THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 16, 1994 TAG: 9410160177
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C13 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER TIDES NOTES
LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
It will cost 50 cents more to see the Norfolk Tides play at Harbor Park next season. The increase in ticket prices bumps box seats to $7, the second-most expensive ticket in the International League. A reserved seat will be $5.50.
The Tides also raised the price of their season-ticket package to $325 from $275. However, any of the Tides' current 2,800 season-ticket holders who renew will still pay $275 for next season. Their package will not go up until 1996.
Despite increased operating costs, Tides president Ken Young said that decision was made as a show of loyalty to the team's fan base.
Rochester, which plans a 25-cent raise to $8 for its best seats, charges the most in the league. Charlotte, Norfolk and Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre are at $7.
In a league where full price season-ticket plans range from nearly $450 to $200, $325 for the Tides' new plan is fourth-most expensive. For a schedule of 71 home dates, that comes to $4.57 per ticket. Ottawa, the most expensive season ticket, gives no discount for buying such a plan.
At the current exchange rate, an Ottawa season ticket costs about $444 in U.S. dollars. Meanwhile, Syracuse continues to be the season-ticket bargain of the International League. Fans can see the Chiefs play 71 times for $200, or $2.82 per game.
1995 SCHEDULE: Even if the major league players remain on strike into next season, the big league teams are bound by the Professional Baseball Agreement to supply players to minor league franchises.
So the minors will operate regardless. For the Tides, that means opening their 142-game schedule April 6 with a four-game series at Charlotte, now affiliated with the Florida Marlins instead of the Cleveland Indians. That will be followed by three games at Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre.
The Tides are slated to open at home April 13 against the Rochester Red Wings.
Most night games will begin at 7:15, day games at 1:15. Young said as many as four midweek afternoon games will be played, but those dates have not been set. The Tides might also play at least one of their late summer Sunday games at 1:15. At the end of June, they normally shift all Sunday games from 1:15 to 6:15 p.m.
TRIPLE-A WORLD SERIES? The idea of rekindling the Triple-A World Series - last played in 1983 and won by the Tides - was brought up at the Triple-A meetings last month in Orlando, Fla.
International League president Randy Mobley is heading a movement to organize such an event and have it televised on ESPN2. Mobley said he hopes to have a plan worked out by the end of the year so a series could be played after next season.
The problem is finding a workable format. The two most discussed, Mobley said, are taking the three Triple-A league champions and adding the Mexican League champion, or adding a wildcard team to the three league champs.
The Series most likely would be a double-elimination format.
PLAYER NOTES: Shortstop Aaron Ledesma, the Tides' most valuable player last season, has been held out of the Arizona Fall League because of the shoulder trouble that flared up in August. Ledesma was supposed to go to Arizona to work on becoming a utilityman. ... Reliever Mike Cook also had shoulder woes at the end of the season and recently had surgery to correct a labrum tear. Butch Huskey and pitcher Pete Walker, Tides last season. Also there are Double-A infielder Chris Saunders and pitcher Robert Person, and Class-A pitchers Jeff Tam and Erik Hiljus. ... Fred Hina, the Tides' trainer the last three seasons, has a good chance to be named to the Mets' major league staff. The Mets fired head trainer Steve Garland and will replace him with Hina or one of two other former Tides trainers, Sam McCrary or Scott Lawrenson. McCrary was Garland's assistant, Lawrenson is the minor league training coordinator. by CNB