Attendance

[bmags]

I really am not going to worry until it's consistently 80 degrees. Chicago is ready to explode with all things related to summer including baseball games, but everyone is still very cautious when it's low 50s to high 40s and rainy every day. I don't think we'll draw 2 million but if it's July and it's still empty as an expos game then we might have a problem.

[caulfield12]

I really am not going to worry until it's consistently 80 degrees. Chicago is ready to explode with all things related to summer including baseball games, but everyone is still very cautious when it's low 50s to high 40s and rainy every day. I don't think we'll draw 2 million but if it's July and it's still empty as an expos game then we might have a problem.

 

 

2 million is already next to impossible with the eroded season ticket base.

 

In a perfect world, meaning legitimate contention and good weather, 1.75-1.85 million is what we're looking at....being completely optimistic, and 1.45-1.6 million being very very very pessimistic.

[Eminor3rd]

The reality is that MLB, like any successful business that relies on media, has been evolving its channels of consumption with the development of technology. Fewer people are showing up, but more and more are watching on TV and on mlb.tv.

 

All that "new TV money" stuff that everyone is talking about didn't just fall out of the sky. The contracts are bigger than ever because consumption is being redistributed across several channels. This is the nature of media. The teams will be just fine if they facilitate this constant distribution; if they continue to make their product available via the channels that fans are demanding. They need to build these changes into their budgets. Expect fewer through the gates, more through digital, and maximize the yield from all channels.

[greg775]

even thou it has been mention, I will do it again, prices of are just too much to go to a game. late 70's and in the 80's, prices was

better suited for everybody, including the teen ager. those teens grew up and became fans and bought season tickets and of

course with their family, it became an outing at the ballpark.

 

now why go when we can catch the game at home, via/tv/cable/satellite/internet.

 

what surprise me was the stats on the cubs.... if they are hurting.....

 

Exactly, teenagers could and would go to the games. I know you can find deals for Sox games but tickets are so out of whack and parking as well, that baseball is pretty much considered a once-a-summer option for most people, like a trip to Six Flags. Baseball is just not considered an option for the normal folk (for the most part). I told u all I went to a Royals game last year and bought a burger, fries and coke for 18 bucks. Give me a break. It's insulting. I know it's like that at the movie theatre as well but it's well documented how expensive a ballgame is so people don't go. Also the product is very s***ty on the south side. The north side at least has the alleged landmark.

 

As far as parking, the Royals fans I know all meet at a nearby shopping center and all hop in a car and drive over together to save the money. Parking costs are f***ing ridiculous but hey, they got to pay $4 million for stiffs like Keppinger and a gazillion for busts like Dunn somehow.

Edited May 5, 2014 by greg775

[Donny Lucy's Avocado Farm]

Exactly, teenagers could and would go to the games. I know you can find deals for Sox games but tickets are so out of whack and parking as well, that baseball is pretty much considered a once-a-summer option for most people, like a trip to Six Flags. Baseball is just not considered an option for the normal folk (for the most part). I told u all I went to a Royals game last year and bought a burger, fries and coke for 18 bucks. Give me a break. It's insulting. I know it's like that at the movie theatre as well but it's well documented how expensive a ballgame is so people don't go. Also the product is very s***ty on the south side. The north side at least has the alleged landmark.

 

As far as parking, the Royals fans I know all meet at a nearby shopping center and all hop in a car and drive over together to save the money. Parking costs are f***ing ridiculous but hey, they got to pay $4 million for stiffs like Keppinger and a gazillion for busts like Dunn somehow.

 

Agreed here on seemingly all accounts. For me personally, Its not the ticket prices that are prohibiting. It is the periphery costs, such as parking, food/bev that kept me from going to games (I moved out of IL in 2011).

[The Mighty Mite]

I'm an real old timer born in 1946 and it's very hard for me to comprehend why there are different prices for different games. I think a lot of fans like me have rebelled at this variable pricing, a MLB game is an MLB game. If a walk up fan heads to the park at the last minute most of the time in this day and age he has no idea how much the game is going to cost him to get in.

In the old days you knew a general admission ticket was 1.25 and a box seat was 2.50. I'm know we will never see those prices again but why does one pay 50 bucks for a box seat for one game and the next game that same seat is 20 or 30 bucks.

