Yesterday Jason over at It’s About The Money, Stupid (IIATMS) brought up some issues in his blog post “Maybe it's time to worry about the Padres” that I wanted to address in more detail than is proper for a comment section.
Let me begin by saying that if you don't read Jasons blog on a daily basis you are mising out on some great commentary on baseball.
I really don't share any of the concerns expressed in his post about the Padres payroll or viability any more than I do for any small market club. The system in baseball as a whole needs to be changed in order for these small market teams to consistently compete.
That is a topic that is worthy of an entire series of blog posts so I am not going to try to cover it in any length here today.
The problem does not lie solely with the Padres. No small market team today can afford to keep players of Adrian Gonzalez's caliber, players that will earn $20+ million in free agency, and continue to compete with one player taking up such a large of a percentage of their total payroll.
Why do I say that? Well according to an article by Peter Gammons (and from some lite research of my own), I have found that no team since the advent of Free Agency has won a World Series with one player making more than 16% of total payroll and no team has made it to the World Series (or even the NLCS) with one player making more than 20% of the total payroll.
At a $70-80 million payroll that Moorad and company have told us they want the Padres payroll to be at in coming seasons, history tells us that the most the Padres can pay a single player and continue to compete would be under $16 million per season.
Do YOU think Adrian Gonzalez should or would take a contract of $12-16 million per season to stay in San Diego instead of a Teixeira-like deal elsewhere? (8 years/$180 million or $21.5 million per season)
As far as the Padres current $38.025 million ML payroll goes there are a couple of points to be made.
The Padres current payroll is more result of conditions that were court mandated because of the Moores divorce than of market woes or size.
There is ample evidence that the team, the fan base and the market can support a larger payroll as the Padres had a $73+ million payroll in 2008 and a $69 million payroll in 2006. In fact, before the Moores filed for divorce, every season since the opening of Petco Park the payroll has been higher than it was in any season prior to the park’s opening in 2004.
The Moores divorce has locked the payroll at a size that would preclude any losses that the Moorad group has not volunteered to cover.
In 2008 the Padres organization lost $15 million with a $73 million payroll. The Padres partners (John and Becky Moores and their daughter) had to take money out of their poclets to balance the team budget going into the next season. That is the way a general partnership works. You either borrow money to balance the books or the partner pony it up. This we know from records made public in the divorce.
Until such time as Moorad and his group take majority ownership (2012 season?) and the Moores divorce is finalized (who knows when) the Padres are in a bind.
They cannot put forth a payroll that would create a cash call for the partners. In other words they cannot raise the payroll much above where it is now and are working with their hands tied behind their backs this season and until Moores divorce is final.
This team will see payroll rise in the coming years and I believe Moorad when he says that he and his investment group are looking to have the Padres major league payroll in the $70-80 million range.
With revenue in the $150-170 million range that is a reasonable amount for the Padres or any team to spend on the players on the field.
What it will not do is allow the Padres to keep a player like Adrian Gonzalez or any other player that rises to his level of performance and worth in the future.
The system is broken. Only about 1/3 of the teams in baseball can afford a player like Gonzalez. Realistically probably only a handful can take on a salary that size and the economy and another headline divorce may have shrunken that number to just 2.
So its not about the Padres ability to raise payroll under normal circumstances or about the Padres market or fanbase to support the team. Its not about a tradition. If you have ever been to a playoff game in San Diego you KNOW we have some rabid and loyal fans here.
Right now its about a divorce.
Okay I've gotta say it:
It's about the money, stupid!
(There were a few obvious errors in Jason's article. Geoff at Ducksnorts already pointed that Garland was not a Padre in 2009. The Padres payroll was $43,333,700 at the start of the 2009 season and $43,210,258 at the end of the season according to Biz of Baseball and $43,734,200 according to Cots MLB Contracts.)
Showing posts with label Ducksnorts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ducksnorts. Show all posts
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Monday, June 01, 2009
Ducksnorts says what I wanted to about Gwynn, but was too angry to type
Monday June 1, 2009
Geoff Young over at Ducksnorts said in a coherent manner what I tried to get across about Gwynn's defense on Saturday. I guess only posting once a week or so has its benefits.
