MLB '09

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by Moonliner

This is professional Baseball It's not so much about bats on ball as it is butts in seats.

138,000 per game, with an average seat price of $29.66 means that if Manny brings in an extra 4,000 fans per game (or significantly less fans if you include food and trinket sales) he has more than paid for himself. Plus the Dodgers get a percentage from away games also. If Manny brings in extra people on the road (and you know he will) then that amount also goes up.

I know that back in the day, Fernando Valenzuela regularly brought in an extra 8,000 or more every time he pitched.

That's the kind of thing that I'm wondering. If he is that much of a draw, then that's great. Knowing it is professional ball and it is about profit, I was wondering if it is possible that they get a return on that huge of an investment in one guy.

To me, though, in looking at the financial troubles of the NBA at present, I wonder how long it is before salaries price the average fan out of the ability to go to the game and the teams start to lose money. That salary will push up other salaries and eventually it becomes unsustainable. Or so I'd figure. I wonder when that point hits.