Red Sox COO Sam Kennedy said that the franchise's decision to use dynamic pricing for seats and standing-room tickets on Fenway Park's Green Monster is the organization's latest move to "better align tickets with their market value," according to Donna Goodison of the BOSTON HERALD. Tickets for the 269 Green Monster seats "were $165 last season, and the 150 standing-room tickets were $35." The team said that tomorrow, when the tickets go on sale, initial prices "could range from $30 for standing-room to as much as $300 for an Opening Day seat." Kennedy: "There’s a lot of research ... that (shows) fans in other markets respond very well to it." Kennedy said that the team "has no current plans to expand dynamic pricing to other parts of the ballpark next year" (BOSTON HERALD, 3/15). In Boston, Peter Abraham noted the factors the team will take into account when pricing the tickets "will be tracked by two companies, Qcue and tixtrack" (BOSTON GLOBE, 3/15).
GOING ON STRIKE: In Boston, Kevin Paul Dupont examined the Red Sox' decision last week to have a PA announcer calling balls and strikes in a Spring Training game, writing most fans "are in the ballyard -- get this -- just for the fun of it." They "come to see a good game, not run numbers like accountants." If, "in the end, we need someone to clue is in on every pitch, every ball, every strike, we're missing the point in being there" (BOSTON GLOBE, 3/16).
CONNECTICUT PREDICATE: In Boston, Matt Stout cites Quinnipiac Univ. poll data as showing that the Yankees "still rule Connecticut -- the only New England outpost where Boston baseball can’t claim complete victory." The poll showed that 43% of those polled "proudly wear their pinstripes," compared to 38% who prefer the Red Sox. It "marks the fourth straight year" the Yankees have "taken baseball’s greatest tossup state." However, the Red Sox "own a slight edge among women" (44 to 42%), a "shift from last year." Men "comfortably back" the Yankees by a 10-point margin, while 52% of those polled are "either very interested or somewhat interested in baseball" (BOSTON HERALD, 3/16).
