Any other frustrated collectors out there???

[Seven]

Frustrated, has been my go to word to describe how I feel as a baseball fan, I feel Baseball is doing a lot of damage to its current and future fanbase. Especially with the advent of what Bluejays are now doing, with a lack of Radio Broadcast, I feel bad for their fans.

I love Programs and filling out the scorecard, while trying to keep up with the game. It's like a time honored tradition that gets passed down from Father to Son, at least in my case. To get rid of that, strips away one more thing from the fan experience.

As as side note, if the MLB truly cared about the fan experience, they'd make games more affordable. It's impossible to take the Family to a game anymore. It's way too expensive. Tickets, Parking, Food, you're looking at a huge bill, especially if you're in one of the major metro areas. I know the Falcons have cut down on concession costs, with the NFL but them withstanding, it's quite ridiculous.

Yes, it's a business, and they need to make their money, but would it kill baseball teams to make things a little more affordable? Because at this rate, I don't think I'll be able to afford to take my children, in the future to games. Went a little off the rails at the end, with my rant, sorry about that!

[BaltOrioles]

Originally Posted by Seven

Frustrated, has been my go to word to describe how I feel as a baseball fan, I feel Baseball is doing a lot of damage to its current and future fanbase. Especially with the advent of what Bluejays are now doing, with a lack of Radio Broadcast, I feel bad for their fans.

I love Programs and filling out the scorecard, while trying to keep up with the game. It's like a time honored tradition that gets passed down from Father to Son, at least in my case. To get rid of that, strips away one more thing from the fan experience.

As as side note, if the MLB truly cared about the fan experience, they'd make games more affordable. It's impossible to take the Family to a game anymore. It's way too expensive. Tickets, Parking, Food, you're looking at a huge bill, especially if you're in one of the major metro areas. I know the Falcons have cut down on concession costs, with the NFL but them withstanding, it's quite ridiculous.

Yes, it's a business, and they need to make their money, but would it kill baseball teams to make things a little more affordable? Because at this rate, I don't think I'll be able to afford to take my children, in the future to games. Went a little off the rails at the end, with my rant, sorry about that!

While the Orioles are driving me crazy with their decision to eliminate printed programs, I have to give them credit for their family friendly policies. Things will probably change with the COVID restrictions, but the last time fans were allowed at Camden Yards, familes could take advantage of the "Kids Cheer Free" program. When an adult bought an upper reserved seat, two kids 9 and under got in free. There were certain areas reserved for families and I think tickets were $20-25. Add to that the fact the Orioles allowed outside food into the stadium and parking could be had for $8, a family of 2 adults and 4 kids under 9 could see a game for $50-$60. That's pretty cheap considering you can't drive by some ballparks for less than that.

[thecatspajamas]

Seems like if they are already going to the trouble to produce a "digital" program (or yearbook or whatever other publication), they could also have a limited-time print-on-demand option which would cost them nothing more than paying the designer to produce a separate layout and formatting of the same content for the print version. If nobody buys it, fine, and the few who do will have a truly limited-edition collectible to treasure or trade down the line.

Next someone will tell me that they don't need a limited number of physical copies because the digital publications downloaded to your phone come with "blockchain." I'll just send 'em to Doug for my response.

[BaltOrioles]

Originally Posted by thecatspajamas

Seems like if they are already going to the trouble to produce a "digital" program (or yearbook or whatever other publication), they could also have a limited-time print-on-demand option which would cost them nothing more than paying the designer to produce a separate layout and formatting of the same content for the print version. If nobody buys it, fine, and the few who do will have a truly limited-edition collectible to treasure or trade down the line.

I totally agree. I seems to me that putting a publication together is most of the work and getting them printed is the easy part, but I'm not an expert on printing.

For what it's worth, here's the response I received back from the Orioles. I would be more optimistic, if the Orioles hadn't already started the process of going digital before the pandemic. They eliminated printed media guides and yearbooks several years ago.




Hi Alan,

We contacted our Publications department regarding your feedback and they wanted to share this note with you.

Dear Mr. Strout,

First, thank you for your nearly 50 years of loyal support as an Orioles fan. Fans like you, who have supported the team for decades and help to preserve the rich history of Orioles Baseball through your own personal collections, make Birdland truly special.

