Ballpark Must Bring Marginal Customer

Apparently the honeymoon is over for D.C. baseball, but I can’t seem to figure out why. After a jubilant announcement that the Montreal Expos would relocate to the District, Mayor Anthony Williams has been beset by critics who claim that the money for a stadium would have been better spent on the city’s infrastructure and a woeful public school system.

Of course, Williams has thrown millions at the school systems with little results, so I’m not sure why throwing a few extra million would magically solve the problem. To me that just seems shortsighted. But regardless, Williams has acknowledged the political risk of building the stadium with public funds and why the stadium needs to be a monumental success. Pun very much intended.

For the stadium plan to be a success, essentially two things have to happen: the stadium has to pay for itself and generate new tax revenue for the city, and the city has to embrace the new team as its own. The latter would help justify the opportunity cost of forgoing spending on public programs in the short term for a longer term benefit.

So how can this stadium turn a profit and in turn generate revenue for city programs as well as generate interest among residents? In my previous column I examined the economic angle of the stadium proposal and essentially concluded that in order for the stadium to generate a net gain in tax revenue it has to attract fans from Maryland and Virginia to the ballpark. So now let’s look at how the stadium and the surrounding area can do that, and in the process project a good image to the District’s residents.

With the relocation, the District has the unique opportunity to create an entertainment zone in an otherwise unutilized neighborhood. With an influx of revelers drawn by a home game, area bars and restaurants will have a huge pool of potential clients. But that will only happen 81 times a year. The city should work hard to make the new area as appealing as possible year round. By doing so, they can continue to attract the marginal customer from Maryland or Virginia, including non-baseball fans.

Currently D.C.’s two biggest night spots, Georgetown and Adams Morgan, have no direct metro access. The Southeast stadium site will. That’s convenient to non-D.C. residents, and convenience plays a large role in leisure time decisions.

A developed entertainment area, with year-round attractions such as restaurants, parks, a museum chronicling baseball’s history in D.C. with interactive exhibits (yes, I know I’m asking for a lot), will keep those non-District residents coming in and spending money they’d otherwise dump at their local Applebees or movie theater.

While an attraction like an interactive museum would help attract visitors from outside the District, it would also help to build a bond between the city and the team.

Helping along that front, the team can do two things to help D.C.-area residents fall in love with this team. The first is to get involved with the community. The Washington Capitals have been very involved with teaching the game of hockey to urban youths. The Expos should follow that example, with fan fests and clinics that will let the public see these athletes close up and develop attachments with them. Does anyone remember Blane Fox and Lou Durante? How about Juan Paris? Probably not, but I do. Those minor-leaguers from New Britain put on a

clinic in Danbury, Conn. when I was playing little league. Paul Quantrill, the middle reliever for the Yankees, signed my baseball when I had my eighth birthday party at Beehive Field, home of the then-New Britain Red Sox. These are the memories that stick with you, and this is a cheap and effective way to build loyalty to a franchise.

By showing fans you care, you show that their allegiance, and dollars, are not wasted. Another way to show fans that you care is to make tickets affordable. Keep some seats, like those in the upper deck, at $10 or less. Again, the key is getting the marginal customer.

If I work downtown and I have no plans one night, I’d seriously think about swinging by the stadium for a $10 seat down the left field line. But if I’m paying $30 before my peanuts and Crackerjack? Forget about it. Baltimore does a great job luring young fans with College Night and Dollar Hot Dog Night, both ideas should be incorporated by a D.C. team that has seven universities in its immediate proximity.

Finally, invest in the team. D.C. loves winners. In a sport without a salary cap (which it needs, but that’s another column) you need to spend to win. Montreal has some great young players, but they need a rising star to help and convince the team the owners are willing to give them the tools needed to win.

A successful team breeds merchandising and licensing. Likewise, the more successful the team is, the more people will come to the ballpark, bringing their tax dollars with them. And the more tax dollars come flooding in, the more the District’s schools get helped. It might take little while, but if D.C. plays its cards right, Williams will be right that the city will benefit all D.C. residents.

Mike Hume may be emailed at mhume@fcnp.com