The 2012 Major League Baseball All-Star Game is set to take place next week at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri and there is already a rise in ticket sales compared to last year’s event in Phoenix.
Currently, tickets are only available on the Kansas City Royals official website for All-Star Monday and the MLB All-Star Fanfest. Individual tickets for the MLB All-Star Fanfest start at $30.00 for adults. The Fanfest will be held at the Kansas City Convention Center July 6-10. Events at Fanfest include interactive baseball, exhibits and activities for adults and children, along with autograph sessions of past and present players.
For those looking for tickets to the Home Run Derby or for the All-Star Game itself, they will have to search other avenues. On StubHub individual tickets for the Home Run Derby are currently ranging in price from $169-$389. As for the All-Star Game individual tickets will cost anywhere from $232-$650.
Strips for every All-Star event during the week are also available on StubHub. Access to Fanfest, the Home Run Derby, and the All-Star game will set an individual back anywhere between $455 in the upper deck or over $6,000 for seats right behind the dugout.
Ticket buyers hoping for a better bargain on Ebay will not fare much better. Tickets for just the All-Star Game are currently starting at $425. For those looking for full strip tickets they will have to shell out at least $2,800.
“I go to college in Connecticut but I am out here in Kansas City this summer for my clinical so I thought it would be fun to try and go to the All-Star Game since it is a once in a lifetime experience,” said Jeremy Owings. “However, all the prices I am finding so far on a college student budget I think I’ll stay home and watch it on television.”
Next year’s All-Star Game will be held at Citi Field home of the New York Mets. Thus far, the Mets are making All-Star tickets only available to current season ticket holders. On the team’s official website it states that individuals can also gain access to tickets if they purchase season tickets for the remainder of this season and next season. Early access will be granted to individuals whom purchase a 40-game ticket plans or 15-game ticket plans.
Those who buy season tickets will receive access to full strips. All ticket plans must be purchased from the New York Mets before July 10. There is no word yet as to when individual tickets and packages will go on sale for those not purchasing ticket plans from the Mets.
“Disappointed is what I am,” said Chris Jordan, a New York resident and self-proclaimed life-long Mets fan. “In this economy it’s a shame that the Mets are just using the All-Star game as a way to try and sell more tickets. At this point I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that they’ll eventually open up ticket sales to the public without buying a ticket plan first.”
After multiple attempts, no one from the New York Mets ball club could be reached for comment about the All-Star game ticket situation.
While everyone wants to see the biggest and brightest stars from Major League Baseball all gathered together in one game, only those who are willing to pay a high price will have access to do so.
