2012 Game Experiences

[sgm405]

As a season ticket holder, I thought it would be cool to share some of my experiences throughout the season and hear about everyone else's when they go.

Before I share my initial experiences, there's a few things that I want to share that I've found out about being a season ticket holder.

- If you go to this link and register, you can get a free Indians t-shirt at Fan Services behind section 153.

- Right by fan services, if you sign up for the "Designated Driver" contest, you get a free pepsi. It's not a souvenir size, but it's not the tiny one either...and it's free.

- There's a hot dog vendor on E. 9th Street right outside of a parking garage (2131 East 9th Street on Google Maps) that sells hot dogs for $1.25, Peanuts for $1 or $1.25 (can't remember which), and bottled water for 50 cents, all of which you can take inside. The food tastes great, and he and his wife seem like good people. It's a great way to save money on ballpark food.

- If you use the coupon code ATBAT12 on MLB.com you get 20% your entire order.

- The "Tribe" Fan Club is being offered again. For $20 you get two tickets to a game, a tour of Progressive Field, your name on the scoreboard (including a picture), MLB.com Gameday Audio on the computer, and 10% off all purchases at the Indians team shop or Indians.com. Not a bad deal, especially when the $20 covers the tickets (I think we got Mezzanine last season).

- The Indians have upgraded the club seat experience. There is a wider selection of foods, it's more spread out, and it's still unlimited. They've also dropped the price - $65 per ticket.

- Next weekend the Indians are opening a new indoor Kids "Fun Zone" area.

- "Rally Alley" events are being planned that will have live music, food, games, and autograph sessions with former players such as Kenny Lofton and Carlos Baerga. This will take place in the area between Progressive Field and Quicken Loans Arena.

Now a little bit about my game experiences.

I've been to four so far, and will end up going to 33 on the season. The crowds so far have been small and quiet for the most part. Friday's crowd was the best non-opening day crowd...today's crowd started the wave when Pestano was trying to get out of the game-changing jam in the 8th...pretty terrible. I found it interesting that vending prices went up for opening day and then back down for other games. Looking at the attendance numbers, I guess I can't blame them. They now have stands set up right by the Home Run Porch, and have some new foods all around the ballpark. It seems like they are trying to be creative in improving the in-game experience every year, which I love seeing.

I'll share more as the season goes on. I'd love to hear other people's experiences as well.

[b00bie]

I'd really like to hear from anyone who's attended a game in the social suite.

Teams all around MLB are considering proposals such as the one Cleveland currently has going and I would love to get some feedback I could take into meetings just as a reference point.

[QuartertilFive]

Also a season ticket holder (12 game share in 172 row A). I've been to 4 games so far including Friday's win (only game so far in my seats). Hannahan really impressed me on Friday - before the game he stopped over to talk to someone he clearly knew. A line soon formed behind the guy and Jack continued his conversation with his friend while signing autographs and posing for pictures with everyone who asked. The best part was when he took the time to talk to what looked like a highschool kid for a few minutes.

As far as food goes, they are definitely doing a great job mixing things up. So far I've had a brat at that stand kind of by the budwieser patio, a burger/fries from cleats (still think its the best burger in the stadium...and the cajon fries are money) and some buffalo mac n cheese which was pretty solid. I also saw the food network stand with steak sandwiches is back this year...they were pretty awesome last year. A couple of my friends hit up the build your own hot dog stand and they said it was solid (one of them got the clevelander which had pulled pork and cole slaw on it).

[Marcus]

Already mentioned this in another thread, but I was also at the game Friday. I walked up and got the half off seats because I had my student ID. 13 bucks for a seat in straightaway center, 6 rows back (section 101). The crowd was small but they were energetic. Hopefully as the weather improves the attendance will too. I'm planning on attending at least a few more games this season. I'd go to more, but I absolutely despise the price of concessions -- a hot dog was 4.25, and a beer was anywhere from 7.75 to 10.00. I can't speak for everyone, but I like to enjoy a couple of beers when I go to any game, or if I'm watching on TV -- but 15-20 bucks for those couple of beers is a little steep.

But still, I love the gameday experience. Baseball is far and away my favorite sport, if not for the atmosphere, the time of the year, and the warm fuzzy feelings I still have from those 90's Indians teams, among plenty of other things.

[Huber.]

I'd really like to hear from anyone who's attended a game in the social suite.

Teams all around MLB are considering proposals such as the one Cleveland currently has going and I would love to get some feedback I could take into meetings just as a reference point.

Nice try, Dodgers social media coordinator.

- There's a hot dog vendor on E. 9th Street right outside of a parking garage (2131 East 9th Street on Google Maps) that sells hot dogs for $1.25, Peanuts for $1 or $1.25 (can't remember which), and bottled water for 50 cents, all of which you can take inside. The food tastes great, and he and his wife seem like good people. It's a great way to save money on ballpark food.

Since when can you take in hot dogs? I thought it was only peanuts and bottled water. Can you take in other food?



I have only been to opening day. After about the 6th inning the crowd sucked. You think people in Cleveland would be used to cold weather by now......beer was only $4.50 for iron city which taste like Budlight to me. That will be my beer this season.

[sgm405]

Since when can you take in hot dogs? I thought it was only peanuts and bottled water. Can you take in other food?

We've been getting food from that guy for 5 years now...so awhile. I don't think the Indians broadcast that for obvious reasons.

