New Off Day Posted...

[Andyzipp]

...for the off day.

http://www.spikesnstars.com/2009/05/11/attendance-is-half-the-battle/

Enjoy.

[MusicMan]

Thankfully, you included pictures.  Because I thought at first you were comparing Pam Gardner to Anne Hathaway, and then we weren't going to be on speaking terms any more.

I'm going to go contrary on the attendance issues.  Drayton still wants to win, an if they can hover around .500, then his willingness to take on $$$ may outweigh other teams' more attractive trading pieces.  So the league-wide attendance drop could end up helping the team from a competitive standpoint.

[pravata]

Thankfully, you included pictures.  Because I thought at first you were comparing Pam Gardner to Anne Hathaway, and then we weren't going to be on speaking terms any more.

I'm going to go contrary on the attendance issues.  Drayton still wants to win, an if they can hover around .500, then his willingness to take on $$$ may outweigh other teams' more attractive trading pieces.  So the league-wide attendance drop could end up helping the team from a competitive standpoint.

Steve Phillips, during the Red Sox-Rays game, was gassing on about how the Ramirez suspension was going to be a good thing for the Dodgers.  He's says they'll likely still be in first when the suspension wears off and they'll have saved 1/3rd of Ramirez's salary with which they can go get the starting pitcher they "need".  I stared for several very long seconds as the vapor trail of that thought hung in the air.   Maybe the Astros can induce Lance to fake a false positive so he can sit around not swinging at major league pitching for a 1/3rd of the season so they can pay for another starter.  Not likely Berkman would go for it, he's already refused to look like a clown or a goon.  He probably wont go for disguising himself as a cheater neither.

[Limey]

Not likely Berkman would go for it, he's already refused not to look like a clown or a goon.  He probably wont go for disguising himself as a cheater neither.

FIFY

[Andyzipp]

Thankfully, you included pictures.  Because I thought at first you were comparing Pam Gardner to Anne Hathaway, and then we weren't going to be on speaking terms any more.

I'm going to go contrary on the attendance issues.  Drayton still wants to win, an if they can hover around .500, then his willingness to take on $$$ may outweigh other teams' more attractive trading pieces.  So the league-wide attendance drop could end up helping the team from a competitive standpoint.

I don't put that past Drayton, and in fact the attendance should make more pieces available, as more teams should look to drop payroll earlier than they have done in the past.

[Noe]

Steve Phillips, during the Red Sox-Rays game, was gassing on about how the Ramirez suspension was going to be a good thing for the Dodgers.  He's says they'll likely still be in first when the suspension wears off and they'll have saved 1/3rd of Ramirez's salary with which they can go get the starting pitcher they "need".  I stared for several very long seconds as the vapor trail of that thought hung in the air.   Maybe the Astros can induce Lance to fake a false positive so he can sit around not swinging at major league pitching for a 1/3rd of the season so they can pay for another starter.  Not likely Berkman would go for it, he's already refused to look like a clown or a goon.  He probably wont go for disguising himself as a cheater neither.

Steve Phillips needs to read a little more.  Ramirez's contract will not allow the Dodgers to take lump sums out of his contract for any reason.  It will be spread out through four years, and the actual amount lost by Manny is 6 million.  So what the Dodgers gain by all this is about 1.2 million, about as much as Drayton usually keeps in reserve for a buying spree at the trading deadline.

Yipee, the Dodgers are going to have the same money that Drayton usually reserves!  Woo-hoo!

[Mr. Happy]

I can't decide who's more difficult to listen to, Phillips or Morgan.

[pravata]

I can't decide who's more difficult to listen to, Phillips or Morgan.

I don't think you need to make a decision one way or the other.  They made the game unwatchable.

[Andyzipp]

Steve Phillips needs to read a little more.  Ramirez's contract will not allow the Dodgers to take lump sums out of his contract for any reason.  It will be spread out through four years, and the actual amount lost by Manny is 6 million.  So what the Dodgers gain by all this is about 1.2 million, about as much as Drayton usually keeps in reserve for a buying spree at the trading deadline.

Yipee, the Dodgers are going to have the same money that Drayton usually reserves!  Woo-hoo!

It boggles the mind that he was a Major League General Manager with as little as he knows about contracts and personnel moves.

[Mr. Happy]

I don't think you need to make a decision one way or the other.  They made the game unwatchable.

Thanks! That's a load off of my mind. They suck!

[MusicMan]

It boggles the mind that he was a Major League General Manager with as little as he knows about contracts and personnel moves.

