Earlier today, thousands of New York Yankees fans, who are eagerly awaiting their All Star Game tickets, received a scare when an automated telephone “blast” notified them that their All Star tickets had not been paid for.
The notifications prompted armies of irate fans who had paid for their tickets to call the team, jamming phone lines and tying up access on Yankees.com. The Yankees are hosting this year’s All Star Game on July 15 in what is the team’s final season at Yankee Stadium, and tickets for the event have been an extremely hot commodity.
According to team representatives, the phone blasts were sent out in error and that most tickets had indeed been paid for. The team intends to send out another phone blast closer to the public presale for tickets, which is slated for June 16. Fans have until June 15 to register for the presale.
How the Yankees have handled the sale of All Star Game tickets this season has drawn some criticism, not only because of the prices, face value from $150 to $725, but also because the team is requiring season ticket holders to also purchase tickets to other fan events on the Sunday and Monday before the game. Those events, including the State Farm Home Run Derby, are tacking on a minimum of another $300 to the price of the ticket.
In a letter to season ticket holders, Yankees Chief Operating Officer Lonn Trost called the requirement a “commercially reasonable business effort.” Such fan-oriented event surrounding a special game, such as an All Star Game or the Super Bowl, are not unique, but Yankees and Major League Baseball may be among the first to require fans to shell out such a high premium for the extras associated with the All Star Game.
(The image accompanying this story is from MLB.com)
