Category: It’s about the money honey

Former Twins pitcher Duensing on opt-outs

Brian Duensing
Brian Duensing

Pitcher Brian Duensing was a 2005 Minnesota Twins third round compensation selection for the Twins losing free agent shortstop Cristian Guzman to the Washington Nationals. Duensing signed with Minnesota for a reported bonus of $400,000 and began his ascent to the big leagues with the Elizabethton Twins and debuted in relief with the Twins on April 10th, 2009 in a 12-5 Twins victory at US Cellular Field. Originally a starting pitcher, the Twins used him as a spot starter and reliever from 2009-2012 before moving him to the bullpen full-time late in 2012.

After appearing in 354 Twins games from 2009-2015 and posting a 41-37 record with 2 saves and a 4.13 ERA it became time for the Twins and the 32 year-old left-handed Duensing to part ways. I recently ran across a Q&A that Duensing did with FanGraphs discussing the opt out and how he used it during his free agency which was a first for him in his baseball career. It shows how baseball isn’t always a bowl of cherries for everyone.

Brian Duensing Ponders Opt Outs and Home

This Day in Twins History – March 22, 2010 – you have to be careful what you wish for

Joe MauerCatcher Joe Mauer officially signed his eight-year, $184 million contract extension (2011 – 2018) in a press conference at the Lee County Sports Complex. The contract is the 4th highest contract ever signed in MLB as of that date.

Since his eight-year extension started in 2011 which is five years ago Mauer has the following stats (and look for the box that has Mauer’s batting stats for 2011-2015). Sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for but I also remember how upset I would have been had the Minnesota Twins not signed Joe Mauer to an extension.

The reality is that long-term deals seldom work out as planned and most of the time favor the player. But in spite of what appears to be a distinctive advantage in these long-term deals for the players, their agents still found a way to swing the advantage in their favor even more by inventing opt-outs in the contracts. What’s next? Doubling a players salary if he is injured and out for the season? Sometimes I wonder if baseball GM’s and their players aren’t in cahoots. Baseball owners are wealthy but you have to wonder how they got that way because they don’t seem to be the brightest bulb on the tree. Then I wonder what that says about me, the baseball fan lifer who keeps buying tickets and follows the game day in and day out.

As the Twins rise in the standings so do the ticket prices

2010 - present Twins primary logoThe Minnesota Twins finally had a winning season (83-79) in 2015 after having lost 90 or more games for four consecutive years and watched as their attendance drop lower and lower each season. The team’s performance kept individual game ticket prices relatively flat during the losing stretch but after finishing just two games over the .500 mark Twins management has decided that it is time to raise the ticket prices, after all, the team hasn’t raised their ticket prices since 2012. I noticed this past off-season that the Twins didn’t brag about holding down ticket prices and they made no announcement that ticket prices would go up but you didn’t have to be a genius to assume that ticket prices would rise in 2016. So let’s dig in a bit and see what transpired this off-season.

Twins Raise Ticket Prices

Bottom line is that the Twins raised ticket prices $1-$3 for every seat in the Main Level of Target Field for every tier of games in 2016. The club pretty much left the Club level, Terrace Level, Outfield Mezzanine Level and Budweiser Roof Deck tickets at 2015 prices except for “The Field View” tickets in the Terrace level which were increased by a buck for each tier of games. These price changes increase the average 2016 Twins ticket price to $31.72 from an average of $31.25 in 2015.

The variable ticket pricing plan that was instituted in 2006 with 2 tiers jumped to 3 tiers in 2009 and 5 tiers in 2013 remains unchanged in 2016. Last year the tiers were called “extra value”, “value”, “select”, “premium” and “elite” but this year the Twins have not yet announced the names for the tiers nor how many games fall into each tier but with a little digging I think we have gotten down to the bottom of it. The number of games in each of the tiers did change slightly once again from 2015. The “extra value” games are the cheapest priced games and all eight of these games fall in April and September when school is in session and the weather is expected to be cooler. The next step up is the “value” plan and the number of games in this category decreases from twelve last season to eight in 2016. The “select” category is the middle of the line category and this is pretty much the Twins baseline for ticket prices. The number of games in this category increases this year to 49 games from 41 last year. The next step up is the “premium” games and the Twins decreased the number of games in this category from nine to eight. The top of the line category is the “Elite” games and this category of games remained unchanged at eight games. The Twins strategy this season puts 60% of the games in the middle “select” tier and then splits the remaining 40% of the  games evenly between the lower tiers and upper tiers.

