Average World Series ticket: about $500

So, you didn't win the Rays ticket lottery, but you've just got to go.

The going rate online so far is about $520 for games in Tropiciana Field and about $630 for games in Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park, according to Mike Garvie, an account manager at www.ticketnetwork.com.

The online service www.stubhub.com produces a daily report about its ticket sales. It says says the average price for World Series tickets at Tropicana Field so far has been $499. The lowest ticket sold so far was a $200 upper deck seat, and the most expensive one was a game 1 seat behind home plate that went for $6,286.

The average price for tickets sold at  Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park so far is $854. The least expensive seat went for $250 in the outfield, and the most expensive one went for $5,999 for game 5 behind the Phillies' dugout.

Garvie said it's not unusual to find tickets selling for more in larger markets.

Curtis Krueger, Times staff writer

*

Comments

[BH Obama]

Not to worry ... umm ... yes, I do have a plan ... we will take away tickets from any season ticket holder that makes more than $40 th.... errrr, $250,000 and re-distribute them to the salt of the earth fans who I'm preying on for votes ... those of you too dumb to see through the rhetoric

uhmmm ... yeah, ... I even have ACORNhub printing up extra tickets ... we will get 65,000 people in there in 40,000 seats ... this CAN work ... probably better than my ideas for a health care plan

it is your RIGHT to go to that baseball game!

[Scott]

I have two tickets for Game 1 Section 138 Row HH Seats 3-4. $300 a piece. email me at Scottggoldsmith@gmail.com if interested.

I just farted

[Anthony]

Josh, please tell me that includes more than 1 ticket.

[Josh]

I just bought a package today for game 3 for $1700 in Philly. But that included my game ticket, charter air with other Rays Fans, and a party before the game. Doesn't seem that bad.

Bob, you're so full of it, yes I'm calling you a liar. I was outside with 2 of my friends at the stadium for hours right up to the start of the game looking for tickets. We canvased the area and there were a few tickets for sale, but they wanted to much for them, and no one sold them for less that face value.

We finally got the obstructed view seats AFTER the game started for $10 over face value each.

[TO RAYS FANS]

IF YOU REALLY WANT TO GO TO THE GAME, CONSIDER PURCHASING TICKETS AT THE TROP OR AT FERGS INSTEAD OF THROUGH RIPOFF OUTLETS LIKE STUBHUB. YOU'LL STILL HAVE TO PAY A PREMIUM, BUT $175 FOR A $100 UPPER DECK SEAT IS A LOT BETTER THAN $500 FOR THAT SAME SEAT. DON'T GET SWINDLED BY THE SCAM ARTISTS AT STUBHUB.

[John McCain]

errrrr, $500 for a ticket to a baseball game? The only way I'd pay for it would be to put it on my expense account and have the taxpayers pay for it. I wanna be president and yet I don't even know how to get home or turn off my left blinker.

[9equals8.com]

Bob, you are such a downer. Live in the moment. Creating a fan base takes time and it takes a competitive team. We've got the competitive team and now the base is being built (it will still take time). The Rays have TB energized and let's focus on the greatness we are experiencing now. This is the World Series, so I doubt you'll find cheap tickets as you did in the ALCS. But, who knows. Regardless, why do you feel the need to hate on Rays fans?

BTW - I was at Fenway for Game 5 and was GIVEN (yes, for FREE) a ticket to the game from a guy who could not sell it. You talk about Sox fans being "real" fans? How on earth were their NO BUYERS for Game 5 of the ALCS? Answer: "Red Sox Nation" had written their team off before it was even over. Is that what you mean by a "real" fan base? Don't be such a know-it-all knucklehead.

Read about how much the fans supported their Sox this year at the source:
http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2008/10/16/suddenly_sox_no_longer_the_hot_ticket/

[Randy is right]

Randy is right about not buying these high price tickets. Upper deck tickets for Sunday were being sold for $20 by people who were trying to get anything they could for them.

