[biollante]

The thread on last out World Series baseballs made me think of another larger, and perhaps damaging, issue: the Commercialization of the Red Sox.

Yes, the organization is in it to make money. But have their tactics gone too far ?
Or is every dollar earned ok because they can spend it on Edgar Renteria ?

I have not had a problem with the Red Sox adding more seats to Fenway but the ticket pricing scheme means I can only rationally bring my family to 1 game a year (even then it doesn't seem rational). I have even lived through Wally.

Examples:

1. More night games on Saturdays (this is a crime in my opinion). I love day games. It makes the commute back to CT reasonable.

2. Selling turf.

3. Endless e-mails trying to sell more stuff.

4. Outrageous prices for food and beverages at the Park.
(I have to work so I can't type more examples)

At some point, I think people are turned off (even Sox fans).

Is this off base and should it be whatever they want to charge and let the buyer beware when Millar steps to the plate ?

What is it that we are actually paying to see and is it worth it ?

[TonyJalaPena]

I would say that the Sox are a very long way from chasing off enough fans to fill the ballpark and sell their merchandise. A few old schoolers will get bent out of shape now and then, until they realize they are in it for the game and the items you listed in 1-4 are irrelevant. I think they would lose a lot more fans by having a bad team on the field than by some unknowning business practices.

[saintnick912]

As far as I understand it, the night games on Saturday are due to the Fox deal granting exclusive rights to Saturday day games. I don't like it either, and I vote with my feet by tuning out. I'd much rather watch the Sox game during the day.

[redsoxstiff]

I am really tempted to go off on this topic...relax...

ASSume several pages of vitriolic prose seasoned with just enough wit...

If you are under 50 you have been exposed to so much of this tripe[commercials] that you are callous...have developed defensive coping mechanisms...

I assure you if it were up to me...You couldn't wend your way through Post office Square due to the array of AD men heads on pikes jamming every square inch...

Pierce Fenner Bean Barton and Fartin would close up the Boston branch...

[JoeSambito43]

The Saturday night games are *not* due to Fox's rules, since a 5:00pm start (as used to occur at times) covers the Sox in that instance. Also, the team has chosen to start Saturday games at night before the Fox telecasts even begin (in June, I think), and this results in 7:00pm starts on Saturday nights in April and May--yuck. The reason for the 7:00 starts relates to NESN ratings, so it is ultimately about the money in this case.

[curly2]

JoeSambito43, on Oct 26 2005, 07:53 PM, said:

The Saturday night games are *not* due to Fox's rules, since a 5:00pm start (as used to occur at times) covers the Sox in that instance.  Also, the team has chosen to start Saturday games at night before the Fox telecasts even begin (in June, I think), and this results in 7:00pm starts on Saturday nights in April and May--yuck.  The reason for the 7:00 starts relates to NESN ratings, so it is ultimately about the money in this case.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Plus the later starts give people more time to drink before the game, like the 2 p.m. starts on Sunday instead of 1. Got to sell more beer.

[Lose Remerswaal]

curly2, on Oct 26 2005, 08:04 PM, said:

Plus the later starts give people more time to drink before the game, like the 2 p.m. starts on Sunday instead of 1. Got to sell more beer.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yep. 2PM starts give them 2 hours to sell beer before game time (no beer sales in Mass (or is it Boston?) before noon), and they open the gates 2 hours before game time, therefore . . . 2PM starts.

[Country Sinker]

I've been to almost every ballpark across the country and Fenway is the only one that I noticed doesn't have 'give-a-ways'. Not even during the World Series.

[amh03]

Quote

I've been to almost every ballpark across the country and Fenway is the only one that I noticed doesn't have 'give-a-ways'. Not even during the World Series.

You beat me to it -- I've had this gripe for a while. You can visit nearly any team's official website, click on their schedule and over on the left is a separate link to the "Promotions Calendar". On it, they list all kinds of giveaways -- for example, at Yankee Stadium you could have picked up any of several bronze statues, minibats, keychains, hats, etc. I've not checked many others, but there's nothing for the Red Sox.

We used to have giveaways -- bobbleheads, hats, thos Stop & Shot Red Sox duffle bags, umbrellas. But, I must say, since I think the new ownership, those have dried up and gone away. We used to even get those Red Sox Calendars, sponsored by Coke. Not this year. Actually, they had them...but never got around to giving them out at a game. I think the only thing I saw given away was the 2005 schedule magnet.

I think that's something that would go a long way towards improving the "family" experience...those were always fun...you felt like you were getting a little something extra. And, I can't imagine that they cost the team much -- seems like they're advertising opps for the sponsors.

As for commercialization of the team -- my biggest complaint on that is that World Series Sod for sale....that just bugged me for some reason...

[Country Sinker]

Oh yeah - I get a magnet on Opening Day.

[Tiegs]

too much commercialization - get while the gettin's good for WHL.

*** the merchandise I don't care about so much - let people buy whatever the hell they want I guess - the more fans of a lessor stature than I sold, the more the FO can keep in reserve when they don't make their best offer to say...Pedro Martinez.
- everything is over the top in this country for consumer oriented excessive pigs - doo-dad cell phones, ads at the MOVIE theatre, trip to the mound brought to u by Ford. - it';s all advertising and bilking every penny - every where...the more crap to sell the better for these companies.\\ advertsising is out of control.
buying ring tones for phones...endless crap for people who can't afford to waste their little sheckles.

