Money, money, money
News blogs, sports blogs, entertainment blogs, and more from Philly.com, The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News.
Money, money, money
Matt Gelb, Inquirer Staff Writer
The Phillies are valued at $609 million, according to Forbes. (David Maialetti / staff photographer )
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- The era of good feelings (and money) has never been better for Philadelphia baseball. We know this; 123 straight sellouts at Citizens Bank Park are a fine indication.
Three more pieces of information released Wednesday confirm it.
1. In its annual valuation of baseball teams, Forbes lists the Phillies as the sixth most valuable in the majors at $609 million. (The limited partnership now headed by David Montgomery purchased the team in 1981 for $30 million.)
Forbes says strong attendance and TV ratings boosted the Phillies' value by 13 percent to $609 million. They trail only the Yankees ($1.7 bil), Red Sox ($912 mil), Dodgers ($800 mil), Cubs ($773 mil) and Mets ($747 mil).
Interestingly enough, the Forbes evaluation of the Phillies details this: The franchise's operating income decreased from $15 million in 2009 to $8.9 million in 2010. Yet revenue is up to $239 million from $233 million a season ago.
2. For the first time ever, Major League Baseball released a list of its top selling jerseys. Three of the top five are Phillies: 1. Derek Jeter, 2. Joe Mauer, 3. Roy Halladay, 4. Chase Utley, 5. Cliff Lee. Ryan Howard checks in at No. 18.
3. The Phillies ranked fourth in the majors based on sales of all MLB-licensed merchandise for the 2010 calendar year. Only the Yankees, Red Sox and Dodgers sold more team products.
Indeed, the times are green and good for ownership.
Have a question? Send it to Matt Gelb's Mailbag.
Download our NEW iPhone/Android app for easy access to all of our Phillies coverage, plus app-exclusive videos and analysis. Get it here.
More coverage
Contest: Vote for Philly's Fan FavoriteComments (33)
hmmm yet they raise ticket prices......— rampage412- Popular = raise prices. Is that really difficult to understand. With their limited tv/radio contract they can only push so far about $160m in salary spending. Shame they didnt build a 50,000 seat ballpark.
- let it rain— philly in nyc
- rampage - it's a simple linear supply-demand equation. It's business and business is good...hence winning. Get over it.— Bateman
- and they are maxed out salary-wise...— M60tanker
Comment removed.- @rampage - maybe you missed the part where operating income DECREASED by $6M last year. And yet they still opened up the vault for Cliff Lee.— dankil13
- Just win baby.— ACBaughman
- Monty the value of your franchise increased 2000% since you bought it. Congratulations and great job now stop diddling around an go get Michael Young because your infield is a wreck.
Spend some of that equity now, you are too close to bringing in a washed up Castillo.— argonne - Not sure what you think the Frachise Value has to do with Operation or Net Income? FV is a lot like a house appraisal. You'd have to find a buyer at that price and you dont reap the rewards until you sell. So they could be worth a billion now but spending more than you bring in would still be stupid for business.
- It has everything to with situation. Just as if you bought a business for $30,000 and it is now worth $600,000. The bank will give you $570,000 worth of equity to improve in your original investment. You want new storefront windows? You got it. You want to repave the driveway? You got it.You want to redesign the interior of your store? You earned it.You got it.
Same principle applies here.You have an ulra successful franchise. A World Series team with an injury plagued infield. You want a gold glove, 6 time all-star infielder who will hit .300, 20 HR,100 R,90RBI? You got it.
You have to spend money to make money.
— argonne - A window, repave your drive way sure. But you are asking to add 10-20% onto your expenses ANNUALLY. I hope you werent one of these morons who took all the equity out of their house like an ATM under the guise of "spend money to make money"
- Progress. So you are admitting that Market Value plays a significant role on a business's long term future prosperity. Equity is a huge part in the financial viability of any business. With it(Phils) you can continue to better yourself without vast financial risk to the owners. Without it(Mutts) you cant do anything.
The Phillies have done a nice job of building equity and it would behoove them to tap into that earned capital to get a proven ML infielder like Michael Young, because Valdez and D Young will get exposed. Polanco is made of glass,J Roll spent 1/2 of last year on the DL and is jabbering to the press about fress agency nexyt year, and Chase needs a beach chair to play 2nd base.
— argonne - Michael Young? No thanks. Way too expensive, old, and not that good.— schmenkman
- Michael Young
2009 in 2/3 of a season.
.322 avg.
.374 obp
22 HR
68 RBI
76 R
2010
.284 avg.
.334 obp
21 HR
99 Runs
76 RBI
I like Wilson Valdez as a utility player but he and whoever else you put in there(D Young Barfield Castro) will get exposed trying to fill in for Utley. Not to mention that Polanco and J Roll just can not stay healthy.
