Posts Tagged ‘all star game tickets’

MLB All-Star Weekend marks the half way point in the 162-game baseball season, it gives the players a chance to take a break from the mid-season grind, it gives fans a chance to see the best in the league play in one single game, and it decides which league gets the home team advantage in the World Series.

The allure of the Home Run Derby is much simpler: fans want to see their favorite sluggers knock the cover off the ball and hit as many long balls as humanly possible. Although both events may take on different meanings for baseball fans and players alike, they are both an important part of Major League Baseball.

When you compare this season’s All Star Game and Home Run Derby ticket prices to last year’s, it is interesting to see how they are relatively lower in Los Angeles this year than they were in St. Louis in 2009. What’s more, St. Louis is a mid market while L.A. is the second largest and home to two team — both of which went to the Championship Series last season. So, a 50% drop in All Star Game ticket prices year / year is significant. Ticket prices to the Home Run Derby are down 60% from 2009 as well.

There aren’t many Derby tickets left in the secondary market, which may put pressure on prices to increase. The tickets that are available are averaging roughly $200. For seats in the outfield, prime home run ball real estate, your best value tickets are going for $151. This is a whopping 77% below average prices ($664) for tickets in this area. If you want to sit closer to the action, grab a seat in the Field All Star 128 for $225 bucks, which is 78% percent off the average price.

All Star Game tickets are averaging $442 dollars. There are still a fair amount of tickets left, and that means there is still great values to be had. Looking for the best seat in the house? Sit in the Diamond Hall of Fame 121 right behind home plate for $1202 dollars, 46% less than the average price of $2237. If you sit in the View All Star 511, up a few sections along the 3rd baseline, you still get a great view of the action. These seats are going for $155 dollars which is a substantial 45% percent less than the average price.

There’s been no shortage of debate as to whether Stephen Strasburg should be named to the N.L. All-Star team. True, Strasburg hasn’t had enough starts. His .500 record in 5 start isn’t stellar. Strasburg has a solid 2.27 ERA in 31.2 innings pitched. But wait a minute. What is the All-Star Game, really? It’s for the fans. Fans want to see the most exciting and electric ball players out there on July 13th. And because it is a fans game, shouldn’t the players the fans most want to see get the nod? We say yes!

FanSnap is the most comprehensive ticket search engine in the U.S., displaying ticket data from every major ticket marketplace and every major ticket broker who sells direct online. Of the 60+ most trusted ticket sites online that FanSnap searches, we created the “Fansnap 60 Index.” FanSnap Tickets Reports are based on data gathered from the FanSnap 60.

FanSnap is able to see that demand very clearly in the ticketing market, and from our data, it is clear that not only should Steven Strasburg be in the All-Star game, but he should be a shoe-in. His ticket numbers and therefore the demand to see him is simply extraordinary. When Stephen Strasburg pitches, tickets increase by an average of 123%. That’s well above the other top pitchers in both the National and American Leagues.

Tickets to games that Strasburg starts average $58.10. Tickets to the other games in the series average $25.99.

In this category, if nowhere else, he blows away the competition. So, particularly with a game that is based on fan enjoyment, we say, give the people what they want!

In order to responsibly suggest who should or should not be in the All Star game, Fansnap first compiled a list of the best all around starting pitchers in the Major Leagues. They were chosen based on the common baseball statistics. We took into account, wins, strikeouts, ERA, and walks plus hits/ innings pitched (WHIP) just like we do in fantasy baseball). We then evaluated the average ticket price of all home starts by these pitchers, and compared them to the average ticket prices of the games in the rest of those specific series.

For example, when evaluating Tim Lincecum, Fansnap took the average ticket price from his home debut against the Atlanta Braves and the average price from the other two games in that series. The same was done for his other 8 starts. From there, an overall average of home starts by Lincecum was compared to the combined average of all other games in those series.

Aside from Strasburg, the two highest percentage change in ticket prices came from John Johnson of the Marlins (+24%) and Tim Lincecum of the Giants (+24%).  Other pitchers of note were Jared Weaver of the Angels at +15% and Roy Oswalt of the Astros at +13%. For the most part, these are small market teams who have fans that seem to get more excited (and are willing to pay more) to see their stars pitch.

Remember: for all tickets to Major League Baseball this summer, including All Star Game tickets and Home Run Derby tickets, visit Fansnap to find the best possible values on the best possible seats.

(UPDATE: July 8, 2009)

Prices WERE dropping until the players were announced.

Demand for tickets to the MLB All Star Game jumped since last Thursday. Get-in prices for tickets to the mid-summer classic in St. Louis went up more than $100 in less than a week while the average price for a ticket has also increased. The Home Run Derby also looks to be a hot ticket this weekend.

MLB All Star Weekend – Futures and Legends Game (July 12)  4,000+ tickets from $14*

MLB All Star Weekend – Home Run Derby (July 13)  3,000+ tickets from $241*

MLB All Star Game tickets (July 14)  3,000+ tickets from $495*

* prices and availability as of July 8, 2:00PM PT.

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As Major League Baseball’s 2009 All Star Game, being held at the new Busch Stadium in St. Louis, approaches, this week the average market price of tickets to the game has finally started to drop – over 7% in the last few days, to about $900.

FanSnap searches dozens of ticket sites for available listings and has been monitoring asking prices and availability of tickets for the game for weeks.  Average asking prices have stayed firm, even increasing in recent weeks.  Baseball fans continue to have a tremendous array of ticket choices all over the stadium, from behind home plate in the “cell phone seats,” to the deepest reaches of the bleachers where only Albert Pujols can go yard.

In the past week, All Star Game ticket listings have actually increased to over 4,400.  As the game nears and ticket sellers need to move their tickets they are doing the logical thing – starting to drop their asking prices!

Don’t forget the other great weekend events.  Real baseball fans know that the winner of this game gets home field advantage on the World Series.  That’s critical.  More importantly, someone always wins a new house, based on who wins the Home Run Derby.  Now that’s drama!

It is a great weekend of events, and look at all the ticket choices!

Futures and Legends Games (July 12) * 5000+ tickets from $10*

Home Run Derby (July 13) * 5000+ tickets from $184

All Star Game (July 14) * 4000+ tickets from $359

St. Louis is a great place to visit.  It’s not too late…

* prices and availability as of July 2, 10PM PT.

(UPDATED)

We are just two weeks away from one of the best events of the entire sports year – Major League Baseball’s All Star Game – this year being held at the new Busch Stadium in St Louis.

It is a great weekend of events, and look at all the ticket choices!

Futures and Legends Games (July 12)

* 4000+ tickets from $10*

Home Run Derby (July 13)

* 4000+ tickets from $200

All Star Game (July 14)

* 4000+ tickets from $330

St Louis is absolutely one of the best cities in America to have a great time in – see the Arch, see the Zoo, see some Clydesdales, eat some barbecue, even go to the FanFest.

If you have never been to an All Star Game, this would be a great year to make it happen!

* prices and availability as of July 30, 1PM PT.