Individual game tickets went on sale February 20 but those prices are only in effect for one day because as of February 22 demand-based pricing kicks in for the rest of the season and the Twins and their demand-based pricing partner, Digonex Technologies, Inc. will monitor and change ticket prices based on a number of conditions.

Average ticket prices for the various tiers

An “extra value” game is $16.85, a “value” game is $24.40, a “select” game is $31.70, a “premium” game is $38.95, and an “elite” game is $46.70.  If you attend an “elite” game you will pay on average about three times as much for your seat as you would if you attended an “extra value” game. Same seat, same game of baseball but the tier designation determines how much money stays in your wallet. By the way, if you are lucky enough to sit in the first row, you will have to pay a $5 or $10 premium depending on what section your seat is in.

2016 Twins single game ticket prices on February 20

(Main level)
Champion’s Club – Season Ticket only
Dugout Box – $51/$68/$84/$100/$117
Home Plate Box – $38/$51/$63/$75/$88
Diamond Box – $29/$39/$48/$57/$67
Field Box – $23/$30/$37/$44/$51
Left Field Bleachers – $10/$17/$24/$31/$38
The Pavilion – $12/$20/$27/$34/$43
Overlook – $12/$20/$27/$34/$43
Great Clips Great Seats – $29/$34/$42/$49/$56
 
(Club level)
Legend’s Club – Season Ticket only
The Deck – $19/$25/$31/$37/$43
 
(Terrace level)
Home Plate Terrace – $21/$28/$35/$42/$49
Field Terrace – $10/$18/$25/$32/$40
Home Plate View – $10/$18/$25/$32/$40
Skyline View – $6/$11/$16/$21/$26
Field View – $7/$11/$15/$19/$23
Family Section (Alcohol-free section includes a hotdog & a soda) – $10/$18/$25/$32/$40
 
(Outfield Mezzanine level)
U.S. Bank Home Run Porch Terrace – $10/$17/$24/$31/$38
U.S.  Bank Home Run Porch View – $7/$12/ $17/$22/$27
Grandstand –  $7/$12/$17/$22/$27
 
(Budweiser Roof Deck)
Fixed View Seat – $18/$27/$36/$45/$54
Standing Room ticket – $8/$12/$16/$20/$24

Season Ticket Prices

Although I did not spend a lot of time comparing 2016 season ticket prices to 2015 prices it appears that the season tickets jumped up in the same areas as did the single ticket prices. The Left Field Bleachers full season ticket for example went for $1,620 in 2015 and in 2016 it costs $1,701 which brought the ticket price up $1 a ticket from $20 to $21. If you yearned for the best of the best,  which is the Thomson Reuters Champions Club then you would need to fork over $24,705 this year, up $10 a ticket from $23,895 last year.

2016 Target Field Seating map

Twins to bring back the “red jersey” for another try

They say that “time heals all” but we will have to wait and see if that applies to Minnesota Twins baseball jerseys too. The Twins introduced their “new” red home alternate jersey that they play to wear on Friday nights during the 2016 MLB season.

2016 infographic redesign

Back in 1997 the Twins tried a red jersey for Sunday home games and that didn’t work out so good as the players deemed the uniforms as being unlucky. Over the years the Twins have worn red jerseys five times and they have won one of those games. In 2009 I did a piece about those 1997 red jersey’s that were called the DQ jersey by some due to their resemblance to a Dairy Queen ad that ran in the Metrodome and you can see that story here.

We will have to see how the new red jersey appeals to the players and the fans. Reading some of the comments about the red jersey on Facebook you can’t help but get the impression that a lot of fans feel that it is just another money grab by Jim Pohlad’s soldiers and that the Twins would be better off investing their money in additional pitching versus new uniforms. Personally I am not a big fan of the color red because when i see a lot of red in the seats I think of the Cardinals, Red Sox or the Angels. I just don’t think of red as a Twins color.

