THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 19, 1995 TAG: 9510190011
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 38 lines
After seeing four playoff games in that gorgeous Harbor Park during a recent vacation, I wondered why the Ottawa team would draw more than 10,000 fans to its home games while the Norfolk Tides could not attract 4,000. Perhaps some of my gripes are shared by other Norfolk fans, so I mention them:
The seats most desired by students of baseball - directly behind home plate - are not sold to all comers in Norfolk (and, I found out, fans without tickets there are chased). This section, I was told, is for VIPs. At the games I attended, fewer than 20 percent of these seats were occupied. The VIPs included Ken Young, the team president, and a few wives of the players. But most of the VIPs appeared to be teenagers.
The section directly behind the VIP section was not available through Ticketmaster. But fewer than 1 percent of the seats were occupied.
Many parks prohibit bottles from being taken inside. Norfolk bans food too. I have seen baseball in many parks, both major and minor league, but Norfolk is the only park I have attended that follows this shabby policy.
The food that the Tides offer for sale is as sorry as its ticket-selling practices. No ice cream was available, just a horrid frozen yogurt. The hotdogs were poor. One night, when I was foolish enough to count on a ballpark dinner, I could not get even coffee or hot chocolate (though they are listed on the menu).
Fans deserve to be treated better.
RAY WARNER
Williamstown, Mass., Sept. 26, 1995 by CNB