Cubs’ ticket prices to be flat for 2011
Cubs president Crane Kenney said Friday the team will keep average ticket prices “flat for 2011.
Along with that, though, the team is introducing a new, “marquee pricing structure for 13 games, including the White Sox Series, the Yankees series, Opening Day and certain home dates, including some against the St. Louis Cardinals.
“The goal was to have a flat ticket price, Kenney said. “The way we got there was to do some analysis we’ve never done before that really began before the (2010) season started.
Owner Tom Ricketts sent a letter to season-ticket holders Friday informing them of the changes. Ticket prices have yet to be announced.
The Cubs will maintain their “bronze, “silver, “gold and “platinum categories. Kenney said prices in the platinum category will remain flat while the lower categories, in some cases, will see decreases to make up for the approximate 12 percent prize hike that will be part of the marquee level.
The Cubs also announced that bleacher seating and “bowl seating will be categorized separately. In other words, what might be a gold date in the bleachers might be a silver date for some other part of the ballpark, for example.
“A primary result was the ability to have an increased number of less expensive bleacher tickets, including a 150 percent increase in bronze bleacher ticket availability (six games to 15 games), the Cubs said.
The Cubs also said:
Ÿ Seventeen percent of Cubs’ inventory will be listed at $20 or less in 2011 compared with 9.6 percent or less in 2010.
Ÿ Fans and families will be able to buy an $8 ticket to select games. The team said there are 83 percent more $8 game tickets available in 2011 over ’10.
The bottom line, for season-ticket holders, is that some sections will see essentially no increase or decrease; some sections will see an increase of no more than 3 percent, and some section swill see a price decrease, with some more than 6 percent.
The overall average ticket price will come out to $47.17 before taxes. Kenney also said that despite reports, the Cubs did not even rank in the top three of overall ticket prices in 2010.
Search on pace: The status quo remains in general manager Jim Hendry’s search for a new field manager. There is no timetable for an announcement. If Hendry decides current manager Mike Quade will keep the job, that announcement could come before postseason play ends in major-league baseball. Either Quade or another candidate also could be announced after the postseason ends. Pitching coach Larry Rothschild has his own option for 2011. That comes due Monday. Even if Rothschild exercises the option, his status still will be determined by who the manager will be. Also, the Cubs continue to stress that even if player payroll is down at the major-league level, they still plan to expand resources in amateur scouting and for player development.