Rays President Brian Auld said the team is gathering data from "just about every corporation in town" to boost corporate ticket sales. In Tampa, Janelle Irwin noted access to corporate ticket sales is a "key driver in reaching optimal home game attendance, something the Rays have historically struggled to meet." Corporate leaders in the region tell consultants they would be "more interested in purchasing season tickets if luxury suites were smaller and closer to the field." Some suites at Tropicana Field have "sub-par views." An ideal ballpark would "include access to general use areas for season ticket suite holders, as well as accommodations throughout the stadium for bigger spaces companies could use for large parties" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 2/6).
SPREAD THE MESSAGE: In K.C., Pete Grathoff reports the Royals' new slogan "Raised Royal" appears on new billboard messages in the city. There are three rotating messages that read: "You Only Call Him Salvy," "You Smile At The Thought of Pine Tar" and "Your Phone Passcode is 1738." As part of the Royals’ push with the new slogan, they also have a "place on their website to make a meme." That is "why those three particular messages were chosen" (K.C. STAR, 2/7).
ALWAYS A BATTLE: FOXSPORTS.com's Ken Rosenthal wrote the Nationals’ owners "cannot be called cheap, not when they supported the game’s fifth-highest payroll" as recently as '15. However, this offseason they "barely have stirred" in the free-agent market, "proving far less resourceful than say, the low-revenue Indians, far less aggressive than big-spending NL rivals such as the Dodgers and Mets." Those who work for Nationals President of Baseball Operations & GM Mike Rizzo have "expressed frustration" that he "must fight ownership to get the players he wants." Rizzo and ownership representatives have "mentioned the impact" of the Nationals’ ongoing MASN battle with the Orioles. However, if Nationals Managing Principal Owner Ted Lerner "wanted to spend more -- even with the Orioles withholding money, at least some of which the Nats eventually will receive -- he could" (FOXSPORTS.com, 2/6).