[Gunther]

Went to the game Saturday and sat in the 170's. No one there. Admittedly, there was a three hour rain delay at the beginning of the game which I spent in a bar, so I'm not going to complain about the attendance for that particular game. There were two "Pujols" fans (not Angels fans) who kept cracking on the Tribe a few rows back, so my buddy and I gave it back all we could. My buddy came up with the name "Poo Holes" which sounded original to me (being drunk), so we were good Cleveland fans and shouted this out every time he failed in the game. They told us they were going to wear old school Pujols Cardinals jerseys in the bleachers the next day, and since we could hear the bleachers fans giving it to Mike Trout (rookie chiding), we told them we wished them the best of fucking luck. They eventually left. As for my experience, I would call it typical. All of the employees worked hard, even wiping down our seats with a towel the first time we sat down. No complaints from me, a great game to attend, even though we lost to Dan Haren. Had a lot of fun.

[Nom]

I'd really like to hear from anyone who's attended a game in the social suite.

Teams all around MLB are considering proposals such as the one Cleveland currently has going and I would love to get some feedback I could take into meetings just as a reference point.

I sat in the Social Suite 5-6 times last year and the Social Deck a few times the year before that - also in there for the OSU/Mich hockey game. There is no food or anything like that in the suite, but they do have the press sheet with all the stats / info for the game. They send people up to make sure everyone is ok and shmooze (one time Shapiro came up).

For weekend games, they took us down to the visitor's dugout to watch the fireworks show. Pretty cool standing on the field with most of the crowd still there. Got to pick up the bullpen phone and see all the stuff in the dugout which was a cool experience.

I got the invite for Opening Day this year but already had plans - hope to make a few games in the Suite later this year. It isn't some incredible all-inclusive experience - but you definitely feel pretty cool for sitting up there.

[b00bie]

Certainly sounds like an interesting experience, the problem most teams face is the lack of innovation with social media as it's still pretty much in it's infantile stages.

Nobody really knows how to successfully incorporate this stuff into the sports realm.

While the Indians have certainly been innovators in this circle, what is their big payoff in having that title?

I'm still not sure.

The biggest success I've noticed is the way players can interact with fans via twitter or facebook.

Retweeting a fan or giving a shoutout is basically the new version of an autograph and it's good for all ages and build the image of the player.


From a business perspective, I'm not sure the juice is worth the squeeze the way some teams are hiring an extra salaried employee simply for social media purposes.

[Nom]

Certainly sounds like an interesting experience, the problem most teams face is the lack of innovation with social media as it's still pretty much in it's infantile stages.

Nobody really knows how to successfully incorporate this stuff into the sports realm.

While the Indians have certainly been innovators in this circle, what is their big payoff in having that title?

I'm still not sure.

The biggest success I've noticed is the way players can interact with fans via twitter or facebook.

Retweeting a fan or giving a shoutout is basically the new version of an autograph and it's good for all ages and build the image of the player.


From a business perspective, I'm not sure the juice is worth the squeeze the way some teams are hiring an extra salaried employee simply for social media purposes.

This is just my own personal theory - but one thing that helps the Indians is that by having the Social Suite (as well as Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr, Foursquare and everything else) is that if people know the team is going to be interacting directly with them and providing them opportunities - they may be a little less likely to be overly negative about the organization.

Obviously it isn't helping much - but you rarely see people say TOO MUCH negative from the Social Suite. The team doesn't police it in any way, but I think since people are guests and suddenly speaking directly with the team, they are less likely to bash the team (as wee see a lot on this very board).

[Huber.]

I went to the game yesterday expecting to buy the $9 cheap seats. The lady told me the cheapest seats they had were $22 in the lower reserve and all of the upper deck was $25. They raised the prices of the upper deck and lower the price of the Lower RF seats. My guess is that it's because people were buying the cheap seats and moving down so they are making people sit in the lower bowl. With attendance where it is how can you do that to fans?

[b00bie]

I went to the game yesterday expecting to buy the $9 cheap seats. The lady told me the cheapest seats they had were $22 in the lower reserve and all of the upper deck was $25. They raised the prices of the upper deck and lower the price of the Lower RF seats. My guess is that it's because people were buying the cheap seats and moving down so they are making people sit in the lower bowl. With attendance where it is how can you do that to fans?

That section wasn't open because nobody is sitting there, so they'll close down the concession stands and not bring pay security guards or maintenance.

[Huber.]

That section wasn't open because nobody is sitting there, so they'll close down the concession stands and not bring pay security guards or maintenance.

No, some of those upper deck sections were open and they were for sale but they were actually more than the lower bowl. People were sitting up there since the $22 RF price range sold out later that night and they have season ticket holders up there along with the all you can eat seats.

[sgm405]

I sat in the Social Suite 5-6 times last year and the Social Deck a few times the year before that - also in there for the OSU/Mich hockey game. There is no food or anything like that in the suite, but they do have the press sheet with all the stats / info for the game. They send people up to make sure everyone is ok and shmooze (one time Shapiro came up).

For weekend games, they took us down to the visitor's dugout to watch the fireworks show. Pretty cool standing on the field with most of the crowd still there. Got to pick up the bullpen phone and see all the stuff in the dugout which was a cool experience.

I got the invite for Opening Day this year but already had plans - hope to make a few games in the Suite later this year. It isn't some incredible all-inclusive experience - but you definitely feel pretty cool for sitting up there.

Do you buy a ticket for the suite? Is it invite-only?

[Chris]

Not sure how people buy the tickets and then "move down." Have tried to do this several times and each time got swarmed by about 16 rent a cops and park employees who promptly told me to go back, and that they had snipers and shit with their scopes on those seats to make sure people don't do that.