Fangraphs: Orioles’ Winning Season Paying Off At Box Office

[Jordan Tuwiner]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.ph ... ox-office/

How does the increase in attendance translate into additional revenue?

Last season, the Orioles drew only 1,755,461 fans. In its annual Business of Baseball article, Forbes estimated that the Orioles had taken in $42,000,000 in revenue from ticket sales in 2011. That works out to an average ticket price just under $25. If the O’s bring in 30,000 fans to each game this weekend, as I expect they will, the total attendance for 2012 will be more than 2,070,000. Even using last season’s average ticket price of $25, the additional tickets sold in 2012 would lead to nearly $8 million in additional ticket revenue over last year’s figure. That’s close to a 20 percent increase in ticket revenue in just one season.

Next year I expect lots of ticket sales as well. I don't expect the O's to win all these extra inning games, but I do think they will continue to be very good next season and will continue to bring fans to the park.

[Old Sneakers]

Well let's hope that the added attendance and revenue make Baltimore a more attractive place to free agents. But the team still has a ton of work ahead of it to improve the coming off-season. I have to wonder if the increased profits will translate into increased investment into the team's roster.

With the season not even over I think it's premature to put together. However, I plan on writing up a post on what needs to happen to consider once the team's post season fate is decided.

[ofahn]

Well let's hope that the added attendance and revenue make Baltimore a more attractive place to free agents.

It should be a reminder to Peter Angelos that a young, motivated, competently managed team will put fannies in the seats. Of course, the only way to perpetuate such a team is to invest heavily in amateur players and their development system. I would see an investment into a long term contract for Rick Peterson and the addition of a team in the Venezuela Summer League, another team in the Dominican Summer League, as well as another team in a rookie league as a sign that PA finally gets it.

[Matt P]

There's now no excuse to not either be players in the free agency market, be big players in the trade market going after elite talent that other teams are looking to move, or locking up any and everyone on the current team they feel has a good future.

[Old Sneakers]

...the addition of a team in the Venezuela Summer League, another team in the Dominican Summer League...

I really think something along these lines would do the team a great deal of good! DD did the team a fine job last off-season looking at international talent. For some reason the team hasn't fared as well as others have particularly in the Dominican Republic. Kudos to you reminding me of something I myself had forgotten.

I honestly do not think it ends here however. The team needs to make itself to attractive to talent anywhere it can locate it.

[ofahn]

Has anyone else seen this quote from Duquette reported by Jon Heyman?

Orioles general manager Dan Duquette says there's no need to increase the team's payroll for next season given Baltimore's current success, says Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). The Orioles' payroll for the 2012 season saw the team spend $82MM -- down $6MM from one season ago.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012/10/a ... eshek.html

I don't believe we should be going after any of the big money (aka STUPID contracts) this winter, but we already have about 55M committed to next year. If we pick up Reynolds option (or renegotiate something close to it) we'll have about 65M committed. That would leave about 17M to cover arbitration raises and controlled players. I would have thought that with the increased attendance and playoff revenue that the ceiling would have gone to about 100M.

Suppose DD can make a deal with the White Sox to trade Peavy and 2M to us for our competitive balance pick instead of declining his option? That would be the difference between the 82M we spent this season and the 100M I'm suggesting.

[Matt P]

He also said they weren't close to calling up Machado or Bundy. I wouldn't put much stock into anything he says.

[ofahn]

He also said they weren't close to calling up Machado or Bundy. I wouldn't put much stock into anything he says.

...and then he said the team would do what it had to to win and he meant it. I understand the need to fool your opponents, but whom do we need to bluff here?

[Matt P]

...and then he said the team would do what it had to to win and he meant it. I understand the need to fool your opponents, but whom do we need to bluff here?

Nobody, but he has said a bunch of things that ended up turning out false since he got brought on. He was disliked by the Boston media because he would never give out information. I'm not saying he's lying just that one shouldn't take everything he says to heart.