Twins games to be streamed in Minnesota

FOXSportsNetsI guess I missed this short story in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal back in November but it is kind of a big deal depending on how Fox Sports North rolls it out. As they say, the devil is in the details. Why is this not being promoted more? I wonder too how and if this will impact Minnesota Twins ticket sales.

 Fans will finally be able to stream Minnesota Twins games in Minnesota

Manfred Announces 3-Year Deal With FOX To Have MLB Games Streamed In-Market

“Earning” the big bucks?

American dollar bills raining down According to the MLB Salary Rankings the following players earned pocketed the biggest salaries in 2015. Some earned their money and others did not but it is fun to be an arm-chair quarterback and review the results. You can argue that nobody deserves the kind of money that baseball players receive today but you would be shoveling sand against the tide. Owners are willing to pay these players the big bucks because in some cases they want to win at any cost and in other cases because (in my opinion) they are just plain stupid.

Here in Minnesota we have Minnesota born Joe Mauer earning $23 million a year and he still has three years on his contract. Fans have been all over Mauer for his performance or lack there of for a number of years now but the complaining has gotten louder and more vocal since Mauer threw away his catching gear and bought himself a first baseman’s mitt. It hasn’t helped that the team lost 90+ games each season from 2011 through 2014 before turning things around in 2015.

  1. The highest paid player was Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw who pocketed a cool $32,571,428 in 2015. The Dodgers won their division with 92 wins but lost in the NLDS and they were done. Kershaw was the highest paid player in baseball in 2015 but an argument can be made that he was only the second best pitcher in the Dodgers starting rotation.  Kershaw has five more years remaining on his contract and each season will cost at least $34.5 million. Was Kershaw worth $32 million this year? I don’t think so, he had a good year but was not worth $32+ million.
  2. The second highest paid player in baseball this year was Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander at $28,000,000. Verlander will be 33 when he starts the 2016 season and he is guaranteed $28 million a year for four more seasons and then there is a $22 million vesting option for the following season (2020) if he finished in the top five in Cy Young voting in 2019. Did Verlander earn his keep in 2015? No way, he only started 20 games and won five of them, so the cost per win was $5.6 million. Ouch!
  3. The third spot on the big money list is a tie between pitchers Cliff Lee and Zack Greinke along with first baseman Ryan Howard at $25,000,000. Nobody won fewer games (63) than the hapless Phillies, the manager resigned, the GM was fired and Cliff Lee due to injuries contributed zero innings pitched to the Phillies cause. The Phillies have a team option on the 37 year-old Lee in 2016 for $27.5 million but more than likely will buy him out for $12.5 million. The soon to be 36 year-old Ryan Howard’s case for $25 million was darn just as bad. Howard hit .229 with a .227 OBP in 129 games. Howard has the Phillies on the hook for another $25 million in 2016 and a team option at $23 million in 2017 with a $10 million buyout. Howard should be arrested for “grand theft”. Lee was hurt but that is no excuse, he contributed zippo and hasn’t had double-digit wins since 2013. Dodger pitcher Zack Greinke had a very good season and if you argue that a good pitcher is worth $25 million a season then “the Donald” (Yes that is really his first name) is your guy based on his 19-3 record and 1.66 ERA.
  4. The next man up is King Felix, the ace of the Mariners staff. Felix Hernandez was 18-9 with a 3.53 ERA, it was his highest ERA since 2007 and he fell short of 200 strikeouts for the first time since 2008. However, he did all this for a team that won just 76 games. Hernandez who will only be 30 when the 2016 season begins earned his $24,857,000 salary in 2015 and will make between $25 million each season for the next four years. Oddly enough the team has a $1 million option on him in 2020 based on some injury stipulations.
  5. From  King Felix we go to Prince Albert Pujols the soon to be 36 year-old first baseman in the land of the Angels. Pujols who earned $24 million bounced back in 2015 with 40 round trippers and 95 RBI in 157 games but he hit only .244 and his OBP has been dropping like a rock since 2010. But Pujols has to love fantasy land because he will collect $25 million next season and then is guaranteed a million dollar raise each season through 2020. In 2021 when Pujols is 41 the Angels have a $30 million option and best of all, Pujols has a 10 year $10 million personal services deal with the team once he quits playing. We should change Pujols nickname from Prince Albert to Jesse James. Earth to Angels……..anybody there? This contract makes Joe Mauer’s deal look like child’s play. Next man up is another prince, Prince Fielder 1B and DH from the Texas Rangers. After missing most of 2014 due to injury the Prince bounced back this past season and was selected as the AL Come-Back player of the year. Keep in mind that Fielder has been in the big leagues for 10 full seasons and in nine of those seasons he played in 157 or more games and four times he played in 162 games. The man comes to play. The six-time All-Star hit .305 and had 23 home runs and 98 RBI also made $24 million this season and will continue to be paid at that rate for five more season’s. Only $18 million of the money is paid by the Rangers as the Tigers will chip in $6 million each year. Did Prince earn his money? You make the call, but I should tell you that 13 other major league players hit more than 23 home runs and knocked in more than 98 runs and did not make this kind of money. Let’s move on to the third of the $24 million dollar amigo’s, Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano. Cano has been in the big leagues for 11 season’s, nine of them with the Yankees. Cano is a very good player but at 33 years of age is on the decline. However, his salary is not as he is owed $192 million by the Mariners over the next 8 season’s and in his last season under this deal he will be 40 years old. Good luck with that deal!
  6. Next man up is Yankee 1B Mark Teixeira who earned $23,1215,000 this past season and is in the books to earn the same amount in his final year of his contract in 2016. Tex will be 36 early next season and last played a full season in 2011. Teixeira did hit .255 with 31 home runs this past year in that bandbox that they call Yankee Stadium. Can Tex look in the mirror and ask himself “Did I earned my pay?” I don’t think so, even in today’s world of inflated salaries you have to show up for work more than 69% of the time to make that kind of money.
  7. We move on to the fifth pitcher making this list, 35 year-old lefty CC Sabathia from the New York Yankees who made $23 million this past season. CC is guaranteed $25 million for 2016 and $25 million more in 2017 if he avoids a couple of injury stipulations. The man has made at least 28 starts a year in 14 of his 15 big league seasons, you have to give the big guy credit for that. Does he still pitch like a $23 million pitcher? No way!

This past post season only three of the teams mentioned above (Dodgers, Yankees and Rangers) made the playoffs and none of them advanced past the ALDS round. Just goes to show that money can’t buy you happiness. Let’s take a look at recent World Series winners and see how much money their highest paid player made.

2015 Royals – Alex Gordon at $12.5 million

2014 Giants – Matt Cain at $20 million (pitched total of 90 inning & did not appear in post season play)

2013 Red Sox – John Lackey at $15.25 million

2012 Giants – Barry Zito at $19 million (15-8 with a 4.15 ERA)

2011 Cardinal – Matt Holliday at $16.318 million

2010 Giants – Barry Zito at $18.5 million (9-14 with 4.15 ERA)

The fans keep pressuring team owners to sign their stars and acquire additional free agents to long-term deals. Just for discussion let’s assume a long-term deal is five years or longer. What percentage of long-term deals pays off for the team over the length of the contract? I don’t know of any study that has analyzed that but I believe that the percentage has to be low. Assuming that is the case, why sign players to these long terms?

I believe the main reason is that team owners feel they need to offer long-term deals to be competitive with the other teams competing for the same player. To me that seems just plain dumb. Offer the player a more lucrative deal for a shorter time frame and you will still get players to sign and you will save money and probably a roster spot. Another dumb move by team owners is the fact that they give players the option to bail out on a long-term deal after a certain number of years. Again, D-U-M-B! Why doesn’t the team get an option to terminate the deal after a few years if they wish to do so?

I am not trying to side with the owners here, I am looking to see how teams can avoid getting bogged down with a player or two on the roster making too high a percentage of the overall team payroll and thus making that team un-competitive because they can’t afford to pay the rest of their players.

On the other side of the coin star players draw fans and fans spend money, buy tickets, watch more games on TV and the teams revenue increases. But the excitement of signing a new player to a big deal is short-lived and then fans often turn on the player and the team for not performing based on the huge deal he signed. It appears to me that signing players to shorter deals lessens the owner risk and give the team the opportunity to sign another player and start the excitement all over again.

Joe Mauer 2015The Twins have a unique situation with the St. Paul born Joe Mauer. Mauer signed an eight year deal back in 2010 for $184 million with a full no trade clause. Now, Mauer who was a catcher at the time has moved to first base and his hitting no longer measures up. What do you do with a home born player making that much money, who will be 33 in April, hit 10 home runs and knocked in only 66 runs with a .265 batting average in 666 plate appearances primarily in the number three spot in your batting order? The Twins are not a team that can put a guy making $23 million on the bench and he has a full no trade deal. If you could trade him who would take him? The Twins would have to pay someone big bucks to take him but yet if you leave him in the line-up he is taking up a spot that is not producing as it should for a young team that is getting ready to make the playoffs. What kind of message does that send to the team and the fans? A heck of a dilemma, but have faith, all is not lost, baseball owners and GM’s have proven over the years that there is always somebody out there that is willing to take your deadwood off your hands because there is always a chance that he will have one more great season in him and that they can catch lightning in a bottle one more time.

Where do Twins rank in MLB ticket prices?

MoneyI have been keeping track of Minnesota Twins ticket prices for some time and you can see my work on the Twins Ticket Price History page. Based on how I calculate Twins ticket price averages I have the Twins with an average ticket price of $30.68. TMR (Team Marketing Report) publishes their MLB FCI (Fan Cost index) each year and this year according to their formula they have the Minnesota Twins with an average ticket price of $32.59. Why the difference in our average ticket prices? It could be many different things but as long as we each approach our data in a consistent format each year the numbers will remain valid. My goal is to track Twins ticket prices from year to year and I don’t do any comparisons to the other MLB teams. TMR on the other hand is interested in comparing where each team stands in their FCI of which average ticket price is an important piece.

The other day TMR put out this chart showing 2014 MLB average ticket prices.

MLB2014Tickets

Click on the chart twice to make it larger and easier to read.
Click on the chart twice to make it larger and easier to read.

MLB2014Tickets

In  2014 the Boston Red Sox have the highest average ticket price at $52.32 and the San Diego Padres have the lowest average ticket price at $16.37. The Red Sox have had the highest average priced MLB ticket since 2011 when they took over the crown from the Chicago Cubs. As I mentioned earlier, the average MLB ticket price is $27.93. The Twins average ticket price of $32.59 ranks them with the seventh highest average ticket price moving up one spot from last year. Eleven teams have rank above the MLB average ticket price and 19 teams rank below the average. Of the 10 teams that appeared in postseason play in 2013, seven of them had ticket prices that fell below the MLB average ticket price.

So back to the Minnesota Twins and where their ticket prices have ranked according to TMR since 2006.

2013 at Target Field – Team record was 66-96. MLB average ticket price was $27.73. Twins average ticket price was $32.59 ranking them with 8th highest average ticket price.

2012 at Target Field – Team record was 66-96. MLB average ticket price was $26.98. Twins average ticket price was $33.04 ranking them with 5th highest average ticket price.

2011 at Target Field – Team record was 63-99. MLB average ticket price was $26.91. Twins average ticket price was $33.04 ranking them with 6th highest average ticket price.

2010 at Target Field – Team record was 94-68 and in postseason. MLB average ticket price was $26.74. Twins average ticket price was $31.47 ranking them with 7th highest average ticket price.

2009 in Metrodome – Team record was 87-76 and in postseason. MLB average ticket price was $26.64. Twins average ticket price was $21.70 ranking them with 17th highest average ticket price.

2008 in Metrodome – Team record was 88-75. MLB average ticket price was $25.43. Twins average ticket price was $20.68 ranking them with 19th highest average ticket price.

2007 in Metrodome – Team record was 79-83. MLB average ticket price was $22.77. Twins average ticket price was $19.27 ranking them with 20th highest average ticket price.

2006 in Metrodome – Team record was 96-66 and in postseason. MLB average ticket price was $22.21. Twins average ticket price was $17.26 ranking them with 21st highest average ticket price.

So what does all this prove? I am not sure but the Twins organization is fond of saying that the Minnesota Twins should not be compared to organizations like the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Cardinals etc. because the revenue numbers are very different. While that is true, how can the Twins justify such high average ticket prices when their payroll is nowhere near the top and their record on the field is one of the worst each of the last three years but yet they have asked their fans to pay ticket prices that are 7th, 8th, 5th, and 7th highest in all of major league baseball. In the National League the Cubs have put a bad product on the field and been gouging their fans for years and it looks like the Twins have become the Chicago Cubs of the American League both in play and in average ticket prices. Owner Jim Pohlad and everyone in the Twins organization should be pretty embarrassed by these numbers.