We appreciate you sharing your concerns with us regarding the decision not to print the 2021 Spring Training edition of Orioles Magazine, and certainly understand the importance of tradition even as technology evolves and changes the media landscape. Please know that this was not a decision that was made lightly, and it was ultimately due to the unique circumstances we find ourselves in as a result of the ongoing pandemic.

As we gradually return to normal, Ed Smith Stadium is operating at 25 percent capacity as part of the Orioles’ Gameday Health & Safety policies. For this reason, we made the decision to make the 2021 Spring Training edition of Orioles Magazine available exclusively online so that fans who aren’t able to make it to Sarasota this year can still read up on their favorite Birds. The decision also allows us to limit touch points at the ballpark.

We understand the value of a physical program, especially from a historical standpoint for a collector such as yourself, and will certainly take your concerns into consideration in our publications decisions moving forward. We take great pride in the production of Orioles Magazine, and hope that at the very least you found the content in the digital magazine enjoyable.

Thank you once again for sharing your concerns and for your many years of loyal support.

Best,

Orioles Publication Team

[mr2686]

It would be nice if they printed a limited run of say 10,000 programs, available on their website only. That way the collectors and die hard fans can have them.

[icollectDCsports]

Originally Posted by BaltOrioles

I totally agree. I seems to me that putting a publication together is most of the work and getting them printed is the easy part, but I'm not an expert on printing.

For what it's worth, here's the response I received back from the Orioles. I would be more optimistic, if the Orioles hadn't already started the process of going digital before the pandemic. They eliminated printed media guides and yearbooks several years ago.




Hi Alan,

We contacted our Publications department regarding your feedback and they wanted to share this note with you.

Dear Mr. Strout,

First, thank you for your nearly 50 years of loyal support as an Orioles fan. Fans like you, who have supported the team for decades and help to preserve the rich history of Orioles Baseball through your own personal collections, make Birdland truly special.

We appreciate you sharing your concerns with us regarding the decision not to print the 2021 Spring Training edition of Orioles Magazine, and certainly understand the importance of tradition even as technology evolves and changes the media landscape. Please know that this was not a decision that was made lightly, and it was ultimately due to the unique circumstances we find ourselves in as a result of the ongoing pandemic.

As we gradually return to normal, Ed Smith Stadium is operating at 25 percent capacity as part of the Orioles’ Gameday Health & Safety policies. For this reason, we made the decision to make the 2021 Spring Training edition of Orioles Magazine available exclusively online so that fans who aren’t able to make it to Sarasota this year can still read up on their favorite Birds. The decision also allows us to limit touch points at the ballpark.

We understand the value of a physical program, especially from a historical standpoint for a collector such as yourself, and will certainly take your concerns into consideration in our publications decisions moving forward. We take great pride in the production of Orioles Magazine, and hope that at the very least you found the content in the digital magazine enjoyable.

Thank you once again for sharing your concerns and for your many years of loyal support.

Best,

Orioles Publication Team

Not sure things will improve, but that's a thoughtful response.

[todeen]

Originally Posted by BaltOrioles

While the Orioles are driving me crazy with their decision to eliminate printed programs, I have to give them credit for their family friendly policies. Things will probably change with the COVID restrictions, but the last time fans were allowed at Camden Yards, familes could take advantage of the "Kids Cheer Free" program. When an adult bought an upper reserved seat, two kids 9 and under got in free. There were certain areas reserved for families and I think tickets were $20-25. Add to that the fact the Orioles allowed outside food into the stadium and parking could be had for $8, a family of 2 adults and 4 kids under 9 could see a game for $50-$60. That's pretty cheap considering you can't drive by some ballparks for less than that.

The Reds have some very fan friendly pricing for families, including free tickets for kids who are part of the fan club, and opportunities for fan club kids to get on the field, and to meet players. We paid $35 two years ago to join the fanclub for a youth jersey, backpack, and bobblehead. Don't live in Cincinnati so we couldn't access the tickets. In addition, they have family ticket packages of 4 that come with drinks and hot dogs for less than $50.

Better than anything the Mariners offer.

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