2009 Ted Review

Well, if you haven't been out to the ol' ball park this year... here's my opinion from my first visit of the year:

"Everything is the same only more expensive."

It starts with parking, last year, parking was $10, except for premium games, then it was $12. It was $12 yesterday, and will likely be $15 on premium days.

Tickets, on their face appear to be the same price. Outfield Pavillion (my seat of choice for nearly every game) $22. Problem is, last year you could buy the tickets at the game for face value ($22), or pay ticket master an inconvenient "convenience charge" to get them online in advance. This year, there is a $2 price increase for tickets purchased the day of the game. They've got us by the nuts!

And speaking of nuts... I was a bit annoyed by one particular junk-in-the-trunk 30 year old vender lady with a prison style neck tat attempting to sale assorted nuts. As she walked the stairs of the right field pavillion, which was adorned with an Elementary School kids enjoying a field trip, she used sales lines like: "I've got the best nuts in the stadium." "Come get my nuts." "My nuts are the sweetest" and "You can't get these nuts on the internet (what does that even mean?)" That's right, it's as unfunny now as it was then, but she thought she was cool and sadly her sales strategy appeared to be working.

Back to prices... Beer (the most important price) is up $.50 to $6.75. You may remember a few years ago, beer was $7, but you got a 24oz beer. Then they "dropped the price" to $6.25 and it stayed that way for a few years, but you only got a 16oz, plastic doesn't keep your beer cold, bottle. Now you get the same crappy bottle with the new increased price.

Not that $.50 or $2 is that big of a deal, but it annoyed me in light of all the off-season comments regarding the economy. I heard several interviews with Frank Wren regarding what they were going to do to try and keep people coming to the ballgame during the recession. None of the ideas he mentioned included increased ticket, parking, or beer prices. I didn't make it to concession and I rarely do, so I can't comment on whether Skip & Pete's HOF BBQ has joined in the price parade.

It may or may not keep me from attending games, but consider this:

If I drink 1 beer in stead of 2, the Braves forego $6.25 for the chance to earn an additional $.50 if I had drank another.

Moreover, if I go to one less ballgame this year, that's $10 in parking, $44 in tickets, and $12.50 in beer ($66.50) they didn't get, because they increased prices by $2, $4 (2 tix), and $1 (2 beers) ($7).