Trost Talks Ticket Pricing, Attendance At New Yankee Stadium

By Eric Fisher, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal

Trost Discusses Ticket Pricing, Attendance During Tour Of New Yankee Stadium

Yankees COO Lonn Trost, who led a tour of the new Yankee Stadium to close the '09 SBJ/SBD Sports Facilities & Franchises conference, said he has no regrets over the opening of the $1.5B ballpark, which has been besieged with criticism over ticket pricing, sightlines, financing, and a host of other issues. “I’m the guy being blamed for building this stadium,” Trost quipped as he introduced himself to the group. “That’s fine. … We’re learning more about this building every day.” Pressed further on many of the events of the first 10 weeks of the season, which included a revision of the pricing structure within the Legends Suites lining the infield, Trost said he is seeing fan complaints, press criticism and no-shows all fall considerably since April. “Everybody has a different perspective on this ballpark, but the building’s been built, it’s been great, and a lot of thought went into it,” he said. “The ticket prices, for example. Yes, the high-end ticket prices are high, but without them, again, I can’t have tickets at $5, $12, $14, and so on.” Among the operational surprises so far this season are the concentrations of Legends Suites customers still eating plated meals during the middle of games. “We, of course, knew there’d be a lot of that pre-game, but in the 5th inning, there are still a lot of people here [in the upper Legends Suites lounge]. That was surprising, but again, we’re learning a lot of how this building operates.”

FULL HOUSE: The listed capacity of 52,325 at the new ballpark has become a misnomer, as it includes handicapped-accessible seating, not all of which is used for most games, comps and 2,000 standing-room only tickets, which the Yankees have not sold and do not plan to sell for the foreseeable future. “That [52,325] number is bogus. There’s no way we hit that number here,” Trost said. “We could put in the additional rails and have the standing-room tickets, but it would take away from the flow and the fan gathering that’s already occurring.”

No Plans To Change Fencing At New Yankee Stadium

HOME RUN POWER: There are also no plans to change the distance and height of any of the fencing at the new ballpark after the '09 season. AccuWeather earlier this week released research indicating that the location and height of the fences -- and not wind patterns -- were the primary fuel in the early barrage of home runs at the new ballpark. The new stadium’s torrid early home run pace is challenging league records set by Coors Field in the late '90s. “You ask me if we’re doing anything about the fences, and I would respond by asking, ‘Where’s the problem?’” Trost said. “Most people prefer home runs, and home runs are up around the league.“ Wind patterns in the area, however, will likely change somewhat once the old Yankee Stadium is demolished.

END OF AN ERA: Efforts to tear down the old Yankee Stadium, meanwhile, are beginning to heighten as the last of the stadium seats and sod have been removed. More extensive interior demolition will begin later this month, and exterior demolition will be visible in August. In the old stadium’s place will be a park with three ballfields, and thousands of trees that may end up being placed in the shape of the old Yankee Stadium. The effort, still a source of controversy between some local community advocates and the N.Y. Parks Department, carries a working name of Heritage Field.