week after they went onsale. Didn't seem like a problem to me if they were still available a week after going on sale.
Months later, I sold them on stubhub for well under $200.
So people had two chances at those tickets for well under the $200 you state.
rhett, have you ever actually sat in bleacher seats at Fenway???? maybe you're a cheap SOB and your wife doesnt like having nice seats and what not, but my lady would never be happy with bleacher seats at Fenway (unless it was like, the World Series!!)
i already agreed it may be possible to go to Fenway park cheap.....but look at the entire package deal, its a no brainer, the trip to Baltimore is way way bettter, for not much more than pennies more.
-
No, I've never been to Fenway.
I think my wife would be happiest if I keep to buying the cheap baseball tickets, and spend the money saved on dinner.
-
then you clearly dont know what you are talking about.
thanks for wasting my time!
perhaps someone with some kind of experience can weigh in on this topic.
:roll:
-
In the new issue of Sporting News. Orioles: Worst MLB Franchise (http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=168851)
-
didnt the yankees spend 12 years out of the postseason , chalking up a few losing records back in the 80s and early 90s?
and this was before payrolls for some teams were 5 or 10 times the payrolls of others.
the Orioles are looking for an identity, and i think if they were in ANY other division, they at the very least end up in a race to the end, ie the Indians, or Texas. those teams are really no better than Baltimore, but since they arent with NY and Boston, they win 10 more games and at least make a run in September.
-
While I don't want to give them a pass for 9 losing seasons, I think your statement is pretty accurate.