Major League Baseball officials want to entice fans to make the ballpark their vacation destination this year, and have they got a deal for you.

The economic downturn is affecting turnstiles, with MLB President Bob DuPuy saying group and individual sales are down 1 million as Sunday's openers approach.

HAL STEINBRENNER: Admits tickets are overpriced

Major League Baseball launched a program Thursday to spread the word about affordable tickets and promotions at all 30 ballparks.

Teams hope to recoup some of the revenue lost in decreased season-ticket sales through walk-ups, and they see a growing market among families who have decided not to travel for vacation.

"All the cultural institutions, whether it be museums or sports outings, are going to be the things people turn to," Los Angeles Dodgers CEO Jamie McCourt says. "So we need to make this an opportunity to say, 'We're happy you're staying. Now you can come to our games.' "

According to the Team Marketing Report released Thursday, baseball remains the most affordable of the four major sports, with an average ticket price of $26.64. The next-closest competitor, the NBA, is at $49.47.

Still, prices went up 5%, with 16 teams raising their average, 10 decreasing and four staying flat. The New York Yankees, moving into a new ballpark, led the increases at 76.3% for an average ticket price of $72.97.

"There's no doubt small amounts of our tickets might be overpriced," Yankees co-chairman Hal Steinbrenner told the Associated Press.

MLB's initiative includes a feature at MLB.com called Fan Value Corner that highlights deep discounts, many on dates when single-ticket sales might be lagging.

Some executives acknowledge that season tickets have been a particularly hard sell.

Says San Francisco Giants President Larry Baer, whose club's ticket base shrank by 2,500, "There's a certain amount of fear driving people to not want to make commitments in March for purchases in September."