TMR’s 2014 Fan Cost Index

Each year Team Marketing Report publishes their MLB Fan Cost index and here is what they have published for 2014.

The average Major League Baseball season ticket has increased by 2.0 percent to $27.93 for the 2014 season, according to the Team Marketing Report Fan Cost Index®.

This minor increase is part of a trend; last season, the average MLB ticket increased by 1.8 percent. The year before that, there was no percentage increase. In 2010-11, tickets rose by a combined 2.7 percent.

The Fan Cost Index (FCI) total, the average price to take a family of four to a game, increased by 2.3 percent to $212.46. The FCI is created by combining four non-premium season tickets, two beers, four soft drinks, four hot dogs, parking, two programs or scorecards, and two adult-size hats.

TMR uses season ticket pricing and the lowest full-size prices for the ancillary items, so if a team has an $8 beer and a $6 beer, TMR uses the latter to show how much, or how little, one can spend at a game.

The average “premium” season ticket is $93.41. TMR splits up premium and general seats in its methodology. The Yankees lead baseball with an average premium price of $305.39, while the Dodgers are second at $254.19.

The “premium” designation is supposed to be used for club seats or any section that has special features. According to TMR research, the MLB average for premium seats is 13.7 percent . The Yankees classify 16.2 percent of season ticket seats as premium, while the Dodgers classify 8.6 percent.

Some teams with newer stadiums have a heavy dose of premium seating. The New York Mets, for example, classify an “amazin’” 59.3 percent of seats as premium. Their premium average ticket is $83.78, compared to a general ticket of $25.30. The Washington Nationals are second-highest in premium percentage at 26 percent. Their premium average is $187.29, while their general ticket is $35.24.

This season, 17 teams showed increases of more than 1 percent in general average tickets, while only two teams lowered their average ticket by more than 1 percent. Eleven teams kept ticket prices essentially flat.

The two teams that dropped prices had the worst records in baseball. After a 111-loss season in its first season in the American League, Houston’s average ticket price fell 13.6 percent to $27.98. Miami, which lost 100 games, dropped ticket prices by 7.7 percent to $27.01.

Interestingly, many of these increases came from the lower-priced teams. Of the 10 lowest-priced tickets in baseball, nine had percentage increases this season, with only Toronto going down. Just four of the 10 highest-priced tickets increased.

Fresh off an unlikely World Series, the Boston Red Sox remain the most expensive average ticket at $52.32, still above the New York Yankees’ $51.55, whose season tickets remained flat. The Red Sox’s price deserves a minor explanation. We have the Red Sox listed with a 4.9 percent increase. But in the 2013 FCI, we show Boston has an average ticket price of $53.38. As it turns out, the Red Sox had been submitting single-game prices for a few years. We corrected it this season and did a retroactive change to last year’s price. So technically, the Yankees had the highest average ticket price last season.

The Chicago Cubs remain baseball’s third most-expensive ticket at $44.16, which is down 0.9 percent from last season.Their FCI of $303.64 is third, and includes a $25 parking fee for nearby lots. The Cubs are offering a free lot, with shuttle service, about 2 1/4 miles west of Wrigley this year. Speaking of the Cubs, after signing a big-money deal with Anheuser-Busch InBev they jettisoned longtime beer partner Old Style from the vendors to stands, while adding Goose Island beers to the vending options. The cheapest beer at Wrigley is $7.50 for a 16-ounce pour at several stands around the park.

The average MLB beer stayed flat, price-wise, at $6.09. The Marlins boast the most expensive, cheapest beer option at $8 for a 16-ounce beer.

The cheapest average ticket this year comes again from the San Diego Padres $16.37, which is a 2.4 percent increase from 2013. The Arizona Diamondbacks, with an average ticket of $17.98 (up 6.4 percent), has the cheapest FCI again at $126.89.

Of course, market size, and fan demographics, often determine prices. Certainly, many fans don’t get what they pay for in regard to winning teams.

Of the teams with the top 10 FCIs in 2014, only three – Boston, St, Louis and Detroit -made the playoffs last season.

