Brewers to take out 400 bleacher seats in left field for new viewing area

[A Swing and A Drive]

Link

https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/business/2019/11/07/milwaukee-brewers-plan-remove-seats-build-new-viewing-deck-miller-park/2522641001/

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Man they are really mixing up quite a few things this year.

[JimH5]

They must have data that says this is a better way to use that space, so I trust they're doing this to better use that area to serve their fans.

 

It's probably easier to sell access to a section than it is to have assigned seating in a traditional seat.

 

We'll see if it works.

[Dean Machine]

I wish they would built a general public section because I notice those are popular at other ballparks for people who like to drink and talk and aren't so interested in the actual ballgame.

[MrTPlush]

I wish they would built a general public section because I notice those are popular at other ballparks for people who like to drink and talk and aren't so interested in the actual ballgame.

 

They do, in the concourse and the drunk fest area outside RF. Also why give that away for free when they can do exactly what they are doing and have people pay a premium price thanks to their company etc.

 

I get what you mean, but if people already don’t care about the game why give them a view of the game for free. I wish the same, but it doesn’t make sense for the Brewers.

[TURBO]

I don't understand why people want to pay the price for a ticket and parking, just to drink outrageously priced beer, and talk to other drunks.

 

Can't that happen at a bar just as easily, and for way cheaper?

 

Is it that cool to go to a Brewers game just to say you were there or something?

 

Damn Millennials.

[True Blue Brew Crew]

I don't understand why people want to pay the price for a ticket and parking, just to drink outrageously priced beer, and talk to other drunks.

 

Can't that happen at a bar just as easily, and for way cheaper?

 

Is it that cool to go to a Brewers game just to say you were there or something?

 

Damn Millennials.

 

I don't understand why it bothers you? Were those your "go to" seats? If it helps the team generate more revenue by bringing more people through the gates, I'm all for it.

[MrTPlush]

I don't understand why people want to pay the price for a ticket and parking, just to drink outrageously priced beer, and talk to other drunks.

 

Can't that happen at a bar just as easily, and for way cheaper?

 

Is it that cool to go to a Brewers game just to say you were there or something?

 

Damn Millennials.

 

I don't understand why it bothers you? Were those your "go to" seats? If it helps the team generate more revenue by bringing more people through the gates, I'm all for it.

 

I don’t think it really bothers him, he just thinks it is stupid...people going just to drink etc.

[True Blue Brew Crew]

I don’t think it really bothers him, he just thinks it is stupid...people going just to drink etc.

 

Just the same, who the heck cares how paying customers take in the game. If anything, having dedicated spaces for the roamers will probably lessen the instances of people coming and going from the seats during the action.

[TURBO]

I don't understand why people want to pay the price for a ticket and parking, just to drink outrageously priced beer, and talk to other drunks.

 

Can't that happen at a bar just as easily, and for way cheaper?

 

Is it that cool to go to a Brewers game just to say you were there or something?

 

Damn Millennials.

 

I don't understand why it bothers you? Were those your "go to" seats? If it helps the team generate more revenue by bringing more people through the gates, I'm all for it.

 

Bothers me? Nope

 

More curious than anything. Seems like a silly concept to me.

 

I'm weird like that though. I pay money for a ticket to a baseball game, and I want to watch that baseball game. I know, strange, right?

[True Blue Brew Crew]

 

Bothers me? Nope

 

More curious than anything. Seems like a silly concept to me.

 

I'm weird like that though. I pay money for a ticket to a baseball game, and I want to watch that baseball game. I know, strange, right?

 

Yours is definitely the more traditional, normal route no doubt. But I can see it from the other side. When I'm the one buying the tickets, I sit as close to the playing surface as possible and take in the game from my seat. When I'm there with a large group and the seats are in the upper levels, I enjoy taking in the game from various vantage points and socializing along the way. It's still much better than a bar. When there's a rally there's nothing better than finding a spot with a clear view of the game and cheering along with 40,000 strong.

[JimH5]

I think it's a reflection of changing tastes, but that is a result of the traditional way of experiencing live baseball as being unsatisfying to enough customers to merit the change.

 

Baseball games are too long and too boring to be plopped in a single seat watching all of the non-action. The Brewers are trying to make it enjoyable for the fans who don't want to just sit there.

[owbc]

I think the fan experience is adapting to the slower game as much as to any change in taste by the fans.

 

When I first read the title I though they were taking out 400-level sections like many teams have been doing in recent years. Not sure how anyone could possibly pay attention to a full baseball game from the bad seats on the terrace level.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Going to MP is the the equivalent of a bar with a cover charge for a lot of people especially the 21-30 demo and the bar fly demo. The baseball game is merely a backdrop. Almost like a baseball-themed bar. That sloppy drunk patio is literally nothing more than that. My wife went there constantly from about ages 21-25 and couldn't tell you what a stolen base is.

 

I agree with you Jim, however count me in the minority that finds 2 beers and a bag of peanuts from behind home plate over 9 innings nothing short of paradise. I am counting down the days until my kids are old enough to do that/hoping they want to.

