$90 For A Spring Training Ticket?

by Al on Nov 14, 2008 9:30 AM CST Comment 32 comments

No, not the Cubs. Check out this article from the Los Angeles Times:

The Dodgers are freezing prices on season tickets. So are the Houston Astros and the Pittsburgh Pirates -- and the Boston Red Sox, who have sold out every game since 2003. The NFL is cutting the price of playoff tickets.

Commissioner Bud Selig has warned teams not to "get too cocky" on prices in these rocky times. Yet the Dodgers have done just that in setting the prices for their new spring complex in Glendale, Ariz.

For an exhibition game -- for three innings of Matt Kemp and six innings of A.J. Ellis -- the Dodgers are charging $90 for the best seats in the house, $30 and $26 and $24 for everything else between the bases.

The perks of the $90 seats, according to the Dodgers' website, include "complimentary water, sunscreen [and] cool scented towels."

Even $30 is a little pricey for, as the article calls it, a "practice game". But $90? Are they out of their minds?

Hat tip to my friend Rob at 6-4-2 for the LA Times link.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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Hey I am in.

“Cool scented towels”, goodness what next. The key will be how many actually will pay for this nonesence.

"Have You heard of the Boom on Mizar 5?"

by Grockcubs on Nov 14, 2008 9:35 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Hey

they gotta pay for Manny somehow. I assumed the $90 was for a seat in one of the suites (the whole idea of a luxury suite at a Spring Training ball park seems a little absurd), but NO, it is for a seat behind home plate. The party deck is $100.

But, not to worry, Al…a ticket to sit on the expansive grass berm is only $8.

by azjazzman on Nov 14, 2008 9:50 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

$8 sounds about right for an exhibition game.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Nov 14, 2008 1:15 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

The seats also come with four $20 bills taped to them...

Brian McRae's 5 o'clock shadow

by PurpleLineToWrigley on Nov 14, 2008 9:50 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Toilet Paper?

by TheHawkRules on Nov 14, 2008 9:51 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Is the 90 dollar seat...

…a toilet also? I just ask because I smell something….

by TheHawkRules on Nov 14, 2008 9:51 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

If Prior is handing out the towels

I am all in…

"Sports are a crazy business. If there was a template, we'd all be champions, right? But there's one winner and 29 or 30 losers; one guy wins, everybody else is tied for last. That's the way it works" -- Mark Cuban

by TheRiot Police on Nov 14, 2008 10:07 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

He did, after all, lead the league in towel drills while he was here...

"I'll take one in the mouth over the eyes any day". - AJ Pierzynski
http://lostinthevines.blogspot.com/

by lostinthevines on Nov 14, 2008 11:51 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Only if it included a beer an inning...

and a Greg Maddux autographed baseball in one of those little clear plastic boxy thingies.

Sweet Lou for Mayor in '11.

by blackhawk24 on Nov 14, 2008 10:20 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Um only if it included

Greg Maddux pitching for the Dodgers and the seat was on the mound.

"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry

by Doggie Stalker on Nov 14, 2008 7:38 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

F the Dodgers in the A

Spring training is baseball at its purest form. Stop ruining it.

Dan

Evey Hammond: Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici. V: By the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the universe.

by dtpollitt on Nov 14, 2008 10:31 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Absolutely insane.

A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings. ~Earl Wilson

by tucsoncubsfan on Nov 14, 2008 10:58 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Supply and Demand

It is pretty simple. If no one pays that much for tickets they will have to lower them. They obviously feel that the won’t have a problem selling the tickets at that price.

by cubfan2201 on Nov 14, 2008 11:17 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

And the truth is...

they won’t have any problem selling them. Spring Training has become a March month long party for hard-core baseball fans and the Dodgers have plenty of high income types that are on the bandwagon after they made the playoffs last year. Those people will think nothing of spending $90-$100 a ticket to be close to the players, soak up some sun, hang out with like minded folk and enjoy the night life in Glendale (which has undergone an amazing transformation since the Football stadium and Hockey Arena were built).

This is consistent with the whole thought process behind the Dodgers relocation from their long time ST home in FLA to AZ.

by azjazzman on Nov 14, 2008 11:31 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

You're probably right.

Atleast this year anyway, in their official inaugral season in ST. However, once the luster weas offnext year or the year after, I imagine not many will pay that much too see a bunch of Minor Leaguers in the hot AZ sun.

