BATTER UP!

[Ghostsoldier]

"A big buttered popcorn and an extra large coke
A few chili dogs and man I'm goin' broke
Down at the drive in
Yeah at the drive in
(we love the drive in, we love the drive in)" - The Beach Boys (1964)

Rob

 

[Fading Fast]

Very much so -- concessions at a ballpark are no different from concessions at a theatre in that respect.

Prices had gone up quite a bit by mid-century. If you went to see the Athletics or Phillies at Shibe Park in 1954, here's what you'd pay:

For comparison, the retail price of a bottled Coke in most of the US in 1954 was still five cents. So even then, the markup was substantial.

The captive audience brings in a different type of profit maximization equation. You don't have to worry about competition (can't step out of the ballpark to get a coke at the local newsstand), but how many customers do you lose as prices go up (in fancy schmancy economic terms - how elastic is the demand curve).

A little trial and error with pricing will quickly bring you an answer. What I think is rarely considered - but does get some press now, in part, thanks to social media - is the damage you can do to your "brand " (a ball park or theater, say) if you appear too greedy (even if, on paper, the "greedy" price maximizes profits).

Separate thought sparked by the menu above: growing up, there was a perception (for our Millennial friends, a meme ) in our primarily not-Jewish community that Kosher hotdogs (Kosher meet / food in general) was of better quality - was that true of the time? Does that perception still exist? Is it still true?

 

[LizzieMaine]

Jewish food really wasn't widely known away from the Northeast during the Era -- there were exceptions, of course, but the average American in Indiana or Missouri had no idea what a bagel was, or a knish, or a blintz, or any of the other delicacies well-known to urban Northeasterners. Kosher food wasn't common away from centers of Jewish population, so whatever reputation it had was pretty much confined to those areas.

That said, though, the average family in Brooklyn in 1937, whether Jewish or not, knew for a fact that a kosher hot dog was less likely to contain sawdust than a goyische weenie. (Oddly enough, given the team's large Jewish fanbase, kosher franks were never sold at Ebbets Field.)

 

[Harp]

Purely for curiosity sake, I did an internet search and face value for box seats for last year's World Series was ~$450.

Hence, World Series tickets have greatly outstripped inflation - no shock there.

It's probably even worse if one could compare the scalped prices.

The Cubs competed with the scalpers last year, hawking "standing room only" tickets but the biggest scam
arose when the city ethics committee chastised council aldermen and legally prohibited acceptance of team-supplied discount tickets.
The Wrigley neighborhood bars dipped their bread in the gravy pan too, and soaked fans with exorbitant cover charge.
Squeezing blood from a turnip comes quite naturally here in Chicago.

 

[2jakes]

I’m playing this for Polo, he’s happy again!

 

[LizzieMaine]

The Dodger coach seen poking his head out from behind the umpire in that Rockwell painting is Clyde Sukeforth, who used to live just down Route 1 from here. I got to interview him on radio back in the '80s, and he had a million stories -- not the least of which involved his assignment scouting Jackie Robinson for Brooklyn in 1945: he was the only other man in the room when Robinson and Branch Rickey had their fateful first meeting in the Dodger office.

Sukey was a real friend to baseball, not just at the major league level but at all levels -- he was very supportive of the local kids' leagues, and the town field in the community where he lived is named in his memory. Pretty good for an old blueberry farmer who never learned to hit the curveball.

 

[2jakes]

The Dodger coach seen poking his head out from behind the umpire in that Rockwell painting is Clyde Sukeforth, who used to live just down Route 1 from here. I got to interview him on radio back in the '80s, and he had a million stories -- not the least of which involved his assignment scouting Jackie Robinson for Brooklyn in 1945: he was the only other man in the room when Robinson and Branch Rickey had their fateful first meeting in the Dodger office.

Sukey was a real friend to baseball, not just at the major league level but at all levels -- he was very supportive of the local kids' leagues, and the town field in the community where he lived is named in his memory. Pretty good for an old blueberry farmer who never learned to hit the curveball.

Took a while to convince Polo that you have many happy stories too!

 

[Harp]

That cat sure looks like Cubs manager Joe Maddon.

 

[2jakes]

That cat sure looks like Cubs manager Joe Maddon.

Polo thinks Maddon is a cool cat!

 

[Harp]

Polo thinks Maddon is a cool cat!

Polo's absolutely correct!

 

[2jakes]

The picture on the right is Maddon’s baseball card from his first season of pro ball
where he hit .294 with a .360 OBP in 50 games for the single-A Quad Cities Angels.

