May 22, 2013

MLB News: Indians to lower Progressive Field concession prices for 2013

February 28, 2013 by 26 Comments

Already boasting one of the most affordable experiences in Major League Baseball, the Cleveland Indians announce that they will be rolling back prices on high-volume concession items for the 2013 season.

Often used by fans as an excuse to not attend games at Progressive Field, team president Mark Shapiro built off of last year’s “Fan Focused” concession plan and further reduced the prices of key items. Hot dogs will start at $3, representing a 33% reduction over 2012 prices; and 12-ounce domestic beers will be $4, a drop of up to 24% over last year.  Both of these rollbacks will be available to fans for every game of the upcoming 2013 season.

“We’ve asked our fans what they want most in their ballpark experience at Progressive Field, and more affordable concessions prices routinely top the list,” said Shapiro. “This is a way for us to let fans know we’re listening to them and that we value them.”

The team will continue to have their Sugardale “Dollar Dog” nights, occurring 15 times during the season. This represents an increase of six nights when compared to the 2012 season. In addition to the hot dog and beer price reductions, nachos, pretzels, popcorn, pizza and bratwursts will see a drop in prices up to 25 percent. Also, soda refills will be only $2.

In 2012, the Indians ranked 22nd in all of baseball in terms of Fan Cost Index due to low average ticket prices coupled with beer prices and parking costs that slot in well below league average.

[Related: The Diff: Market saturation and Indians attendance]

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  • Felix Krull

    While I don’t live in northeast Ohio anymore, when I return to visit, I will definitely make a point of attending a few Indians games. Even though I’ve been critical of the Dolans in the past, I’ve always thought that they got a bad rap in relation to Jacobs, who was better at PR and using public funds for private gain and leveraged the team to the hilt at the peak of its value when he saw the writing on the wall and knowingly held a blind auction to sell the team at the height of its value: smart business, sure, but not to be confused with civic mindedness.

    Hopefully, the recent moves by the team to put a better product on the field and make the game more affordable will resonate with fans, and attendance will increase. Of course, the ability to draft well is a huge part of this, but that’s a different discussion. Kudos.

  • JK

    Woo hoo!

  • Matt underwood

    Where a I? What team is this? Who are these people running the Indians?

  • Natedawg86

    What about Nickel Beer night? I have been saving my nickels

  • Harv 21

    Indians Marketing Department to Paul Dolan: “Code Blue!”

  • Garry_Owen

    “12-ounce domestic beers will be $4, a drop of up to 24% over last year”
    And still $3 more than anyone should ever pay for a Bud Light. Now Great Lakes? I can live with it.

  • JK

    Doesn’t Pittsburgh sell their nasty Steel Reserve or whatever the hell it’s called at Heinz? I think it would be awesome to see GL in some Cleveland Parks.

  • boomhauertjs

    Really no excuses for Tribe fans this year. To borrow a phrase from an even more fickle fan-base, “Fan Up!”

  • Garry_Owen

    Agree completely.
    Last year the Indians were selling Leinenkugels as their “craft” beer at the Jake. While I became a fan of Leinies years ago (before the Summer Shandy nastiness), I just don’t get this. It’s a Wisconsin beer. Great Lakes should be the “craft” beer of choice at every Cleveland venue. I’m sure there’s a significant distribution cost component that isn’t as attractive as other options, but to me it just makes every kind of sense in terms of cross-marketing and local economic development and promotion. I would pay $4 for any and every Great Lakes at an entertainment event in Cleveland – and I wouldn’t buy anything else.

  • http://twitter.com/JZelch17 Josh Zelch

    honestly if you compare it two the prices at the bars around Cleveland its only $1 more then what you would pay at the bar so ill take it. Ownership really showed me something this offseason, they now have my optimism and support is high now.

  • http://twitter.com/CTownPride Steve Jackman

    “Also, soda refills will be only $2.”

    Umm… isn’t this a NE Ohio-based blog? It’s pop…

    http://www.popvssoda.com/

  • MrCleaveland

    The Jake has dozens and dozens of different beers available, including several Great Lakes varieties and other craft beers.

