Increased supply meets diminished demand, as the New York Mets lowered prices for many seats at Citi Field for the 2011 season, decreasing costs by an average of 14 percent across the entire ballpark. Within the 14-percent average price decrease, the Mets have made a range of market-based adjustments to Citi Field’s 41,800 seats: Ticket […]
Tag Archives | mlb
Selig “likes” idea of expanded MLB playoffs
Major League Baseball’s playoffs could be expanded by two more wild-card teams as soon as 2011, as Commissioner Bud Selig admits he “likes” the idea of more teams in the postseason — as long as the regular season isn’t shortened. Selig’s comments, made before Game 4 of the World Series, were pretty clearly in favor […]
The Week That Was: October 2
Here are the most popular stories published in Ballpark Digest this past week, as measured by page views. The big stories this week: new ballparks in Potomac and Westfield; a baseball institution drops baseball; and the continuing follies in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre over a new ballpark. Westfield approves site for sports complex, complete with new ballpark P-Nats, […]
Tucson waiting for player-union approval for Japanese spring training
If the players union agrees to the addition of Japanese teams to spring training, up to four teams could be training in Tucson in 2011, playing games against their MLB brethren. Though nothing has been firmed, it’s looking good for Nippon Professional Baseball teams to be training at Tucson in 2011. MLB has unofficially given […]
Rays rip fans for not showing up during pennant race
The Tampa Bay Rays are in the midst of a great pennant race, but players were outspoken in their disappointment when a crowd of only 12,446 fans showed up to Tropicana Field on a night when the Rays could have clinched a divisional title. They didn’t, dropping a 4-0 game to the Baltimore Orioles. Still, […]
Japanese teams in the mix for spring training?
Tucson officials say they’re close to signing some Japanese teams to train this coming spring at Tucson Electric Park, provided Major League Baseball teams are willing to play some exhibition games — and apparently they are. At a press conference yesterday officials with the Pima County Sports and Tourism Authority said they’ve met with the […]
MLB teams retrench on Total Media Domination
With the St. Louis Cardinals abandoning its own radio station for regional giant KMOX and the Minnesota Twins bypassing a Pohlad-owned station to re-sign with its current radio partner, the MLB trend toward teams owning media outlets appears to be stalled. The Cardinals put together a deal with KMOX much like the Twins have with […]
What comes next in affiliation process?
There’s a lot of misinformation and misapprehension about what happens next in the affiliation process for MiLB and MLB teams, but one thing is certain: an existing minor-league team is guaranteed a parent no matter what. So Doubledays, Sounds and Muckdogs fans can relax: a team’s return is not dependent on the player-development process. We’ve […]
Seven-foot-tall Bud to invade Miller Park
Bud Selig, the man who brought baseball back to Milwaukee, will be honored with a statue at Miller Park. Before Bud the Commissioner there was Bud the Businessman, the used-car dealer who plucked the pitiful Seattle Pilots out of bankruptcy court, arranged to have new logos hastily sewn on used uniforms, and set up shop […]
Diamondbacks roll out 2011 All-Star Game logo
The Arizona Diamondbacks rolled out the All-Star Game logo for 2011 in a low-key fashion, reflecting the ongoing controversy over the state’s immigration policies. So far the logo has been used only for season-ticket renewal pitches. Since a controversial law — since put on hold by the judiciary — was passed protesters have called for […]
Nats finally embrace Expos history by honoring Dawson
The Washington Nationals haven’t done a whole lot to acknowledge their roots as the Montreal Expos, preferring to stress the history of baseball in the District. But with events slated to honor former Expo Andre Dawson, that’s changing. A glimpse at the Washington Nationals media guide shows a lot of information on Washington baseball, with […]
Nats looking at spring-training move to Kissimmee
The Washington Nationals are exploring options for spring training; while the team has been negotiating with Brevard County to improvements to Space Coast Stadium, it has also been looking at other areas for a new complex. And one of those areas is Osceola County, where the Houston Astros already train. The Nationals have approached the […]
Greenberg, Ryan land Rangers — will ballpark changes be in the offing?
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court overseeing the sale of the Texas Rangers by Hicks Sports Group ended up almost exactly where it began: with Chuck Greenberg and Nolan Ryan controlling the team, the winners of a bidding process forced by Tom Hicks’ creditors. We’re not going to get into the specifics here — they ended up […]