Over time, your quickness with a cocky rejoinder must have gotten you many punches in the face - Al Swearengen

by lemon20pie on Nov 14, 2008 1:03 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I agree with you.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Nov 14, 2008 1:15 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Only time will tell

the thing is, the die hard Dodger fans will be saving a ton of money by only having to travel to AZ instead of FLA, so I suspect they consider the ticket prices for the games a drop in the bucket. And in reality, it is a very small number of seats right behind home plate that are priced at $90.

by azjazzman on Nov 14, 2008 1:47 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

True.

Still… they could have done that for less than $90, and I also think the $30 price for a lot of the box seats is also excessive for “practice games”.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Nov 14, 2008 2:05 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Waitaminute ...

Getting tickets at face value at any price is getting harder and harder. My pals and I go to the Cubs/giants home-and-away weekend every March. To get tickets, I have people at both stadiums in AZ, Pacbell (or whatever it’s called now) in SF and online. A few years ago I could get eight together. Now I can hardly get four together – within minutes of tickets going on sale. My big problem is not how much they cost, it’s actually getting a chance to buy them.

Hi everybody!
Go Cubs. I miss them.

-jhj

by jhj on Nov 15, 2008 1:01 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Go for lawn seats

Then you can all sit together

"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry

by Doggie Stalker on Nov 15, 2008 4:50 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

True.

Scottsdale Stadium, where the Giants have ST, draws very well, especially for Cubs games.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Nov 15, 2008 4:52 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Let;s see, LA Fans able to see the Dodgers in AZ v. FLA? I think they will sell out @ $90 per.

n/t

by DudeVf11 on Nov 15, 2008 8:53 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

6-4-2 Dounble Play.

That’s an interesting unlikely DP tandem.

Over time, your quickness with a cocky rejoinder must have gotten you many punches in the face - Al Swearengen

by lemon20pie on Nov 14, 2008 1:04 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Somewhere on his site he explains how he came up with that name.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Nov 14, 2008 1:15 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

A typo

Apparently he wanted it to be called 6-4-3 but didn’t notice he typed a 2 instead of a 3 until after he registered it.

6-4-2 is a very rare DP indeed. I can really only think of it happening if men were on 1st and 3rd with no outs and it would hae to be towards the latter of the game with the infield playing in or if Cedeno is on third.

Over time, your quickness with a cocky rejoinder must have gotten you many punches in the face - Al Swearengen

by lemon20pie on Nov 14, 2008 1:53 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

The last 6 words made it worth reading this whole thread. ROTFL

Tommie Agee was out.
"This field, this game, is a part of our past. It reminds us of all that was once good, and it could be good again." TM

by Weeghman Park on Nov 14, 2008 3:35 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I am really looking forward to that towel

after driving thru Gila Bend to PHX, you get a little dusty and sweaty.

by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Nov 14, 2008 2:16 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

And, you need something to wipe the bug splatter off your car, too.

by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Nov 14, 2008 2:17 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Speaking of Spring Training

The Cubs should release their spring training schedule sometime in the next week or so. Does anybody know if the White Sox are gone from Tucson this year?

Old Style is the nectar of life.

by Mordecai on Nov 14, 2008 2:18 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

It hasn't

been decided. The White Sox seem to feel they can fulfil the terms of their contract in Tucson by having minor league players train at Tucson Electric Park while playing their ST games in Glendale. Tucson city officials, quite rightly, feel this would be a breach of contract, but it is doubtful that they would want to pursue it and alienate Jerry Reinsdorf.

Stay tuned…

by azjazzman on Nov 14, 2008 2:22 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Why not ?

I will kick in a few bucks if they can alienate Jerry Reisdorf.

"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry

by Doggie Stalker on Nov 14, 2008 7:40 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Spring training games for most organizations in Arizona and Florida are very popular

Therefore natural that lots of teams are looking into ways to creatively boost ticket prices and the like. My family and I head down to Sanibel Island Florida each spring and sometimes try to catch a Minnesota Twins game in adjacent Ft. Myers. Beautiful facility they have in Ft. Myers. Anyway, each year the ticket prices keep significantly climbing. But the thing is the joint is always packed to the rafters.

Baseball stopped being the sport the “everyman” could attend 15 years ago. Now it is filterning down to spring training experience, to even include the Minnesota Twins of the world.

BCB, home of the insidious campaign of the clueless to "Dustyfy" an outstanding manager in Lou Piniella.

by MDBNIU on Nov 15, 2008 11:28 PM CST reply actions 0 recs