ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, April 9, 1997 TAG: 9704090018
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: A CUPPA JOE
SOURCE: JOE KENNEDY
For the past 10 summers or so, Ann Calhoon and her family have traveled to Baltimore a couple of times a summer to see the Orioles play.
Now, they have had enough. Ticket prices at Camden Yards have risen so high and good seats have become so scarce that she, her husband Rick and their sons Mike, 14, and Chris, 12, are vowing to stay home and spend a lot more time watching the Salem Avalanche.
It's a difficult decision, but money - or value - is at the heart of it. Orioles tickets range from $9 to $30 apiece. The demand is so great that the Calhoons - she's a secretary and he's a power company lineman - can't get good seats on weekends, when they prefer to go.
For the $400 or more that they've spent in Baltimore for a game, food, souvenirs, lodging and other amusements, they can purchase four box seats to 17 games in Salem, where the top ticket price is $6, and plenty of seats are available.
You get a lot of value in Salem - a beautiful ballpark, excellent customer service, free parking and, in my experience, encounters with numerous friends and acquaintances you otherwise seldom see.
What you don't get is a glimpse of multimillion dollar athletes at the top of their game or the chance at some coveted autographs.
Nor do you get much winning. This season might be different, but the script already seems familiar. As of Monday afternoon, the Avalanche had lost their first four games.
Dave Oster, the team's general manager, says winning is not as critical in the minor leagues, where players are developing - the entertainment is the thing.
But the fact is, every time two baseball teams take the field, one walks out a winner. In Salem, it has too often been the other guys.
Through several owners and major league affiliates, Salem's Carolina League teams have had 17 straight losing half-seasons. Nowadays, the Colorado Rockies provide the players. Maybe they they need to hear from their Virginia customers. Enough is enough.
Still, I'm with the Calhoons. It makes a lot more sense to drive 20 minutes to Salem and spend $30 for three hours of up-close, family entertainment than to drive five hours and spend hundreds of dollars for three hours of ants moving around in the distance.
The trick will be to stick to the decision.
Two of Ann Calhoon's siblings were born in Baltimore. She has fond memories of games at Memorial Stadium, where you could usually buy good, cheap seats right before the first pitch, and splendid evenings in the calculatedly smaller - and hence more precious - grandstand of Camden Yards.
The major league owners and players are trusting that emotional tug to overwhelm us yet again, but maybe it's time for us working folks to go on strike. Why not? Ballplayers do.
We can watch the superstars on TV, and the wannabes here at home. They make good plays, too - just not as many of them.
Like Ann and Rick Calhoon, I took my kids to the Avalanche opener last Friday night. Our guys lost to the Durham Bulls, but we had a good time. It was the largest turnout ever, and the concession stands were so crowded that after the final out, the management gave everyone two free general admission tickets as a reward for their patience.
Tell me if that ever happens at Camden Yards.
Like the Calhoons, we plan to go to at least 10 games this year. But if our guys don't start winning regularly, we might not make 10. We might not make five.
Then, everybody will lose.
What's your story? Call 981-3256, or send e-mail to joek@roanoke.com or write to P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke 24010.
LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines KEYWORDS: BASEBALLby CNB