Copyright Los Angeles Times
While most Dodgers fans are watching all the action of the World Series from a screen, some have made it their mission to be inside of the stadium where it happens. It’s no secret that attending a World Series game isn’t cheap. But just how expensive is it? The prices may surprise you. This year’s tickets at Dodger Stadium, originally priced between about $340 to $550 for many seats, were almost impossible to nab at face value, and resale prices on sites like StubHub and Vivid Seats skyrocketed (we’ve spotted prices upward of $200,000). However, by Game 3, tickets had dropped, allowing some fans to snag them up last minute for less than $700. (Plus these folks bargained for three hours of baseball and ended up getting six — twice the deal they expected, plus the chance to witness Freddie Freeman hit yet another walk-off home run.) As crowds swarmed into the stadium before Game 3, we asked attendees about how much they paid to get into the game and what it meant to them to be there. How long have you been a Dodgers fan? Salvador: Since I can remember. How much did you pay for your ticket? People are going to hate me because I’m a season [ticket] holder, so I paid like $1,600, but for the whole playoffs. I sold my [extra] two tickets for cheap for $1,500 to a friend. I think they’re going like for a $1,000 to $1,200. Was it worth it? This is our second World Series. Last year, we were here at Game 1 [Freddie] Freeman’s grand slam. So for [my son], I’m hoping it’s worth it down the line whenever he’s my age and that he call tell his kids, “Hey, I was there.” Freddie Freeman hits a leadoff home run in the 18th inning as the Dodgers defeat the Toronto Blue Jays to take a 2-1 lead in the World Series. How long have you been a Dodgers fan? Liv: My whole life. [Jake] is my son-in-law. He’s a huge fan, so we wanted to surprise him with tickets. Loefke: I cried like a little baby. Liv: He did [laughs]. [We also brought] my dad, Jose. He’s been a huge Dodger fan. We lost him last year. We came to the World Series [last year] and the guy accidentally made a mistake with our tickets, so he moved us a little bit closer. And the seat next to us was completely empty, so we sat his picture there and we won. That’s when Freeman hit that home run, Game 1. We take [my dad] everywhere. I forgot him Friday and we lost. I’m not doing that again. Jason: He’s our good luck charm. How much did you pay for your ticket? Liv: It was like $860. It wasn’t bad. Was it worth it? Liv: Yes, absolutely! Just because I feel like it represents L.A. and the fact that this is what I grew up with. My dad played ball. He played with [Sandy] Koufax. How long have you been a Dodgers fan? Akida: What are you talking about? Kirk Gibson! I’m Tommy Lasorda, baby! How much did you pay for your ticket? Akida: $900. We bought our tickets from a third party. I’ve been asking my brother-in-law how much I owe him, but he’s such an amazing human being. He’s like “Don’t worry. I got this!” Was it worth it? Akida: Of course it’s worth it. We’re seeing the Dodgers World Series. The flight costs more than $900. If you have it, it’s worth it. If you don’t have it, it’s not worth it — you can watch it on TV. If I was still in school, I would be watching on TV. But I am a 53-year-old man, after many years of life, so I can spend $900 to watch the Dodgers. Aiden: This is maybe my second or third game that I’ve been to for the Dodgers. Being at the World Series, like the grand finale, I feel like it’s a great time to be here. I’m really proud of my dad, my auntie and my uncle for bringing me here. I want to thank them. Akida: Can we get a crying emoji? Cheer on the Dodgers in the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays at bars and restaurants near the stadium. How long have you been a Dodgers fan? Killian: There are a lot of Dodger fans here from Taiwan and Asia because of the influence of Ohtani and Yamamoto. [Fans] want to witness their careers and legacy. How much did you pay for your ticket? Killian: Around $660. We bought the tickets this morning. We’ve been here multiple times and we feel like maybe a few hours before the game, you can get a better price. Was it worth it? Lillian: Yeah, of course. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Killian: And especially for the World Series because last year we also came for Game 2 and we spent almost $1,000. How long have you been a Dodgers fan? I’ve been a Dodger fan since I was born in ’96 and of course, the Dodgers are number one. I felt bad for not going last year, so I was like, you know what, I gotta go this year, so here I am. How much did you pay for your ticket? $800 Was it worth it? It was definitely worth it for like a one-time experience. How long have you been a Dodgers fan? Shelly: I’ve been a Dodger fan since the ‘80s when Kirk Gibson hit his infamous home run. Then I married a Dodger fan and then these two became Dodger fans because of that. This is our first World Series. It means a lot. We thought about doing it last year and we kind of talked ourselves out of it, but this year we were like “We’re not missing it” cause you just don’t know when it’s going to come around again. How much did you pay for your ticket? Shelly: I think we paid $850. Nolan: We just waited until Game 2 was over to get our tickets. Once they won, it was kind of a wrap at that point. Was it worth it? Shelly: We’ll let you know at the end of the game [laughs]. How long have you been a Dodgers fan? Santiago: Since I was born. Last year I came to the first game of the World Series against the New York Yankees. It was very weird, and me and my dad thought we just lost, but then Freddie Freeman came up. It was a very cool moment. It probably won’t happen again. [Editor’s note: It happened again!] How much did you pay for your ticket? De La Torre: We spent $800 for tickets, so it’s definitely worth it. Last year we were here for Game 1, Freddie Freeman, grand slam, so it was worth it, then it’s worth it now. And you know, spending time with my son at the ballgame is priceless. Nameberry, the world’s largest baby name site, reports a 1,000% spike in ‘Shohei’ searches in the last week as the Dodgers are heading to the World Series. How long have you been a Dodgers fan? My whole life. Are you serious? The Dodgers actually used to be an affiliate of the Isotopes. I work at the Albuquerque Isotopes. Our triple-A team, they’re now the Rockies but we used to be affiliated with the Dodgers so it just goes hand in hand. How much did you pay for your ticket? I paid $800. It’s not terrible. I’m behind home plate. I got on Ticketmaster like last Thursday. I was watching the prices. I buy a lot of tickets, so I kind of know the system. So going to Dodger Stadium, I’ve done it before and so I just knew, just get a ticket and try to get into the game. Was it worth it? Oh, 100%. This is the World Series! It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It’s worth a splurge because in the end, it’s the moments that matter. So hopefully the Dodgers get the win. That’s the biggest part today is the Dodgers getting the win and having a good time. How long have you been a Dodgers fan? Conde: At least 30 years. Since I can remember, that’s been my only baseball team. Pena: I’m going to be honest with you, we are not Dodger fans but we are here to support the game of baseball. How much did you pay for your ticket? Pena: We paid around $900 for our tickets to come to the game. We got them at the beginning of this week. We came out here because they [Conde and Torres] actually won the giveaway for our company, so we brought them out to the game through our company DripStix. Was it worth it? Pena: It was really worth the money because it’s a beautiful city. This is my first time in the stadium, and I love to travel and go to stadiums. How long have you been a Dodgers fan? Delgado: Ever since I was a kid, I always wanted to go to a Dodger game. Born and raised a Dodger fan since I was a kid. My dad took me to the game. Now, I take my kids to the game. It’s just a generational thing. Back-to-back championships is hard to do, but we’re going to do it. How much did you pay for ticket? Delgado: I paid around $1,000. That [was] the cheapest one. Was it worth it? Avila: Of course. It’s the golden ticket right now in L.A.
