Disturbing Facts

by jarforcefatherofforce on Nov 17, 2006 7:55 PM PST Comment 20 comments

Financially are the A's better off by closing the third deck? Has the lost revenue fron the lower attendance greater or less than the added costs of running the third deck?

The A's have announce a 34,000 seat stadium in Freemont. How are the A's going to increase revenue to allow us to keep our quality players? If the demand for tickets sell out the stadium it will mean attendance will be about 2.7 million fans. Will this give us enough money? Will the A's like the Giants, be strapped for cash because they half to service the debt to build the stadium?

If the demand for tickes increases to give the A's a sellouts, are we looking at a 30% or more increase in ticket prices?

What else can the A's do to increase revenue? Is technology the answer? If so, will the average baseball fan buy into it?

Do you have any suggestions or answers?

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I agree

I don't like that the stadium will be like 34,000. With a new stadium, there would be tons of people wanting to go. I think the stadium should be like 45,000 seats.

by teenster on Nov 17, 2006 8:00 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

You don't seem to realize

that yeah, they might sell out the first year.

They might sell out the 2nd year.

But after that, the demand drops a lot. Look at Pittsburgh, or San Diego, or the other new parks.

With the fickleness of Bay Area, or California residents in general, building a huge stadium, like a 45k stadium, would be a waste. It would be half empty in no time.

by Zonis on Nov 17, 2006 8:12 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Don't underestimate all the people

wandering around Fremont and going to a game on a whim. Unless they are content with the back of the scoreboard of course.

by southofcruiseamerica on Nov 17, 2006 8:41 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

If the stadium does not sell out

Maybe they will have a blackout of the screen outside of the park.

by billyball1981 on Nov 20, 2006 2:28 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

As a season ticket holder

I'm much less concerned about the small size of the stadium than I am about what it will cost me to continue to buy season tickets. Is it unreasonable to expect that our tickets will be comparable to those in Fenway Park?

"Put me down and I'll walk off the field." -- Bradley to Macha, 9/06

by skigurl on Nov 17, 2006 8:15 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Red Sox are at the end of the Bell curve

See this survey for a comparison of ballpark and concession costs.

A letter from Lew Wolff comparing the A's and Giants on the field and off was posted here a few days ago. I imagine the A's would like to be in Giants territory as far as pricing. That's a lot closer to where the A's are now than it is to the Red Sox. I have a lot of trouble imagining that the Bay Area market would support Red Sox pricing.

by cynthia2003 on Nov 17, 2006 8:36 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Um...

That was ticket and concession costs.

by cynthia2003 on Nov 17, 2006 8:38 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

The new stadiums all have

luxury boxes which is where a significant amount of the revenue comes from, that is where the A's hope to dramatically increase their earnings. Also it is Wolffe's plan on the village to pay for the ballpark with the sale of business, shopping, homes etc. so that they don't have the $20 million debt the Giants do. I don't like 34,000 either, but understand the theory that the fewer seats, the greater the demand. The one major advantage I think Fremont has is the weather at the night games, whereas we all know that in April, May in Oakland, it is cold, and the attendance naturally suffers. I did read where there will be a large area for standing room only, assuming there will be a charge for that so that on peak games the attendance might be considerably larger than the 34,000 capacity but at this time nothing is for sure.

by china bob on Nov 17, 2006 9:31 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Freemont?

BuyUsOffAndYouCanBuildABallPark-Mont.

by LilAnnieOaktown on Nov 17, 2006 9:40 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Revenue in '06

to answer your first question, Marine Layer did an analysis on his blog right after the home season ended and he thought ticket revenue was up something like 17 percent because the increased pricing more than made up for the lost attendance.

http://newballpark.blogspot.com/2006_09_17_newballpark_archive.html

by vk on Nov 17, 2006 10:16 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

It's not just going to be about

stadium receipts either. The real estate from the surrounding area should give Wolff and company a pretty penny as well. Whether they reinvest that in the team or not is another question entirely.

by Tyler Bleszinski on Nov 17, 2006 11:43 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Freaking LA land grabbers

Why did they have to hijack our ballclub in order to grab that land?

Why did they have to buy the Oakland Athletics?

Why didn't they buy the Marlins, some franchise no one cares about?

Why did they feel the need to DESTROY our COMMUNITY? Expel the REGULAR FOLKS who were AWESOME FANS? The VERY BEST THING about the A's!

In order to make a buck? How freaking rich do those guys need to be?

Things were so cool before Wolf came around. Win or lose, we could all participate. It was our team.

I wasn't here at the time: were there people who stuck up for Finley when he dismantled the champs?

