Pinstripe Politics, June 15

The Yankees blog WasWatching reports that the Yankees are going to wait until after the season to address concerns with the Stadium's design.

Meanwhile, Bud Selig, the commissioner of Major League Baseball, says he loves the new Stadium and doesn't mind the ticket pricing....also, he doesn't seem to understand economics. Says Selig:

"People don't understand: Baseball is the cheapest form of sports entertainment and, for the most part, of entertainment," he said. " I just bought a bunch of concert tickets for my granddaughters and daughters....My goodness gracious, these tickets were $200, $300, $400 apiece."

via MLB commish Bud Selig applauds new Yankee Stadium, Citi Field

What Selig seems to have conveniently forgotten, is how supply and demand works.
Let's make a quick cost/supply comparison:

• Average Knicks Ticket - $70.51
  
• Madison Square Garden Seating Capacity - 19,763
• 41 home games per season

• Average Yankees ticket - $72.97
• Yankee Stadium seating capacity - 52,325
• 81 home games per season

As you can see, Yankee tickets are indeed comparable to that of their inter-sport competitors, however their supply is drastically higher (and other sports tend to sell-out almost every game).

Coming up later this week: It's a Pinstripe Politics bonanza when David Cone testifies in favor of Bronx-born Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor!

NOTE: Make sure to check back every Wednesday for Pinstripe Politics, your source for that gray area where the Yankees and society converge. Also, check in with the BNN on Fridays for The Yankees, Unobstructed, our weekly Yankee opinion column.

For more of Graham Kates' sports writing, check out his True/Slant blog "Coaches in the Crosshairs" (www.trueslant.com/grahamkates).