Thread: Miller: Twins Ticket Sales "Muted"

I would imagine by August you'll be able to pay between 10-25% of face value. And, as a former season ticket holder, I can tell you prices like that will drive season ticket holders away which will hurt the team's available budget.

A few of those "marginal" upgrades were not only 2013 investments, they were investments in the 2015-217 fanbase as well.

Originally Posted by drjim

Probably as long as people think any of those moves would make much of a difference in attendance this year.

I agree with you that they made their bed, but only in the sense that they have sucked the past two years and the organization is in pretty bad shape as far as young talent in the majors is concerned. That is what keeps people away, not signing Correia instead of Saunders or Marcum.

Yep, why even try to get better in any increment and give people the hope that if they are on the fence about going to a game that the team they could go see will be acceptably decent? Hell, why sign Correia or anybody at all? 25 minimum salaries or bust! It doesn't matter!

Am I the only one that thinks these figures seem high?

Originally Posted by drjim

Probably as long as people think any of those moves would make much of a difference in attendance this year.

I agree with you that they made their bed, but only in the sense that they have sucked the past two years and the organization is in pretty bad shape as far as young talent in the majors is concerned. That is what keeps people away, not signing Correia instead of Saunders or Marcum.

No, sucking the past two years, not much young, MLB ready talent, razor thin SP and doing absolutely NOTHING to address it, despite ample funds and opportunity, from a paying customers perspective, is what keeps people away.

Originally Posted by FrodaddyG

Yep, why even try to get better in any increment and give people the hope that if they are on the fence about going to a game that the team they could go see will be acceptably decent? Hell, why sign Correia or anybody at all? 25 minimum salaries or bust! It doesn't matter!

They did bring in three new starters and a couple of bullpen arms. I think they are trying to get better while also balancing against avoiding bad contracts and not blocking young players.

I understand people don't like the Correia signing - I don't either! But to take a decrease in season tickets sales and to suggest the reason is because of some pet signing they didn't do is absurd.

Originally Posted by drjim

I understand people don't lime the Correia signing -but I don't either! But to take a decrease in season tickets sales and to suggest the reason is because of some pet signing they didn't do is absurd.

Ticket sales are linked to fan enthusiasm. This offseason gave the fanbase ZERO reason to be enthusiastic about next year. So you can cherry pick any names you want to say "that guy wouldn't have done it" but it's intentionally missing the entire point.

Originally Posted by twinsnorth49

No, sucking the past two years, not much young, MLB ready talent, razor thin SP and doing absolutely NOTHING to address it, despite ample funds and opportunity, from a paying customers perspective, is what keeps people away.

If you think adding three new starters to the opening day rotation is nothing I don't know what to say. I agree that the upgrade could have been marginally better with McCarthy or Marcum but to virtually all fans that difference really wouldn't register and certainly wouldn't impact decisions to buy tickets.

Originally Posted by drjim

They did bring in three new starters and a couple of bullpen arms. I think they are trying to get better while also balancing against avoiding bad contracts and not blocking young players.

I understand people don't like the Correia signing - I don't either! But to take a decrease in season tickets sales and to suggest the reason is because of some pet signing they didn't do is absurd.

Ok, I'll agree the performance on the field the last 2 years plays a role in the decrease, but thinking the Twins doing pretty much nil to address that in the interim, despite said pathetic performance, is beyond absurd.

Originally Posted by TheLeviathan

Ticket sales are linked to fan enthusiasm. This offseason gave the fanbase ZERO reason to be enthusiastic about next year. So you can cherry pick any names you want to say "that guy wouldn't have done it" but it's intentionally missing the entire point.

I disagree. I think the bigger point is there was very little Terry Ryan and the front office could have done this offseason to change fan enthusiasm and the overall ticket sales trend.

The names I "cherry picked" were the very guys we have been talking about all offseason.

Originally Posted by twinsnorth49

Ok, I'll agree the performance on the field the last 2 years plays a role in the decrease, but thinking the Twins doing pretty much nil to address that in the interim, despite said pathetic performance, is beyond absurd.

Marginally absurd. Because apparently "significant" = "marginal"

Originally Posted by drjim

If you think adding three new starters to the opening day rotation is nothing I don't know what to say. I agree that the upgrade could have been marginally better with McCarthy or Marcum but to virtually all fans that difference really wouldn't register and certainly wouldn't impact decisions to buy tickets.

