The Tampa Bay Rays individual ticket pricing for the 2010 season will include five categories, with the club saying tickets for 40-percent of the games at Tropicana Field will be at or below the price from last season.

But president Matt Silverman acknowledges there will be slight increases in other areas, such as in higher-value games like weekend (and weekday) games with the Yankees and Red Sox, along with those that include post-game concerts and premium giveaways.

For example, an upper box ticket for a weekday Yankees game will be $20 (as opposed to $16 last year), but $23 if it falls on a weekend.

There will still be free parking for parties of four (although on a more limited basis for some games), and fans can still bring in their own food, with the Rays saying they're hoping to build off last year, when ESPN ranked them "the most affordable team in professional sports."

"We were the defending American League champs and we were the most affordable team in all of professional sports," Rays senior VP Mark Fernandez said. "So even with this moderate increase to some sections, we're actually taking tickets in some places and lowering them."

The Rays continue to put an emphasis on season ticket holders, who will have access to the best seat location at up to a 33 percent discount of individual game prices.

There will be an expanded Summer Concert Series with more dates and more attractive acts. Fernandez said the surcharge for walk-up tickets will likely remain the same.

There has been a change in the free parking offering. For the fifth consecutive year, the Rays will continue to provide carpoolers access to free parking in team-controlled lots.  As in 2009, vehicles with four or more passengers will continue to park free for all Bronze and Sunday games. For all other games, the first 100 cars with four or more will park for free up to an hour before game time, with other main lot Tropicana Field parking rates ranging from $10 to $20 per vehicle.

The Rays will also introduce a new Upper Box Seat seating category that will include the first 11 rows between the bases in the upper deck.

For information on Rays season tickets, call 888-FAN-RAYS or visit raysbaseball.com.

So here's how the five categories for individual games work:

*DIAMOND (Nine games) - Weekend games vs the Yankees or Red Sox
Whitney Bank Club - $175
Club 105 - $130
Fieldside box - $140
Lower Infield Box - $100
Lower Box -$65
Press Level - $50
Baseline box - $40
Loge Box - $40
Outfield - $27
Upper Box - $23
Upper reserved/TBT party deck - $20

*PLATINUM (20 games) - All other Saturday games, weekday games vs the Yankees or Red Sox, as well as opening day, April 6 vs Orioles

Whitney Bank Club - $155
Club 105 - $120
Fieldside box - $115
Lower Infield Box - $80
Lower Box -$60
Press Level - $45
Baseline box - $35
Loge Box - $35
Outfield - $24
Upper Box - $20
Upper reserved/TBT party deck - $18

*GOLD (20 games) - Remaining Friday and Sunday games
Whitney Bank Club - $125
Club 105 - $100
Fieldside box - $90
Lower Infield Box - $65
Lower Box -$48
Press Level - $36
Baseline box - $30
Loge Box - $30
Outfield - $20
Upper Box - $15
Upper reserved/TBT party deck - $12

*SILVER (27 games)  Remaining Weekday games except for five select Bronze games
Whitney Bank Club - $115
Club 105 - $90
Fieldside box - $85
Lower Infield Box - $55
Lower Box -$42
Press Level - $29
Baseline box - $22
Loge Box - $22
Outfield - $17
Upper Box - $13
Upper reserved/TBT party deck - $10

BRONZE (five select weekday games - April 29 vs Royals, May 17 vs Indians, June 9 vs Jays, July 8 vs Indians, Aug 2 vs Twins)

Whitney Bank Club - $100
Club 105 - $80
Fieldside box - $70
Lower Infield Box - $45
Lower Box -$33
Press Level - $22
Baseline box - $18
Loge Box - $22
Outfield - $12
Upper Box - $8
Upper reserved/TBT party deck - $8

-- JOE SMITH