— argonne - Would I rather have Michael Young than Valdez or any of those other guys, including Castillo?
Sure. He is not a very good hitter outside of his home park, and he can't play defense, but he's decent.
Am I willing to part with Joe Blanton or top prospects for that improvement, and pay Young $16 million per year?
Pass.— schmenkman -
Michael Young? No thanks. Way too expensive, old, and not that good.
See here: http://www.thegoodphight.com/2011/3/10/2042212/michael-young-isnt-that-good-at-baseball
and here: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/02/08/dirty-little-secret-michael-young-just-isnt-all-that-great/— schmenkman - dankil thanks for that. Was about to say, obviously not a lot of finance people on the board here...salaries up offsetting revenue increase...lower income. Let's go people. And Michael Young is washed up. Everyone would be complaining like crazy next year when he'd still have about $32M left on his contract.— Phillies1120
- Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
- Metro-population size has a bearing in this ranking---NY, Chicago, LA and all of New England from Rhode Island up to Maine, are top of the list in the US, along with Philly and Houston.— Romus
- LOL @ Rampage, sleep through Business 101?? dankil nailed it— J.H.S.
- so for those of you who dont understand...the owners treat their organization like a business, because it is a business. Oh yea, by the way, considering the popularity of the Phils, and the low risk of increasing tickets even more, our club still sells seats at a very reasonable price compared to other clubs with comparable support.— MFPhils
- Yea I agree that raising out ticket prices is not a big deal and the ones that always complain probably never go to any games. Stay home or drink less if you want to save money. I have been to Citi Field and to the Yanks stadium. Even since they decreased the ticket prices they are still more expensive and ditto with the Yanks. It is a great experience and worth the money it is just too bad it isn't larger because they would still sell out — pattymac3
- All I have to say is NY baseball is Worlds best! Philly will always be behind in their holes trying to get out! You all should come to NY, you would enjoy Baseball a lot better......Especially with all those World Series we have in the City!— MRD
- MRD, This comment back in the day would be bothersome but now it's laughable. If your NY baseball statement includes the Muts I know your a fraud. Have a nice season.
— delcodanno - Katinsky---Oh my....look who is back....I say you go back in your hole! Your mama is calling!— MRD
- Thank you ownership for investing in our team and making us love baseball again. And btw, who is buying Dodgers gear???— Earl J
- How can the Melts be rated higher? they S**KKKKKKK!!!— mrjarn
- am i the only one noticed that the top 5 jerseys sold bear the names of 4-1/2 caucasian americans?— bubba church & granny hamner
- So you won't post my comment about Joe Biden rubbing shoulders with the Yankees dressed like a native New Yorker...YGBFSM!— IdahoMoose
- As far as the Young trade it really depends on what prospects. If its Cosart or May I may want to pass. Where did the idea develop Young cant play defense. He's not a gold glover but is a capable defender at 2B or 3rd. As far as his HR total being a product of him home park he would be playing in a similar park in Philly. In any case a projected 285-310 avg with 17-22 HRs would fit in the 5th hole for Phills. Im just concerned teams will not pitch to Ryan without strong threat behind him.— Don w
- Fielding: Young actually did win a Gold Glove in 2008. But the fact remains that he is below average in all of the advanced fielding stats.
Park: It's not just HRs that are a concern -- he's just not a very good hitter outside his home park (not just about his HRs). His OPS on the road was only .679 last year, and only .733 for his career. The ballpark at Arlington is one of the friendlier hitters' parks in baseball, whereas CBP has played neutral for the past several years, small dimensions or not. I don't know if it's wind effects or what, but the bottom line is that CBP has not been boosting HRs, or overall scoring.
The cost is prohibitive. He doesn't add much value, and he's paid $16 MILLION per year. We must be able to think of better ways to spend that money, don't you think?
And, he's 34 and only going to get worse.
Related articles:
http://www.thegoodphight.com/2011/3/10/2042212/michael-young-isnt-that-good-at-baseball
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/02/08/dirty-little-secret-michael-young-just-isnt-all-that-great/
http://www.thegoodphight.com/2010/10/14/1737862/the-phillies-home-fairest-in-the-land
ESPN park factors:
http://espn.go.com/mlb/stats/parkfactor/_/year/2010— schmenkman
1
About this blog
The Phillies Zone is the place for up-to-the-minute Phillies coverage from the Inquirer.
Matt Gelb
Inquirer Staff Writer
Bob Brookover
Inquirer Baseball Columnist
Search this blog:
Classifieds:
Site Services:
Partners:
Powered By:
