'Double's a little outrageous': Western Canadian Blue Jays fans decry ticket prices for Mariners series
In September 2016 Toronto fans took over Safeco Field but this time it could cost more to do so
In September 2016, when the Toronto Blue Jays went to Seattle to play a mid-week, three-game series against the Mariners, you could argue it was hardly an away game for the Jays.
Safeco Field in Seattle was overrun with Western Canadian fans of Canada's only Major League Baseball team.
Thank you to all the fans who made Safeco Field look like Rogers Centre over the series! 🇨🇦 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OurMoment?src=hash">#OurMoment</a> <a href="https://t.co/U8Hw48vNJp">pic.twitter.com/U8Hw48vNJp</a>
—@BlueJaysThis year, the Blue Jays are back for a three-game weekend series against the Mariners from Friday, June 9 to Sunday, June 11.
But tickets aren't cheap, especially compared to Mariners games in Seattle against other teams — and some fans say that's not fair.
"Double's a little outrageous," said Don Kelloway, a fan of the team from Red Deer, Alta.
Prices range from $30 to $600 US for each of the upcoming Mariners games against the Blue Jays this week. Compared to Mariners games against other teams, prices are, in some instances, double.
"Market forces determine what the price will be," said Mariners spokesperson Rebecca Hale.
Hale is talking about "dynamic pricing,"Â a system most teams in the MLB use, including the Blue Jays.
Teams adjust the prices of tickets game-by-game based on factors such as team record, opponent, day of the week and supply and demand.
'Pay whatever'
Hale admits that demand can cause the price of tickets to go up, but says the inflated price of the tickets isn't just because it's the only chance for Western Canadian fans to see the Jays in Seattle.
But fans like Kelloway, who will ride his motorcycle to Seattle with a friend and shell out for the tickets, don't believe that.
"There's no question in my mind, this has nothing to do with dynamic pricing, this has absolutely to do with them knowing Blue Jays fans are going to pay whatever they have to go and see them play," he said.
Hale says, so far, none of the three games versus the Blue Jays have sold out.