Bickley: Diamondbacks hit a home run with 'summer pass' ticket deal
The Diamondbacks have a lot of good ideas. Most of them can be found at the concession stand and include a significant amount of calories.
Not this time.
The team will unveil its “Ballpark Summer Pass” program on Sunday, allowing fans to attend every home game in June and July for $50. That’s $2 per game if you attend all 25 contests.
That’s a great deal. It’s a great way to bring energy and people to a sterile ballpark, maybe even lifting the team’s performance over the long, hot summer.
It’s the best idea the organization has cooked up in some time.
“This is a chance to attract new fans, younger fans who are home from college, and fans who aren’t of the traditional mindset of attending 81 home games as a season-ticket holder,” said team president and CEO Derrick Hall. “We’re going to give it a shot and see what happens.”
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The Diamondbacks aren’t the first team to introduce a value pass to sports fans. The Oakland Athletics recently debuted a similar program, allowing fans to attend all home games for $19.99 a month. The A’s are also a bottom-dwelling team in the American League West, and play in a dreadful stadium.
The Diamondbacks are different. They have a winning team and one of the best home records in Major League Baseball. And yet their stadium vibe is closer to morgue than Mardi Gras.
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The Summer Pass concept can only help. Fans can buy up to four passes for $200. Tickets can’t be shared or resold. Purchasers must download MLB’s Ballpark app, which will assign seat locations to every game two hours in advance. As a result, every game will be something of a surprise, which is exactly what most traditional season-ticket holders despise. They like the comfort and ownership of having the same seat for every game.
Obviously, the tickets won’t be in premium locations. But fans will have the option to upgrade their upper deck seats for an additional fee by using the same app.
“I think fans just want more options,” Hall said. “You’re always going to have people that would prefer the traditional season tickets, the ones who’ve been in the same location for 10-15 years. You’re always going to have that fan. But not everyone is going to commit to every game, and the trend around sports is to create more options for people.”
The Diamondbacks have had attendance issues for years. Through 26 home games, they’ve averaged 23,177 fans, which is third-worst in the National League. That includes a Wednesday game against the Padres that drew 12,215 people, by far the worst showing in franchise history.
Those numbers would be understandable if the team was underachieving. In 2016, the Diamondbacks won only five of their first 21 games at Chase Field. Expectations were shattered quickly, starting with an Opening Day bludgeoning of their new ace, Zack Greinke.
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But this year has been different. The team is 18-8 at home. They have a cluster of young offensive stars, including Jake Lamb and Brandon Drury. Paul Goldschmidt could become the first player since Mike Trout and Ryan Braun to hit at least 30 home runs and steal at least 30 bases. The bullpen was supposed to be hot garbage, only to rank in the upper half of the sport. They are becoming one of the best stories in baseball.
Valley sports franchises are often perplexed by consumer behavior. The Cardinals have championship aspirations, yet some of their fans scalp their tickets to the most desirable home games. Arizona State’s football program might lead the NCAA in fans who complain from the couch. The Coyotes once offered free tickets to anyone purchased a 1.75-liter of vodka. And we all know the plight of the Diamondbacks, a team cursed to play a summer sport in the desert.
That’s why this proactive attempt to fill the ballpark is such a good idea. The Diamondbacks aren’t just bemoaning the lack of turnstile enthusiasm for a team that might actually make the playoffs. They’re doing something about it. And if they’re lucky, the summer pass will resonate with younger fans in the Valley, bringing a youthful exuberance to a stale stadium experience.
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“I think we’re all cautiously optimistic about what’s happening on the field,” Hall said. “You’re always an injury or a losing streak away from going backwards. But I think we’re seeing the beginning of something special. And without question, the more energy and fans that we can bring to this ballpark will only help that momentum.”
Great baseball towns don’t happen overnight. It takes years of sustained winning. It requires a nourishing communal experience for fans. The Diamondbacks have an even greater challenge in recruiting new fans, offering a regular-season experience that pales in comparison to their gorgeous spring training facility.
But it all starts with a buzz. Hopefully, the Ballpark Summer Pass will deliver that and more, providing a jolt of electricity to a season in progress. And unlike the Churro Dog, this one might actually feed the players.
Reach Bickley at dan.bickley@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8253. Follow him on twitter.com/dan.bickley. Listen to “Bickley and Marotta” weekdays from 12-2 p.m. on 98.7 Arizona’s Sports Station.
Coming up
Monday: At Chase Field, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Zack Greinke (5-2, 3.09) vs. White Sox RHP Miguel Gonzalez (3-4, 4.29).
Tuesday: At Chase Field, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks LHP Patrick Corbin (3-4, 4.38) vs. White Sox RHP Dylan Covey (0-3, 7.64).
Wednesday: At Chase Field, 12:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Taijuan Walker (4-3, 3.46) vs. White Sox LHP Jose Quintana (2-5, 3.92).