While the Shorebirds plan on renovating their parking lot before next season, the cost of traveling for away games has skyrocketed as they put some 10,000 miles on their bus for these away games. They need to make some of these expenses up.
Rather than raising the price of a ticket they felt a parking fee would work better. They also explained that their water costs have gone up 15% at the Stadium and are expected to climb even higher next year.
What do you think Folks? This is a big hit for the Fans.
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
32 comments:
Cancel my season tickets!!!
If they think attendance has been lower recently, they ain't seen nothing yet!
I won't be going to any more games with such fees added, that's for sure!
I'd like some info on how other minor league teams charge for parking and tickets. The Shorebirds have been the best deal in town, but an extra $3 might not make it such a great deal.
I think they would be better off getting sponsorship for their bus and put some advertising on it.
This is a bad move. Bowie is just up the road and packing a whole lotta' Matt Wieters (6' 5" switch hitting catcher), calling signs for your Oriole rotation of the future. Don't nickel and dime us here; trust me....people will avoid this surcharge on principles alone. This is why it is free parking at the horse race track and such.
More reason for me not to attend the shorebirds games. You may see some drastic drops in attendance. They better reconsider that and hire a decent marketing director.
Well, I understand their needs, but we have needs too. Charging for parking will end my participation in the games here, except maybe once in awhile. Sorry, but my costs are climbing too!
It has already become to expensive to go the the games unless you go on the cheap night.
A ticket increase would make more sense. They would have to hire
more people to collect money at the lot and it would jam traffic up to boot. Why not make it easier on everyone if they're going to do it?
As a former season ticket holder, for many years, we enjoyed as many games a season as we could manage to be here for. If after spending what season tickets cost, they ask and expect those season ticket holders to pay an additional fee, they'll lose whatever financial ground they might gain. It might be the last straw for some of these folks.
To comment on a few other posts...
I would assume that season ticket holders would get parking passes.
Also, if you would rather drive to Bowie to watch AA ball, bc of the new $3 parking... enjoy those gas costs. lol
I never did think the Shorebirds were a good family value to begin with. The tickets, moderatley priced but the food, OVERPRICED. Three bucks for parking? Just another way to nickel and dime the paying customer. Shouldn't be too many of those in the future.
Tell me this, who will be responsible when people who don't want to pay $3.00 to park, decide to park at Winterplace and walk to the stadium. Then there is pedestrians crossing Rt 50 at Hobbs Road (a notoriously bad intersection already) and someone gets struck by a car. I can see it now, mom's running across the highway pushing a strller playing frogger with cars. Just watch, it will happen.
This is just the beginning folks, as costs go up they are going to be put on the average folks. I agree with the person who said, get some advertisers for the bus, I agree, get more corporate sponsors, the "little guy" should be allowed to see "his" local team, stary close to home, save gas, have a great time. Purdue certainly can find corproate dollars from other sources to help support this team. We just can't afford it right now. Come back in a few years. then we can talk.
They're not that good to begin with. I will not pay $3 to park. NO WAY. They should be bending over backwards to get fans to come see a game. Frank Perdue would have a fit if he were here to hear this. My how things have changed. Guess I'll go watch girls softball.
It's only $3.00 buck - pitch in and help the team you bunch of cheap-skates.
I rather go watch a ESBL game any day and the parking is free and so is the game. High school baseball is more fun to watch also but one school in town even charges for that. But without a doubt Little League baseball is the best. So Shorebirds i hope you run yourselfs right out of business and are left scratching your heads wondering why. Everyone knows that 80% of the people go for the fireworks and not the baseball.
i dont need to see a ball game that bad
I'd much rather take a small ticket increase than pay $3 just to park. It's more of an inconvenience than anything.. They cite a family of four only in the DT article taking moderate hits per person, but I highly doubt that's the majority of their demographic. What about couples and people alone? I'd pay $.50 more a ticket, but not $3 just to get in the lot. I'm even willing to spend some money on food because the tickets aren't so bad, but parking.. Pshhh...
No way will I pay to park to see this minor league team that charges major leage prices at food stands. At best I would support a One Dollar increase in ticket price. The Three Dollar parking fee may spell the end of the team.
JIM
GO CAPS
What's next..pay toilets??