Well, just look at the MEss results.

[JackAstro]

...for the off day.

http://www.spikesnstars.com/2009/05/11/attendance-is-half-the-battle/

Enjoy.

I thought a Fulchino was a coffee drink - I've been ordering Venti Fulchinos for months now. No wonder they've been laughing at me...

[JimR]

I thought a Fulchino was a coffee drink - I've been ordering Venti Fulchinos for months now. No wonder they've been laughing at me...

do they bring them to you at about 95 mph?

[JackAstro]

do they bring them to you at about 95 mph?

With pants, yes.

[Andyzipp]

With pants, yes.

In my experience, pantless costs extra.

[strosrays]

I was glad to read your confirmation on the attendance.  I have not been to the Juice Can this season, but it is hard to miss all the empty seats in the crowd shots on TV.  I wondered what the effect was, in person; like you, my first thoughts were of attending games in the 'Dome when there might have been 10-15,000 people there, if that, and one could walk around and do whatever one wanted at whatever speed, pretty much.  It was nice in a selfish way, but in the long run not so much if it was going to ultimately harm the team.

I wonder what percentage of the overall revenue comes from attendance, strictly?

Anyway, very nice job, as usual.

[Noe]

USA Today (Bob Nightengale specifically) has an article (more like a series of articles) on the MLB attendance scene.  It appears that what is hurting right now is the corporate sales and it is more evident in high market clubs (Yankees, Mets, etc.).  Low market clubs like the Royals are actually experiencing a upswing in attendance.  The Royals are a good sell in Kansas City as long as three things are evident: the team is competitive (check), the prices are right (check) and the stadium is kept up nicely (check, check).

The Brewers are also on the upswing as well as the Rays.  Both attribute winning seasons last year for this anomoly that is not the norm in the MLB right now.  Nightengale points out the folly that some teams are trying to generate interest and singles out the Astros for trying to entice young men and women to the park so they can hook up.  Even has a quote from Pam Gardner about "being creative" and rising to the "challenge".

I dunno, why not just look at the Royals and figure out that the way to keep fans coming to the park is simple:

1. Put a team on the field that can compete
2. Keep prices reasonable
3. Make the ballpark a nice place to visit

You can add icing to that cake if you'd like but by all means keep that cake ingredient evident to the consumer at all times.  What Houston suffers from is a huge perception that McLane does not care about product on the field (and perhaps Baseball men would echo the comments a teeny bit).  This is the time that Baseball Operations will be tested and in Houston's case, it's on trial as we speak.

[strosrays]

USA Today (Bob Nightengale specifically) has an article (more like a series of articles) on the MLB attendance scene.  It appears that what is hurting right now is the corporate sales and it is more evident in high market clubs (Yankees, Mets, etc.).  Low market clubs like the Royals are actually experiencing a upswing in attendance.  The Royals are a good sell in Kansas City as long as three things are evident: the team is competitive (check), the prices are right (check) and the stadium is kept up nicely (check, check).

The Brewers are also on the upswing as well as the Rays.  Both attribute winning seasons last year for this anomoly that is not the norm in the MLB right now.  Nightengale points out the folly that some teams are trying to generate interest and singles out the Astros for trying to entice young men and women to the park so they can hook up.  Even has a quote from Pam Gardner about "being creative" and rising to the "challenge".

I dunno, why not just look at the Royals and figure out that the way to keep fans coming to the park is simple:

1. Put a team on the field that can compete
2. Keep prices reasonable
3. Make the ballpark a nice place to visit

You can add icing to that cake if you'd like but by all means keep that cake ingredient evident to the consumer at all times.  What Houston suffers from is a huge perception that McLane does not care about product on the field (and perhaps Baseball men would echo the comments a teeny bit).  This is the time that Baseball Operations will be tested and in Houston's case, it's on trial as we speak.

38,098
31,271
17,629
10,061
11,756
13,589

36,363
37,647
13,520
09,685
15,191
10,619
11,896

21,843
13,419
15,324
32,714

Attendance figures through the Royals first three homestands.  I thought maybe Zack Greinke's hot start was driving up attendance (his home starts are bolded), but apparently not yet.  If he keeps a sub-1.00 ERA into the summer, that might change.

The Royals remind me a little of the mid-1990's (Terry Collins-era) Astros.  I have no idea if they'll go on and do what the 'Stros did, but apparently the positive things one hears about the new front office regime have some merit.