It's going to cost more to go to a Reds game next season.

        The team is raising ticket prices in all areas of the stadium, with the exception of the “Top Six” seats in the upper deck. The best seats at Cinergy Field — those 6,816 seats closest to the field known as blue-level/zone A — are going up to $28, a $7 hike over last year and twice as much as 1998 prices. The rest of the hikes are smaller.

TICKET PRICES

Area 2000 2001 Blue Box (Zone A) $21 $28 Blue Box (Zone B) $18 $21 Green Box (Zone A) $16 $21 Green Box (Zone B) $14 $16 Yellow Box $13 $15 Red Box $12 $14 Red reserve $8 $9 Top Six $5 $5

        After years of holding the line on ticket prices, is Reds management expecting any sort of fan backlash from the third straight year of price increases?

        “I would hope not, especially since over 60 percent of our seats are going up only a dollar or two,” said Reds chief operating officer John Allen. “Most of the $28 seats are season tickets.... We hope we don't lose any customers, but feel that if we do, we can sell (any unsold $28 tickets) on the day of the game.”

        The Reds failed to sell all of the blue seats at only three or four games last year, Mr. Allen said.

        Only four of the other 15 National League clubs had less expensive premium seats last season than the Reds will have next season: Chicago ($25), Philadelphia ($22.50), Pittsburgh ($20) and San Diego ($24).

        The Reds are raising ticket prices because of the escalating costs of operating the club, Mr. Allen said, and the loss of 14,000 seats per game that have been removed to make room for construction of the Great American Ball Park, the Reds' new home scheduled to open in 2003.

        The Reds have promised fans a more exciting brand of baseball next season under new manager Bob Boone, and although they've traded away several starting pitchers, Mr. Allen said the core of the team — Ken Griffey Jr., Barry Larkin, Pokey Reese, Sean Casey, Dmitri Young and Aaron Boone — is still intact.

        And for the first time since their last game at Crosley Field in June 1970, the Reds will play home games on natural grass. The new Cinergy Field will have 39,840 seats.

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