# Tickets for baseball games - NYC



## Dr. Furface (Apr 20, 2008)

I'm going to be in New York from 28 April to 2 May and I believe that both the Yankees and Mets are playing at home that week. I've never been to a baseball game before and I'd like to go see both of them play - especially as I understand that both are playing their last ever season at their stadiums before relocating - but I don't know whether to book a ticket in advance or leave it until I get there. So does anyone have any advice about what's best to do? If I could be sure that I could get a ticket on the day then I'd prefer to do that, but also I don't want to take the chance of not getting in. Any other tips about going to see either of these teams play - eg. transport, best seats etc - would be welcome.

Also, does anyone know any good Manhattan bars where I can catch the Champions League semi-final 2nd leg games which are playing that week?


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## Detroit City (Apr 20, 2008)

Yankees games have HUGE attendance and them playing their cross-town rivals the Mets will all be sellouts.

Best to get them in advance.  Actually it may be too late to buy them from the regular channel.   Try stubhub dot com but you'll have to pay more


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## Dr. Furface (Apr 20, 2008)

Detroit City said:


> Yankees games have HUGE attendance and them playing their cross-town rivals the Mets will all be sellouts.


Thanks but they're not playing against each other - Mets play Pittsburgh and Yankees play Detroit


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## Detroit City (Apr 20, 2008)

Dr. Furface said:


> Thanks but they're not playing against each other - Mets play Pittsburgh and Yankees play Detroit



in that case then go for the Mets game, it'll be easier to get tickets....or you could see teh Yankees play my home team


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## mhendo (Apr 22, 2008)

Some things to think about.

First, this year is different. In the past, getting seats at Shea Stadium (Mets) has nearly always been really easy. I went to a few games there last year, and the stadium was only half full. Yankee Stadium generally draws bigger crowds, but even then it was generally possible to walk up and buy a ticket, except for Red Sox games, which are nearly always sold out.

But, as you noted in your OP, this is the last year of operation for both Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium, and heaps of fans are making their last pilgrimage to these ballparks before they are torn down at the end of the season. For that reason, crowds are bigger this year, and tickets will be harder to come by, especially for games against popular teams.

I just did a few ticket searches on the Mets home page, and there seem to be plenty available. It helps that you will be there early in the week. Getting tickets for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday night games should be quite easy. But you still might want to think about booking ahead; when the Mets played the crappy Washington Nationals at Shea last week, the place was almost sold out.

Yankee Stadium will probably be even more difficult. It's considered one of the shrines of baseball, and they get good attendances even in regular years. This year it looks like the ground might sell out for most games. And tickets are more expensive than at Shea.

There is one exception to all this, and it depends on how many of you are going to the game.

If you're going by yourself, you will be fine. No matter how sold-out a game is, it is nearly always possible to buy a single seat. About the only time that every seat in the ballpark is taken is during playoff games. Even traditionally sold-out venues like Fenway Park in Boston and Wrigley Field in Chicago generally have single seats available, even on the day of the game. 

If there are two or more of you going, it gets more difficult, and if you leave it too late you might find it impossible to get seats next to one another.

There's also the option of buying tickets from someone else, and not necessarily scalpers. Sometimes, a season ticket holder will have a spare ticket that he or she is willing to sell for face value. Officially, you're not allowed to sell tickets outside Yankee Stadium (can't remember about Shea), but i've seen people doing it.

As for getting to the game, both stadiums are absurdly easy to get to by public transport. To get to Yankee Stadium from Manhattan, you just jump on the B or D trains (West Side) or the 4 train (East Side) and ride up to the Bronx, getting off at 161st Street/Yankee Stadium. For Shea, you get on the 7 train to Queens, and ride nearly all the way to the end of the line, getting off at Willetts Point/Shea Stadium. In both cases the stadiums are right there when you get out of the subway; there's no way you can get lost.

The best seats depend on:

a) what's available
b) how much you want to spend
c) what sort of view you like

Some people like to watch the game from down near ground level, while others prefer a more bird's-eye view. Each has advantages and disadvantages, just like watching cricket or football. Getting seats at ground level is probably out anyway; most of those are expensive, and tend to be taken by season ticket holders. There's a good chance that you might not have much choice, and that you might have to be in the upper decks.

On one of my trips to Yankee Stadium, a few years ago, i was in the upper deck on the left field side. The view was OK, although the stadium obstructed a fair bit of my view of left field, in the corner. I could see the diamond fine, although it was a fair way away. I don't mind a top-down view, personally.

Here are links to a couple of pictures i took from my seat that day. Both were taken from the same place; the first one is a wide shot, and the field looks further away than it actually was. The second shot is zoomed a bit, and the field looks closer than it actually was.

Image 1
Image 2


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## 1927 (Apr 22, 2008)

One word of advice...................DON'T DO IT!!!

I went to a baseball game in SF two years ago, and I still feel like I have had a day of my life stolen from me.It is without doubt the most boring, mindnumbing experience you will ever have in ya life. And expensive is not the word. The baseball teams have devised ways of taking money out of your pocket that you cannot start to imagine. Beer was about £5 a pint, chips £4 and a replica jersey over £100 I kid you not!