Hello Bee Gees. Goodbye Ramones.

by freddy on Nov 18, 2006 1:52 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Dude, It Was Never YOUR team

To quote you: "Things were so cool before Wolf came around. Win or lose, we could all participate. It was our team."

Yes, things were sure cool. Lowest payroll in baseball, no hope of saving star players that the team cultivated all the way through their own farm system, and poor attendance year after year and no shot at any kind of a consistent post season because of all of this.

Things were not cool. Oh, and it was not (your) team.

Too many fans living in the small realm who are too afraid to be part of something bigger and successful. If the former A's business plan, payroll, ticket prices and use of a stadium like the Coliseum was the blueprint for success, then all the successful teams in baseball would be doing the same thing. They don't.

Enough already with this little social clique some of you thought you ran out there. You didn't. And it's time to grow up with the A's and play with the big teams or go on to something else.

I'm glad Lew Wolff is running the show with Fisher and Beane. The foundation is now in place for the A's to be what they were: Champions.

~This is a simple game...You throw the ball, you hit the ball, you catch the ball. YOU GOT IT!?!

by BornInOakland on Nov 18, 2006 9:27 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Either they were lying, or you are a fool

Bill King introduced the team as "Your Oakland Athletics"

Ray Steele introduced the team as "Your Oakland Athletics"

Whether I was listening to the game on the radio, sitting up on the third deck or behind home plate, I'd look at the folks around me and smile. It felt good. They were OUR Oakland Athletics. Great men said so.

If you would like to accuse both of those men of lying through their teeth, feel free.

But you are already speaking irrationally. I'd lay off the Kool-Aid, dude.

Hello Bee Gees. Goodbye Ramones.

by freddy on Nov 19, 2006 9:12 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Puhleeeze

My man, I was born in Oakland almost 40 years ago and have been an East Bay resident that whole time.

Was listening to Bill King call Raider and Warriors games in the 70's. And Roy (not Ray as you wrote) Steele has been like a friend to me in all those years at the Coliseum. His voice makes an A's game an A's game.

So there's a little history for you first. I didn't just fall off the Oakland A's badwagon like some people here.

Having said all that, you are mistaking a PR line and fan enjoyment tag for the real thing. As for your pot shots at Wolff etc.... I'll ask what I've been asking people like you for sometime: Would you rather he moved the team to Portland? He didn't. he found a home and is making it happen .

~This is a simple game...You throw the ball, you hit the ball, you catch the ball. YOU GOT IT!?!

by BornInOakland on Nov 20, 2006 11:16 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

If it wasn't for mean

old cantankerous Charley Finely the A's would never have been in Oakland in the first place--or have had the 3 World Championship Dynasty that Charlie single-handedly built--all before free agency brought him and his team down.

by Salvatore on Nov 18, 2006 8:44 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Agreed on Old charlie O

A jerk, a tyrant and by all counts a real nut. he also lead the A's to 3 World series victories in a row.

Sometimes you need people like that. Dislike them you might, but they win. And that's what it's all about in pro sports.

~This is a simple game...You throw the ball, you hit the ball, you catch the ball. YOU GOT IT!?!

by BornInOakland on Nov 18, 2006 9:29 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Bring back the orange baseballs.

Charlie O. was an ass, but man that Charles O. Finley gave US, yes, I said it BIO, US-US-US, 3 great world series and a bunch of freakin' wild men. I was a babe-in-arms, but miss those days, gone forever.

by LilAnnieOaktown on Nov 18, 2006 11:08 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Were you speaking about the owner?

Or the team mascot? Ok, I am older than most here, I actually sat on Charlie O when I was 7. Most of you can't say you sat in the Oakland Alameda Coliseium in the glory years when the attendance was less than 5,000 per game. It was great in the 71-76 run very exciting baseball. But the roof caved in after the 76 season.Finley drove his players away and we really sucked. But I hung in there attending 40-50 games a year. In 79 we lost 108 games, most games were attended by less than 2,000 per game; I went to 55 that year and saw 11 wins! Threats of moving to Denver, Portland, Washington DC were constant. Without Wolfisher who knows where we would end up. Ladies and gentelmen your Las Vegas A's in Bally's stadium. Sure I will leave tons of memories behind, but I will be able to introduce my grandkids to baseball there and the tradition will carry on.

by billyball1981 on Nov 20, 2006 2:48 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I knew it!

Only someone who has been there from the start would get it! I'm sure there are lots of diehards from the beginning who do, like you and me. And I meant the jackass, although some would say that about Mr. Finley, too. But wouldn't you say those were really 'fun' days...orange baseballs and all!

by LilAnnieOaktown on Nov 20, 2006 4:53 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs