Major League Baseball

Brewers hold line on tickets | Prices will stay the same for '11 /

Published Oct. 11, 2010 10:09 p.m. ET

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The Milwaukee Brewers say they will not increase prices next season for seasonticket packages and singlegame seats.

TheBrewershavenottaken such a step since they held the line on ticket prices for the 2004 season.

In a letter to fans published in Monday's Journal Sentinel, principal owner Mark Attanasio wrote that the franchise wanted to keep ticket prices as affordable as possible.

"Your unwavering support over the past four decades was especially appreciated during a disappointing 2010 season," Attanasio wrote.

"Despite investing approximately $50 million in freeagent pitchers and assembling a team with the highest payroll during my six-year tenure as principal owner, we only marginally improved our pitching, and our offense, while potent, was inconsistent.

"In the end, we won three fewer games this year than we did in 2009. Notwithstanding this result, more than 2.77 million fans came through the turnstiles at Miller Park to help celebrate the team's 40th anniversary year in Milwaukee, resulting in the 11th best attendance record in Major League Baseball." Rick Schlesinger, executive vice president for business operations, said in an interview that Attanasio and the rest of the team's front office felt that freezing ticket prices for next season was the right thing to do.

"We thought it was important to make a statement as soon as the season ended and give our fans and season ticket holders a clear message that we factored a lot of things into the equation," Schlesinger said.

"It's the economy, and it's the fact we expected a little more from our team in 2010. We are committed to affordability and the fan experience." During 2010, the average ticketpriceatMillerParkwas $22.10, which won't change for next season.

Team Marketing Report, which annually surveys professional sports teams and ticket prices, had ranked the Brewersastheeighth-mostaffordable experience in Major League Baseball last season.

Additionally, the Brewers this week will begin the process of dismantling the old scoreboard and installing a newscoreboardthatisexpected to be the third largest in the majors.

The scoreboard is expected to cost as much as $12 million. It will be approximately 105 feet high by 168 feet wide.

The cost of the scoreboard will be paid for in two ways. The Miller Park stadium district maintains a segregated reserve fund, which is jointly funded by the Brewers and taxpayers in Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Washington and Waukesha counties. That fund, created before the stadium was built, was set up by mutual agreement betweentheboardandtheBrewers to pay for most, but not all, major capital projects.

The district has committed $6.25 million toward the scoreboard, with the Brewers responsible for the rest. Because taxpayers support roughly 70% of the reserve fund, taxpayers are on the hookforapproximately$4.375 million of the overall cost.

In his letter, Attanasio also thanked the team's sponsors and partners.

"The steadfast loyalty of our fans, sponsors and partners provides us with the resources to enhance our strengths and, more importantly, to address our weaknesses going forward." Attanasio added that he would "focus on bringing the team back to where we all believe it should be." Individual game tickets on the Field level will range from $20 to $50, while Loge level tickets will range from $20-$46. Club level seats will remain at $40 for seats with waitstaff and $36 for seats without. Terrace level seats will range from $8-$21.

Copyright 2010, Journal Sentinel Inc. All rights reserved. (Note: This notice does not apply to those news items already copyrighted and received through wire services or other media.)

Copyright, 2010, Journal Sentinel, All Rights Reserved.

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