One of things that I have loved about the baseball game experience is how democratic and egalitarian it can feel. People from nearly any and all walks can end up sitting next to each other, high fiving one another, cheering passionately but ultimately carefree, in common bond. And they didn't use to have to take out a second mortgage to do it. Now I look at the ticket prices above, and private seat licensing in new stadiums, and realize that those opportunities are ever more rapidly disappearing. For some time, maybe the past 15-20 years, average families have been getting priced out of the live entertainment and sports business.
Charging $33 for the cheapest seat, a bleacher seat 500 feet from home plate, is not to my mind the best way to grow the next generation of fans. And it does seem disproportionate. I understand market differences, but at Target Field, you can buy a 20 game ticket package in the upper deck, down the foul lines, and get relatively comfortable, non-obstructed view seats that face the infield, for $14 apiece. If you do have the money to spend, you can get club seating for the price the Sox are charging for comparatively lousy grandstand seats.
I don't know. At Fenway, it's getting to the point where, for far too many fans, going to a midweek April game against the Blue Jays is budget blowing. Going to a summer Yankee game is basically a bucket list experience. That's pretty sad.