In the early days of the motion picture, traveling movie theaters would bring films to remote villages. The provincial townsfolk would be able to experience for the first time this exciting new medium. Movies such as "Espiritu de la Colmena, El" depict such occurrences. It's difficult for us 21st Century men and women to truly empathize with the experience of these villagers. It's hard for us jaded urbanites (translated: New Yorkers) to be thrilled, let alone surprised, by anything. The sun having no alternative shone on the nothing new. We've seen it all. Done that. The price of the knowledge gained from our city experience is ennui. I'm yawning as I write this.
But imagine if there was something in this age that could make you feel truly awestruck. I'm not talking about Ethan Hawke accidentally spilling popcorn on your back as you watched "Crumb" at a NYC theater a few years back (that did, in fact, happen and the thespian apologized profusely and seemed a decent guy.). Celebrity is so cheap these days. I'm talking about true spectacle. I'm talking religious experience middle-ages style. Apparently, Major League Baseball might just very well have the antidote for our collective indifference: The New York Yankees!
From the Rocky Mountain News:
The Rockies-Yankees midweek series occurs in June, long before pennant races crystallize, contending teams feel an urgency to win and scoreboard watching becomes an earnest pursuit.
But those games at Coors Field June 19-21 carry a cachet unlike any others on the Rockies' schedule and, as a result, stand alone when it comes to ticket prices.
Single-game tickets for the series - outside the Coors Clubhouse and corporate suite tickets and the $4 Rockpile seats - range from $15 to $75.
"It's like every team in major league baseball has a personal rivalry with the Yankees," said Becky Wallace, executive editor of Chicago-based Team Marketing Report, "and they show that by raising their ticket prices. And I think the reason why is, so many fans react because the Yankees are the team with the legacy, the team with the dynasty. They're the team everyone wants to beat, whether or not they're the previous World Series winner."
Everyone wants the chance to see these Bronx Bombers. And they'll pay extra. What I would pay to regain that experience of seeing the Yanks in person for the first time! Ain't nothing like it. And everyone agrees. The market doesn't lie.
Update: I forgot to mention this originally, but I found this link on Baseball Musings.
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Quoting Beckett (Samuel, not Josh) in a YF post?
To maintain this highbrow tone, Paul had better cite Williams (William Carlos, not Bernie) in his next offering...
Posted by: Hudson | Friday, January 19, 2007 at 11:17 AM
How about Ted?
Posted by: Paul SF | Friday, January 19, 2007 at 11:37 AM
Hudson, good catch. It's my favorite opening line of any book ever.
Posted by: Nick-YF | Friday, January 19, 2007 at 12:42 PM
It's not just Colorado.
Baltimore is raising ticket prices for all Yanks games, all Sox weekend games and Opening Day:
link
Posted by: Paul SF | Friday, January 19, 2007 at 03:35 PM
When I went to seen the Red Sox at Baltimore in April of '05 (great game btw -- Boomer pitched a shut-out) half the people there were Sox fans. I saw people with North Carolina plates and Red Sox stickers on their cars.
Posted by: pastorsteve | Friday, January 19, 2007 at 05:02 PM
Every time I've seen the Sox and Rangers play at The Ballpark, 55 percent of the fans are easily Red Sox fans and probably more. I've yet to sit in a section in which at least half of the people around me weren't Sox fans.
Posted by: Paul SF | Friday, January 19, 2007 at 05:31 PM
I have my tickets to all 3 series in Baltimore. Soon we'll be renaming the place "Red Sox Nation at Camden Yards."
Posted by: Jim in CT SF | Saturday, January 20, 2007 at 02:56 PM