Price, value and baseball.

• Author: Schley, Stewart
• Position: SPORTS [biz] - Colorado Rockies against Pittsburgh Pirates - Column

On the evening of Saturday, June 20, Colorado Rockies first baseman Todd Helton stepped up to home plate in the ninth inning of a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, preparing to face reliever Jesse Chavez with the score tied and a runner on first base.

It had rained earlier, and the coolness that lingered in the evening air appeared to subdue the fans at Coors Field. By the eighth inning, the team's remarkable streak-14 wins in 15 games--was on the verge of sputtering out. The Pirates held a three-run lead, and with two outs and two strikes on batter Chris Iannetta, the math was strongly in Pittsburgh's favor. But Iannetta connected hard with the third pitch from lefty John Grabow, launching an arcing home run that tied the game and rousted a weary crowd.

An inning later, pinch-hitter Seth Smith stroked a one-out single to put the winning run on base, and now it was Helton time. The ingredients for glory were sewn together in the space of a single at-bat; the city's favorite baseball son, the possibility of a stirring comeback, the desire for redemption. And then just like that: the swing, the gunshot crack, the delicious moment when the baseball soared over the right-center wall. Helton rounded third and burst into a schoolboy's grin, engulfed at home plate by delirious teammates.

Few fans could have felt remorseful that evening about getting their money's worth on the price of their ticket. But that's not always the case. Poor weather, moribund performances and the occasional benching of a favorite player can create a sour price/value impression for some fans. If the home team gets drubbed, if Hawpe sits it out and if your 6-year old acts bored by the second inning, you might detect a faint sense of buyer's remorse.

Since the inception of professional baseball, fans have simply accepted the game's uncontrollable vagaries as a risk to be paid. You buy your ticket and hope for a good time. The occasional standout game, like the one the Rockies played June 20, is the extraordinary reward. Meantime, the Rockies and other MLB teams do their utmost to control those elements they can control: friendly ushers, comfortable seats, freshly prepared food and attentive vendors.

But we're beginning to see some interesting attempts to tweak the price/value relationship in sports

Economists call what the Rockies and some other teams are experimenting with "dynamic pricing." It means...