How badly do Blue Jays fans want postseason tickets?
After 22 consecutive seasons of watching the postseason from their couches, the Toronto Blue Jays are finally going to the playoffs—and they’re going as the American League East champions, to boot. But with all the fan ecstasy comes a little bit of sorrow: tickets for the American League Division Series are completely sold out, and seats that originally sold for anywhere from $100 to $750 are now going for triple that—and higher. We asked Jays supporters at the Rogers Centre what they would be willing to pay or trade to be in the stands during Toronto’s first mid-October ballgame in more than two decades.
Peter Szczeskiewicz, 27-year-old factory worker from Mississauga
“I’ve already looked at the postseason ticket prices and it’s nothing to like. I’d pay a couple of hundred bucks for sure. What would I trade? My girlfriend.”
Ron Gidge, 61-year-old accountant who lives on the Danforth; Larry Bowers, 60-year-old educational assistant who lives downtown
Ron: “Playoff tickets would be nice, but I probably can’t afford it. I wouldn’t pay $300 to see Paul McCartney, so probably $200. I would trade my virginity.”
Jennifer Cummins, 44-year-old marketing professional from Mississauga; Logan, 7, and Sydnei, 11
Jennifer: “I would pay hundreds, not thousands, for a postseason ticket.” (Logan would trade his video games.)
Indiana Aguilar, 67-year-old retiree from Whitby; Jennifer Mohammed, 33-year-old insurance worker from Long Branch
Jennifer: “We bought season’s tickets, so we got the first chance to get playoff tickets. For the 500s, for two seats, for the whole thing, was $2,400. It’s a lot of money. We’re not rich.”
Alfredo Salinas, 39-year-old travel agent from Mississauga
“I came to Canada in 1996. I’ve seen the back-to-back World Series video tapes over and over, so I’m excited. My budget for a playoff ticket would be $250. I don’t care if I’m on the roof, as long as I’m in one of the games.”
Betty Jensen, 69, and William Smith, 70, retirees from St. John’s, Newfoundland
“I love the Blue Jays. Period. We came up for the weekend to see three games. For the playoffs, I would pay $150 for a ticket.”
Steph Servinis, 22-year-old Beer Store worker; Alex Peters-Ranger, 22-year-old student, both from Whitby
Steph: “I’ve been watching the Blue Jays my entire life and I haven’t seen any playoff baseball.”
Alex: “I would trade my firstborn child for a postseason ticket. Just kidding. Don’t quote me on that. I wouldn’t pay anything more than a couple of hundred bucks. I would say $300 for a 500-level ticket is reasonable, but I know it would be more than that.”
Tom Eyres, 59-year-old retiree from Lindsay
“I don’t know if I would pay the price that they’re asking. I’ll continue watching them on TV.”
![](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://torontolife.com/city/blue-jays-postseason-ticket-streeters/&title=How badly do Blue Jays fans want postseason tickets?&picture=https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/blue-jays-streeter-intro-2000x1330.jpg&description=After 22 consecutive seasons of watching the postseason from their couches, the Toronto Blue Jays are finally going to the playoffs—and they're going as the American League East champions, to boot. But with all the fan ecstasy comes a little bit of sorrow: tickets for the American League Division Series are completely sold out, and seats that originally sold for anywhere from $100 to $750 are now going for triple that—and higher. We asked Jays supporters at the Rogers Centre what they would be willing to pay or trade to be in the stands during Toronto's first mid-October ballgame in more than two decades.
[caption id="attachment_331136" align="aligncenter" width="803"] (Image: Gabby Frank)[/caption]
Peter Szczeskiewicz, 27-year-old factory worker from Mississauga
“I’ve already looked at the postseason ticket prices and it’s nothing to like. I’d pay a couple of hundred bucks for sure. What would I trade? My girlfriend.”
[caption id="attachment_331137" align="aligncenter" width="803"] (Image: Gabby Frank)[/caption]
Ron Gidge, 61-year-old accountant who lives on the Danforth; Larry Bowers, 60-year-old educational assistant who lives downtown
Ron: “Playoff tickets would be nice, but I probably can’t afford it. I wouldn’t pay $300 to see Paul McCartney, so probably $200. I would trade my virginity.”
[caption id="attachment_331135" align="aligncenter" width="803"] (Image: Gabby Frank)[/caption]
Jennifer Cummins, 44-year-old marketing professional from Mississauga; Logan, 7, and Sydnei, 11
Jennifer: "I would pay hundreds, not thousands, for a postseason ticket.” (Logan would trade his video games.)
[caption id="attachment_331134" align="aligncenter" width="803"] (Image: Gabby Frank)[/caption]
Indiana Aguilar, 67-year-old retiree from Whitby; Jennifer Mohammed, 33-year-old insurance worker from Long Branch
Jennifer: “We bought season's tickets, so we got the first chance to get playoff tickets. For the 500s, for two seats, for the whole thing, was $2,400. It’s a lot of money. We’re not rich.”
[caption id="attachment_331132" align="aligncenter" width="803"] (Image: Gabby Frank)[/caption]
Alfredo Salinas, 39-year-old travel agent from Mississauga
“I came to Canada in 1996. I’ve seen the back-to-back World Series video tapes over and over, so I’m excited. My budget for a playoff ticket would be $250. I don’t care if I’m on the roof, as long as I’m in one of the games.”
[caption id="attachment_331133" align="aligncenter" width="803"] (Image: Gabby Frank)[/caption]
Betty Jensen, 69, and William Smith, 70, retirees from St. John’s, Newfoundland
“I love the Blue Jays. Period. We came up for the weekend to see three games. For the playoffs, I would pay $150 for a ticket.”
[caption id="attachment_331138" align="aligncenter" width="803"] (Image: Gabby Frank)[/caption]
Steph Servinis, 22-year-old Beer Store worker; Alex Peters-Ranger, 22-year-old student, both from Whitby
Steph: “I’ve been watching the Blue Jays my entire life and I haven’t seen any playoff baseball.”
Alex: “I would trade my firstborn child for a postseason ticket. Just kidding. Don’t quote me on that. I wouldn’t pay anything more than a couple of hundred bucks. I would say $300 for a 500-level ticket is reasonable, but I know it would be more than that."
[caption id="attachment_331139" align="aligncenter" width="803"] (Image: Gabby Frank)[/caption]
Tom Eyres, 59-year-old retiree from Lindsay
“I don’t know if I would pay the price that they’re asking. I’ll continue watching them on TV.”){kind=link}
Wow, sort of surprised by how reasonable these people are. I full expected people to say nonsensical things like “$80 and not a penny more” so it goes to show the blue Jays fever has certainly caught on. Maybe Toronto doesn’t have terrible sports fans after all, we’ve just had terrible sports teams for so long. Glad to see the Jays and Raptors seem to be on to something while the inexplicably venerable leaves continue to blow, hard. No chance but here’s to hoping that Toronto can pivot away from being a hockey town as that franchise isn’t worthy of the reverence it receives.
How does being willing to pay an inordinate amount of money for a game ticket make you a “fan”?
I’m not saying saying it makes you a better “fan” but it does make you much less of a clueless, naive idiot. Playoff tickets are expensive no matter where you go and it’s good to see people in the city aren’t indifferent about the team’s fantastic success this year and consider it “worth it” to see exciting playoff baseball. Particularly when people have had no problem pissing their money away to see the useless leaves for so long.
I’m sorry if you can’t afford to go but hopefully you’ll watch from home / a bar. Tom Eyres for example was willing to admit the tickets are more than he’d like to spend but still wants to watch and support the team.