The White Sox' announced attendance at U.S. Cellular Field on Monday night's game against the Tigers was 23,358, and that is "a problem," according to Jon Greenberg of ESPN CHICAGO. That figure also marked the White Sox' "fourth-best gate in 19 home games" this season to date. The only three better "came in the opening series of the season." Senior VP/Sales & Marketing Brooks Boyer said, "You have to ask yourself, is price the biggest factor? I don't think price is the biggest factor on a value Monday. ... Maybe we need to do more to get the trust of our fans." Boyer "wouldn't reveal season ticket numbers, but admitted they are their lowest since the 2005 season." He thinks that the drop "has as much to do with fans reticence as it does with the team's performance, which hasn't been good." Boyer said, "Baseball is a commitment of time. The other thing is, how easily can you get rid of tickets you're not using?" Boyer said that the White Sox "planned for a slow start after a drop in season ticket renewals, even as they cut season ticket prices by nearly 29 percent." He added, "The biggest telltale sign will be in June when school is out. We'll see how the team is performing and see what walk-ups look like." Meanwhile, the Cubs' "biggest problem is informing fans that higher-priced seats are still available" for this weekend's White Sox-Cubs BP Crosstown Cup series. Cubs VP/Ticket Sales & Service Colin Faulkner said the team is battling the perception that tickets are "sold out." He added, "It's easy to take a quick look at the secondary market and see the bulk of tickets are selling above face value" (ESPNCHICAGO.com, 5/15).
