Attendance

[greg775]

Caulfield, you say there's nothing they can do. There is something they can do, and it's really easy - lower prices.

 

We covered this last year, but the tickets prices are insane for a series that has basically no hype around it anymore and 2 rebuilding teams. $79 to sit in the bleachers? When Friday vs Arizona it's $23. LOL.

 

OMG.Nobody in their right mind will pay 79 dollars to sit in the outfield??? 79 dollars, lol. Can't even call it 80.

[sin city sox fan]

Caulfield, you say there's nothing they can do. There is something they can do, and it's really easy - lower prices.

 

We covered this last year, but the tickets prices are insane for a series that has basically no hype around it anymore and 2 rebuilding teams. $79 to sit in the bleachers? When Friday vs Arizona it's $23. LOL.

 

Honestly, I'd rather see us play Arizona than to see us play the Cubs. Better opponent and more importantly, less obnoxious fans around you.

 

I agree with a lot of the things the Sox do marketing wise, but dynamic pricing is definitely a mistake. Make the average ticket half of what it was tonight and you'd have twice as many fans in the stadium.

 

[caulfield12]

Greg775 will like this one...

 

 

 

Currently, the Sox are second to last in home game attendance, averaging 16,959 (41.8 percent capacity) sold tickets per game—second only to the Cleveland Indians. It’s nothing new, as they have failed to draw more than thirty-thousand per game since they won the AL Central in the 2008 season. This year though, they are flirting with the sub twenty-thousand mark—a feat they have not seen since their centennial year back in 1999, when the team finished second in the division with a record of 75-86.

 

It’s not some kind of mystery that the Chicago White Sox play second fiddle to their neighbors on the north side, but in a city of more than 2.7 million people, and a metropolitan sprawl in excess of 9.5 million, it’s quite pitiful how low their attendance has reached. The question then becomes, what is the problem down on the south side of the Windy City? Therein lies one of the problems—nobody can pinpoint any particular reason why people have failed to show up at U.S. Cellular Field.

 

Some White Sox fans have pointed to the overall cost of attending games, placing part of the blame on the economic downturn. Although 2013 reports show the total price index for the Sox (a number that figures in total cost of tickets, food, parking, etc.) to be one of the highest in baseball, there are a handful of teams with a higher index that do not have the same attendance issues (seems to be flat out wrong, see below). Other fans point to a number of issues such as: crime, traffic, time, and the generic vibe of U.S. Cellular Park. It’s a wide-reaching problem that’s a result of numerous issues that surround the south side of Chicago, and despite winning the World Series in 2005, nothing appears to be changing that will fix the attendance issues.

 

The only solution, besides dramatically dropping the average cost of tickets is for the suits upstairs to assemble a winning team. It has been proven that if they are winning, the fans will come, as evidenced by the 36,511 average attendance in 2006, the year following the World Series victory. Unfortunately, the team has not been winning and attendance figures have continued a decline ever since, reaching levels as low as 10,625 in a game earlier this season.

 

It is well known that the Chicago White Sox have a strong and loyal fan base, but it is clear that home game attendance depends strongly on the fickle, fair weather fans that only show up if the team wins. It is a problem that plagues many MLB teams, but if the front office executives want to correct the pitiful home game draw, they need to make some major changes. They need to first and foremost make prices more reasonable for fans to attend games, and secondly, they need to assemble a winning baseball team. Preferably, for Sox fans, they should work on making both of these fixes come to fruition. Until then, fans will stay at home and watch their HD television, pop their own popcorn and watch a so-so product play to a near empty stadium.

Commentary by Johnny "Don't Call Me Cueto or Maikel" Caito

http://guardianlv.com/2014/04/chicago-whit...nce-is-pitiful/

Edited May 8, 2014 by caulfield12

[caulfield12]

https://www.teammarketing.com/public/upload...20mlb%20fci.pdf

 

 

This should be provide a lot of support for those who are pushing the team to do something about prices (as in fact they have).

We used to be something like 4th-6th on this list just two or three seasons ago.

 

We're currently "flat," with no increase or decrease from 2013 (of course you can argue there should have been further prices decreases based on a 99 loss season).

 

 

Now we're all the way down to 15th, just below the MLB fan cost index average...and behind teams like the Tigers, Twins and Astros.

