4.22.09 
The Business Of Baseball
#21 Detroit Tigers
#21 Detroit Tigers
The skinny
Just two seasons after reaching the World Series the Detroit Tigers won only 74 games in 2008. The Tigers managed to accomplish this despite having a $136 million payroll, fourth highest in baseball. But Tiger fans stayed faithful, with a team-record 3.2 million of them pouring through the
turnstiles. Billionaire owner and pizza chain king Michael Ilitch is taking a big risk this season, albeit probably a necessary one: With the Detroit economy crumbling he is raising ticket prices for "premium games" by $2 to $7 and many season ticket holders are getting a similar price hike. With the auto companies imploding and discretionary income plummeting for many fans, Ilitch's strategy looks like it has backfired. Season ticket holders have fallen [44%] from 27,000 in 2008 to a reported 15,000 this year. If attendance does not pick up during the summer, Ilitch will no doubt regret this gamble. Forbes: #21 Detroit Tigers
Forbes: 2009 MLB Valuations
Crain's Detroit Business: Forbes.com reports 9% decline in value of Detroit Tigers franchise
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