We have covered the exorbitant prices for 2024 World Series tickets in Los Angeles as well as the logistical challenges of a feared Carmageddon at these two games. As the World Series shifted to New York, there was a growing hope that the series would potentially conclude in New York.
On Monday, the Dodgers moved to the penultimate step of that journey, with the resurgent Walker Buehler turning back the clock to that glorious summer of 2021 and Freddie Freeman torturing the other New York team for a change.
While our excellent writing core has the baseball portion of this series well in hand, there was a lingering issue that was bothering me. While I do not have any direct or concrete evidence for my assertions, I do have enough circumstantial information to make some observations.
The future is yours if you can count
Two weeks ago, Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times earned himself some well-earned condemnation during the National League Championship Series for proclaiming the Dodgers the victors…when they had only won three games. On Monday night he did it again, but at least prefaced his enthusiasm with the fact that the Dodgers were still one win away.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today after Game 3 of the World Series made the same mistake that Plaschke made in the NLCS by failing to count to four.
On a related note, I am reminded of one of my favorite speeches from Aaron Sorkin’s “The West Wing.,” wherein White House communications director Toby Zeigler starts berating his staff about tempting fate.
For obvious reasons of superstition, I shall now paraphrase what I would tell anyone who has clearly failed kindergarten and not learned that three is not the same as four, which is a majority of seven.
MJE: “The rules governing baseball’s World Series mandate that the champion is crowned when that team has won a majority of games in a seven game series, which is a total of how many games, Adric?
Adric: Four.
MJE: He isn’t even sentient and he knows that four games have to be won before a drop of wine is poured because there is this little thing called what, Adric?
Adric: Tempting fate.
MJE: Tempting fate is what it is called! Since the Dodgers 2024 season started six months ago, I have aged 48 years, lost a significant portion of my hair and sanity. I have to cook a duck later. We are upon our collective day of jubilee, and I will not have it screwed up by what, Adric?!?
Adric: Tempting fate.
MJE: By tempting fate! These things take patience. These things take skill. These things take luck. Since the 2024 season has started, what kind of luck have the Dodgers generally had, Adric?
Adric: Bad luck.
MJE: [clears my throat, raises my right eyebrow and points to the Injured List] What kind of luck?
Adric: Very bad luck.
Or perhaps, that bit of television writing was too subtle for some. Let us reflect on the words of the late Kobe Bryant.
If Brent Honeywell, Ben Casparius, Landon Knack, and company can get the Dodgers to everlasting glory in Game 4, we shall celebrate like it is indeed 1999. History and math are on the team’s side, but the job is done when it is done.
The golden goose of playoff pool money
As we have previously covered, during the playoffs, rather than the teams, MLB is responsible for setting prices for playoff tickets, among other factors like game management, running the games, and paying rent to the home team for use of the stadium.
Article X of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement governs the pool of money for playoff teams in baseball. The pool is created from the following sources:
- 60 percent of the total gate receipts from the first 4 World Series games;
- 60 percent of the total gate receipts from the first 4 League Championship Series of each league;
- 60 percent of the total gate receipts from the first 3 games of each Division Series of each league (which would change to the first 4 games if the LDS was expanded to seven games); and
- 60 percent of the total gate receipts from the first 2 games of each Wild Card Series of each league (after deducting the traveling expenses of the visiting clubs, up to $100,000 per game).
The other 40 percent of these gate receipts go to the owners as well as 100 percent of the gate receipts for games after the minimum to clinch. Moreover, the owners get 100% of all memorabilia, concession sales, parking, etc throughout the playoffs.
In 2023, the total gate receipt money pool for the players to split was $107.8 million. Considering that television ratings for this World Series are significantly higher than last year, it would not be an unreasonable assertion that the gate receipts would likely be higher as well, especially considering the sticker shock with dynamic ticket prices this playoff season.
The World Series winners get 36 percent of the pool. The World Series loser gets 24 percent from the pool. The LCS losers split another 24 percent from the pool, as both teams get 12 percent. The LDS losers split another 13 percent of the pool, as each of the four teams gets 3.25 percent. Finally, the Wild Card losers split the final 3 percent of the pool, as each of the four teams get 0.75 percent of the pool.
Considering the shameful wringer the citizens of Oakland went through this year, considering how the southside of Chicago, Kansas City, Phoenix, and Milwaukee are currently having issues with their respective ownership groups, and considering the hype that has arisen from the first Dodgers/Yankees World Series in over 40 years, while far more competitive than the turkey that was the NLCS, I can think one truly just outcome:
The Dodgers must sweep the Yankees, depriving the owners of any additional playoff revenue.
The players would get everything that they would be entitled to and not give any further free labor for the owners to profit off of considering how costly World Series tickets were this year.
Buyer’s Market
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John Jones-Imagn Images
Ironically, there has never been a better time to visit Yankee Stadium.
As previously reported, the Dodgers and Yankees were providing links for direct ticket sales as well as links to the secondary market via SeatGeek. Before the World Series started, tickets for games 3, 4, and 5 were higher than the games at Dodger Stadium.
Out of curiosity, I checked to see what the current prices were. While good seats are still prohibitively expensive, prices have effectively collapsed for the floor of tickets.
Based on how the series has gone, the lowest ticket prices have been halved for Games 4 and 5. If you live in or near New York, and you can afford a ticket that is pricier than an LCS ticket, Game 4 (or Game 5, if necessary) would be a relatively affordable opportunity to go to this World Series.
If I was able to logistically and financially get myself to New York tonight, I would go to Game 4 (and 5, if necessary).
Logically, I would imagine that seat prices would continue to plummet as we get closer to game time. The Yankees are reaping the effects of playing listless baseball upon the first trip to the World Series in 15 years. If you purchase tickets for a game that does not occur, you do get the money back within 1-2 weeks.
I would severely warn anyone wishing that this Series returns to Los Angeles with the following warning: check your vanity as it would be a historical goof on the Dodgers’ part to allow that event to happen.
In the 120-year history of the World Series, there have now been 25 instances, including this year, when a team has taken a 3-0 series lead.
- 21 times — the World Series has ended with a sweep.
- 3 times — the World Series has ended in five games.
- No one has ever forced a Game 6 in this situation in the World Series.
Here’s hoping that the Dodgers finish the job while in New York and that we can all celebrate on Fernando Valenzuela’s birthday if history holds out.
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