The other card is a photo from Maddon’s first season as the manager of the
double-A Midland Angels in 1985. He was a minor league manager from 1981
through 1986 where he compiled a record of 279-339 in six seasons.

 

[Harp]

Joe's a great guy and a helluva manager. Yet the Cubs are struggling still, the post All Star break streak ended and the team plays, at best, inconsistently.
After nailing the Phils Saturday with a 17-2 slam, Sunday was a busted flush. All bats fell silent. No sweep of either the Reds or Phils but the
Milwaukee Brewers take two wins away from the Dodgers. Talk around town is that the Central D might not be the cakewalk lead pipe cinch previously
thought; or, that any post season run won't be so deep because of inconsistent play. Not finishing off the small fry hurts.
Last season's Series damaged Maddon's reputation; particularly Game 7 when he pulled Hendricks off the mound and drove the bullpen chaotic bereft of just cause,
despite Joe's claim of a scripted pitcher plot. The sports beat hasn't let him off the hook either, while a perceived lack of candor hurts Maddon more as the win/loss numbers
slide toward season's end. A reputation still strong but a struggling team that no longer gets the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Ghostsoldier]

William Joseph Klem, born William Joseph Klimm (February 22, 1874 – September 16, 1951), known as the "Old Arbitrator" and the "father of baseball umpires", was a National League (NL) umpire in Major League Baseball from 1905 to 1941.[1] He worked 18 World Series, which is a major league record. Klem was posthumously inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953

Rob

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel (/ˈstɛŋɡəl/; July 30, 1890 – September 29, 1975), nicknamed "The Old Perfessor", was an American Major League Baseball right fielder and manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966.

Rob

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Charles Albert "Chief" Bender (May 5, 1884[a 1] – May 22, 1954) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball during the first two decades of the 20th century. In 1911, Bender tied a record by pitching three complete games in a single World Series. He finished his career with a win-loss record of 212-127, for a .625 winning percentage and a career 2.46 earned run average (ERA).

After his major league playing career, Bender filled multiple baseball roles, including service as a major league coach, minor league manager and player-manager, college manager and professional scout. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953 and he died not long before his induction ceremony the following year.

Rob

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Armando Marsans (October 3, 1887 in Matanzas, Cuba – September 3, 1960 in Havana, Cuba) was a Major League Baseball outfielder from 1911 to 1918. He played in three different major leagues in his career: with the Cincinnati Reds in the National League (1911 to 1914), with the St. Louis Terriers in the Federal League (1914 to 1915), and with the St. Louis Browns and New York Yankees (1916 to 1918).

Rob

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Rob

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Denton True "Cy" Young (March 29, 1867 – November 4, 1955) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. During his 22-season baseball career (1890–1911), he pitched for five different teams. Young established numerous pitching records, some of which have stood for over a century. Young compiled 511 wins, which is most in Major League history and 94 ahead of Walter Johnson, second on the list.[1] Young was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937.

One year after Young's death, the Cy Young Award was created to honor the previous season's best pitcher.

Rob

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Roger Philip Bresnahan (June 11, 1879 – December 4, 1944), nicknamed "The Duke of Tralee", was an American player and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). As a player, Bresnahan competed in MLB for the Washington Senators (1897), Chicago Orphans (1900), Baltimore Orioles (1901–02), New York Giants (1902–08), St. Louis Cardinals (1909–12) and Chicago Cubs (1913–15). Bresnahan also managed the Cardinals (1909–12) and Cubs (1915). He was a member of the 1905 World Series champions.

Bresnahan began his MLB career as a pitcher. He also served as an outfielder, before becoming a regular catcher. For his MLB career, Bresnahan had a .279 batting average in 4,480 at bats and a 328–432 managerial win-loss record. Bresnahan popularized the use of protective equipment in baseball by introducing shin guards, to be worn by catchers, in 1907. He also developed the first batting helmet.

After retiring as a player, Bresnahan remained active in professional baseball. He owned the minor league Toledo Mud Hens and coached for the Giants and Detroit Tigers. He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1945 by the Veterans Committee.

Rob

 

[2jakes]

Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel (/ˈstɛŋɡəl/; July 30, 1890 – September 29, 1975), nicknamed "The Old Perfessor", was an American Major League Baseball right fielder and manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966.

View attachment 84031
Rob

I like the “cheaters” Stengel is wearing.
They look similar to the ones I ordered yesterday.
The lenses will be ‘30s coca-cola green.