*** My main beef w Sox commercialization iis w screwing w the uniforms. The Red Sox uniform should not have novelty colors (the red jerseys) - I don't even think they should have ever put their names on the back of road uniforms.
One thing I do respect about Steinbrenner is that he tries to keep the "Yankee Institution" pure. No spider man on his base paths...same old pin stripes only.

this ownership is whoring out a Century Old New England part of life.
Pretty nauseating IMO

This post has been edited by Tiegs: 26 October 2005 - 09:13 PM

[gcapalbo]

007BaseballGal, on Oct 26 2005, 08:23 PM, said:

I've been to almost every ballpark across the country and Fenway is the only one that I noticed doesn't have 'give-a-ways'.  Not even during the World Series.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I do remember "back in the day" that this kind of thing DID go on at Fenway, but since the team has been ultra-competitive, promotions have not happened.

My impression has always been that this type of marketing activity is intended as a lure to fill empty seats for games when there are many unsold seats.

As we all know, Fenway has been sold out for many years in a row, and from the looks of it, will be for the forseeable future, so therefore, there is no need for promotions.

In general, there is an amazing amount of commercialization going on at Fenway these days. There are ads on pretty much every square inch of real estate in and out of the park, people taking photos, lots of food concessions, etc.

While it would be nice to not deal with all of this, I do understand that this is all an effort to try and generate revenue for the lack of about 20,000 seats in Fenway, as compared to other major league venues.

It is what it is.

The improvements to Fenway far outweigh the intrusion from obvious marketing efforts.

[reggiecleveland]

I am waiting for the "they own the team what a shock they want to make money" defence to pop up at any moment.

[67WasBest]

If the franchise valuation numbers from Forbes are accurate they lost money on the operating income line in 2004. I know there are other areas that offset this supposed loss, but the numbers show they have stayed true to their word as it relates to reinvesting our funds in the onfield product.

I dislike some of the schemes they have pushed, but I also accept they started with a $380MM debt service, so I bite my tongue. I see the addition of seats as something thatmay make it possible to get tickets from someone other than a legalized scalper known as a ticket broker.

[Fratboy]

This post was brought to you by the all new Chevy HHR.

[RedSoxFan]

The Red Sox could easily have giveaways. Find sponsors who are willing to pay for the items so they can put their names on it, and the Red Sox don't have to spend a penny. The fans are happy, the sponsors are happy, it's win-win.

[SoxFanSince57]

The prices for mlb have long ago become a crazy way to spend money for me.

Living in the former armpit of mlb Washington, DC and Fairfax, Virginia the time it took to take my kids to the O's games at Memorial Stadium or at Camden Yards and get them home in one piece was more than I could handle. So nearly 20 years ago we switched to the Prince William Cannons (A) games--fan friendly and really grat for kids. We also went to Little League post season games; High School games, and American Legion games when the kids were younger. Of course when they grew up a little we went to their games. With 3 or my 4 kids highly involved there was always 5-8 games a weekend at a minimum.

I listen on the radio and occassionally watch mlb on the tube. So I get my fill with the kids and get crazy with SoSH and the radio.

Water seeks its own level. If mlb is too expensive there are plenty of games that are totally accessable in your community. Jump in and you won't miss a thing about going to the games like you did when you were a kid.

[xjack]

H/W/L have shown they're willing to spend money on talent, so they could turn the Green Monster into a giant Verizon billboard for all I care.... The fact is that by any economic measure, it's obvioius that the team is UNDER-pricing its tickets. All you have to do is look at the sellouts, the huge scalping business, and the massive wait-list for season tickets. If ownership were all about maximizing financial returns, ticket prices would probably be 30% higher than they are now.

[Rudy Pemberton]

It's a business; these guys have every right (and obligation to their partners) to try to maximize revenues and increase the value of their product. No one has to buy it...and if they cross the line, they'll know it because it will affect the bottom line. As for promotions- there's really no point. Promotions are designed to get you into the park, and a team that sells out every game doesn't need to do them. Of course, that won't last forever and if promotions generate goodwill among the fans and cause one to feel better about the Red Sox "brand" than they should probably do more.

[YAZ]

007BaseballGal, on Oct 26 2005, 08:23 PM, said:

I've been to almost every ballpark across the country and Fenway is the only one that I noticed doesn't have 'give-a-ways'.  Not even during the World Series.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I went to the Manny Ramirez "returns" game, Papelbon's 1st MLB start against the Twins, and the 3 kids got a Red Sox blue floppy hat for free walking into the park.

And I got a Red Sox blanket filling out a credit card application. I snuggled in that sucker last night!

RedSoxFan, on Oct 27 2005, 01:06 AM, said:

The Red Sox could easily have giveaways. Find sponsors who are willing to pay for the items so they can put their names on it, and the Red Sox don't have to spend a penny. The fans are happy, the sponsors are happy, it's win-win.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And I can't think of the bank, but their name was stitched on the floppy hat I believe.

This post has been edited by YAZ: 27 October 2005 - 10:29 AM