By Chris Cue
April 3, 2009

     A day after Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino announced that the Red Sox could remain in Fenway for the next 50 years, comes the news that the average ticket to Fenway is no longer MLB’s most expensive one to buy. For the past 13 years Red Sox fans have paid the most on average to support their team, but no longer. While the picking of a Sox fans pocket still goes on, at least fans of the Olde Town Team can claim they aren’t getting fleeced the most anymore. That distinction now belongs to the New York Yankees.

     It should come as no surprise that the Yankees are now the team that costs the average fan the most to go see. A brand new stadium can do that to ticket prices. You really didn’t really think the Yankees were going to pay for that stadium all on their own did you? Or did you?

     The Team Marketing Report which was released yesterday, shows that the Yankees have passed the cost of their new stadium onto their fans with an alarming increase in ticket prices. For instance, the average ticket for a Yankees game in 2008 was $41.40. This year, in the new stadium, that price has increased an amazing 76.3% to an average ticket price of $72.87. That’s a huge jump, due largely from selected area’s that even Hal Steinbrenner said were “overpriced”. Forget the economy for a second and focus on this little ditty just for a moment. The Yankees set the prices for their “Legends Suites” over 13 months ago. They were priced between $500 to $2,500.00 a seat as part of season ticket sales. That’s one seat for a single regular season game. Perhaps they were hoping AIG wouldn’t go under and those tickets would be an easy sell to people that don’t value a dollar. Then again, maybe they just over valued their product a bit…..

Think about it. $500 – $2,500.00 for a single ticket to one ballgame?? That’s crazy!

     Let’s put this into some sort of perspective. Did you know that Joe DiMaggio was paid a total of $8,500.00 for his entire rookie year? Look, inflation is one thing, but when you stop and think that the price of 4 seats to one game today exceeds what Mr. Coffee made in an entire season, something is getting a little out of hand don’t ya think?

     Well surprise! Some of those $2,500.00 seats are still available to purchase, but the poor slob who wants to buy them will have to shell out $2,625.00 to get them because the price goes up if they are not part of a season ticket package. Understand, this isn’t a case of the pot calling the kettle black. The Red Sox are by no means a bargain to go see either. However, Sox fans will not be seeing a 76% increase in ticket prices. The Red Sox essentially froze ticket prices from last season showing only a 0.3% increase. Still, the Red Sox are the 2nd highest MLB ticket to purchase with an average cost of $50.24. As the old saying goes, “That ain’t chump change”, but at least you won’t get a nose bleed from the seat that costs you that much. I’m not sure the same can be said of the seating location you’ll get for the average price in Yankee stadium this season. 

     In the interest of struggling families during this economic downturn, acknowledgment of the most affordable ticket price is in order. Unfortunately, you’ll need to add the price of airfare to it unless you live within driving distance of the ball park. The lowest average ticket price belongs to the Arizona Diamondbacks which has an average cost of only  $14.31. Imagine that. A family of four can watch a professional baseball team play for $57.24. You might even be able to buy a beer, get a Hot Dog and still walk away with change from your Ben Franklin. That should make you feel better right?

Yeah, maybe not so much.

By all means, if you head out to the ballpark this season, enjoy the game! Chances are you paid dearly for it.