Loge Infield Preferred and Platinum- Great and Empty Seats

[rickh150]

I am one who traditionally likes to sit in the Loge level. I like spots behind the plate. It is not as expensive as the best seats in the house in the Field Infield, but the seats were still  good for what you paid.

This season, however, the Brewers made subtle changes that have ultimately changed where I sit, along with seemingly many other Loge Infield sitters. Before the season, the team made a new category called platinum seats in various seating categories. These are or were the best seats in many categories: Field Infield, Field Outfield, Loge Infield, Loge Outfield, and Field Bleachers. In the mentioned Loge Infield, rows 6-10 in sections 216-220 behind home plate were turned to platinum seats, raising prices there by $9 to $15 in general from high 40s to high 50s or more. 

Even more, they changed a policy that you could no longer even purchase group tickets in these new platinum areas. So for me, my favorite Loge sections behind home plate are now roughly $10 more and I know longer can even purchase group tickets there, something I have been doing yearly once or twice a year for a dozen years. Buying group tickets in these sections are shockingly banned. Crazy.

I, like many, have changed seating areas. And what I have noticed is that those platinum areas, especially for midweek games, are noticeably less full or even alarmingly empty. Some of the best seats in the ballpark are not taken because of price, pushing people to worse seats. I equate this with what the team was doing for years in the more expensive Preferred sections (first five rows of Loge Platinum/Loge Infield) and how empty those seats are comparatively.

This is not a new or unusual concern, I realize. Nonetheless, my concern is that the team is not only pushing people out of favorite seats, but that they are essentially pushing them out of the ballpark. Instead of catering to get more people in the best seats, they are squeezing every last dollar out of the customer for those who want to sit there and losing some regulars in the process. Losing groups too. Personally, I used to go to ten to a dozen games yearly. Now, it is about half that.

Summarizing, it’s really an overreach of the Brewers on what they are asking for Loge Preferred and Platinum seats.  It is painfully obvious for midweek games to see really good seats on the second deck going unused. Before it was the first five rows of Loge Infield sections being sparsely used comparatively, Now it is the same for entire sections behind the plate. I hope the Brewers take notice to this and adjust.

Has anyone else noticed this or have been affected?

 

 

 

 

[Outlander]

Definitely have noticed this during the week. However, I have not bought direct from the Brewers during the week all season as I always find better seats for better prices elsewhere. Not necessarily keeping me out of the park, attendance will probably be about the same when all is said and done compared to last year. 

[TURBO]

I used to go to 5-10 games per season, sitting in various seats, not usually the same ones.  I do really enjoy the seats in the second level behind home plate though, and actually, have sat in section 217 the last two times. (no alcohol allowed)  I enjoy not dealing with the drunks, so the family sections are where it's at for me.

For the past 4-5 years, I've been going to no more than 2 games.  They have priced me out between parking, food, tickets and gas money to get there (I'm about an hour and a half from the stadium)  The food at the stadium is sub par, so why bother?

I enjoy watching on TV, so rather than pay $200 or more to go to one single game and avoiding all the hassles it takes to get there, this is what it has come to.

[Axman59]

57 minutes ago, TURBO said:

The food at the stadium is sub par, so why bother?

 

I agree why bother, but that doesn't stop me from going to games. I either tailgate (eating my own tasty and reasonably priced food) or eat somewhere else before the game. Then I carry in water and peanuts to snack on during the game.

I'd rather set myself on fire than to pay obscene amounts of money for the Brewers' subpar brats, hot dogs, and/or hamburgers. I'm shocked that so many people fork over hard earned money for their crap food.

[homer]

The pretzels from Milwaukee Pretzel Co. on the Loge level are fantastic.

[Playing Catch]

In all sports, the common fan is mysteriously priced out of going to games. I can never understand it, and am always asking, "Wouldn't they want me coming in to buy concessions instead of having empty seats?"

All I can figure is that some Brewers actuary has convinced Rick Schlesinger that indeed, they would prefer the empty seats.

Perhaps there is some hidden benefit in terms of staffing/supplying the stadium, I dunno. But I suppose that we, a flock of golden geese, will continue to faithfully follow our beloved sports teams anyway.

[rickh150]

2 hours ago, homer said:

The pretzels from Milwaukee Pretzel Co. on the Loge level are fantastic.

How much?

[homer]

1 hour ago, rickh150 said:

How much?

I don't remember. They are very large though 

[LouisEly]

On 6/26/2023 at 5:52 PM, Axman59 said:

I agree why bother, but that doesn't stop me from going to games. I either tailgate (eating my own tasty and reasonably priced food) or eat somewhere else before the game. Then I carry in water and peanuts to snack on during the game.

I'd rather set myself on fire than to pay obscene amounts of money for the Brewers' subpar brats, hot dogs, and/or hamburgers. I'm shocked that so many people fork over hard earned money for their crap food.

Slightly off-topic, but I discovered a wonderful solution about a decade ago. One of my friends from CA who is from WI was back in WI visiting and we went to a game.  I had recently moved back to WI and didn't have a portable grill and didn't really want to fork over $50 or whatever for a small grill that I wasn't going to use very often. 

My buddy and I are both huge Rocky Rococco fans, so we ordered takeout from the one on Bluemound and then took Bluemound all the way to the stadium parking lot.  Set up a table, dropped a large Rocky's on it, ate pizza, drank beer, and didn't have to light anything, wait for food to cook, or wait for a grill to cool down afterwards before putting it away.  The group of youngsters next to us who were struggling with their little grill... you should have seen the look on their faces.  They learned some wisdom from their elders that day.

[Axman59]

53 minutes ago, LouisEly said:

Slightly off-topic, but I discovered a wonderful solution about a decade ago. One of my friends from CA who is from WI was back in WI visiting and we went to a game.  I had recently moved back to WI and didn't have a portable grill and didn't really want to fork over $50 or whatever for a small grill that I wasn't going to use very often. 

My buddy and I are both huge Rocky Rococco fans, so we ordered takeout from the one on Bluemound and then took Bluemound all the way to the stadium parking lot.  Set up a table, dropped a large Rocky's on it, ate pizza, drank beer, and didn't have to light anything, wait for food to cook, or wait for a grill to cool down afterwards before putting it away.  The group of youngsters next to us who were struggling with their little grill... you should have seen the look on their faces.  They learned some wisdom from their elders that day.

No doubt. There's a million ways you can tailgate and not have to fire up a grill. For most people, having some good food (can be take out from almost anywhere) and cooler full of your favorite beverage is all that's needed for a tailgate. It will be tastier than the trash served in the park and hell of a lot cheaper.