I was so ticked off about how Gwynn cost the Padres that game I was just doing my best not to lace the whole post with profanity. With much gnashing of teeth and cussing under my breath, I pounded out a barely coherent post.
Geoff took a few days and posted a much more eloquent post on Gwynn's performance that started with:
And just maybe Gwynn should take some fielding lessons from his Gold Glove winning father.
Thanks Geoff. Wish I could have said that as well as you did.
Geoff Young over at Ducksnorts said in a coherent manner what I tried to get across about Gwynn's defense on Saturday. I guess only posting once a week or so has its benefits.
I was so ticked off about how Gwynn cost the Padres that game I was just doing my best not to lace the whole post with profanity. With much gnashing of teeth and cussing under my breath, I pounded out a barely coherent post.
Geoff took a few days and posted a much more eloquent post on Gwynn's performance that started with:
Gwynn gave a clinic on how not to play center field. We’ll cut him slack for not tracking down Clint Barmes’ first-inning triple to right-center. If Gwynn lays out for that ball, maybe he catches it. I’ve got enough other gripes that I don’t want a missed highlight reel opportunity to be a sticking point.Then he laid out the three plays Gwynn blew that gave the win to the Rockies. I encourage you to go over to his blog and take a look at the rest of what he wrote about Gwynn. Young has good writing skills (something I don't have) and he took the time to cool down (something I didn't do) before he posted. Maybe I should take a lesson from that.
And just maybe Gwynn should take some fielding lessons from his Gold Glove winning father.
Thanks Geoff. Wish I could have said that as well as you did.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Fire Bud Black!
Monday May 11, 2009
Fire Bud Black!
Yes I know I have said that before, but I have just finished reading Geoff Young's post today on his blog Ducksnorts.com and I am hopping mad at Black right now.
What got me so angry? This:
If Black does not know what Meredith's tendencies are he has no business being a manager in the major leagues.
If Black DOES know Meredith's rendencies, WHY would he bring Meredith into 8 games THIS SEASON with runners in scoring position and another 2 in high leverage situations?
Either way Black does not belong in a position where he has to make those calls.
Fire Bud Black! Do it today!
Fire Bud Black!
Yes I know I have said that before, but I have just finished reading Geoff Young's post today on his blog Ducksnorts.com and I am hopping mad at Black right now.
What got me so angry? This:
Meredith entered the game with one out and the bases loaded, which as I noted in the Ducksnorts 2009 Baseball Annual is not when you want to use him. Here’s an updated look at his numbers in those situations through May 10, 2009:
When Not to Use Cla Meredith, 2007-2009 PA BA OBP SLG *Includes third base only, first and third, second and third, and bases loaded. Runner at third* 111 .446 .477 .565 High-leverage 203 .354 .399 .519 Overall 693 .297 .345 .391 As you can see, Meredith becomes a very different pitcher in pressure situations.
If Black does not know what Meredith's tendencies are he has no business being a manager in the major leagues.
If Black DOES know Meredith's rendencies, WHY would he bring Meredith into 8 games THIS SEASON with runners in scoring position and another 2 in high leverage situations?
Either way Black does not belong in a position where he has to make those calls.
Fire Bud Black! Do it today!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
A Few Marketing Ideas for the Padres
January 21, 2009
Geoff over at Ducksnorts and Jbox (or dex I forget) over at Gaslamp Ball started talking about what the Padres could do to draw more fans.
Both said they were not marketers, and that got me thinking.
Hey! I AM in marketing. What can I do to help out?
So here is my little stream of consciousness rant on baseball marketing.
1st – Make a Sunday Summer Season Ticket package for Dads and their kids.
The Six Sundays of Summer. June 21st to Aug 23rd.
Kids are the future. Getting kids to the games creates the fanatics, like me, of the future.
You have a Family night on Fridays right now, but many Dads can only really have time on Sundays.
