Merkin talks winter meetings and other possibilities

[Southwest Sider]

A big part of people wanting to go to games is having players who are worth it. At my job, we planned out going to a game a month in advance and did our very best to guess which day would be a day that Chris Sale pitches. Chris Sale is an electric player. People will pay to see him. Problem is, Chris only pitches 1 out of every 5 games, so having Sale on your team only boosts your attendance 1 out of 5 games.

 

You need offensive players who are also electric. Jose Abreu is the prime example of this. He alone can draw more ticket sales. I didn't go to any Sox games 2 seasons ago. Who would? The team was lousy and didn't have any electric offensive players. Fast forward to this past season. We all witness what Jose Abreu is doing. It's amazing... it's... fun! It's worth shelling out a bunch of money to go see him play!

 

If you can't go to a game and expect the Sox to win, then you need to be able to go and at least see top-notch players. Abreu/Sale is pretty much the only reason I decided to go to games this past season. Funny thing is... Abreu went like 0 for 8, and Sale didn't pitch too well the game I went to, and the Sox got shut out in the first game and lost the second game. But I still enjoyed myself.

 

As for having a lot to do after the game.... eh. For me, it's all about pregame. The ability to tailgate, drink and eat before going in. That's worth a lot to me. Post game, it's usually to the point where I'm ready to go home anyway. I'm not going to go drink more at a bar. Maybe during a day game I'll go somewhere else in the city afterwards. Being a suburbanite, there's a fairly long drive to get home to consider.

[shysocks]

It's easier for me than the vast majority of people to go to games. I live 4 miles north of the park right on I-90 and that's an easy drive regardless of time of day, or I can take a quick Green Line ride. I still only go to 7 or 8 a year because watching in the living room is just more comfortable. That's all the excuse I need. I don't think that makes me a bad fan because I still devote an inordinate amount of time to the team. Attendance is over-quoted anyway, for all sports, because an ever-increasing amount of money comes from TV.

 

I echo those who have said that you can't compare the Sox to the Cubs. The Cubs are an anomaly because Wrigley is an American Treasure.

[thxfrthmmrs]

this brings up the vicious catch 22.

 

the sox says, they need to raise prices b/c the cost of players

salary, low attendance, the sox will need to find a way to break

even.

 

(however no mention of the commercial revenue)

 

however, if they lower the cost, more people will show up, if

the sox field a team that can compete via, fa's, the majority

more of fans will show up.

 

which came first the egg or the bird??

 

LOWERING TICKET PRICES DOES NOT HELP. The 2006 team showed winning brings fans out, not lowered ticket prices.

 

The ticket price were reduced sans 2010, yet our attendance gradually declined each of the past 4 years. Lower the ticket price might attract families who don't normally come out to ball games to come out once or even twice a year, but that's not the crowd you want to focus on. You want to attract fans who have money to spend to come out to the ball game consistently, like 10+ games a year. The only way to do that is to field a winning team, year in and year out.

 

Lowering ticket price while not enjoying a positive spike in your overall attendance will put severe constraint on your budget. Your only hope is to strike gold during the draft, or be stuck in purgatory like the Pirates and Royals did for years.

 

It is not a chicken or the situation. It is a raise the chicken healthy so it could lay more eggs situation.

 

EDIT: Did a quick research and found that 2006 ticket prices were slightly higher than 2014 ticket prices, and that's without taking into account inflations for the last 8 years. Yet we averaged 36,000 a game that year, vs 20,000 this year.

Edited December 4, 2014 by thxfrthmmrs

[LDF]

LOWERING TICKET PRICES DOES NOT HELP. The 2006 team showed winning brings fans out, not lowered ticket prices.

 

The ticket price were reduced sans 2010, yet our attendance gradually declined each of the past 4 years. Lower the ticket price might attract families who don't normally come out to ball games to come out once or even twice a year, but that's not the crowd you want to focus on. You want to attract fans who have money to spend to come out to the ball game consistently, like 10+ games a year. The only way to do that is to field a winning team, year in and year out.

 

Lowering ticket price while not enjoying a positive spike in your overall attendance will put severe constraint on your budget. Your only hope is to strike gold during the draft, or be stuck in purgatory like the Pirates and Royals did for years.

 

It is not a chicken or the situation. It is a raise the chicken healthy so it could lay more eggs situation.

 

jeeze, if you look at the end of my post, i also mention fielding a better team.

[thxfrthmmrs]

jeeze, if you look at the end of my post, i also mention fielding a better team.

 

There was no offense to you. I read your post as either lowering ticket prices or fielding a winning team could get fans to show up. While on this subject I feel that only fielding a winning team will positively impact your attendance in the long haul.

[LDF]

There was no offense to you. I read your post as either lowering ticket prices or fielding a winning team could get fans to show up. While on this subject I feel that only fielding a winning team will positively impact your attendance in the long haul.

correct, but to rebuild that fan base, and due to economics today, lower them

as well,

[shipps]

@MLBBruceLevine: White Sox more likely too go trade route rather than free agent upper tier starter( Scherzer -Shields) Samardzija trade still in mix .

