If you visit Yankees.com, you’ll find that Derek Jeter wants you to buy season tickets to the new Yankees Stadium:
I couldn’t resist. I had to check it out and see what Captain Intangibles was so hot for me to purchase. For a full season in the “Seats Between the Bases” it will only run you $26,325.00, per seat. (Of course, they are quick to remind you that “Additional Shipping and Packaging and online fees will apply”). Seriously? $26,325.00 a seat isn’t enough, you need to add shipping, packaging and online fees as well?
I love the casual “Hey Yankee fans!” at the beginning of the video. As if Joe Schmoe, Yankees Fan, is sitting at home, surfing the internet and wondering what he and the wife can spend their extra $52,650.oo on this year. As an aside, is it “Yankee” fan as Jeter states or “Yankees” fan as I wrote (and usually refer to them)?
The Yankees aren’t the only team in baseball trying to fleece their fans during this lousy economy, I’m sure. But can they seriously think it’s going to boost sales having a multi-millionaire tell you to buy tickets to a game that will run you the price of an automobile?
To a much lesser degree (and, admittedly, for charity), the Red Sox are once again offering a wonderful opportunity for fans on Opening Day. The now annual “Welcome Home” dinner is being held and you can’t turn on NESN without seeing the pleasant commercial for it.
I actually really like this commercial. Everyone looks so happy to be coming back to Boston. Well, everyone but Crabby (stunning, I know. He’s usually so cheerful.). Honestly, Lester’s appearance in this thing makes me laugh out loud because it is in stark contrast to EVERYONE else in it (not just the ever-smiling Justin Masterson). Clay looks happy, JULIO looks happy. Even JD Drew looks happy. Then Lester comes in and looks like he’s only doing it because they won’t give him his ball back until he does. Oh well. My bigger issue is advertising this as if the average fan will have the opportunity to check out the new House of Blues and see some of his or her favorite ballplayers.
Don’t be so quick to go to the Red Sox Foundation website for your tickets, you. According to their website, if you want to go to this thing, the least expensive way you can do it is by getting 9 of your friends to go with you and splitting the $5000 price tag 10 ways. What’s $500 a piece among friends? This sounded wrong to me, so I did a little more digging. According to redsox.com, there are individual tickets available for $250 as well. Still, I’m guessing, much too pricey for the average Red Sox fan’s wallet (especially if they’d like to go to a game or two this year) but the real kicker is that you can’t find that information on the Red Sox Foundation’s website. At least not the part about $250 tickets. So either they are out of $250 seats or the RSF just decided not to advertise them. The $250 are a lot more affordable, admittedly (but, seemingly, unavailable). And while I understand that it is a charity that is based on raising a lot of money, it annoys the hell out of me that they advertise these events as if the average fan will be able to afford the donation. Red Sox fans are notoriously generous – I know this first hand. But I think it’s unfair to exclude such a large portion of them in the name of charity. There has to be a better way to have programs like this serve the Red Sox Foundation without making fans feel like they’re missing out on something because they don’t have money to burn.
Thus ends my rant for the day on money. At this time next week I’ll be traveling to New York for the Red Sox/Mets exhibition games at Citi Field. THAT will be an interesting experiment in how a team with a new stadium handles the economic troubles of its fans.