2nd – Give EVERY Season Ticket holder a chance to get up close with the players.
For years the Padres held a season ticket holders autograph session with the players and coaches. Regardless of the size of your season ticket you got to go. Once Petco opened that all changed and now only us full season ticket holders get in.
I don’t think the Padres realize how many people bought season tickets just for that privilege. They may have only attended 5 or six games a year on that 20 or 40 game package, but they BOUGHT it so they would have a chance to meet the players.
BRING IT BACK!
3rd – Sponsor Tailgate parties!
Bring in the official radio station (or other stations) and have a broadcast from the tailgate parking lot. Allow Vendors (that pay you big money to do it) to give away samples of their drink or free food.
4th – Sponsor a Local Elementary School for Sunday games during the school year.
To my reckoning that is about 6 games. Trot the kids out onto the field before the game and let us all cheer for them. It will be an experience they will never forget and it will engender a life long love for the Padres and baseball.
Get the players out to local elementary schools all during the school year to hype up the program and do community service work.
Stick them up in those seats in nosebleed that you can’t sell most Sundays anyway and you will make out from all the concessions and other licensed stuff they will buy. They will love it and you will benefit big time. Shoot, it’s probably a tax write off so you will make out in 4 ways – publicity, lifelong fans, concessions and taxes.
5th – Bring back the Compadres Club.
Let me tell you a story. In 2002 I was working 80+ hours per week as the owner of my own direct marketing firm. I was, and am still, a full season ticket holder, but my plan going into the year was to only make about half the games and give the rest away to my employees as bonuses (and a tax write off for me).
I don’t know if you remember, I wish I couldn’t because it was painful to watch, but the Padres stunk that year. Lost 90 something games.
Well, come the middle of July I noticed that I was at about 40 games attended.
Some of the games I had only made for a few innings, but I was still going. Sometimes I even gave away my season seats and then bought a cheap seat, paid for parking and watched for the last 3 or 4 innings. If I was diligent I could still get my Gold Star pin.
Why? Why would I do that?
WELL, for the bat they gave away for going to 70 plus games, a Gold Star pin that only about 700 people would get and for the opportunity to walk on the field with my bat held high on that last game of the year.
It was a point of honor.
And it wouldn’t be the same to just give it to me for being a season ticket holder like they did this year. Where is the fun in that?
The fun was in making sure I had a ticket even if I had to buy another one and racing in before the 7th inning when the Compadres Club Machines closed and running that damned card.
The Padres club also engendered a camaraderie amongst those who stood in line to swipe those cards. We made friends with other fans, not just those that sat in our section. We went on road trips together as fellow Padres fans. We looked forward to seeing those people in line.
Getting a season ticket holders Compadres Club card also made us feel special.
We got a discount in the Padres store because of that card. We probably bought 30-40% more in dollar value than we other wise would have because of that 10 or 15% discount. You won.
Now I don’t buy anything in the store. It is cheaper elsewhere and there is no that sense of belonging that I got by running my card and getting a small discount.
And most importantly from a marketing stand point, the Compadres Club captured the contact information from fans. It gave you an in house list of people to market to. It is ALWAYS more successful and more profitable to market to people who are already buying some of your product(s).
Add in a “tell a friend” referral bonus like one free seat upgrade to some really great “little league” seats behind home plate for anyone who refers a season ticket buyer and you may even get more value for your advertising dollar.
BRING IT BACK!
6th – Have Fans throw out the first pitch on the last game of the season.
Use that “Jersey off a Players Back” drawing to do three things.
One - Raise money for charity.
Two - Capture fan information. (See Compadres Club for why that is crucial)
Three - Bring fans to the ballpark regardless of record for those last few games.
This is how it would work.
The last MONTH of the season you would sell the Jersey off a players back scratch off tickets.
If the fans did not get a winner, they would get to fill in their contact info on the back and drop it off at a Compadres Club location for a chance to win
Grand Prize(s) – Throw out the First Pitch on the Final Day of the Season
1st Prize – 2 of the best seats in the house or Owners Box seats.
