Rays sell 30,000 tickets in an hour

ST. PETERSBURG -- The Tampa Bay Rays sold about 30,000 tickets in the first hour of online ticket sales this morning. The tickets were for the first two Rays home games of the American League Championship Series.

"We're extremely excited and encouraged by the reaction that we've had," said Mark Fernandez, the Rays vice president for sales.

The tickets will be good only if the Rays make it into the AL Championship Series, which they can do by beating the White Sox tonight in Chicago, or if necessary, at Tropicana Field on Wednesday.

People were able to buy tickets from the Rays starting at 9 a.m. this morning only if they won the team's lottery. Winners were given a code to access the team's sales site. Available tickets were gone by 10 a.m.

There are plenty of tickets available online -- if you're willing to pay. Several people on www.stubhub.com were trying to sell Rays tickets for more than $500 each.

-- Curtis Krueger, Times staff writer

*

Comments

[flsportsfan83]

my tickets sold $710 for 4 tickets. I made out well. Go USF

I Have TICKETS to ALCS ALL GAMES starting at $100....

World Series starting at $300

Contact: luisgarcia813@gmail.com

will deliver/meet in person
will be in St. Pete Friday early evening

[SilverMan]

Multiple fans bringing their distaste for Democrats into a discussion that has nothing to do with politics (which are a joke, by the way). Ridiculous. I'm aware of how red this area is but when the Trop unanimously booed Keith Olberman in ALDS Game 1 I found it a bit ludicrous. Keep your hatred to yourselves and let's all root for the Rays.

[Mike]

flsportsfan83

Can we meet in person. I want to buy some tickets I dont care how much they cost but the transaction has to be in person.

Amanda,
Believe what you want, but it looks from here like the majority of fans got blown off in favor of tickets being dumped onto sucker-hub for fun and profit.

And Ticketmaster's ridiculous system is the reason I stopped even trying to go to concerts YEARS ago. Talk about scams!

[Amanda]

Anonymous @ 2:47-
I don't believe for a minute that this was a scam. Did the way it go down make it horribly unfair for Rays fans? Yes. Absolutely. But I think it was mostly a matter of timing, luck, and Ticketmaster's online system totally blowing (seriously, you guys ever tried to buy concert tickets? Whole system crashes half the time).
I think it sucks, but I don't think anything was intentional. But yes, it does suck.

[Stu and co]

"Rays Release 30,000 Tickets to Scalpers" would be a far more accurate headline.
Fans? Who needs'em! Why sell to our home-town base for $25 when some sucker in Boston will pay $250 for the same seat!

Love,
Stu

The Ray's ownership has messed with a lot of fans this week. Watch them start crying again next season when we stay home and watch the games on TV for free. They obviously knew this "lottery" was a scam. Pretty much unlimited seats available on stubhub yesterday at the same time they were telling us "we're sold out!" I call bullpucky!

[Amanda]

Rob-
Eww. Normally I defend the Rays management, but if what you're saying is accurate, that's just WRONG! Very misleading!

[Rob]

I put a deposit on 2009 tickets for the right to purchase playoff tickets, or so I thought! According to the Rays, my deposit was for the 1st round only! I feel cheated! I spoke to a Rays ticket guy who replied in a condecending voice:"You thought $100 would buy the rights for the whole playoffs!" Rays you broke my heart! Arrogant!

[9equals8.com]

Make sure you tell all your friends to check out the petition (easily found on http://www.9equals8.com once it gets buried on this site). Let's see what we can do here.

Also, check out prices for tix to Fenway and you will be thankful at how low Stubhub tix are for the Trop. Tix to Fenway are just plain dumb.

[9equals8.com]

Saw some comments here and elsewhere about wanting to take the tarps off. So, I started a petition asking Rays mgmt to take them off. Hey, why not?

http://www.petitiononline.com/NoTarps/petition.html

Sign it and tell your friends. You never know....

[luisgarcia813]

Ummm you can get refunded for those tickets unless they were bought on someone else's credit card

[luisgarcia813]

Rays fan I know that I was just asking because some people don't know that a deposit is only for 1 seat... I have my tickets already ;)

[Rays Fan]

Dam this anouncer is boring on TBS....

[Rays Fan]

Right now top of 5th. If this game gets to top of 7th inning first pitch and I have no takers the deal is off. You a gambler?

[Rays fan]

I got 6 tickets for outfield 10 rows up for game 5. I will sell all 6 tickets for $100. No refunds if game 5 is not played for ALDS.

[Rays Fan]

luisgarcia813

2 months ago $150 deposit per seat for 2009 season tickets min 20 game makes you season ticket holder. We all had the oportunity to buy them then before September 12th with that deposit. You pay deposit $150 per seat for 2009 you have to then buy all 11 games upperdeck or outfield option. That time has passed. Now because of supply and demand deposits have gone up. That's part of business.

