DETROIT — It’s hard to know what looked worse during the first two games of the ALCS in The Bronx: The Yankees’ anemic offense or all the empty seats at Yankee Stadium.
And although the Yankees have their work cut out for them to get back there this season, down two-games-to-none to the Tigers heading into tonight’s Game 3 at Comerica Park, the team has resorted to calling former season-ticket holders in order to sell out a potential Game 6.
Matt Jones had season tickets for more than a decade before he gave them up when the tickets at the new Stadium became too expensive, but he purchased a single ticket for Game 1 in the Legends Suites section for $500.
Yesterday, he received calls and emails asking if he was interested in buying more tickets for the remaining home games.
“They got my information from Ticketmaster,” said the 38-year-old, who works in commercial real estate. “There were a ton of empty seats near me at the game, so I guess that’s why they had to do it. The reason I stopped going as often as I used to was because the prices were too high and I guess other people feel the same now.”
A team official wasn’t aware of the tactic, but also wasn’t surprised by the need for it. Attendance for both Game 1 and 2 was more than 3,000 short of the 50,291 capacity.
Jeff Passan, a writer for Yahoo! Sports, also had a story on Saturday that claimed ushers were told to move fans from the upper deck to the lower, more expensive, seats seen on television
The Yankees aren’t alone in their failure to sell out their playoff games. As of last night, Stubhub.com listed more than 4,000 tickets available for tonight’s game at Comerica Park.
The empty seats in The Bronx have sucked the life— and home-field edge — out of the Stadium.
“This is a very easy place to play now,” Tigers outfielder Quintin Berry told Yahoo! Sports. “Coming from Oakland [in the ALDS], the fans there were so rowdy. It was easier to come here.”
While the Tigers may be relieved to see the empty seats, some Yankees, including Nick Swisher, were critical of the fans who did show up. Swisher complained after Sunday’s Game 2 loss that fans got on him for his misplay that led to the team’s loss in Game 1.
Of course, if the Yankees don’t get their act together in Detroit, there won’t be a Game 6 to worry about.