2nd Prize – A Signed Baseball from that season’s star player.
3rd Prize – A $25.00 gift card for the Padres Store.
You would have a drawing on the 2nd to last game to announce the winners.
7th – Have Padres PLAYERS throw out the first pitch at local Little League games.
Especially their season openers. Can you imagine how excited those kids will be for Padres baseball if even a Bullpen Pitcher or a Backup Catcher shows up to throw out the first pitch at one of their games? And if it is the Star pitcher or the Local boy turned All Star its all that much better. WOW!
They will drag their parents kicking and screaming to a few games at Petco just because of that PR appearance. And its FREE to you!
8th – Add a “Tell a Friend” bonus for Season ticket holders
If you refer someone buys season tickets you get an upgrade for one game for awesome seats behind home plate. Or one Field Level ticket for every seat in your season ticket package for some games that you will have a hard time selling anyway like mid week games against the Pirates or Marlins or something like that.
The companies I consult for are seeing 30%-40% of their revenue come from referrals. The people who send them those referrals are compensated for them at a rate that is much less than the amount it would normally cost the company to generate a new sale, and they are GLAD to do it.
You are not using a fundamental marketing strategy.
That is a good start off the top of my head. Anymore and you will have to pay my consulting fee and I am not cheap. LOL.
Seriously, minor league teams in the Padres system are doing a better job of marketing their teams and building their fan base. This is supposed to be the Major Leagues. Where is the major league marketing talent?
Larry Lucchino was good at marketing and he had Charles Steinberg DDS to help him. They were so focused on making the fan experience a fun one, that they increased ticket and licensed merchandise sales even when the team was losing.
I've had my say. Now what do you think?
Geoff over at Ducksnorts and Jbox (or dex I forget) over at Gaslamp Ball started talking about what the Padres could do to draw more fans.
Both said they were not marketers, and that got me thinking.
Hey! I AM in marketing. What can I do to help out?
So here is my little stream of consciousness rant on baseball marketing.
1st – Make a Sunday Summer Season Ticket package for Dads and their kids.
The Six Sundays of Summer. June 21st to Aug 23rd.
Kids are the future. Getting kids to the games creates the fanatics, like me, of the future.
You have a Family night on Fridays right now, but many Dads can only really have time on Sundays.
2nd – Give EVERY Season Ticket holder a chance to get up close with the players.
For years the Padres held a season ticket holders autograph session with the players and coaches. Regardless of the size of your season ticket you got to go. Once Petco opened that all changed and now only us full season ticket holders get in.
I don’t think the Padres realize how many people bought season tickets just for that privilege. They may have only attended 5 or six games a year on that 20 or 40 game package, but they BOUGHT it so they would have a chance to meet the players.
BRING IT BACK!
3rd – Sponsor Tailgate parties!
Bring in the official radio station (or other stations) and have a broadcast from the tailgate parking lot. Allow Vendors (that pay you big money to do it) to give away samples of their drink or free food.
4th – Sponsor a Local Elementary School for Sunday games during the school year.
To my reckoning that is about 6 games. Trot the kids out onto the field before the game and let us all cheer for them. It will be an experience they will never forget and it will engender a life long love for the Padres and baseball.
Get the players out to local elementary schools all during the school year to hype up the program and do community service work.
Stick them up in those seats in nosebleed that you can’t sell most Sundays anyway and you will make out from all the concessions and other licensed stuff they will buy. They will love it and you will benefit big time. Shoot, it’s probably a tax write off so you will make out in 4 ways – publicity, lifelong fans, concessions and taxes.
5th – Bring back the Compadres Club.
Let me tell you a story. In 2002 I was working 80+ hours per week as the owner of my own direct marketing firm. I was, and am still, a full season ticket holder, but my plan going into the year was to only make about half the games and give the rest away to my employees as bonuses (and a tax write off for me).
I don’t know if you remember, I wish I couldn’t because it was painful to watch, but the Padres stunk that year. Lost 90 something games.
