Okay, I'm suddenly more positive about this team than I have been in several years, so in true Sox fan fashion I have to bitch about something.

In the early 2000s I bought all 81 games for several years. I stopped just in time for the World Series. There really wasn't much upside to shelling out in January when I could walk up on game day at the same price or less.

My ticket rep knows I'm going to buy some kind of package even when I tell him I absolutely won't. This year I bought 25 games. We always stand on the concourse in left so I don't really care where the seat is. I just want to be able to get onto the 100 level. If they offered a standing room ticket at a reasonable price (say $10 a game) I would buy the entire season and drink a shitload of $9.25 beers. But they're too dumb to figure that out.

Anyway, I've been going back and forth with the rep about the "Bleachers and Brews" promotion where you get a ticket and two beers for $20. I paid about $20 each for most of my tickets but now you're coming underneath me and giving some guy who buys on game day two free beers. Is that the way you treat a loyal fan like me? I guess it is. Where the fuck are my free beers? And once again, what is my motivation to shell out in January?

They must train the ticket reps to point out that we got a better price for the Cub games. My buddy told the rep, "Look, I'm an old man and those fucking Cub games are the closest I come to getting in a fight every year. Beside that, it isn't really a feature to get a cheaper ticket to a game where I'm probably going to see the Sox get stomped by a team I hate."

Finally, I didn't have a ticket for this coming Saturday. My business partner asked me if I wanted to go so I told him I'd grab the tickets when I was at the game last night. I went to the inside window and asked the woman for the cheapest ticket for Saturday. They haven't had a 100 level checkpoint this year so I was fine with a $7-10 500 level seat. She told me the cheapest available was a $20 seat in 109. Come on, now. Are you really telling me the 500 level is sold out? I wasn't going to push the issue because it's only $25 at most and with my luck this would be the game where they were checking the 100 level and I'd have to go through some machinations to get downstairs, but that's really bullshit. I should have just asked for a 500 level seat.

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

They have limited the amout of $7 tickets that they have this season, and with the Jersey giveaway on Saturday it's possible most of the cheap seats are sold out. But there should be singles spread around that you could have bought.

The bleachers and Brews you have to buy online beforehand, and they also have a promotion for some $10 lower corner seats that you have to buy online.

Overall though yeah they should be bending over backwards to take care of you in any way they can. Throwing you freebies here and there. I understand they can't give you tickets, but some Comiskey cash here and there, an extra promotional item, or a couple of passes to that fried chicken "BBQ" under the right field stands during the pregame would go a long way toward smoothing things over with people like you.

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The Bleachers & Brews is really a great deal. $22 for a 100 level ticket and two 12oz drafts an at MLB game is a steal.

It's even better this year, as I've looked into it online. Last year you could only get the beers at concession stands by the Fandeck in the Outfield so the lines were crazy long. Now they've opened it up so you can get the beers at any Beggars stand, even on the 500 level.

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My dad wanted to buy a suite for fathers day. The rep quoted him a price and they had agreed. He called back and told him he quoted him the wrong price and for that day the price was double. My dad, on principal, told him he wouldn't pay the price. So now the Sox are sitting there all the poorer because there is no way in hell they sold that suite and their SALESMAN stuck to an arbitrary and inflated price for the day, even though they know they make money most other days of the year on the product at the lower price.

I think sales is a lost art.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

So stupid. Again I know they cant give stuff away, but wouldn't they rather have 10% profit on a sold suite, then 40% profit on a quoted suite?

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It's crazy people don't think like that.

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I did a 32 (?) game package about 25 years ago. they pissed me off and I've been to like 6 games ever since.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

This is so White Sox. But....I'm pretty sure it's a short list of professional sport franchises that really take care of their season ticket holders.

I know for certain the Bears do not....they don't have to.

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I used to buy tickets before the season, but honestly it's become a total waste. The ticket guys are desperate, and they constantly hound you before the season. I usually bought Cubs-Sox, and the Illini night for the hat. They switched to a jersey that I was not interested in. The guy called and emailed like I owed them a purchase.

The beers are in smaller cups, and it was only Bud or Bud Light when I did it.

Attendance is only going to get worse across the league. People are more interested in being on their phones. Colleges have to bribe students to go to the football games. Sports are more of a television product these days.

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Why are only 14 percent of black CPS 11th-graders proficient in English?

Attendance....Going to an MLB game
- is expensive
- involves a shitty drive or use of shitty public transportation
- involves really shitty weather
- the season is too fucking long. This also ties to shitty weather

People spend their time differently now as opposed to 50 years ago. there's a lot of truth to the point of sports being more of a television product. The NFL works because games are a limited schedule.