I would think season ticket holders would still get their "VIP" treatment and recieve free parking...we should be lucky it is only $3 some minor league teams charge as much as $5!
and for those choosing Bowie over their hometown team...have fun with that drive! By the time you total gas, wear & tear on your car, ticket to game, and then food you could have stayed at home and cheered on the Shorebirds for a couple games....think about it - its not rocket science!
I am still on the edge about this topic but after looking over the math here...
$3 parking
$22 GA tickets (2-$6 Adult/2-$5children)
Total- $25
or -if it was a $1 increase in tickets...
$26 GA tickets (2-$7 Adult/2-$6 children)
$1 may not look like much but over the course of the season it adds up....heck thats a lot of double cheese burgers and sweet teas from McDonalds that i could be purchasing after the game
still thinking this situation over...
Let's see, on weekends with fireworks, 6,000 people attend. At 4 people per car, that's 1500 cars at $3 per car, equals $4500 income.
Granted, some evenings the Shorebirds can't manage to draw 1,000 people and the management will only make about $1500 on those evenings. And with a limited number of home games per season....Still seems like they'll be making a huge sum and back traffic up on Hobbs to Rt 50 also. Will then have to pay for extra Sheriff's Department staff for monitoring traffic.
I can't say I'd complain about the $3, as my family could only afford to attend 2 games last season.
Its obvious to me that when people make statements such as minor league baseball with major league prices they have not been to a professional game recently. I've been fortunate to attend a Oriole game, a Redskins game and the Nascar race in Dover in the last few weeks. By far the Redskins was the highest, parking $45.00, ticket
$110.00 concession at least $75.00.
For the value the Shorebirds are a cheap night out but I understand people in this area have a hard time supporting anything positive.
Lets hope the fights tonight are different. I bought 8 tickets thanks to Joe alerting us about the presales.
9:26. Who says I DON'T LIVE NEAR BOWIE and actually have to spend my gas money to come down there to see you guys play? The Shorebirds are cool, but the talent is nowhere near the list of potential Oriole call-ups with the Baysox. Plus a family trip away from your political sewer in the 'Bury is worth every cent of the gas you need to escape for awhile. Are you still "laughing out loud" now?
The prices of food and drinks at a Shorebirds game is VERY close to those at NFL and Major leagie baseball games, in fact the price of a large soda here is the SAME PRICE at a Ravens game, Sorry folks i know its only $3 per car, but like what was said already our costs have gone up too, i cant do the extra money -This summer our family of 4 went to about 10 to 15 Shorebirds games 1 Orioles game and 1 Nationals game. IF this team is here for our pleasure than keep prices the same, if its a business only (as we all know it has become under new ownership) than act that way - charge your $3, but provide some quality FOOD & ENTERTAINMENT -for example whomever that guy was we were stuck with in between innings -has to go, i couldnt understand a word he said,why not bring back that guy from a few years ago cant remember his name but he lives here i still see him around and he comes right up to my family and makes us feel welcome and seems like he cares how we are doing after all these years-a real nice guy-it must come natural i guess, theses no one like that there anymore, ok im done -Joe you do a great service keep it up!
If you go to every single home game then I can see this adding up. It's still not a bad night out financially once in awhile, plus you get to see some fireworks. Take a family of four to the movies one night. Whoa!!! Talk about hitting the wallet! Stop buying your cigarettes for a week. Look how much money you'll have for better things to do.
Birds fan I agree. The general admission seats or one timers get 99% of the promotions. That is why you don't see very very few season ticket holders participate in their promotions. You left out the fact that they depend on the Season ticket holders. A select few of them are given special privileges. They forgot we all pay the same and are their budget setters. I as a season ticket holder for all 13 seasons have serious doubts on renewing. I cannot afford tobear the brunt of an increase. Business practice is the less you buy the more you pay. The more you buy the less you pay. Quanity counts. More and more season tickets do not renew. They should think about their loyal supporters instead of drivingthem away.
The new ownership has sent this family valuable venue to hell. The fireworks are not as good as they used to be and the general attitude of management has deteriorated. For this area, the food is way overpriced. If they want to save money, cut back the number of fireworks shows they do a year. For those who go alot one word comes to mind...redundant. I will watching some little league games this year!!!
according to thier website, season ticket holders don't pay for parking
Here we go! Another business/enterprise to soon close in Salisbury!! AGAIN!!!!!
First the Orioles seem to skip Delmarva on the development train of the best talent most of the time (exceptions maybe Maine, Loewen, Rowell). Now a parking fee? Say it at So Sherman!!!!!
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