"Brother, can you spare a dime? How about a pitcher?"

Every industry is suffering in the economy, especially those you might call discretionary. And baseball might not be in the best shape to weather the current depression.

The U.S. sports league faces a drop in attendance of 5 to 10 percent this year, while revenue generated by sales of tickets, food and souvenirs to fans, and suites and sponsorships to companies could also suffer, baseball officials said. It would mark the second straight year of lower turnout.

The first test of the recession’s impact is season-ticket sales, with many teams reporting lower numbers.

However, the extent of the impact remains to be seen. 2008 was one of the best seasons for baseball, but the economy crashed to earth like it was tied to a hundred anvils, and nobody has money anymore.

From my perspective, living in a three-sport town, baseball is the best value going, especially if you’re fortunate enough to have a minor league team or two kicking around. For a 50  bucks at my local MLB stadium, I can sit in the primo seats on the day of the game, as long as it’s not a huge team like the Yanks. By contrast, that puts me in the nosebleeds if I’m even able to go to a football game, hockey is pretty expensive once you get out of the drunken Canadian section, and basketball is similarly expensive if you actually want to see the action. Still, people are cutting back, and even a baseball game seems like a luxury when you don’t have a job.

Source.

Rick Vaughn business, reuters