I'm sorry but that viewpoint is laughable considering the overwhelming difference of opinion on this site alone.

Originally Posted by twinsnorth49

Ok, I'll agree the performance on the field the last 2 years plays a role in the decrease, but thinking the Twins doing pretty much nil to address that in the interim, despite said pathetic performance, is beyond absurd.

You say pretty much nil I say three starters and a couple other intriguing arms on minor league deals.

Originally Posted by drjim

I disagree. I think the bigger point is there was very little Terry Ryan and the front office could have done this offseason to change fan enthusiasm and the overall ticket sales trend. The names I "cherry picked" were the very guys we have been talking about all offseason.

You're right, we should wait for Mike Trout. Then we'll get the fans going again. Your positions on these issues are maddening. I'm not sure how to approach something so absurd as "Nothing they could've done to add talent to this team would make fans excited"

Originally Posted by twinsnorth49

I'm sorry but that viewpoint is laughable considering the overwhelming difference of opinion on this site alone.

Fair enough but as you can probably tell I'm a little skeptical of the conventional wisdom on this site of how big an upgrade these guys would represent.

Of course, it couldn't possibly have anything to do with external factors.

http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/...ss-in-q4-2012/

Nope.

Originally Posted by TheLeviathan

You're right, we should wait for Mike Trout. Then we'll get the fans going again. Your positions on these issues are maddening. I'm not sure how to approach something so absurd as "Nothing they could've done to add talent to this team would make fans excited"

Outside of signing Greinke or a huge overpay I unfortunately think this is true. Only two things will really excite a fan base -success or a young core. The first wouldn't happen this year even with all the moves suggested on this site and the second is (hopefully) a year away.

You can say with other moves the team would be significantly more successful. I disagree. It made sense for a couple of signings to bridge the next wave and you can nitpick said signings but it does little to change the underlying reality of the state of the team. They are a year or two from relevancy so they want to avoid bad contracts and not block younger players.

what happened to the 'like' option on this site?

Originally Posted by drjim

If you think adding three new starters to the opening day rotation is nothing I don't know what to say. I agree that the upgrade could have been marginally better with McCarthy or Marcum but to virtually all fans that difference really wouldn't register and certainly wouldn't impact decisions to buy tickets.

Maybe not on Opening Day, but if they bring in better pitchers, there's a better chance that the fans haven't been completely turned off by the additions' poor performance by early summer.

Originally Posted by drjim

Outside of signing Greinke or a huge overpay I unfortunately think this is true. Only two things will really excite a fan base -success or a young core. The first wouldn't happen this year even with all the moves suggested on this site and the second is (hopefully) a year away.

You can say with other moves the team would be significantly more successful. I disagree. It made sense for a couple of signings to bridge the next wave and you can nitpick said signings but it does little to change the underlying reality of the state of the team. They are a year or two from relevancy so they want to avoid bad contracts and not block younger players.

What bad contracts are you speaking of and who on God's green earth would they be blocking?

Originally Posted by drjim

Probably as long as people think any of those moves would make much of a difference in attendance this year.

I agree with you that they made their bed, but only in the sense that they have sucked the past two years and the organization is in pretty bad shape as far as young talent in the majors is concerned. That is what keeps people away, not signing Correia instead of Saunders or Marcum.

Signing another mediocre pitcher or 2 (who the average person who buys tickets does not know from Adam) would not have helped the Twins' attendance...

What would have helped? (and they have money to burn allegedly this season) :

- Trade with the Mets for the last season of Johan Santana under contract (let them eat half of his salary and just give them a marginal prospect back - The Twins would have to pay as much as they gave Correia guaranteed)
- Sign Jim Thome (still a free agent) and keep him on the bench instead of Butera.
- Make sure that you showcase and let some of the kids who are the future of your organization (Meyer, Gibson, Hicks) play instead of so-so veterans.

People will pay and put their butts on TF seats for that. Not to watch Correia and Mastroianni (but also not for Sanders and Marcum...) If Harden is healthy, people will pay to watch him pitch.

And if you do not believe me with the above assessment, go back in history and see what happened when the Twins signed the ghost of Lefty Carlton's past, as far as attendance went in games he pitched....