Compare that to the bottom 10, where five teams – Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Cleveland – made the postseason.

Kansas City, fresh off its first winning season since 2003, bumped up prices by 24.7 percent, the biggest jump in baseball. The Royals’ average ticket price of $24.73 is still well below the league average. The Dodgers had the second-high percentage increase at 15.3 percent, with an average ticket of $25.80.

EDITOR’S NOTE: TMR reserves the right to make retroactive changes to the FCI and could update the official chart after the initial release. All information comes from teams, concessionaires, MLB and affiliated websites.

2014 MLB Fan Cost Index

Twins to add Phil Hughes to pitching staff

Phil HughesIt appears that Twins fans have another present under the 2013 Christmas tree. Star Tribune writer LaVelle E. Neal III reported this past Saturday that the Twins have agreed on a three-year deal worth about $24 million with former New York Yankee RHP Phil Hughes. The deal apparently includes bonuses of up to $1MM per year for innings pitched. The Twins have not commented on the proposed deal as is normal for them until the player undergoes a physical.

The New York Yankees made Phil Hughes their first round selection (23rd over all) in 2004 out of high school and Hughes made his big league debut in April 2007. The 6’5″ Hughes goes about 240 and is only 27 but already has seven years of major league experience under his belt. During his Yankee career Hughes posted a 56-50 record with a 4.54 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP, not exactly stellar numbers but Yankee stadium isn’t exactly a pitcher’s park and a flyball pitcher like Hughes could and should have better success at Target Field.

The bigger concern with Hughes is his health as he has spent time on the DL four times. In 2007 he visited the 60 day DL with a hamstring issue, in 2008 he went on the DL with a stress rib fracture, in 2011 he spent time on the 60 day list again with right shoulder inflammation and he started the 2013 season on the DL with a back issue but he only missed four games.

Hughes throws a fastball that touches 92 or so to go along with a curveball, a change-up and a slider that he has started to throw while giving up on his cutter. Hughes is not exactly an innings eater having peaked at 191.1 innings and has only surpassed 145 innings in a season three times although all three of those took place during his last four seasons. As a Yankee, Hughes had a 7.6 SO/9 ratio but the bad news is that he has averaged less than 5 innings per start. The last thing the Twins need is more non quality starts.

Considering all the plusses and minuses I think that Phil Hughes will help the Twins and hopefully help to solidify the rotation. Who knows what getting out of the Bronx zoo and that ballpark will do for Hughes.

So now that the Twins have agreed to sign two additional starting pitchers it appears that it will add about $20 million to their 2014 payroll but in reality that is not the case. Keep in mind that the Twins reduced their payroll from last season by $23.5 million by not having to pay Justin Morneau $14 million, Nick Blackburn $5.5 million and Mike Pelfrey $4 million that they paid them last season. So at this point the Twins are still below their 2013 payroll. If they sign someone like catcher A.J. Pierzynski it is likely that Ryan Doumit may be traded and there is no assurance that Josh Willingham will be with Minnesota once they get to the trading deadline next year. I applaud the Twins for spending money on some starting pitching but don’t think that the Twins are spending money by the wheelbarrow here because they are not. Unless the Twins do something totally dramatic and unexpected, their 2014 payroll won’t be much different then it was in 2013. The Twins are not being big spenders, they are just reassigning their resources in a way that will help the team in the short run. In spite of that, the Twins are improving their team and making it a bit more watchable. It simply shows how over paid Justin Morneau was for the numbers he put up and how much the move of Joe Mauer to first base will help this team.

UPDATE December 5 – The Minnesota Twins announced that they have signed free agent right-handed pitcher Phil Hughes to a three-year, $24 million contract. It has been reported that just like Ricky Nolasco, Hughes also has a very limited (three teams he can say no to) no trade contract. The Minnesota Twins also announced that they have designated right-handed pitcher Liam Hendriks for release or assignment to free up space on the 40 man roster for Hughes. Hendriks was signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2007.

Common sense has deserted the Twins

Here is a Press Release the Minnesota Twins sent out yesterday –

Early Entry Program Coming to Target Field

Early entry tickets permit entry into the ballpark 45 minutes before gates open allowing fans to watch Twins batting practice

MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Twins today announced they will offer fans the opportunity to purchase early entry tickets that will allow them into Target Field 45 minutes before gates open to the general public.

