MLB Franchise Notes: White Sox Hope Deals Appeal To Sponsors

White Sox Hoping Rios Addition Can Boost Sponsorship Sales

In Chicago, Mark Gonzales reports White Sox VP & CMO Brooks Boyer hopes that the team's long-term commitments to P Jake Peavy and RF Alex Rios, "coupled with a young talent core, will convince current sponsors and prospective new clients the Sox will be competitive for several years." The White Sox also "hope it will convince sponsors to reinvest, which would help alleviate" concerns about "losing several sponsorships." A decision on sponsorship renewals "won't occur until after the season." Meanwhile, Boyer also noted that P Mark Buehrle's perfect game in July "accelerated ticket sales" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 8/14).

OCTOBER SKY: In N.Y., Ken Belson notes the Yankees soon will announce playoff ticket prices, and if "history is any guide, fans could end up paying 50[%] more than what they paid for regular-season tickets if the Yankees make it deep into October." MLB each year sets a "suggested ceiling for ticket prices for the first two rounds of the playoffs," and then teams, which are "now sending the league their proposed prices, can ask to set prices even higher." But MLB President & COO Bob DuPuy said that "given the weak economy, playoff tickets may not be dramatically more expensive this year." DuPuy: "The information we've gotten back to date has suggested that they'll be closer to the regular-season prices." DuPuy added that World Series prices will "probably be unchanged" from last season (N.Y. TIMES, 8/14).

PHIL ME IN: In Philadelphia, Andy Martino cites an MLB source as saying that a tentative schedule for the '10 season has the Phillies playing interleague series in Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park and Rogers Centre, while they will host the Twins, Indians and "likely one other" AL team. The source said that the Phillies are "slated to open the season" at Nationals Park (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 8/14).

TOURIST ATTRACTION: In DC, Missy Frederick reports the Nationals have a "new marketing campaign designed to convince more of the city's tourists to make baseball games part of their itineraries." The team is partnering with Destination DC, the city's marketing arm, on a campaign that will include a 40% discount on Nationals tickets for out-of-town visitors. The discount cards are "being distributed at tourist locations," and discounts also are being offered through print media and Destination DC's Web site (BIZJOURNALS.com, 8/14).