Take me out to the Ball Game!
I love going to baseball games. It doesn't matter if it's Major League, Minor League, or Atlantic League. I've got a Minor League team on my college campus (Lowell Spinners), an Atlantic League team down the street from my House (Nashua Pride) and of course who could forget the Red Sox.
I love the Red Sox and going to Fenway Park but every year is a more expensive one than the year before as the new Red Sox ownership tries to compete monetarily with the Yankees. I can't say I blame them for having to raise prices to keep players like Nomar and Pedro, especially since Fenway is the smallest ballpark in the majors.
But that being said, I decided I could only afford to go to one game this season. I wasn't really happy but when tickets are $44 to sit in the Grandstand, $70 for Box seats, and $200 in certain sections, you can see why I can only go once.
So after saving a little bit of money since the 2002 Red Sox season ended in September, I tried to get some Yankees- Red Sox tickets yesterday when single game ticket sales started up for the year. This year, individual game tickets were on sale early for season ticket holders. If you had really expensive season tickets, you got to buy individual game tickets (to sell, give to friends, etc.) on Thursday. If you had the 'normal' season tickets, you got to buy on Friday.
Normally Red Sox ticket sales start like this: People line up in sub zero temperatures the night before to buy tickets at the box office when it opens. A few days later, touch tone phone sales start up. A few days after that, people start answering the phone at the box office. Finally, Internet ticket sales begin.
This didn't happen yesterday. At 10 AM, all of these services started selling tickets and despite me being on the phone and the website, I couldn't get any tickets at all. I knew what game I wanted to see too- the July 26 game since that's my brother's birthday. It didn't work out, though, and even though I tried throughout the day, I couldn't get any tickets. The website was too busy, phone orders weren't working, people were on hold for 3 hours to talk to a human ticket agent (my phone died before someone talked to me).
But I got up about 45 minutes ago and hit the internet. I go to the website and it actually responds! I can't get the 3 tickets I need together for any games, though (meaning they didn't have seats next to each other).
But this is when I decided to look at single tickets. After searching for a while, I finally found tickets for seats that are back to back to back to back for the May 19 game against the Yankees. The seats are Right Field box seats and set me back $37 a ticket. Not terrific, but not bad, and I get to go to a game against a team I wanted to see. It's also the first game the Yankees and Red Sox play each other in regulation so that's kind of cool too.
Now I just have to save up some cash between now and May to pay for parking, food, drinks, etc. and pray the tickets arrive.
I love the Red Sox and going to Fenway Park but every year is a more expensive one than the year before as the new Red Sox ownership tries to compete monetarily with the Yankees. I can't say I blame them for having to raise prices to keep players like Nomar and Pedro, especially since Fenway is the smallest ballpark in the majors.
But that being said, I decided I could only afford to go to one game this season. I wasn't really happy but when tickets are $44 to sit in the Grandstand, $70 for Box seats, and $200 in certain sections, you can see why I can only go once.
So after saving a little bit of money since the 2002 Red Sox season ended in September, I tried to get some Yankees- Red Sox tickets yesterday when single game ticket sales started up for the year. This year, individual game tickets were on sale early for season ticket holders. If you had really expensive season tickets, you got to buy individual game tickets (to sell, give to friends, etc.) on Thursday. If you had the 'normal' season tickets, you got to buy on Friday.
Normally Red Sox ticket sales start like this: People line up in sub zero temperatures the night before to buy tickets at the box office when it opens. A few days later, touch tone phone sales start up. A few days after that, people start answering the phone at the box office. Finally, Internet ticket sales begin.
This didn't happen yesterday. At 10 AM, all of these services started selling tickets and despite me being on the phone and the website, I couldn't get any tickets at all. I knew what game I wanted to see too- the July 26 game since that's my brother's birthday. It didn't work out, though, and even though I tried throughout the day, I couldn't get any tickets. The website was too busy, phone orders weren't working, people were on hold for 3 hours to talk to a human ticket agent (my phone died before someone talked to me).
But I got up about 45 minutes ago and hit the internet. I go to the website and it actually responds! I can't get the 3 tickets I need together for any games, though (meaning they didn't have seats next to each other).
But this is when I decided to look at single tickets. After searching for a while, I finally found tickets for seats that are back to back to back to back for the May 19 game against the Yankees. The seats are Right Field box seats and set me back $37 a ticket. Not terrific, but not bad, and I get to go to a game against a team I wanted to see. It's also the first game the Yankees and Red Sox play each other in regulation so that's kind of cool too.
Now I just have to save up some cash between now and May to pay for parking, food, drinks, etc. and pray the tickets arrive.
Comments
heh
[ 02-02-2003: Message edited by: murbot ]</p>
I feel your pain. They've been talking about this whole change in ticketing policy on WEEI for a few days. I guess online orders started Saturday...and a LOT of people were SOL. Yankees tix will be well nigh impossible. Unless you use the scalpers (shakes head). Looks like if I want to see a game it will be Tampa Bay from the bleachers. Yeech.
I don't think they sell those to individuals. I think they sell those as 'group sales'.
Plus, those bar stool seats are $50 each.
And I've got a question. On the 16th Mets single game tickets go on sale. I want to go to opening day and I don't know which would be better, going to Shea on the 16th to get the tickets or ordering them online on the 16th. Which do you think would be better to guarantee they don't sell out?
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And I've got a question. On the 16th Mets single game tickets go on sale. I want to go to opening day and I don't know which would be better, going to Shea on the 16th to get the tickets or ordering them online on the 16th. Which do you think would be better to guarantee they don't sell out?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Go to the park if for no other reason than that is is just fun to be there. If you are like me and consider ballparks sacred ground, it's just fun to be there and mingle with other fans. Plus they usually have some pretty cool stuff going on for the 1st day of ticket sales. The Rangers had an autograph session with A-Rod, but the line was a mile long so we decided not to bother with that. But we got to go into the locker rooms, the batting cages, go on the field and sit in the dugout. Very fun. I'm 24 and felt like I was 8 again.
oh, and those prices are insane. even games down here in tenrun field are affordable...
<strong>
Go to the park if for no other reason than that is is just fun to be there. If you are like me and consider ballparks sacred ground, it's just fun to be there and mingle with other fans. Plus they usually have some pretty cool stuff going on for the 1st day of ticket sales. The Rangers had an autograph session with A-Rod, but the line was a mile long so we decided not to bother with that. But we got to go into the locker rooms, the batting cages, go on the field and sit in the dugout. Very fun. I'm 24 and felt like I was 8 again.
Autograph session with A-Rod? Wow, sounds cool. Usually a few of the players are there, but otherwise Shea doesn't have too many events on the first day of ticket sales. But I'll probably still go there to get the tickets.