PHILS FANS PAY FOR SUCCESS

PHILADELPHIA. Phillies fans have gotten used to watching a winner – now they can get used to paying for it.

With the team’s home opener today, many fans will get their first look at the increases in the cost of tickets, parking and beer. But most fans are likely to chalk it up to the team’s recent success with back-to-back trips to the World Series.

“I wouldn’t like [prices] going up, but when you think of how we’ll they’ve done and the fact that it’s a business, it makes sense,” said Phillies fan Josh Calhoun, a student at the Art Institute.

Even with the higher prices, the Phillies are still one of the best values in baseball. Both the Minnesota Twins, who just opened a new stadium, and the Chicago White Sox have comparable ticket prices to the Phillies, according to Team Market Report. And the Chicago Cubs, whose last championship came in 1908, offer the priciest ticket at an average of $52.56, based on the TMR survey.

“It’s kind of expected the prices are going to go up a bit considering how popular the franchise is becoming,” said Shayne Schweikert of South Philadelphia. “I think the true fans would put out the extra cash.”