Another season. I wrote about why I get excited when the
next baseball season is on the horizon.
That was five years ago – my how time flies. And in those five years
tickets have become more complicated than my 1040 tax return. I just counted
more than 50 levels of pricing for a single ticket at a Dodger game. That
doesn’t include the ticket pricing for parking.
The two hours and 56 minutes is a very expensive proposition.
If I want Dugout Club Seats for myself and two grandchildren
I need to spend my social security check
– really, and that does not include parking or a hot dog. There is
nothing like being there. Be there or be square – remember that phrase? Now it
is “be there and be poor, very poor.”
Of the 50 or so levels of pricing, the lowest cost seats are
in the top deck areas and they do not include tissues for the nose blood. What
have the Dodgers and what has baseball done to people like me who are life long
fans. We enjoyed a day at the ball yard. We loved the night games, we loved the
people we sat next to. Now I can’t afford to go to a game and I am not poor,
yet.
Next time I hear about a $15 million dollar contract I will
realize that I am and many of those like me, are subsidizing this payoff. No, it
is not the billion dollar TV deal, though that has not reduced any ticket
prices, it is the salaries of these fragile performers that have a strained oblique, calf that hurts, or
a tooth ache and they make hundreds if not thousands sitting in the dugout.
It is a shame. I recall taking my grandkids to games. We sat
in the bleachers for six bucks. Got to talk to the pitchers warming up.
Shmoozed with the other fans with their kids. What a wonderful experience. We
were not Hispanics, not caucasians, not African Americans, we are FANS. It is
hard to cheer for a ball club that is made up of greed.
Kershaw, a great pitcher but is he worth my not being able
to go to a game with my grandsons? No way.
Yasiel Puig, a sometimes great outfielder, but not worth the
price to pay to see him sit on the bench most of the time. Is the value of my
ticket diminished because he didn’t play – yes it is. Kershaw plays once every five days.
It appears that America’s past time is past its time and
being priced out of existence. If I cannot afford to go to a game, the game does
not exist for me. It is hard because I love the sport. I grew up first in Braves
Field where we went to the game for a dime including carfare. Yes, I know that
was the olden days as I have been told by my middle aged kids. The point is
even then I could afford to go to a game. A few years ago the Dodgers had half
price Wednesdays. I took my grand kids and they ate well at the game and I was
able to eat the rest of the week as I was not broke.
I am surprised that the Dodgers did not sign Greinke. We
would have all paid for it. We are paying for all the multimillion dollar
contracts for the run of the mill players, whether we like it or not every time
we buy a ticket.
Back
in 1966 Koufax and Drysdale got $167,000
for the year after a tough negotiation. Today a rookie gets more than three
times that his first year. What does the average family man that attends a game
make? I would venture a guess and say
somewhat less.
This is Vin Scully’s last season. He will be missed. But
here is the good news, I can watch the game and listen to Vinny without buying
a ticket. I do lose the excitement of being there. But I have enough money to go to an Angel
game (I had better check their prices). I did – they are not much better. They televise
Angels games, too.
Here is the tragedy of all this: When I was a young boy my
dad would take me to a Red Sox Game. I loved going and spending the time with
my dad who was an avid fan. My father was a working man, blue collar, but he
was able to take me to a few games each year. Now, I want to share the events
with my grandkids but it is price prohibitive. And the teams don’t give a damn.
Both the kids and me are losing out to greed. It is hard to enjoy the game when
these players are not performing up to their incomes. Right now there is an
equivalent of a major league team unable to perform because of minor tweeks,
hurts and boo boos and this is just the Dodgers. And they want us to pay big
bucks not see these guys.
If I am invited I will go to a game or two. But I hope the
Dodgers understand that my loyalty goes to event not the team. Fresh air, friendly
fans and hots dogs are the attractions. Not just the Dodgers, but this is where
I live – so it is the Dodgers.
My son just wrote a blog about how the Dodgers got more for their
money by not signing Grienke. It is our
money they spend when they buy contracts.
So, who cares? They may be financial wizards but they could care less about
the fan base.
Dodger Blue is now Dodger Green – more than ever.
That is my take – you decide.
