So...uh, when does free agency start?

[Frobby]

Just now, owknows said:

It is neither absurd, nor exaggeration.

There is a metric called the Fan Cost Index that seeks to calculate the cost of a sporting event for a family of four including tickets, food, drink, etc...

The average cost for an MLB ballgame last year was about $250

https://twitter.com/fancostindex

 

I’m well aware of the fan cost index.  The O’s are on the cheaper side, at $203 per game, 5th lowest in MLB (and, by the way, 17% lower than in 2021).   That includes 4 tickets, 4 small soft drinks, 2 small beers, 2 game programs, 2 adult-size caps (the least expensive), and parking.

The average cost of one ticket to a Broadway show is $113.   

So no, I don’t find them comparable.  

The fan cost index has MLB at 58% of the cost of an NBA game, 55% of an NHL game, 45% of an NFL game.  


 

[MarCakes21]

9 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

I have never in my life spent more than 4 dollars on food or drink at a baseball game.  I never ate or drank at a game when I went as a child.  If Joe Lunchbox wants to do so he can, but much more affordable options exist.

I'm generally in the same boat.  I don't go to ball games to drink $18 beers.  Not to say I haven't had a couple before, but it's not where you go to drink.  Same with food, I'm not having a ballpark crabcake for $40.

If you want to be cost conscious, grab a sub from your local deli before the game, and pack some snacks.  Carry in your bottles of water.  Get the kids cheer free seats of $8 bleacher seats on weekdays.  The Os have done a great job making games affordable for families, but if you want to spend a ton, you can do that too. 

[Redskins Rick]

14 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

I have never in my life spent more than 4 dollars on food or drink at a baseball game.  I never ate or drank at a game when I went as a child.  If Joe Lunchbox wants to do so he can, but much more affordable options exist.

You never brought popcorn or soda at the movies, or did you not goto any movies either.

Heck, I enjoy Bowie Baysox games, and they have much cheaper food than OPCY, but you are going to pay for it. 

 

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, MarCakes21 said:

I'm generally in the same boat.  I don't go to ball games to drink $18 beers.  Not to say I haven't had a couple before, but it's not where you go to drink.  Same with food, I'm not having a ballpark crabcake for $40.

If you want to be cost conscious, grab a sub from your local deli before the game, and pack some snacks.  Carry in your bottles of water.  Get the kids cheer free seats of $8 bleacher seats on weekdays.  The Os have done a great job making games affordable for families, but if you want to spend a ton, you can do that too. 

Exactly.  You eat before the game. 

The O's have historically been great about letting folks bring stuff in.

If you want to splurge and buy the kids hotdogs and t-shirts feel free but that doesn't mean you have to.

[Spy Fox]

3 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I’m well aware of the fan cost index.  The O’s are on the cheaper side, at $203 per game, 5th lowest in MLB (and, by the way, 17% lower than in 2021).   That includes 4 tickets, 4 small soft drinks, 2 small beers, 2 game programs, 2 adult-size caps (the least expensive), and parking.

Right, the site's main metric is designed to capture the "I'm gonna get everything" occasional visitor rather than a regular who's there mainly for the game. At Camden I assume most people need to pay for parking, but the rest of that stuff is not necessarily part of the fan experience, especially since they allow outside food in. 

It's probably a strategy by Fan Cost Index to have their main statistic be inflated like that, since the artificially high number will drive more outrage and attention. Not that it's not a useful tool, I'm glad it exists. But you can't take the headline # quite at face value.

[MarCakes21]

2 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I’m well aware of the fan cost index.  The O’s are on the cheaper side, at $203 per game, 5th lowest in MLB (and, by the way, 17% lower than in 2021).   That includes 4 tickets, 4 small soft drinks, 2 small beers, 2 game programs, 2 adult-size caps (the least expensive), and parking.

The average cost of one ticket to a Broadway show is $113.   

So no, I don’t find them comparable.  

The fan cost index has MLB at 58% of the cost of an NBA game, 55% of an NHL game, 45% of an NFL game.  


