Rays selling holiday ticket packages, includes home opener

Tampa Bay Rays fans who want to catch the raising of the AL Championship banner could get a crack at tickets during the holidays.

The Rays are now selling special ticket packages for the holidays that include tickets to the Rays home opener, April 10 vs. the New York Yankees. The Rays will be raising their American League Champions banner prior to the game.

The Holiday Pack, which ranges from $45 to $75 to $99 depending on seat location, includes one ticket to Opening Day, one ticket to the fan’s choice of three regular-season games, and one Rays cowbell.  The offer is good based on availability.

- JOE SMITH

joesmith@sptimes.com

World Series tickets could cost you hundreds each

If you are among the people who have been selected through the Tampa Bay Rays lottery to buy World Series tickets online this afternoon, you will find tickets prices between $100 and $500 each.

Expect to pay even more if you try to buy your tickets online at sites such as www.stubhub.com, www.craigslist.com,or tampabay.com.

A check today indicates that the cheapest tickets are going for about $250 apiece. Of course, if you would rather pay $10,000 for really good seats, some of those are available too.

People are even selling their pass codes for $150 and up -- that's the code that allows you to sign on and attempt to buy tickets through the Rays' official sale.

But even with the codes, there is no guarantee you actually get tickets. The first two World Series games will be at St. Petersburg's Tropicana Field on Wednesday and Thursday.

Curtis Krueger, Times Staff Writer

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Rays to remove tarps for games 6, 7

The Rays announced today they will remove the tarps on upper-level seats, making 5,762 more tickets available if the ALCS goes to Game 6. The seats, mostly with obstructed views of the field, haven't been sold for previous games this season. "Interest in Rays postseason tickets was extraordinary," team president Matt Silverman said in a statement. "Although the seating capacity we established provides optimal fan experience, Rays fans have made it very clear that they want us to make every possible seating opportunity available." Tickets will go on sale Wednesday to those who won the right through the team's postseason ticket lottery. Those eligible to purchase will be determined by lottery and notified by e-mail. Fans still can sign up for the potential lottery for World Series tickets at raysbaseball.com. Those who previously registered do not need to do so again.

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Want tickets? Get elected.

The Rays/Sox stand is the toughest ticket in town these days, but if you're a government official, getting in can be a breeze. As part of St. Petersburg's agreement for Tropicana Field, the city has regular use of 16 suite tickets and 10 at field level.

Mayor Rick Baker's office this week contacted County Commission Chairman Bob Stewart, who helped the city land a major league team, and gave him 10 field seats, six for tonight's game and four for Saturday night. Stewart said he wanted to pass out the tickets to fellow commissioners, but several are out of town, so he had to mix some top Pinellas officials into the gift list.

County Attorney Jim Bennett, Assistant County Administrator Elithia Stanfield and Stewart are among those slated to go tonight, Stewart said. County Commissioners Ronnie Duncan and Karen Seel each were given two tickets for Saturday night, he said.

Fair? Stewart said it's just karma.

"What you would call a perk," he said, "I would call a recognition of support in the past."

Will Van Sant, Times staff writer

Asking prices climb for playoff tickets

Now that the American League Championship Series is set -- Rays vs. Red Sox -- the scalpers are upping their prices.

At online sites such as stubhub.com and craigslist.com, more and more people are asking $300 to $500 for their seats, although some are still offering tickets in the $100 range.

The asking price was generally lower Monday, before either team had earned its way into the series.

Some people are seeking really serious money -- like the person trying to sell tickets for $10,900 each for a possible third home game of the League Championship series.

-- Curtis Krueger, Times staff writer

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Rays-Red Sox tickets remain available

[Times photo | Brian Cassella]

UPDATE, 4 p.m.: The Rays expect a crowd in the 30,000s, but tickets remain for tonight's Rays-Red Sox game, team spokesman Rick Vaughn said. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. at Tropicana Field.

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A good number of tickets remain available throughout the stadium for all three games between the Rays and Boston Red Sox today through Wednesday at Tropicana Field.

The first-place Rays lead the Red Sox by 1 game in the American League East. Tampa Bay, which has the best home record in baseball (53-21),  has won all six meetings between the teams this season at the Trop.