Well, come the middle of July I noticed that I was at about 40 games attended.
Some of the games I had only made for a few innings, but I was still going. Sometimes I even gave away my season seats and then bought a cheap seat, paid for parking and watched for the last 3 or 4 innings. If I was diligent I could still get my Gold Star pin.
Why? Why would I do that?
WELL, for the bat they gave away for going to 70 plus games, a Gold Star pin that only about 700 people would get and for the opportunity to walk on the field with my bat held high on that last game of the year.
It was a point of honor.
And it wouldn’t be the same to just give it to me for being a season ticket holder like they did this year. Where is the fun in that?
The fun was in making sure I had a ticket even if I had to buy another one and racing in before the 7th inning when the Compadres Club Machines closed and running that damned card.
The Padres club also engendered a camaraderie amongst those who stood in line to swipe those cards. We made friends with other fans, not just those that sat in our section. We went on road trips together as fellow Padres fans. We looked forward to seeing those people in line.
Getting a season ticket holders Compadres Club card also made us feel special.
We got a discount in the Padres store because of that card. We probably bought 30-40% more in dollar value than we other wise would have because of that 10 or 15% discount. You won.
Now I don’t buy anything in the store. It is cheaper elsewhere and there is no that sense of belonging that I got by running my card and getting a small discount.
And most importantly from a marketing stand point, the Compadres Club captured the contact information from fans. It gave you an in house list of people to market to. It is ALWAYS more successful and more profitable to market to people who are already buying some of your product(s).
Add in a “tell a friend” referral bonus like one free seat upgrade to some really great “little league” seats behind home plate for anyone who refers a season ticket buyer and you may even get more value for your advertising dollar.
BRING IT BACK!
6th – Have Fans throw out the first pitch on the last game of the season.
Use that “Jersey off a Players Back” drawing to do three things.
One - Raise money for charity.
Two - Capture fan information. (See Compadres Club for why that is crucial)
Three - Bring fans to the ballpark regardless of record for those last few games.
This is how it would work.
The last MONTH of the season you would sell the Jersey off a players back scratch off tickets.
If the fans did not get a winner, they would get to fill in their contact info on the back and drop it off at a Compadres Club location for a chance to win
Grand Prize(s) – Throw out the First Pitch on the Final Day of the Season
1st Prize – 2 of the best seats in the house or Owners Box seats.
2nd Prize – A Signed Baseball from that season’s star player.
3rd Prize – A $25.00 gift card for the Padres Store.
You would have a drawing on the 2nd to last game to announce the winners.
7th – Have Padres PLAYERS throw out the first pitch at local Little League games.
Especially their season openers. Can you imagine how excited those kids will be for Padres baseball if even a Bullpen Pitcher or a Backup Catcher shows up to throw out the first pitch at one of their games? And if it is the Star pitcher or the Local boy turned All Star its all that much better. WOW!
They will drag their parents kicking and screaming to a few games at Petco just because of that PR appearance. And its FREE to you!
8th – Add a “Tell a Friend” bonus for Season ticket holders
If you refer someone buys season tickets you get an upgrade for one game for awesome seats behind home plate. Or one Field Level ticket for every seat in your season ticket package for some games that you will have a hard time selling anyway like mid week games against the Pirates or Marlins or something like that.
The companies I consult for are seeing 30%-40% of their revenue come from referrals. The people who send them those referrals are compensated for them at a rate that is much less than the amount it would normally cost the company to generate a new sale, and they are GLAD to do it.
You are not using a fundamental marketing strategy.
That is a good start off the top of my head. Anymore and you will have to pay my consulting fee and I am not cheap. LOL.
Seriously, minor league teams in the Padres system are doing a better job of marketing their teams and building their fan base. This is supposed to be the Major Leagues. Where is the major league marketing talent?
Larry Lucchino was good at marketing and he had Charles Steinberg DDS to help him. They were so focused on making the fan experience a fun one, that they increased ticket and licensed merchandise sales even when the team was losing.
I've had my say. Now what do you think?
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