 

I don't think these are comparable on a per game basis.  The owners are looking for revenue generated by fan cost.  There's:

81 MLB home games at ~40k seat stadiums

~40 NBA/NHL home games at ~18k seat stadiums

8-10 NFL home games at ~80k seat stadiums

So I think the point still holds that MLB could actually be more affordable on a total games basis than all of these other venues even at a decrease of ~20% of all costs.  Not sure if that would increase attendance, but its an interesting thought.

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, Redskins Rick said:

You never brought popcorn or soda at the movies, or did you not goto any movies either.

Heck, I enjoy Bowie Baysox games, and they have much cheaper food than OPCY, but you are going to pay for it. 

 

Popcorn no.

Occasional package of snocaps and a small drink?  Sure.

I can mostly go a few hours at a time between feedings.

[Can_of_corn]

14 minutes ago, owknows said:

You're not one of those guys that walked 10 miles to school every day without shoes are you?

 

Just two years of middle school, had shoes, was closer to two miles.

But I'd stop at the 7-11 on the way for a snack.

[Going Underground]

15 minutes ago, owknows said:

You're not one of those guys that walked 10 miles to school every day without shoes are you?

 

Uphill both ways and was always snowing even in April,May and June 

[owknows]

1 minute ago, Frobby said:

I’m well aware of the fan cost index.  The O’s are on the cheaper side, at $203 per game, 5th lowest in MLB (and, by the way, 17% lower than in 2021).   That includes 4 tickets, 4 small soft drinks, 2 small beers, 2 game programs, 2 adult-size caps (the least expensive), and parking.

The average cost of one ticket to a Broadway show is $113.   

So no, I don’t find them comparable.  

The fan cost index has MLB at 58% of the cost of an NBA game, 55% of an NHL game, 45% of an NFL game.  


 

The Orioles did some good things in 2022...  including making games more accessible to fans with ticket prices. I applaud this effort.

The Orioles are also bucking the trend (so far at least) regarding overpaying for free agents. I think they learned some expensive lessons in the recent past and have decided to try something new.

I'm not criticizing the Orioles at all.  In fact I think they're already trying to do what I have suggested they do, which is build a winner without expensive multi-year FA's.

If you want to argue that taking a family of four to any pro sporting event is affordable and fairly priced... let's just say we will agree to disagree. I certainly haven't argued that baseball is any better or worse than any other sporting league.

Only that it is expensive... and that this expense costs them fan generational continuity in the long run.

 

[Going Underground]

1 minute ago, Can_of_corn said:

Just two years of middle school, had shoes, was closer to two miles.

But I'd stop at the 7-11 on the way for a snack.

Slim Jims?

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, Spy Fox said:

Right, the site's main metric is designed to capture the "I'm gonna get everything" occasional visitor rather than a regular who's there mainly for the game. At Camden I assume most people need to pay for parking, but the rest of that stuff is not necessarily part of the fan experience, especially since they allow outside food in. 

It's probably a strategy by Fan Cost Index to have their main statistic be inflated like that, since the artificially high number will drive more outrage and attention. Not that it's not a useful tool, I'm glad it exists. But you can't take the headline # quite at face value.

Last time I went I used the light rail.  Was very convenient.

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, Going Underground said:

Slim Jims?

Naw, the pastries out of the case.  I'd buy one of those and a pack of gum and sell the gum off for a quarter a piece to buy lunch (since I spent my lunch money on the pastry).

[owknows]

6 minutes ago, Spy Fox said:

Right, the site's main metric is designed to capture the "I'm gonna get everything" occasional visitor rather than a regular who's there mainly for the game. At Camden I assume most people need to pay for parking, but the rest of that stuff is not necessarily part of the fan experience, especially since they allow outside food in. 

It's probably a strategy by Fan Cost Index to have their main statistic be inflated like that, since the artificially high number will drive more outrage and attention. Not that it's not a useful tool, I'm glad it exists. But you can't take the headline # quite at face value.

Or maybe the site's main metric is designed to highlight the fact that crackerjacks for the kids, and a hot dog and a beer used to be part of the experience.  And that increasingly over the years they have become as incrementally difficult for a family of four at the ballpark as tickets.

The fact that people now have to plan to eat before going, and consume nothing while there.... reinforces the Fan Cost Impact of things... it doesn't mitigate it.

[Number5]

25 minutes ago, owknows said:

You're not one of those guys that walked 10 miles to school every day without shoes are you?

 

Get off my lawn!