Profit at Dodgers’ spring home drops 65% in two years
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Camelback Ranch had quite the grand opening in 2009. By its third season, neither the Dodgers nor the Chicago White Sox made much money from playing there, according to documents filed Friday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.
The Camelback Ranch profits fell 65% in two years -- from $2,162,047 in 2009 to $759,017 in 2011, according to the documents. The teams split the profits almost equally, the documents show, so neither the Dodgers nor the White Sox could have used their share to buy even a minimum-wage player last season. The minimum major league salary last season was $414,000.
The main source of income at Camelback Ranch is ticket revenue, which fell from $3,567,800 in 2009 to $2,973,801 in 2011, according to the documents.
The average attendance for White Sox games hardly budged -- from 6,119 in 2009 to 6,117 in 2011, according to Cactus League attendance data. However, the average attendance for Dodgers games dropped 17% -- from 9,130 in 2009 to 7,365 in 2011.
Attendance at Dodger Stadium dropped 18% last season.
Ticket prices at Camelback Ranch have been cut this spring, with half-price tickets available for the Dodgers’ first three games -- March 5 vs. the White Sox; March 6 vs. the San Francisco Giants and March 8 vs. the Oakland A’s.
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-- Bill Shaikin