I know the law of supply and demand but it doesn't seem to working with White Sox baseball, this will be 7 years that attendance has declined at USCF.

[caulfield12]

I'm an real old timer born in 1946 and it's very hard for me to comprehend why there are different prices for different games. I think a lot of fans like me have rebelled at this variable pricing, a MLB game is an MLB game. If a walk up fan heads to the park at the last minute most of the time in this day and age he has no idea how much the game is going to cost him to get in.

In the old days you knew a general admission ticket was 1.25 and a box seat was 2.50. I'm know we will never see those prices again but why does one pay 50 bucks for a box seat for one game and the next game that same seat is 20 or 30 bucks.

I know the law of supply and demand but it doesn't seem to working with White Sox baseball, this will be 7 years that attendance has declined at USCF.

 

8

 

[southsider2k5]

I'm an real old timer born in 1946 and it's very hard for me to comprehend why there are different prices for different games. I think a lot of fans like me have rebelled at this variable pricing, a MLB game is an MLB game. If a walk up fan heads to the park at the last minute most of the time in this day and age he has no idea how much the game is going to cost him to get in.

In the old days you knew a general admission ticket was 1.25 and a box seat was 2.50. I'm know we will never see those prices again but why does one pay 50 bucks for a box seat for one game and the next game that same seat is 20 or 30 bucks.

I know the law of supply and demand but it doesn't seem to working with White Sox baseball, this will be 7 years that attendance has declined at USCF.

 

Up until last year, it worked like a charm.

[The Mighty Mite]

Up until last year, it worked like a charm.

 

In what respect? Profit wise probably yes as the Sox have a great lease. From a fans perspective, no.

When you come right down to it the Sox down through the years have done numerous things to alienate the fan base and there just are not as many Sox fans in the metro area as we would like to have.

 

[southsider2k5]

In what respect? Profit wise probably yes as the Sox have a great lease. From a fans perspective, no.

When you come right down to it the Sox down through the years have done numerous things to alienate the fan base and there just are not as many Sox fans in the metro area as we would like to have.

 

The first year we didn't sell out a Cub/Sox game was last year. That means whatever the price the tickets were, it probably wasn't enough, because they could have sold more tickets.

[Marty34]

I don't understand how the cost of tickets is even an excuse. Tickets, through the White Sox site, start at $7 ($5 on Sundays) for the upper corners. Better tickets can be had for just a few dollars more. A family of four can get tickets and parking for $48. That's basically the same cost as going to a movie. Sure concessions can get expensive, but then don't buy them. And really, you can eat a meal at the park for basically the same cost as going to McDonald's or Burger King.

 

Of course you can do that, but sitting at a ballpark for three hours with kids and not buying them anything makes for an unpleasant experience for all involved in most cases. One that you do once and don't do again.

[Eminor3rd]

Of course you can do that, but sitting at a ballpark for three hours with kids and not buying them anything makes for an unpleasant experience for all involved in most cases. One that you do once and don't do again.

 

Ok so spend $20 more. Is $60-70 really that crazy for a night out for four people these days? Food at the movie is just as overpriced as food at the ballpark. Same thing at Chuck E Cheese or wherever the hello else kids want to go.

[Marty34]

I think the expanded playoffs have hurt interest in MLB's regular season. Go back to division winners only making the playoffs. Teams with the best record in each league get a buy to the championship series and plays the winner of a best of three series between the second and third seeded teams. Championship series goes from 7 games to 5 games.

[Marty34]

Ok so spend $20 more. Is $60-70 really that crazy for a night out for four people these days? Food at the movie is just as overpriced as food at the ballpark. Same thing at Chuck E Cheese or wherever the hello else kids want to go.

 

I think it is tough for families to swing that these days. The other thing that has been mentioned is the three hour game has to stop being the norm. More waks and K's these days too which means its three hours full of no action. Every damn pitch is treated like life and death by the hitter/pitcher, Get it and throw it. I'm convinced that is what a large portion of Buehrle's success can be attributed to.