[Melissa]

OK. So I guess the requirement of putting down a deposit ($100 ea) is no longer valid. We only buy the partial season pass each year. So I'm not gonna put down a grande deposit per ticket. I'll watch from the sports bar. I'll see ya'll at the Trop next year. Go Rays!

[luisgarcia813]

Rays fan but the ticket deposits only allow you one ticket per postseason game... correct..

[Rays Fan]

Jumping on the boat now is not making the boat...You can still make the boat but supply and demand is now the problem.

[Rays Fan]

melissa | October 06, 2008 at 05:33 PM

I put a deposit for $150 a seat for 2009 season tickets 2 months ago. They said Guidelines where that I paid for my postseason tickets 2 seats total of $1,170 I paid I have my tickets for all postseason games 11 of them. Takes money to enjoy some of the best entertainment. Bottomline is now that the Rays are doing well whiners (Democrats mostly) that want thing cheap and free whine. If you were late you missed the boat as they say. GO RAYS. FYI true Rays fans got there tickets.

[melissa]

I put down a deposit for two season tickets for next year. I was able to order tickets for the last series, but now am being told when I call that they're not sure what they are doing in the front office yet. What's the deal? Are they holding back tickets the same as they did for the last series or are they all sold out?

Rays staff aren't so helpful on the info front yet. We're te rest of you able to get tickets?

[Rays Fan]

GO GABE Goooo NICE CATCH...Screw all you BJ Upton Hatters as well. Homer time BJ Nice

[Rays Fan]

Whiners (DEMOCRATS) always have a reason to blame others. I say all the whiners are ones that don't have the brains to figure it out. GO RAYS

[Amanda]

Anonymous 4:59-

So it's the fault of the Rays management that scalpers bought the tickets? I really don't think they have any control over WHO the people are who win the lottery. I mean, they can't exactly go, "Ok, you're name came up. Now before we let you buy, name the 2005 opening day starting line-up to prove you're not a scalper! No cheating!"
Yes, it totally sucks that scalpers snatched up those tickets, but I hardly see how it's the fault of Rays management that the scalpers got luckier than you (and yes, from past dealings with Ticketmaster I really do believe it is luck when buying tickets from them).

[Rays Fan]

RELAX RELAX.. Why did't any of the whiners pay a deposit of $150 a seat for 2009 season tickets which you only had to buy 20 games? You could had all post season tickets? Alot of fans think they should get tickets for next to nothing. Bottomline is tickets are under priced for watching the Rays at face value. The price is dictated by supply and demand but the whiners don't understand that.

There are HUNDREDS of tix avaialable at scalper-haven -- I mean "stub hub". What does THAT tell you?

Rays Management, you just lost yourself a league of fans. TV is free. Don't whine about your empty dome next year.

[Beer Man]

Do the right thing, STU

Remove the Blue Tarps...

Sell to tax paying residents willing to stand in a line for them.

[MyheartbelongstoBubba!]

I'm so disappointed.

I've been a fan since the beginning. I attended both Rays cruises, had season tickets in the early years with the miser and tyrant Namoli, I endured the God awful Namoli reign and stayed loyal to the Rays. My closet is filled with various team colors and logos. I have owned a state of Florida Rays specialty license plate for several years and proudly support the Rays thoughout the good and bad seasons. I've attended games when I was one of the few in the Trop...never giving up on the Rays.

I was thrilled when I was selected for presale tickets to Games 1, 2 & 5 - ALDS. I bought 4 for each game. The Trop rocked last week!

Luck struck again and I was selected again for presale tickets to ALCS games. This morning I was online at 8:55 ready to buy 4 tickets for each game and wasn't so lucky. I was prepared with my password and my heart was filled with hope and love for the Rays. I had no luck.

My heart is heavy with sadness. It just can't be true! I can't even get 1 ticket to either game! Where is the love? How is it possible that I can't even buy a single presale ticket to either game?!

[Surprising]

I can't believe another article in the St Pete Times turns into something negative about the Sox. You people give your good Rays fans a bad image.

[flsportsfan83]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Tampa-Bay-Rays-ALCS-Home-Game-1-2-Tickets_W0QQitemZ150302021404QQihZ005QQcategoryZ16122QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

That is my ebay link. Buy up. Just dont bid unless you are gonna pay

[Big Ben]

So I guess the e-mail I got from Rays Baseball that says I have until 11:59PM tonight to order tickets is incorrect?

[Peewee]

Lisa, I completely agree with you, I was on at 9am waiting, got put into a 30 minute line and then nothing was left by the time i got up there. Not happy at all. Its common sense not to send out more emails than you have tickets, or at least you would think so.

[Linda]

I went on at 9am and asked for a certain section (not best available) and got them. It took about 10 minutes but it worked. I actually got Hanna Montana ones too - so it does work! This will be much more fun!

