By JOE CAPOZZI

 

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

 

Saturday, January 26, 2008

 

Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera are gone. Now, most Marlins fans can expect one more surprise in 2008 - going to games will be a little more expensive.

 

After finishing last in the majors in attendance last season, the Marlins will raise the price of most individual game tickets. The increases will be $1 to $5. The elite "batter's box" seats behind home plate and three sections in right-center field will not be affected. Season ticket prices also will be unchanged.

 

 

"We feel that there should be a significant difference between the price of an individual-game ticket and that same ticket for a season ticket holder or partial season ticket holder,'' Marlins Vice President P.J. Loyello said. "If you want to secure the cheapest tickets ... become a season or partial season ticket holder.''

 

Some Marlins fans disagree with that philosophy.

 

"I don't have to worry about season tickets because I can just walk up and buy a ticket. It's not like they're going to sell out,'' said longtime Marlins fan Leon St. John, an assistant Palm Beach County attorney. "They're just looking to make more money. It irritates me.''

 

Season tickets are on sale now. Individual game tickets will go on sale starting Feb. 9 at the team's annual FanFest at Dolphin Stadium.

 

The Marlins, who say they have about 5,000 season ticket holders, aren't the only low-attendance team to raise ticket prices. The Kansas City Royals raised individual game tickets an average of $3 and season tickets an average of $2.

 

The timing of the changes by the Marlins, who finished last in the NL East and traded away their two marquee players, rankled some fans.

 

"I'm still going to go," said Rob Derry of North Palm Beach. "It's just really more of the presentation: They got rid of their best players and they're going to make us pay extra for the privilege of watching a lesser product."

 

Still, the Marlins' tickets will be among the least expensive in baseball. According to Team Marketing Report's 2007 survey, the Marlins' average ticket price was $16.57, ranking 26th among the majors' 30 teams. The average price in the majors was $22.77. Boston has the most expensive tickets ($47.71 average).

 

"When you compare them ... the Marlins are still a bargain, especially when you consider they play in Miami, which is a big market,'' said Jon Greenberg, executive editor of the Chicago-based newsletter.

 

Dolphin Stadium officials had considered raising the cost of parking from $10 to $15 but decided against it at the urging of the Marlins, Loyello said.

 

Noteworthy: Spring training tickets for the Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals will go on sale at 9 a.m. today at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter. ... Minnesota first baseman Justin Morneau signed a six-year, $80 million contract, the most lucrative deal in Twins history. The Twins also signed outfielder Michael Cuddyer to a three-year, $24 million deal. ... Red Sox reliever Kyle Snyder agreed to a one-year, $835,000 contract, leaving Kevin Youkilis as the team's only player eligible for salary arbitration. ... Nationals catcher Paul Lo Duca hurt his left knee during a workout and will be examined by a team doctor in Washington next week.

 

 

SOURCE

Just another showing of how much the ownership gives a sh*t about the fans. What a joke.

Just another showing of how much the ownership gives a sh*t about the fans. What a joke.

Still one of the least expensive in baseball. Get over it.

they are running a business. All these owners care about the bottom line more than the fan. Talk to Boston fans. A great team a ballpark that sells out and every year ticket prices rise.

Wow! So instead of paying 8 bucks to see a game your paying 9.. People going to see a movie cost more than a Marlins game... I love how the media over explodes this..

Wow! So instead of paying 8 bucks to see a game your paying 9.. People going to see a movie cost more than a Marlins game... I love how the media over explodes this..

compare this to inflation and I bet it isn't even a rise in the ticket prices.

It took Joe Capozzi (or more likely some editor with a grudge because if you'll notice the headline gets changed to make it seem worse than it is) ten paragraphs to get to what should have been in the lead or second graph - the Marlins, even after this increase, ranks 26th among all MLB teams in ticket prices.

 

It's shame a good reporter like Joe has to do these hatchet jobs to make his bosses happy.

 

For the record, I declined to be interviewed or quoted for this piece.

everything going up i not supprise like gas other stuff

how else were we going to pay for huge acquisitions like mark hendrickson?

Just another showing of how much the ownership gives a sh*t about the fans. What a joke.

Still one of the least expensive in baseball. Get over it.

 

Hey Rab, did ya notice the poster's profile has him/her living in Boston? Sounds to me like they are just trying to stir up some trouble. No biggie. The team that ranks 26th in cost to go to a game raised it's prices a little. Wonder how many team didn't.

how else were we going to pay for huge acquisitions like mark hendrickson?

 

lmao so true..

 

their still cheap, fine with me. thats not going to stop me from going to the Marlin games.

I guess from a business standpoint this is a must because they need to make money and everything, but from the fans point of view, this is rather disturbing.

 

The two most popular players on the team are gone and now not only are we going to see a lesser product on the field, but we're actually going to have to pay more to go and see it. It doesn't matter if they increased it by $1 or $100, it's just the principal of having to pay more to see less.

 

The organization is more or less in shambles right now.

 

The fan base has been alienated and destroyed and likely won't be back until they can be assured a team that won't be dismantled.

 

Can a new stadium fix this? I hope so.

 

For the sake of the team, the fans, and the South Florida area, I sure as heck hope so.

I think its poor timing because they just traded away their best players. However tickets are still very cheap. As long as they have outfield tickets that are less than 10 dollars, no one should be complaining.

Just another slap in the face to the fans.

I think its poor timing because they just traded away their best players. However tickets are still very cheap. As long as they have outfield tickets that are less than 10 dollars, no one should be complaining.

We didn't trade away out best players. We traded away our most popular ones. Our best player wears a 2 on his back and shades on his face.

 

Plus, the prices aren't even going up as much as inflation, so whatever.

It took Joe Capozzi (or more likely some editor with a grudge because if you'll notice the headline gets changed to make it seem worse than it is) ten paragraphs to get to what should have been in the lead or second graph - the Marlins, even after this increase, ranks 26th among all MLB teams in ticket prices.

With the lowest payroll in baseball, they should be the cheapest.

It took Joe Capozzi (or more likely some editor with a grudge because if you'll notice the headline gets changed to make it seem worse than it is) ten paragraphs to get to what should have been in the lead or second graph - the Marlins, even after this increase, ranks 26th among all MLB teams in ticket prices.

With the lowest payroll in baseball, they should be the cheapest.

 

With their attendance record they should have the lowest payroll in baseball. '03-'05 was no different even tho they were all winning seasons. Actually, I just read on the Marlins web site that the '07 squad out drew the '03 squad.

Sure, we have one of the lowest prices but uts the principle. You don't trade the two most popular players and expect fans to pay more???

 

I wonder if they remember what the marlins record was last season.

 

71-91, 26th out of 30 teams.

Just another showing of how much the ownership gives a sh*t about the fans. What a joke.

Still one of the least expensive in baseball. Get over it.

 

Hey Rab, did ya notice the poster's profile has him/her living in Boston? Sounds to me like they are just trying to stir up some trouble. No biggie. The team that ranks 26th in cost to go to a game raised it's prices a little. Wonder how many team didn't.

 

It is disrespectful that after putting a piece of sh*t product on the field, trading the best (or most popular) players in the team, they would even think about raising the prices, even if it was one cent. What, revenue sharing not enough anymore? They get the money from MLB plus our money and what do we get? I just don't understand...