 

I am not sure I buy this. Hahn has said that they have put more of a focus of developing talent from within and making their system stronger and look to keep that in tact. They don't want to put themselves back in the cellar of minor league systems again. However they have said that they have some money to spend. I think they want to spend to acquire this year while keeping the talent in tact.

[Dick Allen]

And it's not like the Sox don't get paid a lot for their TV rights for this specific reason. And as long as people continue to prefer to watch that way, the compensation the Sox receive will continue to rise.

White Sox TV ratings are also among the lowest in baseball. 4 times as many people watch the Tigers on local TV than the White Sox. Half of MLB is #1 or #2 or #3 in local ratings when they are on in prime time. The White Sox rank #11th.

Edited December 4, 2014 by Dick Allen

[ChiSox59]

I am not sure I buy this. Hahn has said that they have put more of a focus of developing talent from within and making their system stronger and look to keep that in tact. They don't want to put themselves back in the cellar of minor league systems again. However they have said that they have some money to spend. I think they want to spend to acquire this year while keeping the talent in tact.

 

Agreed. It seems to contradict what they've been saying that past 18 months. Obviously FAs these days are getting paid exorbitant amounts of $$, so trying to trade for someone makes some sense, but the logic is sort of assbackwards if you have to give up young talent, or someone who contributes off your ML roster to do so.

 

I either see the SOX trading for an overpaid RH starter and eating the contract, so the prospect price would be less, or signing a FA in the 2nd tier (Masterson, Peavy, E. Santana, Vazquez) or 3rd tier (Hammel, McCarthy, Vogelsong).

[thxfrthmmrs]

correct, but to rebuild that fan base, and due to economics today, lower them

as well,

 

We've lowered ticket prices twice over the past 5 years, where has that gotten us?

 

And is the economy really bad today? We have the Dow closing in record highs on numerous occasions this year, gas prices dipping to record low in most states, companies ramping up their hiring plans, average MLB ticket prices are trending up year after year, decent players getting $100 million deals. I don't think the team need to cave in to the fans and reduce ticket price even further. Given our average cost of fan experience is only at league average, and costs less than the team located in a bankrupt city.

 

I think the responsibility lies on JR. When he sees the right opportunity, he needs to open up the checkbook and get the right pieces to turn this team around, fans will come back to games when team starts competing (regardless of ticket price) and eventually he should see return on his investments. I think JR definitely realizes this, that's why you see us going after the likes of Tanaka and Scherzer the last 2 years.

[Y2Jimmy0]

I saw Sale vs Scherzer last year $7. Tickets really aren't that expensive at all. If you are bringing kids and a wife or GF and buying a ton of s*** then yes it's expensive but not much more expensive than going to the movies is.

[witesoxfan]

I am glad someone said it.

 

I go to about 15ish games a year. Away from the tickets in my Dad's season ticket pool, which are really expensive, I went to probably 5-7 for under 60 bucks. I bought on Stubhub just prior to the game, I bought from scalpers, I took surveys the Sox offered, etc. I don't believe the Sox can do anything more to get people into the game. They do just about everything to get a fan in for cheap.

 

It's pretty simple. Our fans are fickle and fair weather fans. Our fans are bottom rate. That doesn't detract anything from my experience as a Sox fan. I've said it ten times and I'l say it again, I hope I am sitting with the same 15,000-25,000 people that I always sit with when the Sox are in the playoffs in 2016 (preferably '15).

 

Sox fans will b**** just to b****. I've always tried to stay out of the attendance discussions but prior to 2005, people were wondering why nobody went. After, they said "I preferred the crowds where we had 15,000-20,000 people. It's impossible to win that one.

[Dick Allen]

I saw Sale vs Scherzer last year $7. Tickets really aren't that expensive at all. If you are bringing kids and a wife or GF and buying a ton of s*** then yes it's expensive but not much more expensive than going to the movies is.

When Sale pitches at home, it's $20, $15 on Sundays with a t shirt to sit in the K-Zone.(Or anywhere else you may find yourself) And that it is never sold out, shows the whiney Sox fans who use excuses about pricing and lower deck excess, are just full of hot air. Every time the White Sox come up with something that cancels out a common complaint, like the upper deck (fixed), the blue seats, (fixed), cheap lower deck access (fixed) they come up with something else.

 

As someone who goes to a lot of games, I prefer it not crowded myself, it is pretty comfortable. Sacrificing comfort for a better team though is an easy call.

[Y2Jimmy0]

When Sale pitches at home, it's $20, $15 on Sundays with a t shirt to sit in the K-Zone.(Or anywhere else you may find yourself) And that it is never sold out, shows the whiney Sox fans who use excuses about pricing and lower deck excess, are just full of hot air. Every time the White Sox come up with something that cancels out a common complaint, like the upper deck (fixed), the blue seats, (fixed), cheap lower deck access (fixed) they come up with something else.

 

As someone who goes to a lot of games, I prefer it not crowded myself, it is pretty comfortable. Sacrificing comfort for a better team though is an easy call.

 

 

Dick this is a great point. I love the fact that I can buy tickets for cheap the day of the game and head out with nobody there. I would gladly pay more $$ and sit with 40,000 people if the team was awesome though.

[thxfrthmmrs]

A poster here, My sox Summer, I believe, attended 50 games a few years back for less than $500, and got lower level tix for some of the games too. If you really want to go to the games, the cost of the game isn't what's stopping you.

[Whisox05]

If this is accurate then might be scratching any thoughts of headley

Jeff passan

Sources: Clubs being told Chase Headley has a four-year offer for ~$65M. @JonHeymanCBS says Marlins interested. Unclear if that's the team. https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/540579259996061696

Edited December 4, 2014 by WhiteSoxLifer

[bigruss]

A poster here, My sox Summer, I believe, attended 50 games a few years back for less than $500, and got lower level tix for some of the games too. If you really want to go to the games, the cost of the game isn't what's stopping you.

I work in Lake Forest and live on the north side of the city, it's never been about cost but ease for me. I'm closer to the EL now which makes a big difference, but it's a pain in the ass to get to the park from many parts of the city. Nothing the Sox can really do about that, the highway infrastructure sucks in this city.

[LDF]

We've lowered ticket prices twice over the past 5 years, where has that gotten us?

 

And is the economy really bad today? We have the Dow closing in record highs on numerous occasions this year, gas prices dipping to record low in most states, companies ramping up their hiring plans, average MLB ticket prices are trending up year after year, decent players getting $100 million deals. I don't think the team need to cave in to the fans and reduce ticket price even further. Given our average cost of fan experience is only at league average, and costs less than the team located in a bankrupt city.

 

I think the responsibility lies on JR. When he sees the right opportunity, he needs to open up the checkbook and get the right pieces to turn this team around, fans will come back to games when team starts competing (regardless of ticket price) and eventually he should see return on his investments. I think JR definitely realizes this, that's why you see us going after the likes of Tanaka and Scherzer the last 2 years.

 

correct, the way, but the GM must need to recognize the time. with

KW at the helm, for get it. with Hahn just maybe.

 

Hahn has shown to judge players. let see if he can judge when to make a

key decision.

 

btw, on a sidenote, don't put too much trust in judging the economy by

the gas prices. i learn too much about that.

[LDF]

I am glad someone said it.

 

I go to about 15ish games a year. Away from the tickets in my Dad's season ticket pool, which are really expensive, I went to probably 5-7 for under 60 bucks. I bought on Stubhub just prior to the game, I bought from scalpers, I took surveys the Sox offered, etc. I don't believe the Sox can do anything more to get people into the game. They do just about everything to get a fan in for cheap.

 

It's pretty simple. Our fans are fickle and fair weather fans. Our fans are bottom rate. That doesn't detract anything from my experience as a Sox fan. I've said it ten times and I'l say it again, I hope I am sitting with the same 15,000-25,000 people that I always sit with when the Sox are in the playoffs in 2016 (preferably '15).

 

i have some friends who goes to the games. they pay, 25+ per. LF outfield,

3 row up. right around my old tickets. so my question is what day of the week

did you go???

[LDF]

Sox fans will b**** just to b****. I've always tried to stay out of the attendance discussions but prior to 2005, people were wondering why nobody went. After, they said "I preferred the crowds where we had 15,000-20,000 people. It's impossible to win that one.

 

yeah i can imagine.

[harfman77]

White Sox TV ratings are also among the lowest in baseball. 4 times as many people watch the Tigers on local TV than the White Sox. Half of MLB is #1 or #2 or #3 in local ratings when they are on in prime time. The White Sox rank #11th.

 

Which turns into a great argument for the relocation thread.

[SCCWS]

Which turns into a great argument for the relocation thread.

 

Havana White Sox in the near futire.

 

[Eminor3rd]

White Sox TV ratings are also among the lowest in baseball. 4 times as many people watch the Tigers on local TV than the White Sox. Half of MLB is #1 or #2 or #3 in local ratings when they are on in prime time. The White Sox rank #11th.

 

To me, that is a much better argument for an unsupportive fanbase than the attendance numbers.

[RockRaines]

The reason the Cubs dont have the "stay at home to watch them on TV" issue is because a large (much larger than the Sox) portion of their daily fanbase comes through resell and tourism. Wrigley field is basically an alcoholic version of the art institute for people coming in town. The Sox will never be able to match that. Also when the tickets are being given away its much easier to hop in a cab and head up to wrigley since a larger portion of the population lives in the area.

[LDF]

The reason the Cubs dont have the "stay at home to watch them on TV" issue is because a large (much larger than the Sox) portion of their daily fanbase comes through resell and tourism. Wrigley field is basically an alcoholic version of the art institute for people coming in town. The Sox will never be able to match that. Also when the tickets are being given away its much easier to hop in a cab and head up to wrigley since a larger portion of the population lives in the area.

 

they are the loveable losers.

 

the sox need to improve there own system, acquire what is necessary to

win another WS. then keep up the pressure. we as sox fans will

prevail.