When 40% of your games are played in shitty weather, you're going to have attendance problems.

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Seems MANY businesses are more interested in wooing new customers as opposed to taking care of (and keeping) the ones they have.

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"I honestly don't see a good bet on the board here."

But they kind of are giving stuff away. The rep asked my friend, "What would make you guys happy?" And my friend said, "I just don't want to give you a bunch of money at the beginning of the year and then have a guy sitting five rows in front of me who paid 25% of what I did when he bought his tickets on the day of the game. Is that too much to ask?"

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

I'll give Arlington/CDI a little credit. I know I can get a better rebate from Hawthorne or Xpressbet. And from a strictly financial standpoint that would be the smart thing to do. But I've never been treated better at a racetrack or OTB than I have at AP. That's worth a lot to me. Sadly, it probably won't be around much longer. If AP is gone, I'll definitely switch from TwinSpires to an ADW that gives me a better rebate.

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

Generally you are right but I don't see a solution. Maybe a bigger discount for buying seasons or packages? With anything though discounting as the season goes on to move unsold inventory is going to screw the early birds. Think any trendy electronic thing.

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Elections have consequences.

It's supposed to be the opposite. And that works well if you have a product people actually want to see.

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

At this point, it is easier to be a Kane County season ticket salesman.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

I don’t really agree with most of this. Going to a game is usually quite enjoyable, not very expensive, and it’s decent weather most of the time.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

Except for the 40 percent of the time that it isn't. Also, it is much more expensive to drink $12 beers than buy a case for $12 at home. Expensive is all relative.

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Why are only 14 percent of black CPS 11th-graders proficient in English?

What Sox should be doing is selling season passes like Disneyland or things like that. You get a card, you get to pick the best tickets available on game day, free parking, and discounted food.

Is that 40 percent number accurate? It sounded made up to me. Based on my experience I would put it at more like 10-20%. This spring has been shittier than usual but usually late May through September its great weather the vast majority of the time.

I don't consider a few $10 beers that expensive but yeah it can get pricey if you're getting loaded in the park.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

It's not far off. April-May is a crap shoot weather wise. And seasons have been starting in March. Towards the end of September it's getting cold again. And in the summer you have a mix of really hot days and rainy days in with the nice summer weather.

I can remember several games I have been at where bad weather ruined the experience. The last was the Kopech start where it rained off and on for hours. But I've been at games in the summer where I went under the stands because I was baking in 100 degree heat. The coldest I've been at a sporting event was a Memorial weekend Sox game when the temperature dipped and the winds picked up. And I've lost count on the number of April games I went to where there was a snow/freezing rain mix.

Basically the argument that started this thread was that it does not make sense to buy tickets ahead of time anymore. I would rather see how it is on game day than give them money up front anymore.

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Why are only 14 percent of black CPS 11th-graders proficient in English?

I agree with that sentiment. I disagree with the sentiment that going to baseball games is shitty and expensive.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

To me it's usually not worth it to try to drive in on a week night anymore. Too many times sitting in traffic on 290. If I have all day it's still a great way to spend the afternoon.

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Why are only 14 percent of black CPS 11th-graders proficient in English?

$800 annual standing room ticket. I'd buy it every year.

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

There is a subtle difference one needs to know when discussing sports attendance and costs etc. When talking to someone you need to know if they go once a season or many times. They are different perspectives. The one timer generally is in and out of a close expensive lot and goes for the whole experience. Eats there maybe twice and many beers perhaps a souvenir. That sure as hell gets expensive. The regular has their plan and routine i.e. Jorr's standing. Knows a guy in Bridgeport you can park by. Eats before or after except when you can't resist the onions smell and has some beers.

_________________
Elections have consequences.

One thing I refuse to do is pay to park for a game in Chicago. I know my way around enough that I can figure out how to park free at Sox or Cubs.

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

That and you probably know the other potential faux pas being a big timer. Don't give your clients or best friends tickets without the pass.

_________________
Elections have consequences.

speaking of that, i'm headed to the game tonight - any advice on parking ?
i realized the last several times i've gone i haven't driven, so it's been awhile. Years ago i used to park at Cobblestone's on Pershing bc they'd let you park in the lot if you spent 20$ there

I got a Spothero spot for 12$ that's ~1.5 miles away so i'll just Uber from there, but is there any other realistic options away from the park ?

I'm headed to AP as we speak!

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Isn’t Sox parking $20? Seems easier to just do that.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul