In L.A., Shaikin & Hernandez report the Dodgers “will not sell individual tickets” to the June 25-27 series against the Yankees at Dodger Stadium. The team is “reserving those tickets for fans buying season seats or packages of 14, 21 or 28 games.” Dodgers VP/PR & Broadcasting Josh Rawitch said that the team “anticipates demand sufficient to sell out all three games via ticket packages.” The Dodgers also “instituted a surcharge of $2 or $3 for Friday and Saturday games” (L.A. TIMES, 2/23).
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Cubs Heading For Seventh Straight Year Of
Drawing More Than 3 Million Fans To Wrigley Field |
BLOWING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION: In Chicago, Paul Sullivan reported the Cubs have yet to release sales figures, but "between the renewal of season tickets, the presale of individual tickets and the ongoing sale of individual tickets that began Friday, they are headed for their seventh consecutive season of drawing 3 million-plus fans at Wrigley Field." The team raised ticket prices by an average of 10% this offseason, though "most of the bigger increases were in the highest-priced box seats" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 2/22). Also in Chicago, Kiah Haslett reports the Cubs this season will station "ambassadors" at Wrigley to "improve the experience" of fans. The program will be headed by Dir of Fan Experiences Jahann Blake, who "served in similar positions" with the Dodgers and Red Sox (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 2/23).
KING OF QUEENS: Mets Owner Fred Wilpon Saturday predicted his family would own the team for "generations." He also "dismissed the idea that the Bernard Madoff scandal had had any effect on the team's spending and called his offseason 'torture' after the Mets went 72-90 in '09." Wilpon: "I've always said, if it's up to me, my family will be involved for the next generations. That's all I can tell you" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 2/21). When asked if the team will "have enough money to make a push for a key player" before MLB's trade deadline this season, Wilpon said, "The answer is yes" (NEWSDAY, 2/21).