[JimH5]

Going to MP is the the equivalent of a bar with a cover charge for a lot of people especially the 21-30 demo and the bar fly demo. The baseball game is merely a backdrop. Almost like a baseball-themed bar. That sloppy drunk patio is literally nothing more than that. My wife went there constantly from about ages 21-25 and couldn't tell you what a stolen base is.

 

I agree with you Jim, however count me in the minority that finds 2 beers and a bag of peanuts from behind home plate over 9 innings nothing short of paradise. I am counting down the days until my kids are old enough to do that/hoping they want to.

 

I had the same spirit of optimism about 10 years ago, dreaming of taking my daughter to games. Despite many years of attempts, she just never found the experience much fun, and often was ready to leave by the 3rd inning.

 

it's not her fault, she likes what she likes and is generally happy and well rounded. Baseball just meant nothing to her, and my ticket package became a burden. I discontinued it this past year and didn't go myself even once. And I didn't miss it at all.

[Patrick425]

Going to MP is the the equivalent of a bar with a cover charge for a lot of people especially the 21-30 demo and the bar fly demo. The baseball game is merely a backdrop. Almost like a baseball-themed bar. That sloppy drunk patio is literally nothing more than that. My wife went there constantly from about ages 21-25 and couldn't tell you what a stolen base is.

 

I agree with you Jim, however count me in the minority that finds 2 beers and a bag of peanuts from behind home plate over 9 innings nothing short of paradise. I am counting down the days until my kids are old enough to do that/hoping they want to.

 

I had the same spirit of optimism about 10 years ago, dreaming of taking my daughter to games. Despite many years of attempts, she just never found the experience much fun, and often was ready to leave by the 3rd inning.

 

it's not her fault, she likes what she likes and is generally happy and well rounded. Baseball just meant nothing to her, and my ticket package became a burden. I discontinued it this past year and didn't go myself even once. And I didn't miss it at all.

 

I got extremely lucky with my son in that he took an instant liking to the game at a very young age. He was not your typical 5 or 6 year old that had know idea what was going on and just wanted to know if he could get ice cream or some other treat by the 3rd inning. However, now that he's 21, I sometimes think he's a bit to wrapped up in the Brewers, baseball, and other sports and it can sometimes distract him from other, more important things in life (I know, I know...what's more important that the Brewers ).

 

In regards to the "Why does it bug you" thing with people that go to the game but seem to have absolutely no interest in the game. I will admit that, yes, it does bug me. It just bugs me as a societal thing and people just not being careful with their money. As stated, they could engage in the exact same activities at a much cheaper price somewhere else. I'm always hoping that they were given the tickets for free. I guess I would have to ask, why does it bug you that it bugs me?

[tmwiese55]

I get all that, but think about this this spin. This social/drinking demographic you guys apparently don't like (even though we're in WI and the team name is Brewers) would alternatively just be at a bar, correct? Which with the phrasing here most people on this side of the argument would also 'frown upon' or however you want to phrase it. So in their mind this is at least 'doing something' or getting out and doing something different as opposed to the same bars over and over. It's doing something more social/active/entertaining than sitting in a bar, which obviously get old.

 

Then throw in that in a group of friends, simply not everyone is going to be a baseball nut that wants to watch straight for 3.5 hours when only 12 minutes of it is action. Why not provide options for those folks for a middle ground instead of taking the attitude of telling them to stay home if they're not a baseball nerd like me/us. I mean, I'm sure a bunch of people have this dilemma with their spouse. I mean, what's the harm?

 

This is exactly what MLB teams need to be doing to appeal more to the younger generation. This is the correct move. I wanna say there was a thread on here in the last year on this topic and ideas like this were definitely brought up. Maybe even by me, I vaguely recall mentioning something similar to the Duck Blind at Mallard's games in one of the OF corners.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Oh, I have no problem with the drinking, so long as it's not sloppy and spilling on me. I mean I was there once. That was how I attended games from age 17-25. And also just cool it on the F bombs around families. I don't really take kids to night games on the weekend but I think minimal decorum is a reasonable request.

[True Blue Brew Crew]

I get all that, but think about this this spin. This social/drinking demographic you guys apparently don't like (even though we're in WI and the team name is Brewers) would alternatively just be at a bar, correct? Which with the phrasing here most people on this side of the argument would also 'frown upon' or however you want to phrase it. So in their mind this is at least 'doing something' or getting out and doing something different as opposed to the same bars over and over. It's doing something more social/active/entertaining than sitting in a bar, which obviously get old.

 

Then throw in that in a group of friends, simply not everyone is going to be a baseball nut that wants to watch straight for 3.5 hours when only 12 minutes of it is action. Why not provide options for those folks for a middle ground instead of taking the attitude of telling them to stay home if they're not a baseball nerd like me/us. I mean, I'm sure a bunch of people have this dilemma with their spouse. I mean, what's the harm?

 

Yes they would and that wouldn't go into the Brewers revenue stream. Social areas in place of low revenue (often empty) seats will meet the same demand that exists for those who go to the stadium for the tailgate. I can't be the only one who runs in a social circle in which the ladies of the group would never attend a game if not for tailgating. When I go with the guys, we spring for great seats and use them. When we bring our wives and girlfriends, we buy the cheapest tickets we can and then take in the action from various social spots throughout the stadium.