 

I'm not sure how this particular methodology takes into account dynamic pricing for series like Cubs, Red Sox, Yankees, etc., in their average ticket price.

 

 

Five teams have more expensive parking, the Red Sox, Yankees, Cubs, Mets and Blue Jays.

 

We're tied for 6th with the Giants, Tigers, Mariners and A's (of all the teams with historic attendance issues, you think the A's would be price sensitive, but they at least run lots of food discount nights, all you can eat packages, and special group deals).

 

 

The Cubs have the second most expensive beers at $7.50, behind only the Marlins (also introduced Goose Island.....Anheuser-Busch InBev deal pushed Old Style out). Royals have the biggest array of across-the-board ticket price increases, up 24.7% (yikes, Greg!!!)

Edited May 8, 2014 by caulfield12

[Dick Allen]

Caulfield, you say there's nothing they can do. There is something they can do, and it's really easy - lower prices.

 

We covered this last year, but the tickets prices are insane for a series that has basically no hype around it anymore and 2 rebuilding teams. $79 to sit in the bleachers? When Friday vs Arizona it's $23. LOL.

Yes, the cash grab for the Cubs series doesn't work anymore. Especially when they schedule these games during the week when weather can be a factor, and considering the past 6 months, weather is going to keep more away this year IMO until it is warm. There are a lot more people sick of being cold now. There were tons of empties at Wrigley. With Hawk complaining about scheduling, you knew it was going to be a weak number for these games.

 

 

[SnB]

Honestly, I'd rather see us play Arizona than to see us play the Cubs. Better opponent and more importantly, less obnoxious fans around you.

 

I'm at this point as well w/ the Crosstown series. It's more expensive and you have to deal with way more idiots, no thanks.

[flavum]

Sox/Cubs games are the New Year's Eve of the baseball schedule. It's amateur night for fans. And that's fine, but don't expect a lot of good fans to put up with stupidity.

[EvilMonkey]

They can say 'tickets start at $7' all they want, but if I am going to the game, I want to SEE and enjoy the game, not get nosebleeds and a workout hiking up to my seat. I haven't had to buy tickets for a few years, so imagine my shock when we went to buy tickets for this Saturday against the Diamondbacks. They want $72 for lower bowl between 3rd and outfield wall. Go a little closer to the wall and it drops to $52. Bleachers $35. Still going, but to my cheap-ass it is pretty steep.

[NorthSideSox72]

They can say 'tickets start at $7' all they want, but if I am going to the game, I want to SEE and enjoy the game, not get nosebleeds and a workout hiking up to my seat. I haven't had to buy tickets for a few years, so imagine my shock when we went to buy tickets for this Saturday against the Diamondbacks. They want $72 for lower bowl between 3rd and outfield wall. Go a little closer to the wall and it drops to $52. Bleachers $35. Still going, but to my cheap-ass it is pretty steep.

Saturday interleague game, will be pricier than others.

 

Our seats for that game (front row upper deck right above home plate, 3B side) are $24 face on the White Sox site (or face is $21). And you get an actual seat, not a bleacher bench.

 

[IlliniKrush]

They can say 'tickets start at $7' all they want, but if I am going to the game, I want to SEE and enjoy the game, not get nosebleeds and a workout hiking up to my seat. I haven't had to buy tickets for a few years, so imagine my shock when we went to buy tickets for this Saturday against the Diamondbacks. They want $72 for lower bowl between 3rd and outfield wall. Go a little closer to the wall and it drops to $52. Bleachers $35. Still going, but to my cheap-ass it is pretty steep.

Who is "they"? Because if you are listing Sox prices, they aren't correct. Maybe you're factoring in TM fees? Even so that's still high.

 

Your 3rd to outfield wall seats are $46, not $72. The ones closer to the wall are $20, not $52. Bleachers are $29.

 

http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/ticketing/...layout=gameflow

[Texsox]

It is well known that the Chicago White Sox have a strong and loyal fan base, but it is clear that home game attendance depends strongly on the fickle, fair weather fans that only show up if the team wins.

 

You can insert any team in that statement, even the Cubs. The Cubs have killed us based on the out of towners that were drawn in by the huge TV advantage the team had through most of the second half of the 20th Century. When my daughter lived in Lakeview we walked that area headng to restaurants and clubs, I have to say the neighborhoods around Wrigley offer more before and after game options.

