The Indians have added "almost 4,000 season-ticket holders" since the end of the '16 season, but the team said that "none of that growth has come from ticket brokers," according to Kevin Kleps of CRAIN'S CLEVELAND BUSINESS. That is "by design, as the Indians have stopped selling full and partial-season-ticket packages to brokers -- and in some cases, revoked their seats and offered them to other longtime season-ticket holders." Sources said that such moves "typically come during good times." But Indians VP/Sales & Service Tim Salcer said that this "isn't a practice the Indians began in full force after their memorable postseason run last fall." Salcer said the team "started looking deeper into the secondary market" in '15. Prior to last season, the Indians "notified season-ticket holders that if they attempted to sell of transfer more than 50% of their tickets to 'persons or entities that are not registered Share Partners,' they would be classified as a broker." Kleps notes the Indians believe "limited the number of tickets on the secondary market increases the value of the seats." The Indians finished 28th in average attendance last season -- "marking the fifth straight year in which Cleveland was in the bottom three in MLB." The Indians' gate numbers should "improve significantly this season, though, thanks to the franchise's best season-ticket total in nine years" (CRAIN'S CLEVELAND BUSINESS, 4/3 issue).
