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john henry and the money?
with ticket prices at fenway going up again for '08 (approximately 9%), one has to wonder: whats that all about? the red sox already have the most expensive tickets in baseball by far. sure theres been rennovations and additions, but ticket prices have gone up every year since henry bought the sox in '02.....whats the real motive? does john henry and co really care about baseball? the fans? or is it the money?
take the field boxes: in'97 they were $26, in '04 they were $75, in '08 they will be $125 according to the boston globe. have things really inflated that much? the average price for a family of 4 to attend a game at fenway next year is $313!
"We need revenue to fuel the vision that we have, and the vision is for a competitive, entertaining, winning team year in and year out - I say winning, I don't necessarily mean winning the World Series - and to preserve, protect, enhance, improve Fenway Park," president/CEO Larry Lucchino said yesterday in a conference call. "In addition, to restock our minor league system is the gasoline that makes the car go in those three directions."
yeah that makes sense, and sure im happy the sox are winning, dominating actually. couldnt be happier about that... just i liked it better when I could afford to attend more than a handful of games. going to fenway has always been special, but for my family it means sitting down and planning for it financially... other than it just being a vacation its potentially a life changing experience. ive got to eat peanut butter, ramen, and toast for a month to justify it. hell, i could get the whole season, 162 games, on cable for the price of one game live with my wife. (yes im out of market, and nesn range) ive had to choose going to see the sox over getting a new larger tv! (the sox are keeping me out of the wonderful world of HD even) ill take the sox over a HD tv any day... but should i have to?
when henry and werner bought the sox in '02 it was for $380 mil... in '06 they were worth $617 mil http://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/33/330700.html i havent been able to figure out what they are worth now, post another CHAMPIONSHIP! but im sure henry could make at leas $250 mil selling them now.
that just has me thinking. was that the purpose in the first place? it had to be partially. does he really care that those of us who have followed the sox for years cant afford to visit fenway anymore? i dont think so. i think he sees the fact that there are a thousand new people willing to take our places... 500 of them have more money of course.
the only positive (other than the winning of course) is that fenway is going to be in great condition for its 100th anniversary coming up.(it opened in 1912) which means that there SHOULD be an allstar game in boston that year. but how much are those tickets going to cost?
-elmedius
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