The cost of going to a game keeps rising

The Arizona Republic ran dozens of letters from fans explaining why they don’t go Diamondbacks games even though the team is in first place. You guessed the main reason most of them said — it costs too much.

The cost to attend a major sporting event all over the country is going up. And it’s not just the cost per seat either. Tickets everywhere are charging more extra fees for handling and convenience. Parking prices have gone up. Concession prices have gone up.

At what point will the cost of going to game get too high where fans stop going? The prices keep rising every year, but fans keep going more than ever (outside of Arizona).

As the price of going to a ballgame keeps going up, more and more fans will be like these Arizona fans, stay home and watch on TV. Hopefully. If not, they’re addicted fools who will keep feeding the owners’ pockets and tempting them to raise prices even higher.

(Hat tip to Bugs and Cranks)

Thursday Links

Back in 2002, when my Angels won it all, Ramon Ortiz was one of my favorite players. Angel fans back then seemed sure Ramon Ortiz was going to be a good pitchers for several more years. Well, he’s just been traded to the Rockies, making it the fourth different team he’s played on since leaving the Angels. He’s never been quite the same since 2002, working as a mop-up guy for the Twins this year. Here’s hoping he does well on the Rockies. (Babes Love Baseball)

The Dan Patrick Farewell Tour continues over at Either Relevant or True. There have been multiple articles written about him as well. Dan Patrick’s got a new blog, but he hasn’t done much with it yet. Let’s hope he builds it to supplement his new radio show in about a month.

Truehoop finds that Tim Donaghy was very good at fixing games. Very good. (Hat tip to Larry Brown Sports)

Frequent OSQ commenter The Sultan on Sports has an excellent post in memory of the great Phil Rizzuto. He also has a lot of great fantasy football insight on his blog as well.

Remember when Nolan Ryan went to Japan recenly and threw a fastball over 90 mph? Apparently, he was there to promote American beef. (Pax Arcana)

Thursday sports preview (mostly baseball)

I’m getting rid of my usual Game of the Day first format and just taking you through the highlights of the entire day chronologically in sports. As usual, all times pacific, because I live out there.

MORNING/AFTERNOON:

WGN, 11 a.m.: Cincinnati at Chicago Cubs. The Cubs have lost four games in a row falling to one game over .500 at 60-59, yet are still only 1.5 games out of first because Milwaukee has lost three in a row. What a division. Some commenters at the popular Cubs blog Bleed Cubbie Blue are already giving up. Probables: Bobby Livingston vs. Jason Marquis

St. Louis at Milwaukee, 11 a.m. The more important game in the morning, but not nationally televised (If only ESPN showed day games like they used to). You know what’s scary? If the Cardinals win, they’ll only be one game out of first in the loss column. And they’ll only be 58-60. Great division. Probables: Adam Wainwright vs. David Bush

EVENING:

Detroit at New York Yankees, 4 p.m. (No National TV). After a 5-2 loss to Cleveland last night, the Tigers are back in a tie for the AL Central lead. The Yankees are still tied with the Mariners for the wild-card lead after both teams lost last night, and both teams are only one game ahead of the 2nd-place AL Central team. What I’m trying to say is, this is a big series. Probables: Justin Verlander vs. Mike Mussina, a good match-up.

TBS, 4:30 p.m.: San Francisco at Atlanta. Only mentioning this game because I want to say I like TBS’ baseball broadcasts. I don’t know their announcers’ names, which is probably a good thing because they don’t make themselves bigger than the game. TBS gives highlights of other games in progress, and they have a baseball-only crawl on the bottom. I’m excited that TBS has the first round of the playoffs this year and the NLDS — a welcome change from either Tim McCarver or Joe Morgan.

ESPN, 5 p.m.: NFL Exhibition game: Miami at Kansas City. I don’t watch preseason football and don’t get the hype about it. Can someone fill me in?

NIGHT:

Colorado at San Diego, 7 p.m. (No National TV of course). I follow the AL more than the NL, so I figured the Rockies were one of those teams that were competitive because of luck and were overachieving. But their expected win-loss total is actually higher than their actual win total by one game. I should maybe start following the Rockies now, since they’re only 2 games out of the wild card.

Houston at Los Angeles Dodgers, 7 p.m. The Dodgers are only 3.5 games out of the wild card now, but Bill Plaschke still probably wants them to give up on this season.