These are pictures of the an empty section of Legends Suit seats. If I'm Lonn Trost, Randy Levine, or one of the Stienbrenner's, this embarrasses the hell out of me. The building was pretty pack today, well, except the best seats in the house. All day YES was showing shots of the empty seats all over the Legends Suits. How much more evidence do that Yankees need to realize these tickets are just way too expense? If the Yankees were smart they'd cut the prices and save themselves 79 more games worth of embarrassment.
UPDATED 10:57 a.m: This picture comes from Baseball-Fever member peterrod16.
UPDATED 12:33 a.m.:
( AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
35 Comments:
Yeah, I don't like it. Lower the prices or they won't sell, simple as that. Especially in this economy.
Also, did anyone notice the crowd being louder or quieter at all today?
-Nyyfn
I was at a bar watching the game and it was too low to hear. I watched some of the highlights on MLB.com and it sounded pretty quite.
ya i realized it too right away i was thinking, this is just ridiculous. So did anyone try moving from the bleacher during the game, or to better sections during BP? Im going on sunday and i would like to know how easy it is. Thanx
A.W.
Not surprising Hal mentioned they have trouble selling some of those seats. Even if the cut prices to those seats they are still going to be very expensive. Its not like its going to be cheap seat.
LOL @ some reporters they are more interested in seats than the actual game.
I agree this is a joke with those ticket prices and they should lower the prices and refund the people who bought tickets. And a response to the previous post on crowd noise, I have not been to a game personally, but it sounds... like the bass is on high. I feel like the noise should be louder, but it isn't coming through. I don't know how to explain it really, but the noise is definitely not coming through as much on tv.
they did have some technicle difficulties on YES today with the sound when the pitcher would throw to the catcher you could not hear the sound when the ball hits the mitt and also when the ball hits the bat. But that is expected with just opening a new stadium
Also with the crowd noise it did get loud on Texiera homer Jeter homer and Mariano coming in. Its still way to early to tell how the crowd noise will be. Wait till a big game at night to really judge.
The fans have only themselves to blame. They should be filling this place up, and not embarrassing the organization by not showing up. They have no respect for this team or the people that built this stadium. It's disgusting to see the place this empty because some chepskates don't want to pony over a few extra dollars.
I was there today, took a ton of pictures of the same and put them up at my site--RAB is going to put them up too I think. The front row behind HP was completely all game. The Main Suites were less than half full, the Field level just beyond the Legends area was almost vacant. It was pathetic.
I know blahblah day game, but you are supposed to be able to get those seats and take a long lunch to impress clients/etc. People obviously don't think it's worth it.
The Grandstand was pretty packed though ;)
The Yankees should have charged realistic prices for the seats. As the year progresses and the economy remains flat, the only sections filled will be the bleachers and the nose bleed seats.
The Stadium is already an anachronism. The day where somebody is going to spend four figures on a baseball ticket is over.
Awwww Leonora, I wish you would have sent me those photos.
I'll be interested to see if the Yankees allow those seats to be empty for a saturday afternoon game on FOX.
Leonora, can I add three or four of your picks plus a link to your site to this post?
But a closer look at the makeup of the stands was intriguing. All of the lower-priced sections seemed to be packed, but there were dozens of empty seats in the premium levels. Seemingly all of the seats in sections 11 and 29 — eight rows apiece, at the left- and right-field ends of the Legends Suite area — were unoccupied.
Levine said many of the premium seats were sold, but ticket-holders did not attend the game or might have spent much of their time in a private club area. He said the Yankees have sold 80 to 85 percent of their 4,000 premium seats on a full-season basis.
I do not think that these empty seats are "unsold". Could be corporations own them and didn't have anyone sit in them. Even if I am wrong, remember, today was the second consecutive weekday day game. How many people could take 2 consecutive days off? Let's see how the weekend games and the Oakland Series pan out before we have a rush to judgement. BTW, there is NO Ginger Ale at the Stadium. NONE. I sat in Legends Sec 19 on opening day and was shocked when I learned that there is no ginger ale!
that part was from Tyler Kepner article
COOP_BX - you're right, I think. I don't think it's necessarily a matter of that many unsold legends seats (although I'm sure there are quite a few) but the fact that many ticket holders couldn't attend, were inside the private lounges, etc. Even though it's the 2nd home game of the season, the Cleveland Indians on a weekday isn't exactly your biggest draw.
I still can't blame the Yankees for the pricing. They decided on the prices in a much better economic climate that what exists now. Unfortuantely, they'd have to refund money to current ticket holders if they reduced prices. The money lost in refunds wouldn't be made up in the few extra seats they'd sell.
However, if anyone from the Yankees is reading this, and you'd like me and several of my friends to be seat fillers, I'd be happy to help out. We'd happily sign confidentiality agreements saying that we payed full price for the tickets.
Stop drinking the Randy Levine Cool-Aid! They could not even sell out opening day! Opening day attendance was less than 51,000!What a disgrace!
As for today, that arrogant SOB Levine told the NY Times in an article that they (Yankees) are very happy with the 2nd game sales because they were up from the last 2 years (instead of a couple of sections in the upper deck not being sold we have the best seats in the house empty). That's Yankee progress! This guy will spin anything to make it appear that all is well with this flawed design of a stadium and the outragious prices they charge. It would be better to admit that they made a mistake and get some of the fans they priced out who either moved to the upper decks or didn't get seats to come back to the field seats at reasonable prices. But we know the arrogant Levine will keep spreading the BS that all is well.
