• Los Angeles Times, Monday, August 3, 2009 10:56 AM

Ty Cobb must be barreling over a shortstop in his grave at the thought of the goings-on at Dodger Stadium, where about a hundred fans recently plopped down $100 each to do yoga with outfielder Andre Ethier. And what would the storied union leaders of the past think about a fan actually paying $1,250 to do a day's work as a groundskeeper for the Detroit Tigers?

It's all part of a trend among sports teams to enhance revenue in the light of weakening ticket sales and shrinking corporate sponsorships, W.J. Hennigan reports. Some of the activities are for charity, but the teams are increasingly turning to these events to make moolah.

"People love having that special access," says Dodgers' president and CEO Dennis Mannion. He feels that events may eventually bring in more money than tickets, concessions or parking. Case in point: The team made $170,000 offering fans batting practice under the stadium lights for three nights.

"It's all about identifying and connecting with your fan demographic," Mannion says (which is kind of like saying good pitching wins ball games, isn't it?)

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