Bargains found at Minor League ballparks
A survey of the 160 Minor League Baseball clubs in the U.S. and Canada that charge admission for their games found the average cost for a family of four to enjoy a Minor League Baseball game in 2009 will be $54.54.
"Minor League Baseball continues to lead the way in providing affordable family entertainment to sports fans," said Minor League Baseball President Pat O'Conner. "As families seek out entertainment alternatives in these tough times, they need look no further than their hometown Minor League Baseball team."
The survey is based on the price of two adult tickets; two child tickets; four hot dogs; two sodas; two beers; a program and parking. The price for an adult ticket is $7 or less at nearly 75 percent of Minor League Baseball's stadiums.
"We are proud of our ability to serve our fans with reasonable pricing and great value in difficult economic times like these," O'Conner added.
The cost for a family of four to attend is reduced further when taking into account that nearly half the clubs do not charge fans for parking, as well as the special ticket prices available to senior citizens, military personnel and children at a majority of Minor League ballparks.
The average cost of an enjoyable night at a Minor League ballpark ranges from $61.79 for a Triple-A game to $47.20 for a Short-Season/Rookie one. The Double-A ($54.26) and Class A ($55.06) classifications are within 55 cents of the industry average.
AVERAGE PRICE BY CLASSIFICATION
| AAA | AA | A | SS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult ticket | $7.40 | $7.11 | $6.96 | $5.47 |
| Child ticket | $5.50 | $5.17 | $5.00 | $4.04 |
| Hot Dog | $3.21 | $2.63 | $2.67 | $2.50 |
| Soda | $2.57 | $2.53 | $2.61 | $2.24 |
| Beer | $5.04 | $4.11 | $4.57 | $3.90 |
| Program | $3.03 | $2.65 | $2.43 | $2.32 |
| *Parking | $4.90 | $3.25 | $3.67 | $3.58 |
*prices where fee is charged; about half of teams have free parking.