White Sox offer $29 early-season plan

Getting White Sox fans to buy a package of 11 weekday home games in April and May is near impossible, except if you sell them for close to nothing.

That's exactly what the team is doing, announcing the "Ballpark Plan" that gives a fan a ticket to every home game the team plays on a Monday through Thursday in the first two months of the season -- for $29 total. The cheapest ticket sold separately this season is $7.18.

"Given the weather we have and the product we've had in the past, we've had crowds under 20,000, it made sense for us to use these games to get people to sample, or snack, on us," said Brooks Boyer, the White Sox's chief marketing officer.

Actual seat locations for these games, for fans who buy the package, will be based on availability and will be sent to the phones of those fans on the day of the game.

"If it's 35 degrees and raining, someone might get a $30 ticket for a game," Boyer said.

Another reason for the low price? The White Sox want to be able to communicate with anyone who buys the package. Everything is done through Major League Baseball's "Ballpark" app.

"We want to know who you are and we want to engage you at the ballpark," Boyer said. "We want to tell you the food specials, ask you what type of music you want to hear in between innings and offer you an upgrade or $10 off if you've been to many games in a row."

The ultimate goal, Boyer said, is to turn the fan into a season-ticket holder.

The White Sox are offering another package, which includes every game in April and May, for $49. That's $2.33 a game.

Both plans don't include Opening Day or May 23, Paul Konerko's retirement ceremony.

The White Sox averaged 20,896 fans per game last year, the team's ninth straight season it has seen a decline in attendance. Only the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cleveland Indians drew fewer fans to the ballpark than the Sox last season.

The Sox's crosstown rivalCubshave had a busy offseason, which included the acquisition of manager Joe Maddon and pitcher Jon Lester. But the White Sox made big moves, too, including picking up first baseman Adam LaRoche, outfielder Melky Cabrera and pitcher Jeff Samardzija.

Boyer said the upping of the stakes by both teams has nothing to do with pulling the trigger on this aggressive offer.

Joked Boyer: "If it were about the Cubs we would have offered a Bleacher Plan. They won't have any bleachers for the first two months."