Indians Chair & CEO Paul Dolan said that '13 "was perhaps the best year" his family has had baseball wise since it purchased the team after the '99 season, according to Terry Pluto of the Cleveland PLAIN DEALER. Dolan said, "We were on the verge of a complete collapse at the end (of 2012). Twelve months later, the entire trajectory of the franchise has been changed. It's a 180-degree turn." The Indians ticket revenue "was up" about 20% last season, "despite the team actually drawing fewer fans" in '13 (1,572,926) than '12 (1,603,596). Dolan knows that "complaining about the lack of attendance is a losing" PR game. He added, "It would have been good to increase the attendance. But I really think there were other very positive signs like our TV ratings." Pluto noted the Indians "never quite reached 7,500 in season ticket sales" in '13. However, they are now up about 20%, "putting them over 8,000 but remaining among the lowest in the majors." The rise "has been in single game sales, especially weekends and promotions." Meanwhile, Dolan said of the debate over the Indians' Chief Wahoo mascot, "We have always been sympathetic to both sides of the issue. ... But we do understand that some people are legitimately offended by it. But we have no plans to change what we are doing now." Dolan also said he is "surprised about 'how fast' the 15 years of his ownership has passed." He said that the team "'is not for sale,' nor has he ever been in negotiations." He "is open to a minority investor" and "has been saying that for years." Dolan: "But we've never found one. We plan to keep the team. When we bought it, we viewed to be something we'd have for multi-generations. That hasn't changed" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 3/23).
