Cubs reducing ticket prices for 2013 (a little bit)

[Guest]

The Cubs are not going to contend in 2013 (virtually regardless of what the FO does this offseason

 

That's not true. They've were -5 pythagorean wins, they had 17 wins worth of sub-replacement players, and they have $60-75 million to spend if they want to. They could contend if they felt like it was a priority.

 

But what is there to spend it on? The only way I see them contending in 2013 is if they sign 2 of the better SP on the market, Upton, trade for a 3B (Wright) and sign/trade for another 2-3 relievers. Even then it'd be iffy. Cincy and St. Louis probably aren't going away, and the Brewers probably aren't going to be that bad, either. There would be a chance, but as David put it, it'd be a puncher's chance at best.

 

But the point is that 2013 being approached as a likely lost season shouldn't be surprising, and very modest ticket price drop isn't indicative of anything that wasn't already perfectly clear.

 

Well, since you added in Wright, if they did all that, I'm not sure why they wouldn't be considered to have more than a puncher's chance...

 

LF - Soriano

CF - Upton

RF - DeJesus

1B - Rizzo

2B - Barney

SS - Castro

3B - Wright

C - Castillo

 

SP (this is where it gets pretty good) - Samardzija, Garza, 2 of Sanchez/Marcum/McCarthy/Jackson, Wood

RP - Marmol, those guys you mentioned trading for/signing plus some other guys, just way less terrible than 2012's version

 

I don't see why that team isn't legitimately in contention for the division

[XZero771679666304]

The Cubs are not going to contend in 2013 (virtually regardless of what the FO does this offseason

 

That's not true. They've were -5 pythagorean wins, they had 17 wins worth of sub-replacement players, and they have $60-75 million to spend if they want to. They could contend if they felt like it was a priority.

 

But what is there to spend it on? The only way I see them contending in 2013 is if they sign 2 of the better SP on the market, Upton, trade for a 3B (Wright) and sign/trade for another 2-3 relievers. Even then it'd be iffy. Cincy and St. Louis probably aren't going away, and the Brewers probably aren't going to be that bad, either. There would be a chance, but as David put it, it'd be a puncher's chance at best.

 

But the point is that 2013 being approached as a likely lost season shouldn't be surprising, and very modest ticket price drop isn't indicative of anything that wasn't already perfectly clear.

 

Well, since you added in Wright, if they did all that, I'm not sure why they wouldn't be considered to have more than a puncher's chance...

 

LF - Soriano

CF - Upton

RF - DeJesus

1B - Rizzo

2B - Barney

SS - Castro

3B - Wright

C - Castillo

 

SP (this is where it gets pretty good) - Samardzija, Garza, 2 of Sanchez/Marcum/McCarthy/Jackson, Wood

RP - Marmol, those guys you mentioned trading for/signing plus some other guys, just way less terrible than 2012's version

 

I don't see why that team isn't legitimately in contention for the division

 

You're probably right. But let's say Theo & Jed set out to accomplish those things, what do you think the chances are that they'd get it all done? There's going to be heavy competition in the market for the better SP (including from teams who can spend), and if Wright goes on market, there will be heavy competition for him as well. Upton is going to have some suitors as well.

 

This idea that the Cubs can be contenders in 2013 is Theo and Jed simply decide to "try" is gross oversimplification. The sea isn't simply going to part so the FO can get whomever they decide to target. Not even the Yankees and Red Sox have/had 100% "get" rates.

 

The Cubs can absolutely get better in 2013, and there's no reason they shouldn't. But any expectation that they will or could realistically contend through simple effort is probably a tad misguided.

[Little Slide Rooter]

It's really no surprise, regardless of the team they plan on fielding for 2013. Attendence has been gradually dwindeling along with the qulity of the team on the field. While a good deal of the empty seats were already paid for, empty seats don't but overpriced concessions, and that's a lot of lost revenue right there. Ensuring that those seats are not only paid for but filled is a priority of the Chicago Cubs as a business, which extends well beyond baseball operations. Remember that Crane Kenney guy that everyone hated around this time last year? This is his department. Building a baseball team is Theo, Jed & Co. The payroll may very well not break $100MM, but that would likley be the case regardless of this developement.

