GOING TO A GAME? TAKE $$$

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, April 2, 1993                   TAG: 9304020191
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: CHICAGO                                LENGTH: Medium
GOING TO A GAME? TAKE $$$
Rooting for the old home team will probably put a big hole in the wallet of a family with four this summer - an average of $90.87, a newsletter says.
That is the cost of four game tickets, two beers, four hot dogs, four soft drinks, two souvenir baseball caps, two programs and parking, says the Chicago-based sports-business newsletter, Team Marketing Report.
The tab - dubbed the "fan-cost index" - is 4.8 percent higher than the cost of the same items last season, an improvement from the 10.4 percent price jump the items took in 1992 compared with the year before.
The average ticket price increased 1.7 percent this year, to $9.57, from $9.41 last year, according to the newsletter. A family of four, if paying only for tickets, would spend $38.28.
This year's rise in ticket prices is paltry compared with last year, when they averaged 7.7 percent more than the year before, and with 1991, when they jumped 9 percent compared with 1990.
"By minimizing price increases, baseball clubs are sending a message they're no longer taking fans for granted," said Alan Friedman, editor of the newsletter.
"The attendance decreases experienced by many clubs last year suggest that baseball ticket prices may have reached a breaking point for fans, at least for right now."
But ballpark food and souvenirs will cost fans an average of 12.3 percent more this year, the newsletter said.
According to a survey of the 28 major-league teams, only one team - the Pittsburgh Pirates - lowered ticket prices. Eleven teams retained last season's price and 14 others raised prices. This is the first season for two teams - the Florida Marlins and the Colorado Rockies.
Raising ticket prices the most was the Atlanta Braves, up 16.2 percent to an average $9.76. Raising prices the least was the San Diego Padres, up 1.9 percent to $8.70.
The champion Toronto Blue Jays have the highest average ticket cost at $13.73, a 6.4 percent increase. The team drew 4.03 million in 1992.
The cheapest seat is at Mile High Stadium in Denver, where the Rockies are charging $1 for a seat in the "Rock Pile" section. The most expensive seats cost $18.40 U.S. dollars in Toronto.
Major League Baseball spokesman Jim Small said the modest increase in the cost of attending a game shows the owners are concerned about continuing to make their product affordable.
Small, in a telephone interview from New York, said the fan-cost index does not take into consideration discounts by various teams.
An average ticket to an NBA game costs $25.16. The average NFL ticket is $27.19, the newsletter said. Outings for a family of four, with incidentals, average $158.17 for basketball and $163.19 for football, it said.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB