Finally, a stadium with section numbers that run sequentially. It makes too much sense. (Click to enlarge.)
Over the weekend, as ESPN reported, the Yankees unveiled their season ticket prices for 2009 and the relocation plans for ticket holders not interested in forking over their left kidneys for comparable tickets. As the Yankees have repeatedly told the public, the vast majority of tickets in 2009 will be sold at the same price point as they were in 2008, but what the future holds is anyone’s guess.
The news first:
Prices for the best seats were announced in March, with the Yankees charging $500-$2,500 for tickets near home plate in the first nine rows, contained in 25 sections ringing home plate. In all, the Yankees have sold more than 3,500 of approximately 4,300 premium seats on the field, main and terrace levels, chief operating officer Lonn Trost said Friday. “Other than those 4,300 seats, which are going to subsidize everybody else, the prices are not” being raised significantly, Trost said. “And remember, 24,000-plus seats will have no price increase at all.”
The Yankees said Friday the remainder of the field-seats level seats cost from $75-$325 as part of season tickets, while main-level seats go for $45-$100. The highest deck is split into two areas, with terrace seats going for $40-$65 and grandstand selling for $20 and $25.
In a sign most of the best seats will be sold as season tickets, only the least expensive category of field seats and the two least expensive levels of main seats are being made available for partial plans. The Yankees are charging $5-$10 more per seat for partial plans than they are for season tickets. Individuals game prices haven’t been set.
So a lot of this information is nothing new. The Yanks long ago announced the new price points for the 2009 season tickets and their fancy premium seats. Now, we have season ticket pricing for other areas as well. Partial season packages will be available only on the Field and Main levels past first and third bases, on the Terrace level midway up the basepath and for the entire Grandstand and Bleacher levels. The seats right behind the outfield in front of the bleachers will basically cost $100 per ticket per game.
The people who end up getting the short end of the straw here are the fans sitting in what will become the premium seats. Those fans — including the ones sitting in what are now the primo sections in the Tier Boxes behind the plate — will either have to foot the bill for substantial price increases or enter the relocation lottery which doesn’t guarantee seats substantially similar to what those fans have now. That is, of course, the price to pay for moving across the street to the new digs.
While season-ticket and partial-plan holders are sure to feel rightfully upset by this move, I can only wonder what the future has in store for ticket prices. The Yankees are keeping 24,000 seats at the same price next year, but Lonn Trost has made no guarantees beyond 2009. I doubt the Yanks will be so altruistic come 2010. The best is yet to come.
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