According to Dan Connolly, the Orioles are raising their prices on single games for the first time since the 2006 season.
All tickets -- except for the cheapest, left-field, upper reserve seats which will remain at $8 and $9 -- will increase in cost for 2011, ranging from $1 to $7 extra depending on the game desired and when the tickets are purchased.
Greg Bader, the club’s director of communications, said non-prime, advance tickets will increase on average $3, which would make the average price for those tickets roughly $23.50. According to Bader, the major-league average for a 2010 ticket was $27.
On one hand, Orioles tickets are still cheaper to come by than tickets for many teams, and the fact that they haven't raised prices in five years is pretty admirable. But it always seems a slap in the face to the fans to ask them to pay more to see a team that hasn't posted a winning season since my senior year of high school. Add to this the fact that it's looking like the O's payroll will be about the same this year as it was last year and it makes a person wonder what, exactly, his extra dollars are going to fund.
Just yesterday it was discussed in the comments of Bird Droppings possible ways to increase attendance as Camden Yards has, as we all know too well, become a ghost town on most nights. Those suggestions included auctions, grab bags, Groupon, etc. None of them included charging more for tickets, that's for sure.
Oh, and the up-charge for walk-up tickets will continue.