The Dodgers are giving away a second Shohei Ohtani bobblehead doll on Wednesday, this one with Ohtani holding his dog Decoy. In May, when the Dodgers staged their first Ohtani bobblehead night, fans lined up outside Dodger Stadium hours before game time, with the gates to the parking lot still closed.
The demand for all things Ohtani has sent season-ticket prices soaring, just like one of his majestic home runs. As of Monday afternoon, the Dodgers were selling tickets to Wednesday’s game for a minimum of $131 and to Thursday’s game — against the same opponent, the Baltimore Orioles — for a minimum of $36.
It takes a lot of money to get that free bobblehead. However, in an illustration of a policy embraced by the Dodgers and most other major league teams, you could pay all that money and still not get that free bobblehead.
The Dodgers say they have 40,000 bobbleheads to give away. They sold 53,527 tickets to the first Ohtani bobblehead night.
“Why do that,” asked Andy Dolich, a marketing expert and formerly a top executive for the Oakland Athletics, San Francisco 49ers, Memphis Grizzlies and Washington Capitals, “when the promotional concept is to put a smile on someone’s face?”
The San Diego Padres, like the Dodgers, limit most giveaways to the first 40,000 fans. The Angels generally provide giveaways to the first 25,000 fans. The Arizona Diamondbacks adjust their limit depending on the promotion, but most commonly distribute giveaways to the first 20,000 fans.
“I get it,” Diamondbacks president Derrick Hall said. “When I was a kid and I went to Dodger Stadium, I definitely had to get the batting glove every year, but I never feared not getting one.”
Dodger fans get a Cody Bellinger bobblehead and a rally towel upon entering the stadium before Game 1 of the NLDS against the Washington Nationals at Dodger Stadium on October 3, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.
(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
What has changed, Hall said, is that the increase in the number of giveaway dates has made the total cost of giveaways more prohibitive.
“It’s really just a budget issue,” Hall said. “That’s all it is. Teams have so many more promotions than they used to.”
For one, Dodgers president Stan Kasten said, the corporate sponsors that cover the cost of most giveaways may not have the budget for 53,000 promotional items.
“And, when you get there early, you have the opportunity to do other kinds of shopping, whether it’s food or merchandise,” Kasten said. “It also helps with traffic and things like that.
“We try to make all our fans happy. Most fans, when there is a limit and they come late, I think they understand.”
The Angels declined to make an executive available for comment, but a spokesman said the team tries to ensure every fan that arrives by first pitch can get that game’s giveaway item.
The Shohei Ohtani and Decoy bobblehead doll that will be given to fans attending Wednesday’s game between the Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles at Dodger Stadium. (Los Angeles Dodgers)
(Los Angeles Dodgers)
The Padres list seating capacity at 40,222, not including a grass and turf park behind center field that can accommodate another 6,000 fans. The Padres’ giveaway limit: 40,000.
“That number covers our fixed seating capacity and estimated turnstile attendance for nearly every giveaway game,” chief executive Erik Greupner said, “ensuring that all ticket holders will receive a promo item.”
Hall said the Diamondbacks make adjustments for the most popular items. A replica National League championship ring was supposed to be limited to the first 30,000 fans, but the team actually distributed almost 40,000.
“We wanted to make sure we had a surplus so, if someone didn’t get one, we could take care of them,” he said.
Kasten said the Dodgers and other teams try to accommodate fans with extenuating circumstances.
The challenge on nights like an Ohtani bobblehead night is to take care of the actual fans rather than the speculators that buy the ticket in order to make money selling the item on eBay.
On Monday, the bobbleheads given away in May were selling in the range of $500 and up, with the ones scheduled for Wednesday already available for around $200.
Still, given that ticket prices are so high because of the bobblehead giveaway, Dolich said the Dodgers would be wise to take care of every customer — not just the one who lines up hours in advance and resells the bobblehead before first pitch, but the one with kids who might not be able to arrive before the bobblehead supply runs out.
“You absolutely cannot alienate that last person,” Dolich said, “the family that comes from Encino just for that night, with 8-year-old twins, and it’s, ‘Sorry, we’re done.’ ”