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Rays hike ticket prices for Yanks, Red Sox games

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By TONY FABRIZIO | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 29, 2009

ST. PETERSBURG - ST. PETERSBURG It will cost more to attend the Rays' most attractive games next season at Tropicana Field.

But in announcing their 2009 ticket pricing Thursday, the Rays emphasized that nearly 40 percent of the games will be at or below ticket prices for 2009, when the Rays where named by ESPN the Magazine "the most affordable team in professional sports.

"Although some prices are increasing this year, and there are more nuances to the pricing schedule, we aim to maintain that title, or come in close to first," team president Matt Silverman said.

The Rays will have five categories of games rather than last year's three: Diamond (nine games), Platinum (20), Gold (20), Silver (27) and Bronze (5).

Diamond games are weekend games against the Yankees and Red Sox. Platinum games include all other Saturday games, weekday games against the Yankees and Red Sox, and Opening Day (April 6) against the Orioles.

Gold games are the remaining Friday and Sunday games, and Silver games are the remaining weekday games, except for five Bronze games.

Prices start at $18 for upper-box and upper reserved and party deck tickets to bonze games and go up to $175 for the Whitney Bank Club seats to Diamond games.

Season ticket holders will continue to receive a discount of up to 33 percent off individual ticket prices in the best seat locations," Mark Fernandez, senior vice president and chief sales officer, said.

Prices for the most popular games have gone up. For example, a lower infield box seat for a weekend Red Sox or Yankees game is $100 rather than last year's $75. An outfield seat for a Saturday night concert game or weekday Yankees game is $24 instead of $20.

The Rays also are cutting back on free parking. For 2010, vehicles with four or more passengers will park for free for all Bronze and Sunday games. For all other games, the first 100 cars with four or more people will park for free up to an hour before the game, while others will pay $10 to $20 per vehicle.

For the previous four years, the Rays offered free parking to carpoolers for all games in team-controlled lots.

Fans will, however, still be allowed to bring food and select beverages to games.

Silverman said he believes Rays fans recognize the connection between ticket revenue and putting a competitive product on the field.

"I think our fans trust that our organization makes prudent decisions with the revenues our fans provide," he said. "We make those investments in major league payroll, but we (also) make them throughout the organization – in Latin America, in our minor league system – and those investments are what fans end up seeing on the field.

"You can't deny there's a connection between the two, and there's even a stronger connection with our season-ticket base. Having revenue in our hands makes it easy for us to make decisions."

Reporter Tony Fabrizio can be reached at 813-259-7994

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