 

Do people here not realize that if not for the large number of social reasons other than the game itself, Milwaukee would not repeatedly rank in the upper half of MLB attendance?

 

Tailgating helps drives baseball in Milwaukee. And finding new ways to tap into the various reasons that people attend other than the game is smart business.

 

It doesn't bother me one iota that there are people who don't like the fact that there are thousands in attendance each game who aren't focused on every pitch. There's nothing more annoying than falling down drunks spread all over the concourse. It does bother me that people don't understand why those people are important to the Brewers bottom line.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Of course they are important, they are about 600x more likely to buy a $300 jersey.

[tmwiese55]

Great post by True Blue, well said. The wifes/GF issue is what I was getting at as well. In theory, providing more spots like this will actually reduce the negative aspects of the drinking in terms of bothering the real deal baseball diehards. But yes the tailgating culture is what will keep the attendance respectable through the ups and downs of the team.

[rickh150]

I like to sit in the 200 level bleachers for playoff games. I feel like it is a nice seat for probably the fairest price per playoff games. Sadly, this new project limits my ability to get a ticket there a bit.

Also, the Brewers goofed somewhat with bleacher spacing in the outfields. The seating is so far above the wall... really no reason to have it so much above the playing surface. Also, the left center home bullpen swallows up some potentially good seating, as well. Why they didn't put Loge seating right above the home bullpen, I'm not sure. It's almost perfectly set up for it. Even now, putting a 15ft ceiling/floor above the bullpen in LCF could add nice seating.

[rickh150]

Going to MP is the the equivalent of a bar with a cover charge for a lot of people especially the 21-30 demo and the bar fly demo. The baseball game is merely a backdrop. Almost like a baseball-themed bar. That sloppy drunk patio is literally nothing more than that. My wife went there constantly from about ages 21-25 and couldn't tell you what a stolen base is.

 

I agree with you Jim, however count me in the minority that finds 2 beers and a bag of peanuts from behind home plate over 9 innings nothing short of paradise. I am counting down the days until my kids are old enough to do that/hoping they want to.

 

 

Just buy yours kids a ticket.... don't make them buy them on the secondary market.

[BrewersSuperCollector]

I get all that, but think about this this spin. This social/drinking demographic you guys apparently don't like (even though we're in WI and the team name is Brewers) would alternatively just be at a bar, correct? Which with the phrasing here most people on this side of the argument would also 'frown upon' or however you want to phrase it. So in their mind this is at least 'doing something' or getting out and doing something different as opposed to the same bars over and over. It's doing something more social/active/entertaining than sitting in a bar, which obviously get old.

 

Then throw in that in a group of friends, simply not everyone is going to be a baseball nut that wants to watch straight for 3.5 hours when only 12 minutes of it is action. Why not provide options for those folks for a middle ground instead of taking the attitude of telling them to stay home if they're not a baseball nerd like me/us. I mean, I'm sure a bunch of people have this dilemma with their spouse. I mean, what's the harm?

 

Yes they would and that wouldn't go into the Brewers revenue stream. Social areas in place of low revenue (often empty) seats will meet the same demand that exists for those who go to the stadium for the tailgate. I can't be the only one who runs in a social circle in which the ladies of the group would never attend a game if not for tailgating. When I go with the guys, we spring for great seats and use them. When we bring our wives and girlfriends, we buy the cheapest tickets we can and then take in the action from various social spots throughout the stadium.

 

Do people here not realize that if not for the large number of social reasons other than the game itself, Milwaukee would not repeatedly rank in the upper half of MLB attendance?

 

Tailgating helps drives baseball in Milwaukee. And finding new ways to tap into the various reasons that people attend other than the game is smart business.

 

It doesn't bother me one iota that there are people who don't like the fact that there are thousands in attendance each game who aren't focused on every pitch. There's nothing more annoying than falling down drunks spread all over the concourse. It does bother me that people don't understand why those people are important to the Brewers bottom line.

 

I'm not going to argue any of your points. I would like to know how much money is generated via ticket prices versus the rest of the league. I understand when people get in the door they spend money. I just want to see what the ticket revenue actually is when all the BP, Pick n Save, and comp tickets that the Brewers do versus other teams that don't do much of any of that like the Red Sox.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Going to MP is the the equivalent of a bar with a cover charge for a lot of people especially the 21-30 demo and the bar fly demo. The baseball game is merely a backdrop. Almost like a baseball-themed bar. That sloppy drunk patio is literally nothing more than that. My wife went there constantly from about ages 21-25 and couldn't tell you what a stolen base is.

 

I agree with you Jim, however count me in the minority that finds 2 beers and a bag of peanuts from behind home plate over 9 innings nothing short of paradise. I am counting down the days until my kids are old enough to do that/hoping they want to.

 

 

Just buy yours kids a ticket.... don't make them buy them on the secondary market.

 

They have tickets...they just don't want to sit for more than 2-3 innings. This schtick of yours, it was old a long time ago and is dumb.