Anyone who watches Sportscenter on a nightly basis can plainly see that attendance is down thus far during the major league baseball season. While it is true that the game does have a few weather obstacles this time of year, this April’s drop off is especially unique. Bud Selig cannot control mother nature or change the dates of the Masters, but he can recommend a few ideas to the owners that could increase their bottom lines until the beginning of June.
Nobody does gimmicks like the minor leagues. Before Memorial Day is when a disproportional amount of promotions and giveaways must occur. The typical fan does not need a hefty incentive to come to the ballpark on a gorgeous day in July when the team is battling against a divisional foe.
He may, however, need his arm twisted to catch a Kansas City Royals game midweek in April. This is when fireworks, contests, and merchandise must come to the forefront.
It doesn’t take much to obtain a round trip pass anywhere in the continental U.S. from an airline when it understands that advertising is a component. A lucky fan could even use the voucher to see his favorite team on the road!
Public transportation options need to be plentiful and convenient.
As a teenager, I was able to attend numerous Milwaukee Brewers games at County Stadium. It was a more enjoyable endeavor because I took advantage of being a bus passenger. I was able to catch the pregame show on my earphones while I didn’t have to worry about navigating my way through traffic or paying a hefty fee for parking. Filling out my scorecard on the bus while I heard the line-up was an invaluable way for me to connect with the game beforehand. It also allowed me to converse with my fellow fans when called upon to discuss the state of the team. The cost of attending games has disproportionally increased compared with most people’s salaries. This is one way to combat that.
This next suggestion proves what a cheapskate I am.
There are few things in this world that irk me more than paying fees at cash machines. It seems that since the financial meltdown about two years ago, traditional banks have nickeled and dimed their customers to death. And this is after we bailed them out!
Many of them even offer a cash incentive to invite new customers and then promptly change the conditions to hold an account. But I digress. Having a couple of different options to access cash makes sense. There is no crime in having options from Bank of America and Wells Fargo at the site. This would even save transaction fees at the point of purchase within the ballpark because more fans are using cash if there is no charge to obtain it.
The most obvious way to combat the effects of four dollar gas to put a consistent, quality product on the field. It certainly helps when a Paul Konerko or a Miguel Cabrera is in your plans. It takes money to make money and these gentleman are cash cows. Nothing cures a customer on the fence like legitimate success.
–Patrick Herbert