 

I don't want to see it, but I really think a suburban stadium would have the team drawing 35,000 a game. Perhaps somewhere in Schaumburg close to all the trains and expressways, is there land near Arlington Park?

[SnB]

They can say 'tickets start at $7' all they want, but if I am going to the game, I want to SEE and enjoy the game, not get nosebleeds and a workout hiking up to my seat. I haven't had to buy tickets for a few years, so imagine my shock when we went to buy tickets for this Saturday against the Diamondbacks. They want $72 for lower bowl between 3rd and outfield wall. Go a little closer to the wall and it drops to $52. Bleachers $35. Still going, but to my cheap-ass it is pretty steep.

 

The upper deck is not bad, if you were that cheap - you'd deal with it. Upper Deck behind the plate are some of the best seats in the house.

[SnB]

I don't want to see it, but I really think a suburban stadium would have the team drawing 35,000 a game. Perhaps somewhere in Schaumburg close to all the trains and expressways, is there land near Arlington Park?

I've been saying this for awhile. It's about time for the sox to concede the city/tourists to the Cubs and focus hard on families in the suburbs. They'd kill out there.

[IlliniKrush]

The upper deck is not bad, if you were that cheap - you'd deal with it. Upper Deck behind the plate are some of the best seats in the house.

This. I greatly prefer upper deck between the bases (even a bit further) than anything past the bases downstairs. To me, those past-the-bases downstairs seats are some of the worst seats in the house. You're watching a tennis match, looking through people walking the entire game and rubber necking as the seats don't point directly to the action (infield). I'd rather go outfield at that point, better vantage point.

[StrangeSox]

I've been saying this for awhile. It's about time for the sox to concede the city/tourists to the Cubs and focus hard on families in the suburbs. They'd kill out there.

 

It'd be an easier sell if you could take public transportation all the way from the suburbs to the 35th street red line stop.

[IlliniKrush]

You can insert any team in that statement, even the Cubs. The Cubs have killed us based on the out of towners that were drawn in by the huge TV advantage the team had through most of the second half of the 20th Century. When my daughter lived in Lakeview we walked that area headng to restaurants and clubs, I have to say the neighborhoods around Wrigley offer more before and after game options.

 

I don't want to see it, but I really think a suburban stadium would have the team drawing 35,000 a game. Perhaps somewhere in Schaumburg close to all the trains and expressways, is there land near Arlington Park?

Agreed. Plus, a lot of that south side area, you're not exactly pulling fans from it. The Cell is tough to get to, has a bad stigma around it, hardly anything to do near the park (comparatively) and the biggest thing that goes against it is that it's not on the north side.

 

You have people on here that live in Downers that talk about how it's tough to get to the game with public transportation, and the alternative, driving, is awful. That applies for the vast majority of suburbs.

 

For a sport with 81 games vs 41, and much more reliant on families, I think the suburbs would make a big difference.

[IlliniKrush]

It'd be an easier sell if you could take public transportation all the way from the suburbs to the 35th street red line stop.

Technically you can, it's just not that convenient as it's metra train, then L.

[LittleHurt05]

It'd be an easier sell if you could take public transportation all the way from the suburbs to the 35th street red line stop.

 

Can't you just take the Metra to downtown then walk a few blocks to the Red or Green Line? That's what I do coming from near O'Hare and it's pretty simple. Or just switch to the Rock Island Metra?

[StrangeSox]

Agreed. Plus, a lot of that south side area, you're not exactly pulling fans from it. The Cell is tough to get to, has a bad stigma around it, hardly anything to do near the park (comparatively) and the biggest thing that goes against it is that it's not on the north side.

 

You have people on here that live in Downers that talk about how it's tough to get to the game with public transportation, and the alternative, driving, is awful. That applies for the vast majority of suburbs.

 

For a sport with 81 games vs 41, and much more reliant on families, I think the suburbs would make a big difference.

 

There's a Metra stop at 35th on the Rock Island line now, but that's only really good for the Joliet-New Lenox-Tinley area.

