Pirates Lose To Brewers, 2-1, 10 Innings

Yes, I know that Coonelly said it a month ago. But did he have to? Wasn’t the decision premature? Obviously, ticket increases don’t automatically result in a team making money; if they did, the team would have certainly raised them before this. There is clearly some risk involved, and, as a result, I just don’t see why the Pirates needed to even start talking publicly about an increase in ticket prices next year before they were sure what kind of season 2011 was going to be. In early July, they were apparently convinced it was going to be a great one. But that looks like a miscalculation here in mid-August…As an aside, you run a good site here, but does every single comment that questions an action of the front office have to be met with a snide remark like the one below? Why does everyone who is not in lockstep with Frank Coonelly and Neal Huntington have to be viewed as an idiot? I know that some commenters here are nothing but apologists for the front office, and I guess that won’t change, but do you really want the site to be known for that sort of thing? Can’t people with differing opinions on a point come here to have a constructive discussion about it without people resorting to the sarcastic, defensive “Obviously we need to figure out how the front office screwed up” posts?

in the interests of total accuracy, I guess I should have said the Pirates “confirmed” they were going to raise prices, instead of “announced”. I’d say that the Pirates president confirming it to a major media outlet (one of 2 local newspapers), is just as good as announcing it. With that confirmation hitting the media just after a 10 game losing streak, and worst homestand in team history, the timing of the news was “unlucky”, moreso than if it had occurred during a winning streak or early in the losing streak (say after the Phillies series). Which was my point.

Don’t misunderstand me. The main reason for the increase is valid. I don’t have a problem with an increase, I am far enough away from Pittsburgh that my actual attendance at games will be limited to occasional visits back to the area. I’d be going when I visit, no matter what price.

However…we know that there is a line where if the increase is too large, the increased fan support from this season goes away due to lack of ability to pay from the fan standpoint. I could take it to the ridiculous point and say that Pirates tickets will be the same price as the Mets and Yankees, but we know that won’t be the level of increase. If the Pirates have done their due diligence, they will go with an increase that the market will bear. If they haven’t, and take too large a chunk, it causes problems. As I said in my original comment, we won’t know till after the season, when they announce the actual prices, whether they go a bridge too far.

Of course it will. But what does that have to do with this discussion? They’ve never raised ticket prices before, assumedly because they didn’t think the Pirates would be in first place in April (or ever). Why would anyone think they’re going to be in first place next year?…Anyway, like I said, I don’t really understand your comment. Are you saying you would raise prices every year on the chance that the team turns out to be good?