Why are the Orioles games not sold out right now?

[Spoonless]

While it's easy to be here in RI and see the ticket prices in Baltimore and say "I'd totally go to 10+ games a season if I lived closer," the reality is that I probably wouldn't. I haven't been to a MLB game in a couple years, due to cost. Fenway is an expensive endeavor, and while a road trip to Baltimore can end up being a better overall value for a similar amount of money, it's still more money than I want to spend. So, I've satisfied my live baseball hunger by going to Pawtucket Red Sox games, which is one of the best values around at $7 for general admission, $11 for box seats in a pretty nice stadium. Perhaps the price disparity between Ironbirds games and Orioles games isn't as large as between the Bo- and PawSox, but I still see myself attending mostly minor league games, with the occasional excursion to OPACY for a particularly exciting matchup.

[Frobby]

The team with the best record in baseball is 50 miles down the road. Some of the fans in the Washington suburbs have converted to Nats fans. There is a pretty good buzz about the Nats down here. And most games they don't sell out. The Braves were just here and they drew 24K to 34K on a week night.

This is the first year both teams have been in the playoff hunt. I guess we are seeing why the O's fought so hard against the Expos moving to Washington.

Here is the reason I don't put too much weight on the Nats factor: the first year they were in DC, both teams drew more than they will this year. The Nats look to draw about 2.4-2.5 mm fans this year, but in 2005 they were higher than that, so they aren't taking away more fans now than they were then, but we will still be a half million short of where we were in 2005. So to me, it's about the 14 years of losing, and very little about the Nats.

[Malike]

I go to more games then probably a lot of people who live right in MD, and I'm a six hour drive away. It's nice being able to hop a 45 min flight and be in B-more. I wish more people who lived down there would show up, the prices are beyond reasonable, and the success of the Nats is probably not helping, either.

[Malike]

Here is the reason I don't put too much weight on the Nats factor: the first year they were in DC, both teams drew more than they will this year. The Nats look to draw about 2.4-2.5 mm fans this year, but in 2005 they were higher than that, so they aren't taking away more fans now than they were then, but we will still be a half million short of where we were in 2005. So to me, it's about the 14 years of losing, and very little about the Nats.

Now, if the Nats were still in Montreal, and we were having this same season, do you think they would have a much higher attendance rate? However you look at it, there are two teams about a 1 wood away from each other.

[Frobby]

Now, if the Nats were still in Montreal, and we were having this same season, do you think they would have a much higher attendance rate? However you look at it, there are two teams about a 1 wood away from each other.

Of course I think the Nats affect the O's attendance. But I did a post last year that showed that the vast majority of lost attendance is due to losing, not the Nats:

1. The O's attendance dropped by approximately 1 million fans between 1997 and 2004, before the Nats arrived.

2, The year the Nats arrived, and had their highest attendance ever, the O's were only down 120,000 in attendance from the previous year.

3. Even though Nats attendance shrunk after their first year, the Orioles' attendance also shrunk, by 900,000 fans in the next five years.

So, my conclusion is that the Orioles' long string of losing season has hurt attendance far more than the Nats have.

[jonesing4pie]

I go to games with one other person, so the costs are:

• $3.20 round trip Light Rail x2 = $6.40
• Gas for a 10 minute ride to the Light Rail station @ 40 mpg = about $1.25
• At least $35 Tickets (I don't do standing room only, and I like to be able to see the action without binoculars, so no third deck) x2 = $70 minimum
• Signature O's food, because both me and the person I go to games with love to get the "O" shaped pretzels and at least one piece of pizza = $20 to $40 depending on how gluttonous we're feeling and how many beers we need

Seriously though, don't the Orioles make commission on the food? Yes? So I fail to see the difference between me spending as much money as I can on a couple games a year, versus coming out every single night. Either way, the O's get as much money as I can feasibly spare without winning the lottery or bumming some chump change off of one of the multi-millionaire players.

It's the difference between me being hungry/thirsty and not getting to buy the food I want at the quantities I want, versus showing up to many games. Either way, I have a finite amount of money I can spend on the Orioles, and it's just a question of whether I spend it all at once or over a period of many games. Considering how much I value my time (and sleep), I'd rather spend it on a couple games. I'm certainly not going to leave any money on the table, though. I'm paycheck to paycheck and spending whatever I can afford on attending the O's. I'll probably attend even more games than I can realistically afford (accrue unhealthy amounts of debt) if they continue to be in the race in mid September.