The country distaste for corporate greed extends to the Yankees as well as Wall Street. Stop being sheep and believing Levine has your interests at heart. He could give 2 shits for the average fan. He's a cold, arrogant bastard who thinks its great that fans paid $5 for half a field and sold out the obstructed view sections of the bleachers. This after he made a corporate decision to have obstructed view bleacher seats so they could get the money generated from the Mohegan Sun "pimp my stadium" resaurant. He has you thinking like he's Santa and giving you coal, no make that shit, was the best thing that ever happened to you. And you should feel like royalty for being allowed to get some shit. Wake up! You can't buy a seat in the grandstand because that bastard priced out the fans in the old field and main levels who moved upstairs. The SOB should be fired!
We'll see if FOX has a pair and talks about the empty seats and the obstructed views or if they're like the rest of the media and kiss the Yankees ass.
Poor George, if he only knew what was really going on, heads would roll.
Very telling pictures.
I just linked to this post on Subway Squawkers:
http://subwaysquawkers.blogspot.com/2009/04/yankee-game-was-good-atmosphere-not-so.html
It's going to be interesting to see what happens next.
Thanks Lisa.
Yes it is. I wonder how long they're going to let this go on before they do something.
Sorry- buy why does everyone care so much???The economy sucks and the Yankees mispriced these tickets. Go and enjoy the stadium and cheer for the yankees. I don't understand why everyone is so infatuated with the empty seat thing?Support your team and stop worrying about the empty 1000.00 seats.Let the yankee management worry about the empty seats.
Because it looks stupid and it's embarrassing.
It may look "stupiad and embarassing", but it is what it is. Even if the prices were reduced for these seats, the song would remain the same. ARe you going to spend $ 400.00 to sit behind home plate on a Friday afternoon in April against the Indians? Let's see how this pans out over the next month when the Red Sox are here and there is good weather.
In the new stadiums you have a lot of private clubs there are tons of people in those clubs.
Its the same thing with Devils game alot of those seats are sold but people are watching the game from the fire lounge and other clubs.
Opening day there wasn't a single seat but Friday there were empty seats the ballpark was much louder on Friday than opening day.
Heres a thought...
Maybe the guy sitting is section 11 bought all of the seats because he didn't want to sit next to anyone else.
(hmmm... I'd be good at Levine's job)
the idea of corporate cushioned seats at Yankee Stadium sickens me
Someone asked why do we care so much about the empty seats. We should all care, because it hurts both our team, and our enjoyment of the games:
The crowd is much quieter in the new ballpark, good seats are now empty, and those who can actually afford those seats seem to be more interested in eating lobster and lamb chops and watching the game on TV inside a luxury suite than in cheering for their team. Tell me, how is that a good development?
Oh, and thanks to all these seats being unaffordable, and the fewer number of seats in this ballpark, the affordable seats are nearly impossible to get, unless you know somebody or pay extra on StubHub. That's because people bought them instead of the luxury seats. And the cheaper seats are now further back in the new ballpark, which means that the fans who might actually cheer for their team can't be heard as easily.
I'm not trying to be Joe Hill here. In the old stadium, I never really cared much about amenities the rich people had in the private suites, as their enjoyment didn't affect my time at the game. Now it does, both literally and figuratively.
Ever wonder why we see so much netting on camera on the YES broadcasts? It's because they moved the luxury seats 20 feet closer to home plate. So all of us fans get a worse view of the game, all so the Yankees can sell $2650 seats.
So sorry, I'm not just going to ignore the empty seats and let Yankee management worry about it.
Well said Subway Squawkers.
Thanks, Greg. I'd like to see our team have a home field advantage, not a home field disadvantage!
Lisa
it more than bothers me too. I think the real test are the crowds for red sox games. If the manicured nails' club leaves the trading room for those games I think we will be ok. Dont forget these people were at the old stadium too and it was packed for those games as well.
The loudness thing may be the design of the place as some people have suggested. However, there are similarly designed stadiums with the recessed decks and such that are loud in big games as well. Its a waiting game for the boston and mets series and hopefully if this team can make the playoffs, for october too.
This is still New York people, the same fans, the same team, theres no reason why it will not be crazy in those big games as well. Unless these seats are for the extra super manicured nails crowd int he new stadium and there are simply a new batch of peopel coming now. Hard to believe if you ask me - but who knows...
...no more softy fans. Still supporting all those fans who want nothing else but #27.
BTG
My friends are referring to these luxury seats as "The Void of Embarrassment." Well done by the Yankee brass. Just a hunch, but I think by the end of May, you'll see the prices cut almost in half and the Yanks throw themselves at the mercy of the court of public opinion.
- Brian
Ticket prices won't be cut this season. If they cut prices in the middle of the season, they'll have to give everyone the same price -- even those who already bought tickets.
So we won't see prices drop this season. But we certainly will next year.
And I agree that it's a disgrace and an embarassment.
But... There is one thing we need to consider. The people on the Field Level around home have access to private lounges, clubs, etc. and they also are the only ones who can get into the sports bar in centerfield. So...I'm sure some seats are empty because people are in those areas.
They already started to move corporations down to be closer to the field. My daughter's company was moved to the 4th row near the Yankee on deck circle. No increase in price. I wonder if there will be a domino effect and real fans will get down to the first level.
Can you imagine spending $2,500+ to watch the yanks get beat 22-4? How would you feel/
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