What Safeco Field needs to do to get attendance.

[JosephC]

Here's a thought for Safeco Field since they are having a heck of a time getting people to go to Safeco Field. Why not make a large section of the seats an "all you can eat" section? I'm not talking a diamond club section, but how about a cheap all you can eat section? Say, all you can drink soft drinks and all you can eat hot dogs? Then, charge $30 for the seats instead of $10. Bingo! Problem solved.

Why not?

[JosephC]

This topic is over a year old, but... If they can't produce a wining team, this might get a few people in the door (including myself).

[TellItToTheDA]

It'll happen soon enough. There are all-you-can-eat sections in 19 of the 30 major league stadiums, and it seems to be working for them:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/baseball/mlb/07/14/all-you-can-eat-ballparks/1.html


In 2009, the Cleveland Indians sold more than 17,000 seats in the budgeted sections for three games. The Arizona Diamondbacks boosted sales in left field by 70 percent when they made it all-inclusive. For the Astros, the all-you-can-eat section was at about 95 percent capacity. Teams like the Royals have also seen an increase in retail purchases at the stadium as well, as fans are more willing to spend out of pocket for other items when not having to do so with food.

"Fans are looking for value-based items and packages today," said Vic Gregovits, the Indians' senior vice president of sales and marketing. "This package fit. Based on the economy, it makes a lot of sense."


What really surprises me is that attendance is only down about 250 per game. There's a Puget Sound Business Journal article about how the Mariners are dealing with the empty seats that I'm interested to see, though it's not accessible to non-subscribers for another two weeks:

http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2010/07/12/story1.html

[phredmojo]

It'll happen soon enough. There are all-you-can-eat sections in 19 of the 30 major league stadiums, and it seems to be working for them:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/baseball/mlb/07/14/all-you-can-eat-ballparks/1.html





What really surprises me is that attendance is only down about 250 per game. There's a Puget Sound Business Journal article about how the Mariners are dealing with the empty seats that I'm interested to see, though it's not accessible to non-subscribers for another two weeks:

http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2010/07/12/story1.html

that was before the last homestand. now it is down 654 per gane from last year at 27,105 per game

[TellItToTheDA]

that was before the last homestand. now it is down 654 per gane from last year at 27,105 per game

Nope, just over 250 a game:

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=mlb/teams/038/attendance.aspx?team=038

[Igoe4Mariners]

I've never been to Safeco Field, but a lot of what I've heard is that the games aren't very intense due to the strain they put on the fans to be so "family-like". I don't know what it's like our there, but I don't think I could stand that. I go to sporting events to scream at the top of my lungs, cheer on my team and root them to victory. Sure, I get a little mad when they screw up and I start yelling, but 40,000 more people feel the same way.

Anyways sorry guys I got a little off-topic.

[phredmojo]

Nope, just over 250 a game:

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=mlb/teams/038/attendance.aspx?team=038

actually the last homstand upped the attendance (thanks to redsox fans) it is now up 654 fans per game and not down

http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/SEA/attend.shtml
1 2010 Seattle Mariners AL West 39 62 4 Safeco Field (ballparks.com) 1,443,471 27,759 7th of 14 $86,510,000 97 96
2 2009 Seattle Mariners AL West 85 77 3 Safeco Field (ballparks.com) 2,195,533 27,105 7th of 14 $98,904,166 97 96

[phredmojo]

I've never been to Safeco Field, but a lot of what I've heard is that the games aren't very intense due to the strain they put on the fans to be so "family-like". I don't know what it's like our there, but I don't think I could stand that. I go to sporting events to scream at the top of my lungs, cheer on my team and root them to victory. Sure, I get a little mad when they screw up and I start yelling, but 40,000 more people feel the same way.

Anyways sorry guys I got a little off-topic.

you're only allowed to cheer when the score board tells you to lol

[TellItToTheDA]

actually the last homstand upped the attendance (thanks to redsox fans) it is now up 654 fans per game and not down

http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/SEA/attend.shtml
1 2010 Seattle Mariners AL West 39 62 4 Safeco Field (ballparks.com) 1,443,471 27,759 7th of 14 $86,510,000 97 96
2 2009 Seattle Mariners AL West 85 77 3 Safeco Field (ballparks.com) 2,195,533 27,105 7th of 14 $98,904,166 97 96

Oh, you're comparing it to last season's average attendance at the end of the season, while I'm comparing it to the same time last season.

[phredmojo]

ah. in either case it will be down at the end. but not down as much as it should be lol

[JosephC]

I've never been to Safeco Field, but a lot of what I've heard is that the games aren't very intense due to the strain they put on the fans to be so "family-like". I don't know what it's like our there, but I don't think I could stand that. I go to sporting events to scream at the top of my lungs, cheer on my team and root them to victory. Sure, I get a little mad when they screw up and I start yelling, but 40,000 more people feel the same way.

Anyways sorry guys I got a little off-topic.

Actually this is true. I'm not a big fan of people next to me screaming my ears off for Richie Sexson like they did in 08, or Figgins this year. I want to tell them to sit down, but I'm not that kind of person. I prefer it the way it is. It makes for a more professional, baseball environment. Each to themselves I guess.

[Igoe4Mariners]

Actually this is true. I'm not a big fan of people next to me screaming my ears off for Richie Sexson like they did in 08, or Figgins this year. I want to tell them to sit down, but I'm not that kind of person. I prefer it the way it is. It makes for a more professional, baseball environment. Each to themselves I guess.

Well I didn't mean that I would yell at our own player, I just get very passionate at sporting events. Although pro baseball is definately more laid back than say a football game. I've been to more football games over my life so that is what probably makes me get into the ra-ra mode more.

[clarknova]

Well I didn't mean that I would yell at our own player, I just get very passionate at sporting events. Although pro baseball is definately more laid back than say a football game. I've been to more football games over my life so that is what probably makes me get into the ra-ra mode more.

Me too. Especially football. I've only been to one other baseball stadium during a game and that was at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. I thought it was pretty comparable as far as atmosphere. Safeco is great, you just have to get the right seats. I get pretty animated sometimes, but also don't like being told how to be a fan. At all. So, I tend now to actually ignore the hand-holder jumbo-tron clap-o-matics (I dedicate that hyphen filled sentence to RRS and the death of his pitch location). I've been warned at Safeco for swearing and being too loud in the family section. Football, and really more so college football is a totally different experience. I can't imagine just sitting there. I get animated at home too. I'll beat the shit out of a couch cushion during a Seahawks game. I don't know, maybe Safeco totally sucks, and I just don't know any better because I'm not from frickin' New England or had my eye lids forced open while I was forced to watch Ernie Banks highlight footage as an infant in Chicago. OR, maybe I'm just sick of all this self deprecating, woe is me, crybaby bullshit and I think fans can do whatever they want to do at the game as long as I'm not bothering anyone and they're not telling me to sit down in the bottom of the 9th. Not that I'm bitter...

[JosephC]

Well you beat the couch cushion, but how many couches have you gone through? I'm on the third after this season. Two couches in '08, one in '10.

[Igoe4Mariners]

Well you beat the couch cushion, but how many couches have you gone through? I'm on the third after this season. Two couches in '08, one in '10.

No couch cushion here, but I did throw my autographed Richie Sexson picture out the window a few years ago, something I still don't regret.