Spring Training Tickets … Hmmm

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I have been a Clearwater Threshers’ season ticket holder since moving to Clearwater in November 2011. As a season ticket holder one of my perks is the option of purchasing individual game tickets to Phillies’ spring training games a few days before they go on sale to the general public in January.

When I asked if they had season ticket packages for spring training, I was told they did not because they had to make sure that the fans who came down from Philadelphia were able to buy tickets.

I guess it’s no surprise that the regular season play of the Phillies the past couple years has had an effect on spring training ticket sales. Spring training attendance has dropped each of the last two seasons.

So, this week I received an e-mail from Phillies.com. I incorrectly assumed that it was to trumpet a merchandise sale for the holidays at their online store, and didn’t read it until today. Lo and behold, I as a Threshers’ season ticket holder am being offered the opportunity to purchase spring training tickets 3 days BEFORE the 3-game packages go on sale next week. And with very few restrictions. I can buy 4 tickets to each of their four most popular games – Tampa, Boston, Tampa again, and the Yankees. Plus I can buy up to 12 tickets to each of the remaining 12 games. Lucky me!

What better barometer is there of the state of Phillies’ ticket sales when they don’t expect to generate enough spring training sales to Phillies’ fans traveling to Florida in March than this change in policy.

 

14 thoughts on “Spring Training Tickets … Hmmm”

  1. All Phillies season ticket holders got that offer I believe. I expect to be there again this year, although who knows who I’ll be watching. I enjoy walking over to the minors more anyway.

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    1. Maybe you will see both Cubans Tomas and Moncada….just a hopeful ‘John Middleton’ thought.
      Though with Moncada, the Phillies would not be able to sign another international player for over $300K Ibelieve for a year or so. But does that really matter with them…they normally only sign on an average, one per year at that price or more, since 2011 and the Tocci signing.

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      1. It would be two years of that restriction plus a 100% tax on their overage, I believe. So basically no big prospects for 2 years and ~80M for Moncada. I don’t think the Phils do it. And a reason I don’t think they will is because they have a lot of goodwill down south (what with their facilities and their close ties with families of signees), and if they made any agreements to sign kids next year for over $300k, signing Moncada would mean reneging on that. Now if they don’t have their sights set on any one for a big bonus over the next couple of years, then maybe. But that seems pretty unlikely.

        I’m still hopeful on Tomas, though. You have to like the gamble from the Phillies point of view; in addition to being young enough and with enough upside to potentially be a part of the next core (hopefully with Franco, Nola, and JP), he’s a signing that single-handedly would bring a lot of interest back to the team and would be a way to buy back some trust from the fans.

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      2. It’s also worth noting the Phils signed 3 players this year (that I can remember) above the 300K threshold; Gamboa (900k), Brito (650K), and Arauz (600k). So those three plus Encarnacion would have been forfeited in order to sign Moncada if he had been available back then.

        I’m not sure if I’d rather have him over those four just because with prospects it’s often better to have more of them due to the flame-out rate. Ideally what I would want to do is sign Moncada at the start of the NEXT signing period and then just go gangbusters; sign literally everyone they can for whatever it will cost and eat that extra money that’s taxed. Because once Moncada puts them over that limit anyway, the money is the only added penalty for going even further past the limit. That way they can get those 2 years worth of signings in that one year anyways.

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        1. How does the other big market teams stack up in signing Moncada?
          Teams like Cubs, Yankees, Rangers, Sox and Dodgers?

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          1. Of those listed, the Yankees and Red Sox have the best road to Moncada. And the reason for that is they just broke their cap this year (as did the Rays and Angels), so the four teams who are already facing that penalty have no other obstacle other than the money as I mentioned before.

            On the other hand, the Cubs and the Rangers are essentially out unless they can convince him to wait until July 2nd (which means a lot of uncertainty and missing playing/development time) because they are currently serving their punishment for breaking their caps in the 2012-2013 signing periods (so they can’t go above $300k until July 2nd).

            So all the other teams are in no-man’s-land in this. They have to decide if Moncada is worth not only that extra money and ability to sign players for the next two years, but also the trust they’ve built with potential prospects in LA.

            If I had to guess, the Yankees come away with this one. Not only do they have infinitely deep pockets, they can sign him now with no real negative effects and he represents a huge upgrade to their farm system. Plus, it gives them a positive after seeing the face of their franchise retire. The timing and the rules in place play perfectly into their hands on this one.

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        2. Moncada…based on all the scouting grades and reports, and next season will be 20-age season, will probably will see the MLB next season some time, and for sure in 2016, unless he is a total disaster.
          So its not a 5/6 year wait as with many LA FAs

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  2. You have to love romus, He is the most upbeat guy on here, Always feels they will do something to get better. I say they don’t sign either, too expensive for them. Unless they can move pap, hamels and rollins to free up money

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  4. I cant see the downside if rays take Howard for a dh. They will pay maybe 5 million for two years and give up low level prospect. IF he hits 20 homeruns and drives in 80 like he has been, they most likely will take that.

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    1. Low level prospect could be Rule 5 eligible Tim Beckham, once first overall pick but has not come around and mid-20s now..

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    2. That is not the point of trading Ryan Howard to Tampa-the point is that it will open playing time for Darin Ruf, Cesar Hernandez, Mikeal Franco and deserving young players to start the rebuilding process.

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      1. There are a few points for trading Howard…the major one of which is that contract, it is an albatross to a budget they have set.
        Phillies do not see Franco as a long-term first baseman, if but for less then a year at the start of his career. He will eventually be at third.
        Assuming you think Utley will go to first, and Cesar H to second, that could be another stop-gap move.
        Ruf can more then adequately field first….but his swing and misses are troubling.

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