[SouthSideRyan]

Just pointing out the decrease prior to '12 was largely (entirely?) washed away by amusement taxes. They used to be included in the price of the ticket, the Cubs reorganized their pricing to add that on top of face.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

You're probably right. But let's say Theo & Jed set out to accomplish those things, what do you think the chances are that they'd get it all done?

 

The only hard part is Wright. There's plenty of decent CFs and second-tier starters out there.

[XZero771679666304]

You're probably right. But let's say Theo & Jed set out to accomplish those things, what do you think the chances are that they'd get it all done?

 

The only hard part is Wright. There's plenty of decent CFs and second-tier starters out there.

 

I think to contend we'd have to land 2 of the better SP (think Sanchez/McCarthy/Jackson) and not the lesser SP (Marcum/Blanton/Villanueva). I also think adding an offensive 3B would be almost necessary. The Cubs had a very hard time scoring runs late in the year, and adding a decent CF wouldn't do much to fix that.

 

I have hopes, but I don't think it's a given that two of the better SP are signed even if Theo decides to spend. There is going to be some fierce competition.

[Irrelevant Dude]

Why are people ignoring the simple economics of reducing ticket prices? Theoretically a reduce in ticket prices should lead to an increase in attendance (of course we know there are a lot of other factors involved). Just because the Cubs are reducing ticket prices does not mean they will lose that same amount of revenue. If they were already selling out every game and decided to reduce ticket prices, that would be another story, but that is not the case when there is inventory available. I don't see how this reduction in prices is a bad sign. We know the Cubs are not going to compete in 2013 and we can also be pretty confident that once they start winning, ticket prices will go right back up.

[Sammy Sofa]

When they did it last year, they hadn't even hired Theo. I don't even think they had even interviewed anybody yet. So you're basically saying that, before Ricketts hired anyone new in baseball operations, he was intent on tanking a season and lowered ticket prices in anticipation. That seems like a stretch.

 

I don't. Ricketts was spouting a meatballier version of the "building the right way" rhetoric before Theo and co. were hired.

[Sammy Sofa]

The Cubs are not going to contend in 2013 (virtually regardless of what the FO does this offseason

 

That's not true. They've were -5 pythagorean wins, they had 17 wins worth of sub-replacement players, and they have $60-75 million to spend if they want to. They could contend if they felt like it was a priority.

 

But what is there to spend it on? The only way I see them contending in 2013 is if they sign 2 of the better SP on the market, Upton, trade for a 3B (Wright) and sign/trade for another 2-3 relievers. Even then it'd be iffy. Cincy and St. Louis probably aren't going away, and the Brewers probably aren't going to be that bad, either. There would be a chance, but as David put it, it'd be a puncher's chance at best.

 

But the point is that 2013 being approached as a likely lost season shouldn't be surprising, and very modest ticket price drop isn't indicative of anything that wasn't already perfectly clear.

 

Who cares if it's "iffy?" It's not like they were only adding those pieces for next season and couldn't keep building/changing going forward. I prefer "iffy" than "crap hole."

[WrigleyField 22]

This thread is bizarre. Some seem to be inferring that the possibility of a lower big league payroll is leading to the ticket prices being lowered. Thats backwards. The tickets are going to be priced at the level that they feel will bring the most revenue. Unfortunately after 190 losses in the past two years, revenue will be down, but hopefully they max out the returns available.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SouthSideRyan]

This thread is bizarre. Some seem to be inferring that the possibility of a lower big league payroll is leading to the ticket prices being lowered. Thats backwards. The tickets are going to be priced at the level that they feel will bring the most revenue. Unfortunately after 190 losses in the past two years, revenue will be down, but hopefully they max out the returns available.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Nope, what people are saying is that pre-emptively lowering the prices leads them to believe the front office is shooting to make it 290 in 3 years.