[StrangeSox]

Can't you just take the Metra to downtown then walk a few blocks to the Red or Green Line? That's what I do coming from near O'Hare and it's pretty simple. Or just switch to the Rock Island Metra?

Well yeah you can do that, but it's not exactly quick and convenient. Using google maps, if I wanted to leave from Downers some time after five for a weeknight game, the earliest I can get to the park is a little after 7 and that's with a couple of bus transfers.

 

edit: this is a Chicago infrastructure problem and there's not really anything the Sox could do about it. They do have the Pace shuttles, but those all leave Bolingbrook at 4:15 or Burr Ridge at 4:45.

Edited May 8, 2014 by StrangeSox

[SnB]

Can't you just take the Metra to downtown then walk a few blocks to the Red or Green Line? That's what I do coming from near O'Hare and it's pretty simple. Or just switch to the Rock Island Metra?

That's like a 2 hour process. For a weekday game, that's just not feasible.

[SnB]

edit: this is a Chicago infrastructure problem and there's not really anything the Sox could do about it. They do have the Pace shuttles, but those all leave Bolingbrook at 4:15 or Burr Ridge at 4:45.

Yep. For a stadium that's next to a highway, it's really hard to drive to unless you're coming from the south due to the eisenhower/circle/55 merge.

[EvilMonkey]

Who is "they"? Because if you are listing Sox prices, they aren't correct. Maybe you're factoring in TM fees? Even so that's still high.

 

Your 3rd to outfield wall seats are $46, not $72. The ones closer to the wall are $20, not $52. Bleachers are $29.

 

http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/ticketing/...layout=gameflow

"They" would be the white sox ticket site, where right next to the buy tickets button it says 'tickets starting at $7'. Not sure what day you are looking at but Sec 140-145 are $72.45, Sec 146-153 are $51.45 and all the outfield is between $34 and $35. Go ahead and take the processing fees out if you want, but it IS part of the price. UNless you want to walk up and haggle with them to not get put into those far outfield corner seats that suck. As for upper deck, the first few rows between the bases are fine, but then you lack access to the lower deck (thanks to a drunk Cubs fan). I am still going, just don't like paying.

[LittleHurt05]

Well yeah you can do that, but it's not exactly quick and convenient. Using google maps, if I wanted to leave from Downers some time after five for a weeknight game, the earliest I can get to the park is a little after 7 and that's with a couple of bus transfers.

 

edit: this is a Chicago infrastructure problem and there's not really anything the Sox could do about it. They do have the Pace shuttles, but those all leave Bolingbrook at 4:15 or Burr Ridge at 4:45.

 

That's true. I don't go to that many games and it's usually on the weekend, so it doesn't bother me as much. I imagine that would get old trying to go to multiple weekday games.

 

You are right about the Chicago infrastructure problem, because the same can be said for the other stadiums in the city. If you want to drive to Wrigley, you have to drive through at least two miles in s***ty city traffic. The only way to get there via public transportation is downtown to the Red Line like for the Sox or the Metra from the NW Burbs, then the hellish packed #80 bus.

 

United Center is at least pretty close to 290 and 90, but it's several blocks from train stations or from downtown you have to take a nearly two mile bus ride.

 

And Soldier Field doesn't even deserve a comment.

[IlliniKrush]

"They" would be the white sox ticket site, where right next to the buy tickets button it says 'tickets starting at $7'. Not sure what day you are looking at but Sec 140-145 are $72.45, Sec 146-153 are $51.45 and all the outfield is between $34 and $35. Go ahead and take the processing fees out if you want, but it IS part of the price. UNless you want to walk up and haggle with them to not get put into those far outfield corner seats that suck. As for upper deck, the first few rows between the bases are fine, but then you lack access to the lower deck (thanks to a drunk Cubs fan). I am still going, just don't like paying.

Not sure where you are looking, but this link lists the ticket prices:

 

http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/ticketing/...layout=gameflow

 

Your $67 are gold box seats, where as you can go a section or two over and save $21. The lower box are the ones that run the majority of 3rd to the pole.

 

Processing fees are not part of the price. There's also absolutely no reason to pay TM fees for a game like this, just walk up to the box office day of game and purchase for face value.

 

For someone who doesn't like paying, you're choosing the really expensive seats (if looking gold box) and choosing to ignorantly pay TM fees.