Way I see it, the only thing I'm doing is saving on gas money and light rail fees by blowing all my O's budget in a few games instead of spreading it out. The O's benefit from having well-compensated food service as much as they benefit from ticket sales. And I don't buy tickets just for the sake of being there. I want to sit in premium seats and be able to call balls and strikes by watching pitches with my naked eye. If I can't do that, it's no fun for me. I go to a ballgame to watch the ballgame and to gorge on delicious O's food.

Absolutely. If we are talking about a specific budget for games a year and you want to sit in nice seats and eat ballpark food then I definitely understand the sentiment of going and doing it "all out" to a degree.

I was just thinking in terms of maximizing the amount of games one goes to and that it is quite easy to go to a game with one other person and have plenty of food and drink for well under $100 if you are close to the lightrail. I really do recommend that anyone who is worried about overall expenses but doesn't want to take lessor seats, brings their own food and drink. It can cut down 25-30 bucks for a couple easily and you can either bring what you want from home or pick up reasonably priced items outside the stadium.

[ScottieBaseball]

I go to more games then probably a lot of people who live right in MD, and I'm a six hour drive away. It's nice being able to hop a 45 min flight and be in B-more. I wish more people who lived down there would show up, the prices are beyond reasonable, and the success of the Nats is probably not helping, either.

I don't think ticket price is the largest driving factor behind the lack of attendance. Sure, tickets are inexpensive. Food isn't. Parking and gas are added expenses that are often overlooked. As I pointed out before, the biggest reason I'm not at Oriole Park more is because I work in Owings Mills, live in Northern Harford County, and we have two very active kids who need transportation to and from practices and games as well as a parent (preferably two) needed in the stands/on the sidelines for support. I'm not the only one with a story similar to this. It simply takes a tremendous amount of coordination and planning to get to the ballpark and usually ends with us getting home at an unreasonable time to go to bed for work and school.

[McNulty]

Agreed.

I think people are just waiting for this to fall apart.

You shouldn't be posting in this thread.

I don't get any excuses at this point. I've been to 20 games this year - I live in Philly and my GF lives in NYC.

[Dark Helmet]

You shouldn't be posting in this thread.

I don't get any excuses at this point. I've been to 20 games this year - I live in Philly and my GF lives in NYC.

Can't milk a dry cow. You don't think paying bills are more important than going to a game? Obviously your better off financially then I, or don't have any bills.

[actorgersh]

I live in NY and have been to three in Baltimore this year (as well as one in Bowie). My visits to Yankee Stadium and Citi Field aren't relevant to the topic, but I've only been to one of the Mets series back in June and I have tickets to the Sunday game next weekend in the Bronx (may go Friday also). September 6th will be the next time I go in Baltimore and tickets were very limited when I bought them two weeks ago. I got them at the box office because it was a rare time the secondary market had zero deals. I'm expecting a sellout and would imagine strong attendance through the weekend. It's funny though that back in April I made the plan with my dad that we would go to that game and I was dreading sitting in a sea of pinstripes in Baltimore but I figured to see Cal would make it worth it. I am being totally serious that I am now more excited about the game than I am the statue ceremony.

[McNulty]

Can't milk a dry cow. You don't think paying bills are more important than going to a game? Obviously your better off financially then I, or don't have any bills.

HA, the mortgage I'm paying for in Florida says otherwise. Not getting any rent either.

I promise you I'm not making that much.

[Dark Helmet]

HA, the mortgage I'm paying for in Florida says otherwise. Not getting any rent either.

I promise you I'm not making that much.

Well either way it doesn't make sense for us to attend games, when its cheaper to watch at home. Especially after spending over 600 bucks today for school clothes and the mandatory back to school lists the schools now give parents.

[SilentJames]

Again we have to think of the scale. What would the attendance be for this game last year? 15k? Tonight, 25k.

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[jonesing4pie]

Tonight's threatening weather also decreased the attendance IMO.

[weams]

HA, the mortgage I'm paying for in Florida says otherwise. Not getting any rent either.

I promise you I'm not making that much.

Hmmm. Maybe we can talk about that.