Crawford or Bankruptcy?

Say what you want about the Angels and GM Tony Reagins, but I’ll tell you what…

A new article posted by the LA Times shows you the reality that many teams face… large free agent signings versus infalted ticket prices. It’s a reality that most fans don’t know about or would even consider to be related to each other.

As much as I hate to say it, I think that Angel owner Arte Moreno is right in this case. If he would have gone after Crawford and paid him what Boston offered, according to the article, ticket prices would have been raised by 50%. Would Crawford as a player attract that many more fans to the game? Probably… would the price affect that decision? Absolutely.

According to the article, Moreno had to separate a business decision versus a team decision.

"“When do you get to a point as a business person,” Moreno told DiGiovanna, “where you say, ‘Jeez, I’m doing this on emotion, I don’t want to let the fans down, so what I’m going to do is bankrupt the franchise’? “"

Digging a little more into the article, I found this quote which puts this into perspective…

"“The Angels had the lowest average ticket price in the AL last season — $19, according to Team Marketing Report. The average price for the teams that sold more tickets last season than the Angels — the Dodgers, Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals — ranged from $30 to $52.”That would seem to indicate the market could support a 50% price hike. Moreno won’t consider that, based not on focus groups or marketing surveys, spokesman Tim Mead said, but on his principle that affordability and competitiveness are the keys to ensuring that the franchise prospers in the long term.”"

I can’t blame Moreno… being in a state that’s as economically in trouble as Calfornia is, as well as fielding a team that is not a lock for a World Series, even with the Crawford signing, is not a good PR move.

I agree with the article. Take the money you allotted for Crawford and use it to find a solid third baseman and a solid closer.

Now THAT will be money well spent.