[Bob]

Tickets for game 6 on ebay were selling for more than the face value of the ticket up to the last minute although much lower priced than the resale of games 3,4 and 5 in Boston. After the Rays lost game 6, game 7 ticket prices started dropping and I went to the game by buying two tickets for game 7 for $12.50 each, $25 total at 5 pm for the 8 pm game. That's a disgrace that tickets should be avaiable and indicates the Rays fan base is filled with a lot of fair weather fans and it wouldn't surprise me to see crowds consisting of their hard core, loyal 10,000-12,000 fans for regular season games next year just like every game, every year for the past ten except when teams like the Yankees and Red sox show up with a real fan base. You would never see ticket re-sellers begging people to take tickets off their hands for an LCS game 7 in a town where the team has a major league fan base. The Rays are truly a top notch MLB organization and they deserve better than they've gotten.
Of course, in perfect world fans would buy tickets directly from the Rays and go to the game, filling the stadium. The Rays fans need to learn about how the free market works with regard to tickets and either support their team, letting the free market work or watch their team move some time down the road.

[To Reality Test]

"Reality Test" post at 8:57am. I can afford tickets because I don't have a house I can't afford or other bills I can't afford and I'm not sharing the wealth. Manage your money and you too can afford tickets.

[E]

We shouldn't have to hear about politics in a sports article.

[joeknowsbaseball]

This could be the greatest World Series ever played.

Just think how much is not known about the probable outcome of the series.

Fans with original World Series tickets may be holding more than a seat to an entainment venue. They may be have one of the greatest memories with their child that can not be replaced, but most certainly, replayed!

Over and over the Tampa Bay Rays' have created an improbable event in the future.

This World Series will be the one to remember through the minds' eye of the children and grandchildren of the generations to come.

The Fall Classic will not disappoint the 100 million or so who tune in and more importantly, the 40,000-200,000 who hold a ticket!

The cost is not what matters, it's the value that counts!

GO RAYS!

"Our invaluable team!"

[Reality Test]

Thought we were in a "Depression." How are the fans affording these tickets?

[Joe]

If Obama were President I would have tickets. Since he will make you share the wealth you should just give me your ticket now. It doesn't matter how you got it. I don't have one and that is not fair so I am sure Mr. Obama will step in and fix this injustice.

I gave a ticket for game seven to a family outside.

I have 4 for each WS game. I am selling them to my friends for face value. The people selling for these outrageous amounts are just greedy.

[Matt]

For game 2, I have two tickets in the outfield that I'd let go for 400 a piece. 6 rows up in left field. Send a note to justify73 at hotmail dot com.

[Harold]

mlb wont disclose its relationship to stubhub

[jjj]

Hey joel i got 2 tickets to game 2 for sale in the outfield a bargain at $400 a piece.

[Joel]

Won the lottery to buy world series tickets, was on immediately at 5:00, tried for game 1 two tickets, best available, waited in "line" for 23 minutes, and then, no tickets. Tried a few more times, nothing. Yet, I did get an interesting email from mlb.com informing me that tickets were now available on stub-hub. If stub-hub is a fan to fan ticket site, how the heck does mlb know when "tickets are available"? Sounds to me like they saved a nice chunk of tickets to sell through auction on stub hub. Does anyone else see a conflict of interest here? What a crock!!!!!

[Raul]

Randy, sounds like the Republicans plan to fix the economy. Let's have everyone stop selling stocks to force the prices to stay high! It's can't miss. you're a genius!

[Randy]

Supply and Demand - Desperate people drive prices sky high - fertile soil for scalpers.

What would happen if EVERYONE refrained from buying $500 tickets??? On Gameday you would see those ticket prices drop like a rock as desperation turned to the seller side instead of the buyer side. It happened in Game 7 on stubhub - prices dropped like a rock on gameday as sellers paniced to unload their tickets.

[MikeD]

5 PM today, CG. Let's get ready to REFRESH!

[cg]

When do the tickets actually go on sale?

[Jon]

would rather go to a bar or stay at home. beer is a lot cheaper.

[Joe]

Gosh, I won't have enough money left to buy a ticket after I buy that plumbing company.

[9equals8.com]

This is actually pretty cheap relative to other World Series events in the recent past. For example, tickets to Fenway for decent Field Box seats ran $1500-$2000 each last year. Think about what Super Bowl tickets are going to run this year.

[cg]

sheesh.