[Sammy Sofa]

This thread is bizarre. Some seem to be inferring that the possibility of a lower big league payroll is leading to the ticket prices being lowered. Thats backwards. The tickets are going to be priced at the level that they feel will bring the most revenue. Unfortunately after 190 losses in the past two years, revenue will be down, but hopefully they max out the returns available.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Nope, what people are saying is that pre-emptively lowering the prices leads them to believe the front office is shooting to make it 290 in 3 years.

 

Yuuuuuuuuuuup.

[XZero771679666304]

The Cubs are not going to contend in 2013 (virtually regardless of what the FO does this offseason

 

That's not true. They've were -5 pythagorean wins, they had 17 wins worth of sub-replacement players, and they have $60-75 million to spend if they want to. They could contend if they felt like it was a priority.

 

But what is there to spend it on? The only way I see them contending in 2013 is if they sign 2 of the better SP on the market, Upton, trade for a 3B (Wright) and sign/trade for another 2-3 relievers. Even then it'd be iffy. Cincy and St. Louis probably aren't going away, and the Brewers probably aren't going to be that bad, either. There would be a chance, but as David put it, it'd be a puncher's chance at best.

 

But the point is that 2013 being approached as a likely lost season shouldn't be surprising, and very modest ticket price drop isn't indicative of anything that wasn't already perfectly clear.

 

Who cares if it's "iffy?" It's not like they were only adding those pieces for next season and couldn't keep building/changing going forward. I prefer "iffy" than "crap hole."

 

That scenario was probably as optimistic a scenario as could be semi-realistically painted. Of course all of those things would be good for not only 2013 but the next several years, But even if it were Theo/Jed's intent to do all those things, they probably couldn't.

 

The point I was trying to make as it pertains to the topic was that even if the FO "tries", we're still probably looking at another season of non-contention, and that the meager ticket price drop being reflective of that isn't some sort of grim revelation, or portentous of anything we didn't already know.

 

Expecting improvement in 2013 is perfectly reasonable, expecting contention probably isn't.

[Sammy Sofa]

I'll be perfectly happy with actual improvement (not, "we won 8 more games, yay!"). I'm not convinced we'll see much significant along those lines. I hope I'm wrong

[WrigleyField 22]

This thread is bizarre. Some seem to be inferring that the possibility of a lower big league payroll is leading to the ticket prices being lowered. Thats backwards. The tickets are going to be priced at the level that they feel will bring the most revenue. Unfortunately after 190 losses in the past two years, revenue will be down, but hopefully they max out the returns available.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Nope, what people are saying is that pre-emptively lowering the prices leads them to believe the front office is shooting to make it 290 in 3 years.

Uh, still bizarre.

 

 

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[KingCubsFan]

This thread is bizarre. Some seem to be inferring that the possibility of a lower big league payroll is leading to the ticket prices being lowered. Thats backwards. The tickets are going to be priced at the level that they feel will bring the most revenue. Unfortunately after 190 losses in the past two years, revenue will be down, but hopefully they max out the returns available.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Nope, what people are saying is that pre-emptively lowering the prices leads them to believe the front office is shooting to make it 290 in 3 years.

Uh, still bizarre.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Agreed. Regardless of how they do next season, raising ticket prices or keeping them the same after last season would have been a huge PR mistake.

[WrigleyField 22]

From the stuff I'm reading season tickets are actually goong up, and those are guaranteed sales.

 

The biggest drop is in the bleachers where the average atendee will buy his ticket price in beer sales, but you have to get them to the park.

 

And the team will expand on dynamic pricing which basically prices will move with inventory levels.

 

There's really little to see here.

 

 

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[jersey cubs fan]

This thread is bizarre. Some seem to be inferring that the possibility of a lower big league payroll is leading to the ticket prices being lowered. Thats backwards. The tickets are going to be priced at the level that they feel will bring the most revenue. Unfortunately after 190 losses in the past two years, revenue will be down, but hopefully they max out the returns available.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Nope, what people are saying is that pre-emptively lowering the prices leads them to believe the front office is shooting to make it 290 in 3 years.

