Will the fans show?

[atomic]

I have mostly become a weekend warrior unless its a game I really want to go to. I guess I am part of the problem with attendance.

I will say this though. It was sad that at 7:40pm on Saturday I saw they were still giving out bobble heads! I have been to games in the past that they had 25,000 of the give away and if you were not there within the first hour of the gates opening you did not get one! It's sad when the bobble head give away on a Saturday can not pack the yard!

I think the Orioles are going to battle that ticket pricing thing for a long time. Is it worth having less fans paying a much higher rate or should you charge less and hope those extra fans make up for it in concession sales?

Those bobbleheads aren't free anyway. They increase the price of tickets for bobble head games. It would be cheaper to go to a non-bobble head game and buy a bobble head at the gift shop.

[Es4M11]

I don't think the price of tickets is keeping attendance down. People will pay 300 dollars for a Raven ticket without a second thought. Tickets are cheap.

Because the Ravens only have 8 home games and most people are only going 1 game a season. The Orioles need to try and fill their stadium 81 times

[weams]

Because the Ravens only have 8 home games and most people are only going 1 game a season. The Orioles need to try and fill their stadium 81 times

A little over 1200 to go to every game!

[atomic]

Because the Ravens only have 8 home games and most people are only going 1 game a season. The Orioles need to try and fill their stadium 81 times

If you go to more than 6 games a year season tickets would be a smart choice if you dont' go alone. You can exchange tickets so get 13 tickets exchange them so you get 2 tickets to 6 games than get one more ticket at season ticket holder prices and exchange the 7th. If you were a family of four a season ticket purchase would be a wise move if you go to 4 games a year.

[TINSTAAPP]

I was in Cleveland for a business trip a few weeks ago, and was pretty happy that I was going to be able to catch a game or two at Progressive Field when I was in town. I was pretty impressed with the stadium, it was a nice place and it had a lot of things I really liked. But I was stunned at how few people were there. The weather was pretty perfect, the games were good, and they barely had 10K announced attendance.

I know this is not a disappointing attendance contest, but I've been to Camden Yards five times this year I think, and it was not nearly as bad as it is in Cleveland. I was very surprised.

The Indians have one thing in common with the Orioles. That's terrible ownership. How can anybody blame Indians fans for not showing up when they've lost Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome, Cliff Lee, C.C. Sabathia and Victor Martinez over a 10-year span. When you have ownership that refuses to pony up the money to resign their top players, the fans are not going to show up. When you have an owner who was responsible for 14 consecutive losing seasons and says the Red Sox fans have the best fans in baseball when they were taking over your ballpark and basically spat on the fans of Baltimore while catering to the DC market for years and years, Baltimoreans aren't going to just jump up and support the team because they've had a few years of moderate success either.

[atomic]

The Indians have one thing in common with the Orioles. That's terrible ownership. How can anybody blame Indians fans for not showing up when they've lost Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome, Cliff Lee, C.C. Sabathia and Victor Martinez over a 10-year span. When you have ownership that refuses to pony up the money to resign their top players, the fans are not going to show up. When you have an owner who was responsible for 14 consecutive losing seasons and says the Red Sox fans have the best fans in baseball when they were taking over your ballpark and basically spat on the fans of Baltimore while catering to the DC market for years and years, Baltimoreans aren't going to just jump up and support the team because they've had a few years of moderate success either.

Did we lose anyone because of money besides Mussina? One guy in 19 years? I might be missing someone but I don't remember us losing to many stars because of money.

[BergerKing]

Those bobbleheads aren't free anyway. They increase the price of tickets for bobble head games. It would be cheaper to go to a non-bobble head game and buy a bobble head at the gift shop.

True. I used to make a killing on those games! Buy 20 nosebleed seats sell all the bobbleheads and I could pay for a good chunk of my season plan. Once they raised those prices to elite or prime games the profit margin/effort wasnt really worth it.

[Mayor McCheese]

I have mostly become a weekend warrior unless its a game I really want to go to. I guess I am part of the problem with attendance.

I will say this though. It was sad that at 7:40pm on Saturday I saw they were still giving out bobble heads! I have been to games in the past that they had 25,000 of the give away and if you were not there within the first hour of the gates opening you did not get one! It's sad when the bobble head give away on a Saturday can not pack the yard!

I think the Orioles are going to battle that ticket pricing thing for a long time. Is it worth having less fans paying a much higher rate or should you charge less and hope those extra fans make up for it in concession sales?

That really wasn't a popular giveaway. Most people would prefer a player/manager bobble head. I like how they did a Crush and Sampson one.... I think a good one would be Buck and his hounds.

[schittenden]

It could certainly be much worse with a worse product on the field, yes. And I don't understand the hate on tiered pricing. Why shouldn't Rays tickets cost less than Red Sox? Are you also staying away because box seats cost more than upper deck?

I don't go to see the Rays or the Red Sox. I go to see the Orioles. They're on the field for all of the games.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Going Underground]

Do some marketing next year.The marketing this year was no single game tickets at Fanfest.Don't tell anyone that you are raising ticket prices right before season tickets are sent out.Still have not gotten my email. 25th anniversary of Camden Yards.Do greatest moments in statues or something. 25th anniversary pricing. .25 dogs or soda with a purchase during the slow weekdays Bring back some type of Ollie's Bargain night.They used to do a free birthday ticket.Holiday packs and summer six packs $1.00 ice cream and $1.00 dogs during the week.Any person 25 y/o gets in for $2.50;with a paying adult.Many 25th anniversary promotions.Marketing is not if we raise ticket prices people will come,Ray.

[SteveA]

Do some marketing next year.The marketing this year was no single game tickets at Fanfest.Don't tell anyone that you are raising ticket prices right before season tickets are sent out.Still have not gotten my email. 25th anniversary of Camden Yards.Do greatest moments in statues or something. 25th anniversary pricing. .25 dogs or soda with a purchase during the slow weekdays Bring back some type of Ollie's Bargain night.They used to do a free birthday ticket.Holiday packs and summer six packs $1.00 ice cream and $1.00 dogs during the week.Any person 25 y/o gets in for $2.50;with a paying adult.Many 25th anniversary promotions.Marketing is not if we raise ticket prices people will come,Ray.

Fanfest was way too soon, before Christmas, when people were too busy with Xmas season and not yet jonesing for the next baseball season.

Prices went up after our worst season in the last 4.

Invoices went out late.

Individual tickets weren't available at FanFest.

It was a perfect storm of poor offseason marketing for the Orioles that led to a significant decline in season ticket sales.

I have found the walkup #s to be a bit disappointing given the success of the season, but as you can see on this message board, there are a lot of fans who feel like we are somehow not really in the pennant race even though we have been all year. It's odd.

We definitely have become a bit spoiled.

Add all the peripheral factors: success of the Nats, some # of people scared of downtown after last year, and also the loss of a generation of fans who now would be young ticket buying adults due to the 15 years of losing, and top it off with price increases, especially for the more desirable games, and there you have it.

Some of those things can't be changed but a good offseason marketing campaign, re-introduction of some bargain type seating options, spreading giveaways throughout the week like the Nats do, maybe some price DROPS for the cheapest seats, Fanfest at the proper time of the year and with individual tickets available for sale at the time... and of course a successful September and hopefully a bit of a playoff run, all will lead to a significant increase in sales next year.

We'll never sell out hundreds of games in a row again, but we can and will do better than this.

[DrungoHazewood]

I don't think it's as simple as pointing to the cheapest ticket in the house and saying just move down to a better section.

When I was younger I never sat close but went to every gane I could. Literally it's been the last 10 years I first sat in a box seat for an O's game. First game in '79.

[schittenden]

Crowd looks pretty sparse only a few minutes before game time. Mostly Os fans, but definitely a contingent from Boston. The problem is they're such loud mouths.

In any event, I've thrown another $70 in the pot tonight. Another $70 going in on a Thursday. Of course, I only get about six innings before my son needs to get home.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Going Underground]

Crowd looks pretty sparse only a few minutes before game time. Mostly Os fans, but definitely a contingent from Boston. The problem is they're such loud mouths.

In any event, I've thrown another $70 in the pot tonight. Another $70 going in on a Thursday. Of course, I only get about six innings before my son needs to get home.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

They hope for more than yesterday. Maybe 22,000.or 23,000.

[atomic]

Fanfest was way too soon, before Christmas, when people were too busy with Xmas season and not yet jonesing for the next baseball season.

Prices went up after our worst season in the last 4.

Invoices went out late.

Individual tickets weren't available at FanFest.

It was a perfect storm of poor offseason marketing for the Orioles that led to a significant decline in season ticket sales.

I have found the walkup #s to be a bit disappointing given the success of the season, but as you can see on this message board, there are a lot of fans who feel like we are somehow not really in the pennant race even though we have been all year. It's odd.

We definitely have become a bit spoiled.

Add all the peripheral factors: success of the Nats, some # of people scared of downtown after last year, and also the loss of a generation of fans who now would be young ticket buying adults due to the 15 years of losing, and top it off with price increases, especially for the more desirable games, and there you have it.

Some of those things can't be changed but a good offseason marketing campaign, re-introduction of some bargain type seating options, spreading giveaways throughout the week like the Nats do, maybe some price DROPS for the cheapest seats, Fanfest at the proper time of the year and with individual tickets available for sale at the time... and of course a successful September and hopefully a bit of a playoff run, all will lead to a significant increase in sales next year.

We'll never sell out hundreds of games in a row again, but we can and will do better than this.

I could buy marketing issues for some of the drop if attendance wasn't so low now. It is totally the riots last year and the record setting homicide rate. Ticket prices are insignificant to most people coming to the games. Heck I spend 20k a year on daycare for one kid. Ticket prices are cheap. Compare to any other sport.

Perhaps whomever the new mayor is will do a better job with crime. Playing games in empty stadiums was terrible marketing. Fans getting attacked. People from the suburbs with kids don't want to come down at night.