A year ago, when Baseball's average ticket price rose 10.1%, only the Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants and Tampa Bay Rays did not raise prices, according to Team Marketing Report.

"This is going to be different with the way the fans perceive the economy," says Jon Greenberg, executive editor for the research company. "Fans want to save. Exorbitant spending is out. Teams want good press. They want to please their customers."

Pricing tickets is a balance among operating for profit, reacting to the on-field product and public relations. Commissioner Bud Selig warned teams in October not to "get too cocky" and over-price tickets.

Of course, some prices will rise. With new ballparks in 2009 in New York, fans of the Mets and Yankees will pay more. The pennant-winning Philadelphia Phillies and Rays are raising season-ticket prices, as are the Milwaukee Brewers, coming off their first postseason since 1982.

But even the Brewers reduced prices in one outfield section from $18 to $10.

"We have one eye on the sports page and one eye on the financial pages," says Rick Schlesinger, the Brewers' executive vice president of business operations. "In sports, the news is all good, but on the financial pages, the news keeps getting worse. We have to do everything we can to make the product affordable."

The Oakland Athletics , whose attendance dropped 14%, cut season seats an average of 5%.

"It's a tough economy," says Jim Leahey, the A's VP of sales and marketing. "We want to show a commitment to fans that we will keep our product affordable."