 

It's not pre-emptively lowering prices. It's simply lowering prices.

[Sammys Boombox]

Not real sure where to put this, but the Cubs are asking season ticket holders for input on game times.

 

Here's the email:

Dear Cubs Season Ticket Holder,

 

We often seek feedback from fans and neighbors about providing unique and memorable experiences at Wrigley Field while limiting the impact on the neighborhood. In 2010, our fans and community overwhelmingly told us they would like to see more concerts at Wrigley Field. Based on your tremendous support, we hosted legendary musical performances such as The Dave Matthews Band, Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen.

 

Once again, we seek your feedback on improving the game day experience for fans and the community in 2013. Please take a few minutes to complete the following survey.

 

Friday 3:05 p.m. Start Time

As we prepare for next season, we have an opportunity to return fan-favorite 3:05 p.m. Friday starts to the Friendly Confines. Many fans have indicated a desire to start games later to allow more fans coming from work to attend. This also provides the team additional time to adjust and prepare for Friday games when they return late on Thursday night from a road trip.

 

Do you support 3:05 p.m. starts?

 

Saturday Night Games

In addition, the Cubs are currently prohibited from playing games on Saturday nights. As a result, the team often plays at noon on Saturday and fans arrive in the neighborhood as early as 10 a.m. Many community residents have suggested the team be allowed to play on Saturday evenings so fans would not arrive until later in the day to free up neighborhood streets during the morning and afternoon. There were two Saturday night games in 2010 and 2011. Each was well-received and provided an exciting evening of entertainment.

 

Do you support Saturday night games?

 

It then asks how many Saturday night games do you want (1-13) and asks for why you want 3:05 Friday starts and Saturday night games.

[Andy]

My opinion is irrelevant to them, but I'd totally be on board with 4 pm EST start times on Friday.

[Guest]

I would LOVE Friday later games and Saturday night games. That would be an awesome change.

[Mark Priors Calves]

I would LOVE Friday later games and Saturday night games. That would be an awesome change.

Yes.

[Sammys Boombox]

I answered:

 

Yes.

 

Yes.

 

13.

 

My reasons: Anything that gets the players out of the sun during the summer months like every other MLB team.

[Guest]

I like that they are doing this...

 

http://espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/story/_/id/8547796/chicago-cubs-try-oust-scalpers-season-ticket-rolls

 

The Cubs sent out 45 nonrenewal letters to a select group of season-ticket holders Wednesday, noting that season tickets "are a revocable license granted on a yearly basis at the sole discretion of the team."

 

The Cubs feel confident their research in trying to identify potential scalpers is correct, and only professional ticket sellers, many of whom have out of state addresses, were affected, according to one Cubs source, who said: "This is about the guy in California with 40 tickets."

 

Green said the team has gotten feedback from ticket holders who received the email Wednesday. The team expects these letters to be challenged, but they fall back on the language in season-ticket agreements that gives them the right to revoke ticket rights.

 

About 1,000 tickets will be made available to fans on the season-ticket waiting list and possibly for upgrades for current season-ticket holders.

[Sammys Boombox]

I like that they are doing this...

 

http://espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/story/_/id/8547796/chicago-cubs-try-oust-scalpers-season-ticket-rolls

 

The Cubs sent out 45 nonrenewal letters to a select group of season-ticket holders Wednesday, noting that season tickets "are a revocable license granted on a yearly basis at the sole discretion of the team."

 

The Cubs feel confident their research in trying to identify potential scalpers is correct, and only professional ticket sellers, many of whom have out of state addresses, were affected, according to one Cubs source, who said: "This is about the guy in California with 40 tickets."

 

Green said the team has gotten feedback from ticket holders who received the email Wednesday. The team expects these letters to be challenged, but they fall back on the language in season-ticket agreements that gives them the right to revoke ticket rights.

 

About 1,000 tickets will be made available to fans on the season-ticket waiting list and possibly for upgrades for current season-ticket holders.

 

Glad they didn't come after the guy who currently lives in KC and has 2 tickets because he didn't want to go back to the end of the line.