Edited May 5, 2014 by Marty34

[Eminor3rd]

I think the expanded playoffs have hurt interest in MLB's regular season. Go back to division winners only making the playoffs. Teams with the best record in each league get a buy to the championship series and plays the winner of a best of three series between the second and third seeded teams. Championship series goes from 7 games to 5 games.

 

That's an interesting take because the whole point was to INCREASE interest in the regular season by having more teams in contention, and, by extension, encouraging players to not trade veterans at the deadline.

[Marty34]

That's an interesting take because the whole point was to INCREASE interest in the regular season by having more teams in contention, and, by extension, encouraging players to not trade veterans at the deadline.

 

Right, but it makes each regular season game less meaningful.

 

If it were up to me, play a balanced schedule, each league team plays each other 11 times with 8 game, home-and-home series against your closest NL rival.

[IlliniKrush]

I think it is tough for families to swing that these days. The other thing that has been mentioned is the three hour game has to stop being the norm. More waks and K's these days too which means its three hours full of no action. Every damn pitch is treated like life and death by the hitter/pitcher, Get it and throw it. I'm convinced that is what a large portion of Buehrle's success can be attributed to.

3 hour game would be great, but isn't the average Sox game now up to 3:17 or something this year (as of a few days ago), with a handful of 4+ hour games?

 

It's today's day and age with how people treat their time and money. The "value" people get out of 5-6 hours between driving and watching the game, the expense of parking the car, tickets, then all the food on top of it...just not worth the value/time to a lot of people anymore. Comparing it to a movie - movie is 2 hours and it doesn't cost anything to park, and you could more easily get away with no food.

 

Anyway, the answer is to make it less time and provide more value.

 

Eliminate the dead time. This is going to become a bigger focus with MLB over the next few years, I believe.

[caulfield12]

3 hour game would be great, but isn't the average Sox game now up to 3:17 or something this year (as of a few days ago), with a handful of 4+ hour games?

 

It's today's day and age with how people treat their time and money. The "value" people get out of 5-6 hours between driving and watching the game, the expense of parking the car, tickets, then all the food on top of it...just not worth the value/time to a lot of people anymore. Comparing it to a movie - movie is 2 hours and it doesn't cost anything to park, and you could more easily get away with no food.

 

Anyway, the answer is to make it less time and provide more value.

 

Eliminate the dead time. This is going to become a bigger focus with MLB over the next few years, I believe.

 

 

Not to mention a lot of people will "sneak" into 2 movies with the multiplexes...and feel more comfortable bringing their own food/candy, as well.

 

There's just that social stigma about eating sandwiches in the middle of a day game compared to sneaking Milk Duds or Reese's Pieces into a movie, haha. Because its' a "community enterprise," people feel a bit more guilty depriving their favorite sports team of revenue, compared to the faceless/corporate megaplex owner.

Edited May 6, 2014 by caulfield12

[southsider2k5]

A lot of empty seats at Wrigley last night...

[Kyyle23]

A lot of empty seats at Wrigley last night...

 

I couldnt believe how empty it was behind the hitters at first pitch. it mostly filled in by the middle of the game, but all those empty seats 5 years ago would be absolutely unheard of

[Buehrle>Wood]

I couldnt believe how empty it was behind the hitters at first pitch. it mostly filled in by the middle of the game, but all those empty seats 5 years ago would be absolutely unheard of

Security has been beefed up for some reason at all the stadiums which may explain that. I believe they announced 33k.

[Eminor3rd]

It looked like it was freezing

[NorthSideSox72]

It looked like it was freezing

Sox get lucky on the weather this week - supposed to be 80 degrees both Wednesday and Thursday last I checked.

 

I'm not sure I remember what 80 degrees feels like. What's it been, 7 months? 8?

 

[southsider2k5]

Security has been beefed up for some reason at all the stadiums which may explain that. I believe they announced 33k.

 

Current capacity is 41k.

[Dick Allen]

I went to Wrigley last night. They said 33k but closer to 25k IMO if that, where actually there. It was so cold. One thing about USCF, those boards in the OF block some wind. Nothing to block the wind at Wrigley. My hands were frozen. I didn't anticipate needing gloves in May.

 

One thing they don't do at Wrigley that they do at USCF now is the pat down and wand check of your being. I wonder why the Cubs don't have to do it.