Miami Marlins, desperate to fill stadium for opening day, offering ‘buy one, get one free’ tickets

[El Supremo]

http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/VeiPVfx0GmEVJPnAPJj7Iw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NQ--/
Marlin fans at a game last September. (AP)

The Miami Marlins already gave away most of their players to the Toronto Blue Jays, and now, to get some fans in the stands, they're giving away tickets too.

To get a crowd on opening day, the Marlins ticket office is trying to lure fans with this offer: Buy a ticket to the team's April 8 home opener against the Atlanta Braves and get a free ticket to another game in April or May. This officially makes them the Payless Shoe Source of baseball.

You'll recall that when single-game tickets went on sale there were fewer people there than a Starbucks drive-thru at 8 a.m. That's despite the fancy two-year-old stadium in South Florida.

From the South Florida Sun-Sentinel:

Last year anyone who didn’t purchase a season-ticket plan had to enter a lottery for a slim chance of scoring a ticket to the inaugural opener.

Marlins President David Samson recently said season-ticket sales had fallen from just over 12,000 in 2012 to fewer than 5,000. Asked if he expected a sellout for the opener, he said, “I don’t know. I really don’t.”

The rest at: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/miami-marlins-desperate-fill-stadium-opening-day-offering-182012822--mlb.html

[bluedigger]

1. That's just pathetic.

[RockaFowler]

2. The Owner is Pathetic

I just wish they would sell the team and leave town. No-one wants them here. The Flagship Radio Station blasts them on a daily basis. They had a fanbase last year, but they decided to piss on us so they could make more money. Jeffery Loria can kiss my a*&.

Will I watch the games this year?? Maybe. I just don't care anymore. TZ is trying to get me to like the Nationals. I may do that!!

[bluedigger]

3. I feel for you.

Records notwithstanding, even mim's Pirates aren't this inept. Maybe "the Nationals' solution" is just what they need. MLB should just take the team away (with proper compensation, of course) in the best interests of the sport.

[RockaFowler]

4. I wish that would happen

I really despise this group. They hate the fans. They shite on the public in general. And they lied to elected officials. Not that many others haven't done that.

[El Supremo]

5. Wasn't Loria involved in that too?

He's a cancer on baseball.

[bluedigger]

6. Couldn't say.

I have enough trouble following the Sox' ownership foibles.

[RockaFowler]

7. I agree

He was involved with the Expos before the League let him buy the Marlins from John Henry. Not sure why they allowed him to ruin another franchise, though

[madinmaryland]

8. Hey! The Pirates were selling out last summer! I think they had ten in a row or something like

that!!

[bluedigger]

9. I wouldn't be too happy about that.

Unless your goal is complacency or whatnot.

It's to the Pirates credit that they haven't drowned hope in the Three Rivers.

[Auggie]

10. Back in the early 70's Cleveland sold .50¢ bleacher seats ...

that was practically giving them away, even in 1973. Then again, they had cavernous Cleveland Municipal Stadium to fill.

[madinmaryland]

13. Didn't they also have nickle beer night(s)??

At least until everyone got drunk and tore up the entire field.

[Auggie]

14. Yep, up until that fateful night in 1974

Forfeited a game Cleveland could have won. I was working, listening on radio to play-by-play man Joe Tait and Herb Score. Douchebags were running onto the field the entire night. Individual interruptions could be dealt with by stadium security. But then the stands emptied into the field ...

RIP, Nickel Beer Night

[bluedigger]

16. My grandfather used to pay a quarter for bleacher seats at Fenway in the '50's.

He was a grad student at Harvard so it probably was all he had.

[trumad]

11. Horrible owner...I mean horrible

at least we got good college and pro hoops.

Back to the beach...

[joeybee12]

12. Their latest offer: Don't Buy One, Get Two Free

[Auggie]

15. I was waiting for someone to post something like that ...

The old joke: "Grand Prize: you've won a week vacation in Cleveland. Second prize, you've won two weeks."

I grew up there so I can poke fun at it. The people are really great and I have many fond memories of the area.

[madinmaryland]

17. Here is an idea to get fans to fill the stadium...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=2475969

[Auggie]

18. LOL!!!

You just made my day

[KamaAina]

19. They could raffle this off as a door prize