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## Dr. Furface (Apr 23, 2008)

Thanks for the advice mhendo, really helpful, esp. the travel advice. Thinking about what 1927 says above, are drinks etc as expensive as he claims? Also, can you smoke inside the stadiums?


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## mhendo (Apr 23, 2008)

Dr. Furface said:


> Thanks for the advice mhendo, really helpful, esp. the travel advice. Thinking about what 1927 says above, are drinks etc as expensive as he claims? Also, can you smoke inside the stadiums?


Drinks and food are definitely expensive. A 20oz plastic cup of beer (about the same as a British pint) is about $8-9, depending on what beer you want. The food (fries, hot dogs, etc.) are similarly outrageous. Personally, i'm not a beer drinker, but even if i were i think i could live without it for three hours at those prices.

As far as food goes, not only is it expensive, but the quality is distinctly mediocre. And if you're a vegetarian, like me, pickings are likely to be extremely slim. Luckily, most major league ballparks allow you to bring outside food (but not alcohol). I often find a place near the ballpark, buy something nice (and cheaper) to eat, and take it in with me. I'm pretty sure Yankee stadium allows you to do this, but you might want to check. The problem at Shea is that there's no shops or anything right outside the ballpark; if you want to take food with you, buy it before you get on the subway, or stop somewhere like Jackson Heights (awesome Indian food available) and pick something up.

As for smoking, the answer is no. I believe that New York state law prohibits smoking in the ballpark, so that will apply to both Yankee and Shea stadiums. This is the current trend in America, and even here in Baltimore smoking is now prohibited in bars and restaurants, and at the ballpark is restricted to a few designated areas outside of the stands.

Make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to get to the ballpark. The subway is generally very efficient and frequent, but the ride out to Shea, in particular, is quite long. Leave yourself at least 45 minutes, and preferably an hour, to get from Manhattan to the stadium. Here's the web site for the subway system, where you'll find maps and schedules.

And don't listen to *1927* about the experience.  Just go with an open mind, and i reckon you'll have a good time. It probably helps if you've seen some baseball on TV, and have a sense of the rules and the way the game is played. If there's anything you don't understand, just ask the people around you. Baseball fans are always happy to talk about and explain the game, especially to foreigners. The whole experience is just so American. 

Warning: it's also a rather loud experience, and i don't just mean the crowd cheering. In between innnings, and sometimes in between batters, the stadiums like to pump out loud music and/or advertising. It really gets quite obnoxious at times, and is one of the things that annoys me about American pro sports. It's nothing like cricket, where you an have a nice quiet chat with your mates between overs; sometimes you have to shout to make yourself heard. Yankee stadium is the loudest ballpark i've been to. I don't know how the people living next to the stadium cope with the noise of 80+ home games every year.


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## skyscraper101 (Apr 23, 2008)

Sounds like the NBA to be honest

I went to watch the Knicks at MSG last year - fairly easy affair getting tickets. Just went to the NBA store ticketmaster outlet.

Beer, hotdogs and anything else was a total rip. But then so is every stadium, just like the UK.


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## Dr. Furface (May 9, 2008)

Just thought I'd mention that I went up to see the Yankees play on Thursday 1 May. As mhendo said it was really easy to get there on the subway, I arrived about an hour and a half early and just went and bought a ticket at the office, $60 got me a good seat in a covered area second level up (incidentally this was quite a bit cheaper than if I'd bought one in advance off ticketmaster, as I was going to). I really enjoyed the game, but the Yankees aren't very good at the mo and they lost 4-8. For  saying it was a regular season game on a wet night (although it only rained during the game!) I was impressed with the size of the crowd and the atmosphere. As discussed above, the drinks and food prices were a bit steep but I didn't mind that so much, but I did find that the people serving in the stadium and in the nearby bars all seemed to be really arsey, which was the only downer on the night (was it because I wasn't wearing a replica shirt or cap?!). I'd definitely go again though and I look forward to seeing them play next time in their impressive looking new stadium just over the road.


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## MightyAphrodite (May 9, 2008)

Dr. Furface said:


> I did find that the people serving in the stadium and in the nearby bars all seemed to be really arsey, which was the only downer on the night



OK, americans get slated on here for being too nice when providing services, and for being not nice enough, cant win! 

glad you enjoyed it though.


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## gabi (May 9, 2008)

Anyone know how to go about getting tickets for NHL? (sorry for derail)

I went to see the yankees play last year, I had a blast. This might have had something to do with the fact that I was under the impression that Coors Light was low-alcohol beer so I necked about 15 of them duiring the game. Bad move. Well, good move, but slightly embarrassing move.


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## mhendo (May 9, 2008)

gabi said:


> Anyone know how to go about getting tickets for NHL? (sorry for derail)


You mean for the current playoff series? Not likely. You can probably get tickets from scalpers or resellers, but they'll cost you an absolute fortune.

For regular season games, it's usually relatively easy to get seat online or at the box office.


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## Rainingstairs (May 20, 2008)

Dr. Furface said:


> Thanks for the advice mhendo, really helpful, esp. the travel advice. Thinking about what 1927 says above, are drinks etc as expensive as he claims? Also, can you smoke inside the stadiums?



you should tailgate in the parking lot! that's always fun. Since you prolly won't have a grill, bring a cooler of beer and some food and chill out before the game a get a good head start out there


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