Only available before evening games, early entry will begin at 4:45 p.m. (Mondays – Thursdays), at 4:15 p.m. (Fridays) and 3:15 p.m. (Saturdays). Those times are designed to allow early entry fans to watch a majority of Twins batting practice.

Early entry tickets will be sold on a walk-up basis at the main Target Field Box Office beginning 30 minutes before the early entry time for that game. Tickets will cost $15 dollars, and sales will be limited to the first 60 fans. Fans will also be required to have a normal entry ticket to the game, and will not be allowed to exit and reenter the ballpark after batting practice.

In the case of batting practice being canceled, fans will be offered a tour of the Metropolitan Club, Legends Club and Champions Club as a substitute.

……………………………………….

Can you believe this? Back on January 16th I did a blog posting on Florida spring training and I wrote about what I thought was a stupid idea by the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers implemented a plan this spring to charge their fans $5 for the privilege of entering Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland early so that you could watch the Tigers take batting practice. Now our Minnesota Twins have proudly announced they have out done the Tigers with a similar plan but they are going to charge $15 for the right to watch Twins batting practice which is held before the gates open to the general public. Holy crap! What mental genius came up with this idea? I have read some comments from Twins fans and every comment thinks it is a greedy and stupid idea. Some of the fans are blaming the Pohlad family for their greed but there is no way in the world that the business savvy Pohlad family is responsible for an idea as silly as this. This Twins boner falls right in the lap of Twins President Dave St. Peter and the Twins wonderful marketing department. How the Twins could come up with a ludicrous plan like this when they have lost 90+ games two years in a row with attendance dropping like a rock and yet some marketing genius thinks they can bring some extra money in with this plan? Don’t tell me the Twins are doing this as a favor to the fans because if that had any validity what so ever, they would just open the gates sooner and not charge extra for the privilege. This plan is supposedly in effect only during evening games but even if they did it for every one of their 81 home games they would bring in a whopping $72,900 in revenue. Mr. St. Peter, what the heck are you thinking to approve something like this? The Minnesota Twins have done a number of stupid things over the years both on and off the field but to me this qualifies as the dumbest and most stupid move that the Twins have made since they moved here in 1961. If the Twins need the $72K that badly, maybe we should take up a collection and help them to raise the funds. The idea might be slightly palatable if they said that the money that they collected would go to a charity or something but to charge $15 to watch the Twins take batting practice and pocket the money is just plain wrong and is a sin against baseball in general.

I thought the Twins were interested in attracting fans but with moves like this they just shoot themselves in the foot. First off, it has always been stupid not to let fans watch the home team take batting practice but now to say that they are going to charge fans $15 to do this is just plain wrong. Has common sense lost its way at Target Field? Shame on the Minnesota Twins and Dave St. Peter for this ill-advised, nonsensical and shortsighted idea. I love baseball and the Minnesota Twins but ideas like this are what chase people away from the game and keep them from enjoying America’s pastime.

Twins president Dave St. Peter
Twins president Dave St. Peter

The Twins should immediately come out with an apology and rescind this moronic blunder stating that the recent cold snap and unusually cold spring has temporarily dulled their thinking and that common sense has prevailed over at Target field after thinking the plan through. I would urge all of you to drop Dave St. Peter a quick e-mail at davestpeter@twinsbaseball.com and let him know what you think of this Twins announcement. If you want to call the Twins instead, you can reach the team at 612-659-3400. It wouldn’t hurt to also drop a note to Bud Selig and let him know what you think of MLB teams making moves like this. The baseball commissioner can be reached at bud.selig@mlb.com . UNBELIEVABLE!

UPDATE: Later this afternoon the Twins announced that this program is no longer happening because according to Chris Iles, senior manager of corporate communications for the Twins the idea “was not fully vetted across the Twins organization.” The Star Tribune stated that Twins President Dave St. Peter said: “We’re looking at ways to add more access to batting practice, but I’m not sure charging incrementally is the way to go about that. … It was released before it ever should have been. It’s hard to believe, but it was not pulled down because of fan reaction.”

A number of radio shows I listened to today and social media sites I checked out were for the most part very negative about this idea. Whatever the reason for the quick back track, I am just glad to see the Twins back away from this idea.