[Peewee]

Sorry Alex, But once again, I am not putting down a payment on tickets that I dont even know if I can attend the games. I dont have the extra money with the way this economy is going to pay 320 dollars to see 20 games. Living north of tampa it isnt always easy to get down there after work.

and flsportsfan- your a jerk, I hope no one buys yours tickets.

[Evan L]

I didn't win lottery for first 2 games but went anyway!

I got on the lottery list for the Alcs and got 2 tix with no issue.

[Razzlegator]

flsportsfan83
You're a maggot, but you probably know that as well as anyone else.

[lisa]

Myself and three other people got the passcode this weekend and we all wentin to the site within 5 minutes of each other. Hald of us got tickets the other half didn't. They should anticipate everyone who gets a passcode getting 4 tickets and only send out that many passcodes. It's simple mathmatics. Now you have a bunch of fans who are angry because they thought they were getting to see their team play, but all they got was disappointment. Good way to build a "fan base".

[luisgarcia813]

Nice to meet you Scalpers should rot...

Like I care that you know I'm selling tickets ITS A CAPITALIST WORLD, I'm not trying to keep it a secret.

Jerk.

BTW,

AVG INCOME
• Hillsborough, $31,686
• Pinellas, $31,242
• Sarasota, $28,483
• Polk, $27,880
• Manatee, $25,505
• Hernando, $24,332
• Pasco, $23,925

-Last year millionaires grew by an average of 4.2% in the US, but an astounding 7.4% in Tampa Bay (based on data from market researchers at Claritas)!

-. Naples/Marco Island, Fla.
Concentration of millionaire households: 17.5%

-The number of millionaires in the United States surged 14 percent in 2003, to 2.3 million, according to the World-Wide Wealth of High Net Worth Individuals survey released Tuesday by Merrill Lynch and Capgemini.

-According to new wealth stats released by the I.R.S. Florida had 199,000 residents with a net worth of $1.5 million or more as of 2004 (their latest period). That topped New York’s count of 168,000, though it still trailed way behind leader California, which boasted 428,000–more than a fifth of the nation’s total.

AND yet I'm the "Idiot"....

[flsportsfan83]

I hope the series goes 7 games and the Rays lose. That way I get a chance to buy more tickets and sell them on ebay.

you're a real doll, "sportsfan". It'll be great seeing your seats all done up in redsox crap.

[flsportsfan83]

CHECK OUT MY TICKETS ON EBAY. LOOKING TO GET ATLEAST $200 A SEAT IN THE OUTFIELD. THANKS RAYS AND RED SOXS FANS. YOU WILL PAY MY CAR PAYMENT, INSURANCE PAYEMENT, AND GIVE ME LEFT OVER CASH.

[No tix here]

Out of everyone I know who "won" lottery spots, ONE actually got tix for ONE game. They allowed everyone 4 tix, they knew too many people had "won". What a crock and how very disappointing now to see those same tix going for hundreds.

[Kim]

I WAS ONLINE RIGHT AWAY THOSE TICKETS WERE SOLD OUT BY 9:05 THIS MORNING. RIDICULOUS!!!

[luisgarcia813]

ALCS Tickets: Contact me at- luisgarcia813@gmail.com

GAME 1:
(1) Seat Location: Section 139, Row BB, Seats 15

GAME 2:
(1) Seat Location: Section 319, Row F, Seats 17
(4) Seat Location: Section 136, Row AA, Seats 1 - 4

[Stop being stupid]

To RGarcia813: Are you really that stupid? Retirement = fixed income. And you're basing the state's millionaire count on lottery winners? My God, you're an idiot.

I venture to say the average fan is Joe or Jane middle class, maybe have a couple of kids who they're raising to root for the home team. These are the people who can't pay $500 for tickets that are normally $20.

By the way, I'm on the fan forum too - I know you're selling your "partners" tickets for more than twice the value.

Jerk.

[Lisa]

I put a deposit down for 2009. Then my post season ticket package came - crappy seats in a crappy section. It would have been different if I could pick my section and row, but I was sent Row Q in the third tier. No thanks.

Owners - I hope you're happy when your pockets are lined but your home team is being boo-ed by the opposing team's fans on your own turf.

What a joke.

[luisgarcia813]

TO: Scalpers should rot

Not sure what you mean by "People in this area can't afford it." but last time I checked Florida was basically retirement central. Not to mention the Florida lottery where just about EVERY week there is atleast one new MILLIONAIRE since 1988
that's easily more than 2K Millionaires there alone.

[Alex]

Peewee, deposits for next year cost a whopping $100. A 20-game pack of outfield tickets costs $320 per seat.

Even minimum wage Joe Six-Pack can afford that. Sorry you aren't able to plan ahead-- you are obviously the only person who can't see the future.

FYI, MLB does not control ticket prices until the World Series. ALDS and ALCS are in the hands of the teams playing.