  • Garry_Owen

    Really? I did two laps of the entire place last year looking for GL, and couldn’t find it anywhere. Saw Leinies (huge, exclusive stand), saw Guiness, saw Smithwick’s, but no GL. I’ll have to look harder this year on my annual summer trek to Cleveland.
    I trust you, but I don’t believe you yet.
    Regardless, I think GL should be THE prominent and featured “special” beer there.

  • JK

    I’ve never seen it either, Mr. C… Don’t you go pullin my tail..

  • MrCleaveland

    I can’t find a date on this, so maybe they don’t anymore. But I could swear that I’ve had a Dortmunder there. Anyway, here it is:

    http://www.beerconnoisseur.com/node/2976

  • MrCleaveland

    Here’s another article about GL at the Jake. It looks fairly current.

    http://www.theballparkguide.com/majors/cleveland-indians/what-to-eat-at-progressive-field

  • Garry_Owen

    Good to know. Thanks for the info.
    Still (and this could admittedly say more about me than anything else), the fact that I actively searched and couldn’t find it is not a good thing. GL should be inescapable at the Jake, the Q, and the Factory.
    It’s tasty beer.

  • MrCleaveland

    For the clincher, I just received an email response from a Great Lakes marketing person, and she confirmed that a limited number of their products is available at the park.

    Sadly, she also said that Holy Moses White Ale will not be sold in stores this year, only at the Pub. Tis a cryin’ shame. I love that stuff.

  • Garry_Owen

    Okay, now I’m just impressed. You reached out to the marketing person in order to better the discussion on WFNY. I believe that this qualifies you for Employee of the Month, along with all of the rights and privileges that attend.

    Now that you’ve got the “in” with GL, I think you should push for an even greater presence at the parks. (And perhaps some complimentary samples to share with your best pseudonymous friends. Hmm? I really like the Blackout Stout.)

  • MrCleaveland

    Hey, I’m just happy to do what I can for the fine beer and ale guzzling fans of Cleveland.

  • Kevin B

    I think this is nice, and I’m on board with the moves the Tribe made this offseason, and I’m excited about the 2013 Indians, and I’ll attend 4 games this season despite the fact that I live in Virginia. At the same time, my Opening Day seats (two different blocks of 8 in sections 507 and 509, way up in the upper deck in right field) cost me approx. $28 apiece with Ticketmaster expenses rather than the approx. $14 with Ticketmaster expenses they’ve cost me in years past. That’s an increase in ticket cost for me from approx. $224 to approx. $448.

    For once, a trade that shows immediate returns for the Indians! lol

  • C-Bus Kevin

    I’m forwarding this email to the Columbus Clippers. Their new ballpark is awesome, but I don’t think they have 12 oz domestics for 4 bucks. That is a step in the right direction.

  • Kildawg

    Apparently the Dolans are serious about starting another sellout streak like the one that happened when we had a new venue.

  • woofersus

    Those are significant price cuts. It’s still more expensive than the grocery store, but you can’t really argue that those aren’t some of the lowest prices you’ll find at a special event. I don’t have the data to support my theory, but I’ve long been suspicious that sporting event concessions pricing had gone above the point that represents peak profit. Certainly demand tends to be inelastic when you have a captive audience, but the amount of time spent at a ballpark isn’t sufficient to preclude alternative buying choices. People eat before or after they go to the game and they just snack. They only buy one hot dog when they could eat two. They nurse one large Pepsi for the whole game when they’d like to drink more with their peanuts. They drink said large Pepsi instead of a few beers. The list goes on. For some people, it hardly matters because they can afford it, but it hasn’t been the expensive seats remaining empty the last few years. It’s the upper decks that are empty. I believe that at least a certain amount of the reduced profit margin will be made up in volume, and with the addition of increased ticket sales to people who may otherwise deem a night at the ballpark too expensive I think the team will come out ahead. It’s win-win. Good for them.

  • The_Matt_Of_Akron

    I know I’m late to the party, but I also saw North Olmstead’s own Fat Head’s Head Hunter IPA on tap at The Q on January 29. And I remember seeing GL available (in bottles only, though) at the first concession stand after you enter through Gate A (left field entrance)

  • Garry_Owen

    It’s never late to talk about great beers.