[WhatWuzThatBlue]

Wouldn't these, and other ballpark personnel salaries already be paid from this incoming ticket revenue? As are the light, water and gas bills I'd assume? I think it is safe to assume that those people are payed by whatever revenues are generated by the ticket sales, ad sales, etc. However, just like the airline workers, if you start paying one group more, the others start asking for more. Do you really think that won't happen?

Ticket takers, program/beer vendors, cleaning crews and the kid parking cars probably do not need a whole lot of training (ump-school) to do this job and could be replaced at a minimal wage (which I would think is a typical wage for these jobs at any ballpark--MiLB or MLB).That is exactly the same thinking of PBUC - which side are you really on? The amateur umpires are doing the job without the necessity of benefits, evaluations and housing.

PA-I've done this before, good timing, pronounciation skills and speaking clearly are good traits to have, perhaps not that much training NEEDED for this role. Most parks have professional broadcasters and announcers - guys that work local radio usually. They are trained. Dismissing them is like saying all you need is good eyesight to be an umpire, not much more.

Grounds crew-Other than the head groundskeeper, a lot of kids I know do this and work hard, but really didn't have any training for it. The keeper should be rewarded for his skills, experience and training as his job can make a park beautiful or dangerous for players. I hope that his/her work is rewarded, and if he/she has to ask the boss for a raise, if he/she is good at what they do, they can put out a resume for a new ball club that IS willing to bump his/her salary if he/she continues to do a bang-up job at it. Again, this argument doesn't hold water. If those AMLU guys want to ask for more money and their boss doesn't want to pay it, they can quit. If the groundskeeper does it, he is in the same boat. Reality sets in when you realize that you get paid what they think you are worth, not what you expect.

The last MiLB game (Eastern League-AA) I went to had $6 beer, $5 sandwiches, $4 sodas and parking hit me for $5. Granted this ball park had an occasional "special" for the beer night, or ladies night, or funny-hat night at a discount, but that's business to bring in more fans--something MiLB has been successful at doing (according to the data on the thread) over the years. You got ripped off. The very reason it is so appealing is that it is cheap family entertainment. Visit the Appy league sometime - those guys dig holes in the ground all day and live for a 50 cent beer.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but in Texas HS football, don't some regions still pay their FB officials from a percentage of the gate revenues? Granted, I know Texas FB attendence is fanatic, but I'd venture to guess that the attendence figures are similar at least to MiLB. You aren't serious about this gate revenue thing are you? Fans don't care if Howdy Dowdy is umpiring the game - you should have learned that from the strike.